Crash site: Celtic Sea 7 miles SSE of Govan's Head, Pembrokeshire, GB, the coastal point directly South of Pembroke.
Crash cause: unknown; at 12.15 hours the aircraft dived into the sea from low altitude, five minutes after leaving the convoy and heading for base. The return home was radioed in by the wireless operator. Nothing was heard after that. We can assume sudden engine failure whilst flying low.
Two bodies were salvaged from the floating wreck. The wreck was towed by the fishing boat King Edward to Burry Port, to the East of the crash site, where is was scrapped. The Dutch vessel SS Prima took over the bodies and delivered these to Cardiff. Both men were, and still are, buried at Pembroke Dock Llanion Cemetery. The two other crew remained missing-in-action.
Name | 4. Martaré, Edward | |||||||
E. Martaré Source: @St.M.Vl.P. 1939-50 | Pembroke Dock 050619 | |||||||
Rank | Off Vl 1kl MLD, F/O., Pilot | |||||||
Decorations | None known | |||||||
Born | 21/03/1904 | Place | 's-Gravenhage, Zuid-Holland, NL | |||||
Squadron | RAF 320 (Dutch) Sqn Coastal Command | Ops/hr | ||||||
Aircraft | Fokker T-VIIIw Nr. AV964, formerly R-10, that escaped from NL | |||||||
Base | RAF Pembroke Dock | |||||||
Mission | Convoy escort | |||||||
Status | MIA, flying accident presumed; at 12.15h the aircraft dived into the sea on the way home | age | 29 | |||||
Killed | 26/07/1940 | Place | Celtic Sea 7 miles SSE off Govan's Head, Pembrokeshire, GB | |||||
Buried | Llianon Cemetery, Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, UK, grave T/195 | |||||||
Known to | OGS | yes | CWGC | no | ||||
Other crew | 1. Off Vl 3kl J.C. den Hollander, Obs - MIA 2. Sgt Maj Vltgmkr A. de Knegt, Ag - MIA 3. Korp Telegr MLD J.G. Ras, Wop - KIA | |||||||
Memorial | Soesterberg | yes | ||||||
Memorial | Other | yes | Mill Hill Memorial Table, London, GB Mill Hill Martaré | |||||
GB arrival | 22/05/1940 from France after he, in a group of 24 aircraft, mostly Fokker trainers, had escaped from Holland on 14/5/1940 | |||||||
Remarks | ||||||||
Data confusion |
Name | 3. Ras, Johannes Gerardus | ![]() | ||||||
Rank | Korp Telegr MLD, Cpl., Wop | Stb.Nr. 12062 | ||||||
Decorations | None known | |||||||
Born | 24/04/1911 | Place | Amsterdam, Noord-Holland, NL | |||||
Squadron | RAF 320 (Dutch) Sqn Coastal Command | Ops/hr | ||||||
Aircraft | Fokker T-VIIIw Nr. AV964, formerly R-10, that escaped from NL | |||||||
Base | Pembroke Dock | |||||||
Mission | Convoy escort | |||||||
Status | MIA, flying accident presumed; at 12.15h the aircraft dived into the sea on the way home | age | 29 | |||||
Missing | 26/07/1940 | Place | Celtic Sea 7 miles SSE off Govan's Head, Pembrokeshire, GB | |||||
Known to | OGS | yes | CWGC | no | ||||
Other crew | 1. Off Vl 3kl J.C. den Hollander, Obs - MIA 2. Sgt Maj Vltgmkr A. de Knegt, Ag - MIA 4. Off Vl 1kl MLD E. Martaré, Pilot - KIA | |||||||
Memorial | Soesterberg | yes | ||||||
Memorial | Other | Mill Hill Memorial Table, London, GB Mill Hill Ras | ||||||
GB arrival | 22/05/1940 from France after he, in a group of 24 aircraft, mostly Fokker trainers, had escaped from Holland on 14/5/1940 | |||||||
Buried | Born Amsterdam, Amsterdam Municipality, Noord-Holland, Netherlands Buried: Llianon Cemetery, Pembroke Dock, Pembrokeshire, UK, grave T/196 | |||||||
