Crash site: near Fontaine-les-Ribouts, 1.2550E/48.6542N, Eure-et-Loir, France
Crash cause: enemy Flak; aircraft shot down on the way out after the attack
Name |
1. Leeuwen, George Alexander van Grebbeberg 090204 Leeuwen GA van |
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Rank |
Res 1Lt Vl Wnr, F/O., Pilot |
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Decorations |
Vliegerkruis |
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Born |
7/8/1916 |
Place |
Soerabaja, Java, NEI |
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Squadron |
RAF 320 (Dutch) Sqn Bomber Command |
Ops/hr |
46/98 |
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Aircraft |
Mitchell Mk. II B-25D Nr. FR185 NO-Z |
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Base |
RAF Dunsfold, Surrey, GB |
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Mission |
Fuelstorage at Fontainebleau, F; take-off at 18.03h |
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Status |
KIA, aircraft shot down by enemy Flak |
age |
27 |
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Killed |
26/7/1944 |
Place |
Fontaine-les-Ribouts, Eure-et-Loir, F |
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Buried |
Initially buried as unknown in Châtaincourt next to the church, 4 km NNW of Fontaine-les-Ribouts on 28/7/1944. Reburied Militair ereveld Grebbeberg, Rhenen, NL, grave 8/24. The DIB archive mentions his initial burial as at Communal Cemetery La Touches, France, at the north side of the church. Source: CAD-MvD 5.050.5220 map 81 |
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Known to |
OGS |
yes |
CWGC |
no |
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Other crew |
2. Res Sgt Wnr F.H. Bloemgarten, Copilot/Nav - KIA 3. Sgt Vltg Telegr B.D. Meijer, Wop/Ag - KIA 4. Korp Vltg Sch W.H. Willems, Ag - KIA |
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Remarks |
Vliegerkruis, 20/7/1944, wegens Gedurende geruimen tijd bij het 320e Squadron R.D.N.A.S. van Onzen Marine Luchtvaartdienst in het Vereenigd Koninkrijk, in oorlogsvluchten tegen den vijand blijk gegeven van moed, bekwaamheid, volharding en plichtsbetrachting. |
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Memorial |
Memorial plate on Eglise Châtaincourt, Eure-et-Loir, France |
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GB arrival |
31/5/1940 with Dutch vessel 'Batavier II' from Cherbourg, France, after an escape from Holland on 16/5/1940. Detached KL to KM. Send from England to NEI 1/9/1940 for military flying training |
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Data Confusion |
Geldhof: crashed near Dreux, F OGS, DIB: died near Neuville-les-Bois, F Source: CAD-MvD 5.050.5220/81, 300 |
Nam | 2. Bloemgarten, Felix Hendrik
F.H. Bloemgarten Source: @St.M.Vl.P. 1939-50 Grebbeberg 090204 Bloemgarten FH | ||||||
Rank | Res Sgt Wnr, Copilot/Nav | ||||||
Decorations | None known | ||||||
Born | 23/5/1920 | Place | Heerlen, NL | ||||
Squadron | RAF 320 (Dutch) Sqn Bomber Command | Ops/hr | 11/24 | ||||
Aircraft | Mitchell Mk. II B-25D Nr. FR185 NO-Z | ||||||
Base | RAF Dunsfold, Surrey, GB | ||||||
Mission | Fuelstorage at Fontainebleau, F; take-off at 18.03h | ||||||
Status | KIA, aircraft shot down by enemy Flak | age | 24 | ||||
Killed | 26/7/1944 | Place | Fontaine-les-Ribouts, Eure-et-Loir, F | ||||
Buried | Initially identified via RAF Form 1250 and buried in Châtaincourt next to the church, 4 km NNW of Fontaine-les-Ribouts, on 28/7/1944. Reburied Militair ereveld Grebbeberg, Rhenen, NL, grave 8/25 | ||||||
