Special events and ceremonies 2008

Unforgotten British RAF hero – Flying Officer Douglas Cameron

May 10, 2008. The National Museum of Military History (NMMH) kept its promise to honor Flying officer Douglas Cameron every year on that fateful anniversary day of the German invasion of Luxembourg. Museum staff members and delegates of the Royal Air Force Association (RAFA) – Luxembourg chapter once again paid silent tribute to the final resting place of flying officer Cameron, buried at the Diekirch cemetery after he was killed on May 10, 1940 when his Fairy Battle was shot down over “Hiertzenhaff” near Bettendorf. A recently-found picture from that era shows German soldiers giving first aid to two of the unfortunate plane’s crewmembers. It is believed that the pilot on the right is F.O. Cameron. Despite all efforts and being taken by German soldiers to the Diekirch hospital to be looked after by local surgeon, Dr. Tandel, Cameron died as a result from severe loss of blood and almost severed arm. The Germans buried him in the civilian cemetery of Diekirch.

Gathered around the tomb of FO Cameron are: Roland Gaul, Roland Rach, Frank Goedert, Marc Rosch , Romain Reinard of the museum staff, as well as Brian Darke , Chairmann of RAFA together with other members and Dr. Paul Bohnert, alderman of Diekirch.

After the war, the grave was adopted by Mrs. Winter from Diekirch until she died. Thereafter, John Neven of Diekirch, whose father landed on D-Day with the French No 4 Commando “Kieffer” took care of the grave until his unexpected death. Thereafter the NMMH promised to continue the tradition. Both the NMMH, the RAFA and the community of Bettendorf are planning to erect a memorial plaque in honor of F.O. Cameron and his crew at the very spot where he crashed his plane on the first day of the “campaign in the west” on the occasion of the 70th anniversary on May 10, 2010.

May 10, 1940: Photograph shows 2 German infantry soldiers under supervision of an NCO (back) tending to the two heavily wounded British pilots. F.O. Cameron is on the right. This picture also demonstrates that there was always a degree of humanity among front-line soldiers!