MZ487
Crashes > of the R.A.F.
The Halifax III, MZ487 was probably hit by anti-aircraft fire on its approach to Wanne-Eickel and caught fire. It flew over the village of Dormagen and lost burning parts of the fuselage and crashed about 300 metres west of the Cologne-Dormagen railway line in an open field, where it burnt out completely.
The badly mutilated bodies of the crew were recovered from the area around the crash site and buried in the cemetery in Dormagen.
Only P/O James Douglas Balfour was able to save himself by parachute and was taken prisoner of war by the Germans after being slightly wounded.
Additional source:
Zons town archive documents
Above:
The area of the HalifaxIII crash, MZ487
left:
The burnt-out wreckage of the Halifax
Source: Dormagen town archives
Left:
The pilot of the MZ487, Fl/Lt William Reginald Arnold, RNZAF
left:
The first burial place of the crew at the cemetery of Dormagen