Known to | OGS | yes | CWGC | no | |||
Other crew | 1. Res 1Lt Vl Wnr G.A. van Leeuwen, Pilot - KIA 3. Sgt Vltg Telegr B.D. Meijer, Wop/Ag - KIA 4. Korp Vltg Sch W.H. Willems, Ag - KIA | ||||||
Remarks | Student of Technische Hogeschool Delft | ||||||
Memoria | 1. Memorial plate on Eglise Châtaincourt, Eure-et-Loir, France
2. Stained glass Memorial window, building of the TU, Technische Aardwetenschappen, Mijnbouwstraat 120, Delft, NL 3. Memorial plate, main building Technische Universiteit Delft, NL | ||||||
GB arrival | Interrogation report NA 2.09.06-5298 | ||||||
Data Confusion | Geldhof: crashed near Dreux, F OGS, DIB: died near Neuville-les-Bois, F Source: CAD-MvD 5.050.5220/81, 300 |
Name | 3. Meijer, Bernard Dirk
B.D. Meijer Source: @St.M.Vl.P. 1939-50 Grebbeberg 090204 Meijer BD | ||||||
Rank | Sgt Vltg Telegr, Wop/Ag | Stb.Nr. 30522/D | |||||
Decorations | None known | ||||||
Born | 19/6/1922 | Place | Menado, Celebes, NEI | ||||
Squadron | RAF 320 (Dutch) Sqn Bomber Command | Ops/hr | |||||
Aircraft | Mitchell Mk. II B-25D Nr. FR185 NO-Z | ||||||
Base | RAF Dunsfold, Surrey, GB | ||||||
Mission | Fuelstorage at Fontainebleau, F; take-off at 18.03h | ||||||
Status | KIA, aircraft shot down by enemy Flak | age | 22 | ||||
Killed | 26/7/1944 | Place | Fontaine-les-Ribouts, Eure-et-Loir, F | ||||
Buried | Initially buried as unknown in Châtaincourt next to the church, 4 km NNW of Fontaine-les-Ribouts on 28/7/1944. Reburied Militair ereveld Grebbeberg, Rhenen, NL, grave 8/26 | ||||||
Known to | OGS | yes | CWGC | no | |||
Other crew | 1. Res 1Lt Vl Wnr G.A. van Leeuwen, Pilot - KIA 2. Res Sgt Wnr F.H. Bloemgarten, Copilot/Nav - KIA 4. Korp Vltg Sch W.H. Willems, Ag - KIA | ||||||
Remarks | |||||||
Memorial | Memorial plate on Eglise Châtaincourt, Eure-et-Loir, France | ||||||
GB arrival | |||||||
Data Confusion | Geldhof: crashed near Dreux, F OGS: died near Neuville-les-Bois, F Source: CAD-MvD 5.050.5220/81, 300 |
Name | 4. Willems, Wilhelmus Hubertus
Grebbeberg 090204 Willems WH | ||||||
Rank | Korp Vltg Sch, Ag | Stb.Nr. 90656/Z | |||||
Decorations | None known | ||||||
Born | 15/2/1920 | Place | Maastricht, NL | ||||
Squadron | RAF 320 (Dutch) Sqn Bomber Command | Ops/hr | |||||
Aircraft | Mitchell Mk. II B-25D Nr. FR185 NO-Z | ||||||
Base | RAF Dunsfold, Surrey, GB | ||||||
Mission | Fuelstorage at Fontainebleau, F; take-off at 18.03h | ||||||
Status | KIA, aircraft shot down by enemy Flak | age | 24 | ||||
Killed | 26/7/1944 | Place | Fontaine-les-Ribouts, Eure-et-Loir, F | ||||
Buried | Initially buried as unknown in Châtaincourt next to the church, 4 km NNW of Fontaine-les-Ribouts on 28/7/1944. Reburied Militair ereveld Grebbeberg, Rhenen, NL, grave 8/27 | ||||||
Known to | OGS | yes | CWGC | no | |||
Other crew | 1. Res 1Lt Vl Wnr G.A. van Leeuwen, Pilot - KIA 2. Res Sgt Wnr F.H. Bloemgarten, Copilot/Nav - KIA 3. Sgt Vltg Telegr B.D. Meijer, Wop/Ag - KIA 4. Korp Vltg Sch W.H. Willems, Ag - KIA | ||||||
Remarks | Of Heerdeweg 81, Maastricht, NL. Bloemgarten was the only one identified directly after the crash. This most likely means that he carried his RAF Form 1250 identity card, and that it was readable. Circumstances of identification of the others as yet unknown. | ||||||
Memorial | 1. Vijfluik Loenen, Gelderland, NL 2. Memorial plate on Eglise Châtaincourt, Eure-et-Loir, France 3. His name is on the Memorial near the St. Servaaskerk, Maastricht, Limburg, NL | ||||||