Data confusion | OGS: died Irish Sea on board aircraft floatplane R10 |
Name | 2. Knegt, Aart de | ![]() | ||||||
Rank | Sgt Maj Vltgmkr KM, F/Sgt., Ag | Stb.Nr. 11780 | ||||||
Decorations | None known | |||||||
Born | 02/07/1902 | Place | Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, NL | |||||
Squadron | RAF 320 (Dutch) Sqn Coastal Command | Ops/hrs | ||||||
Aircraft | Fokker T-VIIIw Nr. AV964, formerly R-10, that escaped from NL | |||||||
Base | RAF Pembroke Dock | |||||||
Mission | Convoy escort | |||||||
Status | MIA, flying accident presumed; at 12.15h the aircraft dived into the sea on the way home | age | 38 | |||||
Missing | 26/07/1940 | Place | Celtic Sea 7 miles SSE off Govan's Head, Pembrokeshire, GB | |||||
Known to | OGS | yes | CWGC | no | ||||
Other crew | 1. Off Vl 3kl J.C. den Hollander, Obs - MIA 3. Korp Telegr MLD J.G. Ras, Wop - KIA 4. Off Vl 1kl MLD E. Martaré, Pilot - KIA | |||||||
Memorial | Soesterberg | yes | ||||||
Memorial | Other | not known | ||||||
GB arrival | 22/05/1940 from France after he, in a group of 24 aircraft, mostly Fokker trainers, had escaped from Holland on 14/5/1940 | |||||||
Remarks | ||||||||
Data confusion | OGS: died Irish Sea on board aircraft floatplane R10 |
Name | 1. Hollander, Jan Cornelis den | ||||||||||
J.C. den Hollander, May 1940 Source: @St.M.Vl.P. 1939-50 | |||||||||||
Rank | Off Vl 3kl, P/O., Obs | ||||||||||
Decorations | None known | ||||||||||
Born | 06/07/1918 | Place | Zwijndrecht, Zuid-Holland, NL | ||||||||
Squadron | RAF 320 (Dutch) Sqn Coastal Command | Ops/hrs | |||||||||
Aircraft | Fokker T-VIIIw Nr. AV964, formerly R-10, that escaped from NL | ||||||||||
Base | RAF Pembroke Dock | ||||||||||
Mission | Convoy escort | ||||||||||
Status | MIA, flying accident presumed; at 12.15h the aircraft dived into the sea on the way home | age | 22 | ||||||||
Missing | 26/07/1940 | Place | Celtic Sea 7 miles SSE off Govan's Head, Pembrokeshire, GB | ||||||||
Known to | OGS | yes | CWGC | no | |||||||
Other crew | 2. Sgt Maj Vltgmkr A. de Knegt, Ag - MIA 3. Korp Telegr MLD J.G. Ras, Wop - KIA 4. Off Vl 1kl MLD E. Martaré, Pilot - KIA | ||||||||||
Memorial | Soesterberg | yes | |||||||||
Memorial | Other | yes | His name is on the Memorial at the Raadhuisplein, Zwijndrecht, Zuid-Holland, NL | ||||||||
GB arrival | 22/05/1940 from France after he, in a group of 24 aircraft, mostly Fokker trainers, had escaped from Holland on 14/5/1940 |
Briefing on a Fokker T-VIIIw float at Pembroke Dock, 1940. Left to right: Off Vl 3kl H.C. Prager, Ltz 1kl J.M. van Olm, Kpl Telegr J.G. Uljee, Sgt Vltg maker J.E. Hermes, and Kwartiermaker C.L. Kost. Source: P. Baeten & P. Staal, "320 321 vliegtuigsquadrons 50 jaar", Sittard, 1990. Pembroke Dock Fokker T-VIIIw 3
Map 2. Celtic Sea off Govan's Head, Pembrokeshire, GB
St. Govan's Chapel in the cliff rock of St. Govan's Head, Pembrokeshire, GB. Govans Head 050619-2
St. Govan's Head carries a Coast Guard Observation post. The area is still military terrain. This view looks to the crash site, 7 miles Southeast. Govans Head 050619-9
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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