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Introduction

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Preamble

In May 1940, Germany invaded the Netherlands. Within five days the Dutch Army Aviation Brigade was taken out by the German Luftwaffe. All of the Brigade's bombers, along with 30 D.XXI and 17 G.I fighters were shot down; two D.XXI and eight G.I were destroyed on the ground. Two G.I were captured by German forces, one of which was later flown to England by a Fokker pilot. The Douglas bombers were used as fighters because no suitable bombs were available; these aircraft were poorly suited for this role and eight were shot down and three destroyed on the ground in the first hours of the conflict.

In spite of their numerical inferiority, the Dutch armed forces did enjoy success against the Luftwaffe, having 350 Luftwaffe aircraft destroyed, although many of these were lost to anti-aircraft fire and crashes at improvised landing fields in the Netherlands rather than due to action by Dutch fighters. The cost was high – almost 95% of the Dutch pilots were lost. In recognition of their actions Queen Wilhelmina granted the highest Dutch military decoration, the Militaire Willemsorde (MWO), to the Army Aviation Brigade collectively.

Some aircrews escaped to England and on June 1, 1940, 320 Squadron and 321 Squadron were established there under RAF operational command. Due to a shortage of personnel, 321 Squadron was absorbed by 320 Sqn in January 1941. Although their personnel were predominantly from the Navy Air Service, Army Aviation aircrew also served with 320 Sqn until the end of the war.

320 Squadron (Dutch) was Formed on 1 June 1940 at Pembroke Dock, after flying from the Netherlands in eight Fokker T.VIIIW twin-engined patrol seaplanes, as part of Coastal Command. The squadron flew coastal and anti-submarine patrols in the Fokkers until they became unserviceable due to lack of spares and were re-equipped with Ansons in August 1940 and supplemented in October with Hudsons. Owing to insufficient personnel, the squadron absorbed No. 321 (Netherlands) Squadron on 18 January 1941. I

In the Archive 320 is referred to as 320C for the period in which is was part of Coastal Command. Thereafter it is referred to as 320B.

The Squadron's motto is: Latin: 'Animo libre dirigimur'. English: 'We are guided by the mind of liberty'. Dutch:'Wij worden geleid door een vrije geest'

The squadron moved to RAF Leuchars on 1 October 1941, re-equipped with Hudson IIIs, flying patrols and anti-shipping attacks in the North Sea. Detachments were located at RAF Silloth and RAF Carew Cheriton until 24 April 1942 when the squadron moved to RAF Bircham Newton. The squadron was reassigned to Bomber Command and loaned to No.2 Group on 15 March 1943. The squadron was re-equipped with Mitchells during spring 1943 and moved to RAF Methwold.

On 30 March 1943, the squadron moved to RAF Attlebridge, then was reassigned to Second Tactical Air Force on 1 June with the squadron attacking enemy communications targets and airfields. The squadron relocated to RAF Lasham on 30 August and to RAF Dunsfold on 18 February 1944. From these airfields the squadron participated in many 'Ramrod' and 'Noball' operations and bombing attacks on construction works, railway yards, fuel dumps and V-1 sites in the North of France, in advance of D-Day.

After D-Day the bombing of tactical targets continued and changed from France to the Dutch Coast of Zeeland, and in September 1944 the squadron was involved in bombing German troops in the surroundings of Arnhem during the Airborne battle. In September the squadron started bombing targets in Germany along the Rhine for the advancing allied troops. In October 1944 the squadron was transferred to Melsbroek (B.58), in Belgium. From there the bombing of bridges and airfields in the east of the Netherlands and Germany continued. During 1943 and 1944 the squadron took heavy losses. On 30 April 1945 the squadron moved to Achmer, Germany.

In 1941, the Royal Netherlands Military Flying-School was re-established, in the United States at Jackson Field (also known as Hawkins Field), Jackson, Mississippi, operating lend-lease aircraft and training all military aircrew for the Netherlands.

The separate Militaire Luchtvaart van het Koninklijk Nederlands-Indisch Leger (ML-KNIL; Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Military Air Service) continued in the Netherlands East Indies (NEI), until its occupation by Japan in 1942.Some personnel escaped to Australia and Ceylon. 321 Squadron was re-formed in Ceylon, in March 1942, from Dutch aviators.

In 1942, 18 (NEI) Squadron, a joint Dutch-Australian unit was established, in Canberra, equipped with B-25 Mitchell bombers. It saw action in the New Guinea campaign and over the Dutch East Indies. In 1943, 120 (NEI) Squadron was established. Equipped with Kittyhawk fighters, it flew many missions under Australian command, including the recapturing of Dutch New Guinea.

322 Squadron, being the oldest operational squadron of the Royal Netherlands Air Force, was founded at RAF Woodvale on 12 June 1943 as 322 (Dutch) Squadron with Dutch personnel under Royal Air Force control.

It was equipped with the Supermarine Spitfire, and saw extensive action as part of the RAF.

The Squadron's motto was: Dutch: 'Niet praten maar doen' English: 'Actions, not words'

322 Sqn aircraft featured the British RAF roundels as well as the Dutch orange triangle. 322 Sqn was successfully deployed against incoming V-1 flying bombs. From mid-1944, during the invasion of Normandy, it executed ground attack missions over France and Belgium.