GB arrival | Engelandvaarder. He left Maastricht on 15/2/1941, and travelled a land route via Belgium, France, Spain and Portugal. From 26/7/1942 to 14/3/1943 he was detained in San Sebastion prison in Spain. He worked jobs along the route, to pay for his travel. He arrived in the UK on 16/10/1943. Certainly one of the longest journeys. Source: NA 2.09.06-6090 | ||||||
Data Confusion | Geldhof: crashed near Dreux, F OGS: died near Neuville-les-Bois, F Source: CAD-MvD 5.050.5220/81, 300 |
320 Sqn Mitchells taxying to take-off. Dunsfold, winter 1944. Source: @St.M.Vl.P. 1939-50, JPK collection 7-6-2
2. Crash site data
Fontaine-les-Ribouts, 1949, at the site of the crash. Left is H.J. Bloemgarten, father of Felix. Some wreck debris remained at the crash site after clearing. Picture @St.M.Vl.P. 1939-50. Bloemgarten HJ 1949.jpg
The hamlet sunken in the wood in the center of the picture is Fontaine-les-Ribouts. The view is to the North, towards Châtaincourt. The unmarked Monument with the cross dates from the end of the 19th Century. Fontaine-les-Ribouts 050702
At the site of the crash in the field, a commemorative plate was believed to have been placed on a pole. Plate later removed to an outside wall of the church in Châtaincourt, 4 km NNW of Fontaine-les-Ribouts.
Eglise Châtaincourt. Text: 'Hollandais tombes le 26-7-1944 Felix Hendrick Bloemgarten et ses camarades' Photo: Jean-François Lafosse, made in the 1990's, via Philippe Castellano.
However, the Stichting Militair Vliegend Personeel 1939-1950, Baarn, NL, holds the following pictures:
Eglise Châtaincourt in 1945. We see the commemorative plate on the wall of the church, a propellor stuck in the ground as a headstone, and a wooden cross on the group grave of the aviators. At the time, the aviators were believed to be 'Anglais'. Later this was changed into 'Hollandais'. Source picture @St.M.Vl.P. 1939-50. Bloemgarten HJ 4.JPG
Eglise Châtaincourt in 1945, showing the commemorative plate in its original condition. Picture @St.M.Vl.P. 1939-50. Bloemgarten HJ 3.JPG
Pictures indicate that the commemorative plate may have been mounted on the church wall as of day one. An on the spot investigation on 2/7/2005 learned that the plate is actually part of the church wall plaster, and has been reworked to excellent condition, although the paint in the inscription has gone:
Châtaincourt 050702-5
The Van Leeuwen crew was initially buried in this lawn. Châtaincourt 050702-1
Jan Kloos, 3/7/2005:
'De trip toen Van Leeuwen werd neergehaald herinner ik me vrij goed: hij was het enige slachtoffer. We waren die dag in de buurt van Parijs (Fontainebleau) op olietanks en hadden goed succes want de boel brandde dagenlang. Op de terugweg kreeg Van Leeuwen een treffer en dat was eigenlijk te verwachten want sinds wij niets heengaande ondervonden, dachten we dat het op de terugweg hetzelfde zou zijn. Ik herinner me dat we het heel gemakkelijk namen en niet veel koersveranderingen maakten. Later wel toen we Van Leeuwen zagen donderen! Afijn zo was het.'
Map 82. Fontaine-les-Ribouts, Eure-et-Loir, France, crash area of Mitchell FR185 on 26/7/1944.
The crew was initially buried next to the church in Châtaincourt. The crash site, which has not been pinpointed, is also reported as Neuville-les-Bois (OGS, DIB) and 'near Dreux' (Geldhof). The picture of Fontaine-les-Ribouts, above, was taken at the arrow leading away from the text 'crash site', at the D113 junction, viewing in the direction of the arrow.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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