Not much is known about Francis Edmund McQueen. He was a pilot with 426 (RCAF) Squadron, operating out of Linton-on-Ouse. The squadron first flew with the Lancaster II, but in April 1944 transferred to the Halifax III and IV. 

F/O McQueen's crew consisted of;

F/O John Tabor
F/O George Shannon
P/O Robert Niles
P/O Harry Doggett
F/O William Carson
F/O Leonard Hill

On 17 June 1944 this crew participated in a mission bomb the oil plant at Sterkrade. 321 bombers were to take part in the raid.

426 Squadron
 

Poor weather prevented accurate bombing. Also the markers that were dropped by the pathfinders disappeared quickly due to the bad weather.  To add to all this, the bomber stream passed very close by a German night fighter beacon near Bocholt. Many night fighters were positioned close to the bomber stream and over 30 bomber were shot down by flak and night fighters.

F/O McQueen's Halifax also failed to return. It crashed into the North Sea and the bodies of several of the crew were found along a long stretch of the Dutch coast. F/O McQueen's body washed ashore near Castricum, where he is buried. F/O Shannon, F/O Hill and F/O Carson are all three buried at Amsterdam. F/O Tabor is buried at Makkum, F/O Doggett at Terschelling and P/O Niles at Pietersbierum,

F/O McQueen is buried at Castricum Protestant Cemetery, Plot J. Joint grave 9.
 

Castricum, The Netherlands

See also:
F/O John Tabor
F/O George Shannon
P/O R. Niles
P/O H. Doggett
F/O William Carson
F/O Leonard Hill

Sources:
www.rcaf.com
www.cwgc.org

Acknowledgements:

Directions to Castricum Protestant Cemetery

posted 3 may 2006

If you have any suggestions, comments or additional information, please contact me.

This website is dedicated to the men and women who died and/or are buried in The Netherlands during World War II.

 

Home | Search | Research | About