fireball. The crash alarm sounded at
nearby RAF Bottesford and the base
fire engines attended the burning
plane, but sadly all crew members
were either killed by the impact, or the
subsequent fire.
An anonymous account of the
incident and photographs of the crew
can be viewed in Bottesford Parish
Council Rooms. These were presented
by former members of 467 Squadron
RAAF to mark the 50th Anniversary of
the end of the World War II in 1995.
Ropsley
Little Humby Spitfire pilot Sergeant
William Philip Dales was lost on
5 November 1941 flying with 611
Squadron, aged just 22.
A modern commemorative stained
glass in St Peter’s church depicts him
with two family dogs. It reads:
“To the Glory of God and in memory
of William Philip Dales a beloved
younger son of Little Humby who did
not return from an operational flight
over Ostend 5th November 1941. Aged
22. Greater love hath no man than this
that he lay down his life for his friends.”
Based at RAF Hornchurch, Essex
Sgt Dales was flying a Spitfire ‘Rhubarb
Op’ (a low-level fighter operation
attacking ground targets) over northern
France / Belgium. He was lost, believed
Memorial site to the crew
of Lancaster LM311
shot down in murky conditions near
to Ostend, classed as ‘missing’ and
commemorated on panel 42 of the
Runneymede Memorial.
Stained glass window in memory
of William Philip Dales.
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