The two pilots were on a re-supply mission during operation Market Garden in the Arnhem area of the Netherlands September 1944. They were flying a Dakota (DC-3 MK. III No. KG 579 Sky Train), that took off from Down Ampney on 21 September 1944. During the approach to the Drop Zone the aircraft was attacked by enemy fighters. The aircraft was so badly damaged that the navigator, wireless operator and four Army dispatchers were forced to bail out. The aircraft was then seen to crash vertically into the ground on Volkel Airfield, approximately 17 miles south southwest of Nejmegen, killing both pilots on board.

W/O D.A. Webb and F/Sgt H.H.R. Plear were originally buried at the eastern end of the east-west runway beside the scene of the crash, before being transferred to the Zeeland Roman Catholic churchyard, North Brabant, the Netherlands where they were buried on 22 September 1944.

During the parachute decent, the Wireless Operator 755583 W/O G. Birlison and one of the Army Dispatchers L/Cpl Pilsen was machine gunned by enemy fighters and killed. A second Army Dispatcher was seriously wounded. W/O Birlson and L/Cpl Pilsen were laid to rest at the cemetery in Escheren, later they were re-interred and buried in the Uden War Cemetery, the Netherlands.

The Navigator, P/O R.C. Clark and two of the Army Dispatchers managed to escape by hiking from Graves to Eindhoven that day. Next day 22 September 1944 they managed to hike to the Escaut Canal where they were picked up by an RAF Officer who took then to HQ 30 Corps rear echelon and from there they were driven by staff car to Brussels. The names of the four Army Dispatchers are recorded as follows:

192235 L/Cpl J. Pilson 223 Coy RASC - Killed

231271 L/Cpl Moorcroft - Safe

121937 L/Cpl Harribin - Safe

14656870 Dvr Everrett - Safe

The ceremony started with a meet and greet in the village of Zeeland, the Netherlands. At approximately 1500 hours the Colour Party led the procession from the hall to the nearby church where a service was held to honour the two pilots that were killed in the crash in September 1944. Following the church service the Colour Party accompanied by a piper and bugler led the procession to the gravesite where a wreath laying ceremony was held. The service concluded when Daniel J. Murphy, Chairman of the Arhnem-Nijmegen Branch of the Royal British Legion recited the Act of Remembrance the bugler played The Last Post, the piper played The Lament followed by the two minutes of silence and the bugler sounded Reveille. The National Anthems of the United Kingdom, Canada and the Netherlands completed the ceremony.

We paraded back to the reception hall where refreshments and food were served. Met with some old friends of the British Legion as well as a number of our own Dutch Branch members who traveled to the ceremony to be with us for the day.