Preamble prepared by Aircrew Remembered staff

Errata

Rob was a meticulous researcher and took care to note all attributions of stories, images and facts whenever possible. But of course he recognized that errors would inevitably find their way into the manuscript. He had plans to subject the finished project to tight scrutiny to eliminate as many of these as possible before final publication, but of course his fate prohibited this from taking place. Therefore, it is up to all of us to remove any errors and correct any accounts that we find so as to make this Archive as accurate as we can and to this end, we encourage you to contact us via our Helpdesk with any helpful information and corrections.

Introduction

A chapter that describes what this study is all about, and which tools and methods were used.

Arrival, Training & Deployment of foreign aviators in the UK

The Dutch RAF/FAA aviators operated outside their national environment. This chapter describes how they escaped from occupied territory, or otherwise got to the UK, and the same for the other non-Commonwealth nations with which they flew operational sorties.

Fatal Crash Causes

The chapter describes how Dutch RAF/FAA aviator fatalities came to be. The first thought would be to attribute losses to enemy action. But it has been found that about half of the number of fatalities came about as a result of flying accidents, with no enemy in sight.

Dutch RAF/FAA Crash Datasheets

The core of this study, in which all Dutch RAF or FAA fatalities are described. There are many deviations from previously written history, as a result of in-depth and on-the-spot investigations. This chapter would have been much larger and far better, if these investigations had been undertaken say 30 years ago. Meaning in the time when there were much more eyewitnesses to talk to. It seems that very little investigative work has been done in the past, into the crashes of Dutch RAF or FAA aviators, who died outside of The Netherlands.

The aircraft wreck and the bodies of the aviators have been removed from all crashes that took place over land. Therefore the crash site data given in this study cannot serve as a guide to treasure hunters. Crash sites were pinpointed as far as possible in the amount of time invested into this. Pinpointing all sites down to the last meters was not seen as serving a useful purpose, but corrections of crash site locations mentioned in error in other published or unpublished documents was seen as essential to the memory of the men that were lost.

The one exception is the loss of F/Lt. Jan Plesman. His body and his aircraft remain hidden in the soil of Northern France despite the extensive effort that went into finding him.

Hardly any of the wrecks were ever found of the aircraft that crashed in or over open sea. There has never been a systematic search for any of these wrecks. None of the Dutch RAF or FAA aviators, who went missing in these cases, was recognized as a body that washed ashore. Bodies that washed ashore, and that could not be identified at the time, were buried as unknown soldiers if no service unit could be recognized, or as unknown airman with or without rank. Most of these burials took place in coastal villages. Some of these bodies were later relocated to dedicated concentration cemeteries. Headstones quite often report the day that the body was found, not the date of death. In many cases the day that the body was found was not recorded. There has not been any official attempt to identify these casualties in later years, when decisive technology had become available. Several servicemen buried as unknowns have in fact been given back their names. In most cases this resulted from efforts from private individuals, studying World War 2 as a hobby. Only the Americans are still officially and actively engaged in bringing home the missing, whenever possible. And that includes those who were lost at sea.

Related RAF/FAA Crash Datasheets

Crash data regarding aviators that were closely related to the Dutch RAF or FAA aviators.

Dutch WW2 military aviators killed elsewhere

This study is about fatal events regarding Dutch RAF or FAA aviators in Europe only. However the broader perspective is offered with basic data about Dutch RAF or FAA fatalities outside of Europe.

Dutch RAF/FAA aviators who were seriously injured

The men who died may have headstones and Memorials; most of them do. Those who were seriously injured may have no visible recognition. They are mentioned in this chapter.

Dutch RAF/FAA aviators at odds with their Government

The chapter gives topics of dissatisfaction of Dutch RAF or FAA servicemen with their 'work environment'. Whilst the nuisance and danger presented by the enemy was taken as a natural fact of War, the nuisance presented by their superiors was not.

Sorting matters after the War

This chapter is about the ways in which the fatalities were 'processed' after the War, in terms of identifications and burials, and recognition in the visible world for their ultimate sacrifice. Short histories of the Allied grave services are given. International differences in research for men missing-in-action are also presented.

Some research topics

The 'Fog of War' has by no means been lifted completely. After six decades, several matters still require deeper investigation. The chapter summarizes these matters, and tries to start an investigation into some of them.

Appendices 1: General maps

Geography is important in this study. Maps are everywhere throughout the study. In this chapter these maps are summarized into general ones.

Appendices 2: Rolls of Honour

The Rolls of Honour include Dutch RAF/FAA aviators, chronological and alphabetical, Dutch Engelandvaarders who became RAF aviators, and the Polish and French RAF aviators who flew with the Dutch in the 2nd Tactical Air Force. Author has tried to trace the graves of these Polish and French aviators too. With the French, that proved to be problematic in a number of cases. Finally a Roll of Honour is given of all missing men from the 2nd Tactical Air Force. The remembrance of these colleagues of the Dutch RAF/FAA aviators is supported with pictorial evidence.

Appendices 3: Cemeteries & Memorials

Data and photographs are given of all cemeteries and Memorials found, that are relevant to the Dutch RAF/FAA aviators.

Appendices 4: The Survivors

The Dutch RAF/FAA effort is not described in this study. But the size of it can be estimated via this chapter. The Dutch RAF/FAA effort has been far greater than estimated in previous publications.

Appendices 5: Fate of WW2 Aircraft Wrecks

Appendices 6: Sources & Acknowledgements

About two hundred people worldwide have contributed to this study. Their contributions are acknowledged, mostly on an individual basis.

Appendices 7: Listings

Listings include comparisons of OGS & CWGC online data, before and after improvements suggested by author. A list of burials of unknown Allied Airmen in Western Europe is offered, that may help others in their MIA research.




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