Operation: Maastricht

Date: 12th May 1940 (Sunday)

Unit No: 107 Squadron, 2 Group, Bomber Command

Type: Blenheim IV

Serial: P4914

Code: OM:F

Base: RAF Wattisham, Suffolk

Location: Near Voroux-Goreux, Belgium

Pilot: Plt Off. Osborne Harvey Keedwell 41427 RAF Age 26. KiA (1)

Obs: Sgt. Leonard John Merritt 563345 RAF Age 27. KiA

WOp/Air Gnr: AC2. Leslie Askham Berridge 627034 RAF Age 22. KiA

REASON FOR LOSS:

On 12 May 1940 at 08:10 hrs, 12 Blenheims from the Squadron took off from RAF Wattisham for a raid on the Maastricht bridges, as the Wehrmacht advanced to cross the Meuse into Belgium.

Understood to have crashed at 09:25 hrs near Voroux-Goreux either a victim of Flak or Bf109s from 1./JG 1 and 2./JG27.

107 Squadron suffered heavily during this operation, the others lost:

Blenheim IV L8733 - Flown by Plt Off. Stanley George Thornton 41497 RAF was KiA along with his crew;
Blenheim IV L8748 - Flown by Fg Off. Ronald Cooper Rotheram 33374 RAF and landed in Allied held Belgium. His Air Gunner, LAC. Coote was taken PoW whilst in hospital receiving treatment for severe injuries;
Blenheim IV P4905 - Flown Fg Off. William Henry Edwards DFC 40045 RAF taken PoW along with his Observer, his Air Gunner was KiA.

(1) On the 2nd November 1939 whilst with 101 Squadron, Plt Off. Osborne Keedwell escaped uninjured during a crash landing of Blenheim IV L4899 at West Raynham in Norfolk.

Burial details:

Plt Off. Osborne Harvey Keedwell. Voroux-Goreux Communal Cemetery. Collective grave. Son of Clarence Stanley and Elizabeth May Keedwell of Levin, Wellington, New Zealand.

Sgt. Leonard John Merritt. Voroux-Goreux Communal Cemetery. Collective grave. Grave Inscription: "THEIR BODIES ARE BURIED IN PEACE; BUT THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE". Born on the 24th January 1913 in Martley, Worcestershire. Son of Leonard Cecil and Gladys Kate (née Print) Merritt. Husband of Gwendoline Mary (née Osborne) Merritt of Warwickshire, England.

AC2. Leslie Askham Berridge. Voroux-Goreux Communal Cemetery. Collective grave. Grave Inscription: “THOUGH LOST TO SIGHT, TO MEMORY EVER DEAR”. Born in 4th Qtr of 1917 in Cranfield, Northamptonshire. Son of Charles Edward and Margery Elisabeth (née Bailey) Berridge of Cranford, Northamptonshire, England.

Researched by Kelvin Youngs (Webmaster) and dedicated to the relatives of this crew with thanks to the research by Errol Martyn and his publications: “For Your Tomorrow Vols. 1-3”, Auckland Cenotaph and the Weekly News of New Zealand (Aug 2017). Thanks to Antonio McDonald for the aircraft code update (Apr 2025).

Other sources listed below:

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