Attractions and Places To See around Wallers-En-Fagne - Top 20

The aircraft that crashed here was a Vickers Wellington Mk X, a medium-weight twin-engine bomber widely deployed by the Royal Air Force and Allied air forces during World War II. The Wellington was one of the most recognizable British bombers of the early war years and was known for its remarkable geodetic construction designed by aircraft designer Barnes Wallis. This unique structure gave the aircraft exceptional strength, allowing some heavily damaged planes to return to base. By 1943, the aircraft was primarily used for night bombing missions over occupied Europe and Germany. The Wellington HE652 belonged to No. 426 Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force, a unit that was part of RAF Bomber Command. This squadron, formed in October 1942, operated from RAF Dishforth in North Yorkshire, England, and primarily conducted nocturnal bombing raids on strategic targets in Germany. On the evening of April 10, 1943, the Wellington HE652 departed from RAF Dishforth as part of a large-scale Allied bombing operation targeting the German city of Frankfurt. Such missions were part of the strategic bombing campaign through which the Allies sought to weaken Germany's industrial capacity and logistical infrastructure. During this flight, the aircraft was intercepted over Belgium by a German night fighter. Investigations suggest that the aircraft was likely shot down by German Luftwaffe pilot Wilhelm Herget, an experienced night fighter ace who downed multiple Allied aircraft during the war. The attack took place in the early hours of April 11, 1943. Around 03:23, the Wellington crashed in the wooded area near Virelles. The impact was devastating; the aircraft was completely destroyed, and the entire crew perished. The crew of Wellington HE652 consisted of five young servicemen, primarily from Canada and the United Kingdom. The pilot was Pilot Officer John H. Sammet. The crew further comprised Sergeant John Hehir, who served as navigator and bomb aimer; Sergeant Douglas A.W. Weller as radio operator; Sergeant George Levins as flight engineer and gunner; and Sergeant Jack G. Budreau as tail gunner. Like so many young men who participated in the air war, they were often barely older than twenty. Their mission over Europe was part of a conflict that claimed thousands of similar lives in the fight against Nazi Germany. After the crash, the bodies were recovered and buried in the military cemetery of Florennes, where they still rest. The crash site remained largely untouched for many years until local historians and residents began to recognize the importance of the location. To keep the memory of the crew alive, a memorial was erected on August 6, 1978, at the exact site of the crash. The monument is intentionally kept simple. It consists of a simple stone or metal commemorative structure with a plaque listing the aircraft's details and the crew members' names. Around the monument are flagpoles, often adorned with Belgian, British, and Canadian flags, symbolizing the international solidarity in remembrance. The area around Virelles played an important role during World War II as a transit area for Allied aircraft en route to Germany. Belgium was situated in a strategic corridor between England and German industrial targets, making its airspace a frequent scene of aerial combat, crashes, and forced landings. Consequently, smaller monuments commemorating downed aircraft can be found throughout the country.

Chimay, before being known for its superb castle, its monastic life, and its famous beer, is above all a forest town. The town is located in a clearing overlooking the Ardennes forest. It is at the Notre-Dame de Scourmont Abbey that the Trappist Cistercian monks make beer and cheese.

View of the castle.

Interesting and worth seeing old town of Chimay.

Interesting historical reminder.

Just took a photo from the outside. Nice to look at.

Very nice asphalted railway line cycle path EV3.

On the night of April 10 to 11, 1943, Hptm Wilhelm Herget of I./NJG 4 shot down a bomber over Virelles. In the crash of Wellington Sgt Douglas A.W. Weller (radio operator), Sgt George Levins (flight engineer and fuselage turret gunner), Sgt Jack G. Budreau RCAF (tail gunner). They are buried in the municipal cemetery of Florennes. A memorial has been set up for this crew in the forests of Virelles.