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1941-11-23 The loss of Christiaan (Hein) van Otterloo

Crash site: no crash, mortally wounded by a 20mm Flak shell fragment

LOST Database

Name

1. Otterloo, Christiaan Anton Eppe (Hein) van

Dutch RAF aviator datasheet

Source: @St.M.Vl.P. 1939-50

Leuchars 080205 Otterloo CAE van Otterloo



Rank

Sgt Vl, Sgt., Pilot

Stb.Nr. 11434

Decorations

ON.BEMx

Born

27/9/1912

Place

Amsterdam, NL

Squadron

RAF 320 (Dutch) Sqn Coastal Command

Ops/hr

Aircraft

Hudson Mk. III Nr. T9440 NO-Q 'De Vliegende Hollander'

Base

RAF Leuchars, Fife, GB

Mission

Attack on convoy off Norwegian coast South of Lindesnes

Status

KIA, mortally wounded by Flak shell fragment

age

29

Killed

23/11/1941

Place

near Norway Coast

Buried

Leuchars Cemetery, Fifeshire, GB, grave 2/R/33/M (CWGC, OGS)

Known to

OGS

yes

CWGC

no

Other crew

2. Cpl. P. van der Meer, Obs - safe

3. Cpl G. van Meurs, Wop - safe

4. P/O. W.M.A. van Rossum, Obs, later Pilot on this flight - safe

5. Cpl. G.J. van der Wee, Ag - safe

Memorial

Soesterberg

yes

Memorial

Other

yes

Mill Hill Memorial Table, London, GB

Mill Hill Van Otterloo

GB arrival

22/5/1940 from France after he, in a group of 24 aircraft, mostly Fokker trainers, had escaped from Holland on 14/5/1940

Remarks

The survivors received Flying Crosses for their brave behaviour. P/O. H.M.A. van Rossum also received the DFC for his actions.

Bronzen Eremedaille, verbonden aan de Orde van Oranje-Nassau met de zwaarden, 26/8/1941, wegens

Het verrichten van uitstekende diensten als vlieger op Anson vliegtuigen op vele operationeele vluchten, waarbij hij onder vaak slechte weersomstandigheden zijn vliegtuig steeds behouden binnenbracht.


Van Otterloo was pilot of Hudson Mk. III Nr. T9440 NO-Q 'Vliegende Hollander'. He was mortally wounded by a shell fragment fired from a Flak ship. His last words were 'Neem het over!' ('Take control!'), and this was seen by Commandeur-vlieger b.d. H.J.E. van der Kop as a testament of Three Twenty aviators. It became the title of Van der Kop's book published in 1975. P/O. W.M.A. van Rossum, together with the two others, managed to bring the Hudson safely home, where it was landed on RAF Wick in Caithness, Scotland, on 16.15h.

Data confusion

CWGC, OGS grave position indication is problematic. See Chapter on Leuchars Cemetery


Source: J.P. Kloos, '320 Squadron Memorial'

Hudson T9440, entry hole of 20mm shell in cockpit.

20mm hit on belly turret. The airframer counted 139 hits.


Damage in pilot's seat area. Source: J.P. Kloos, '320 Squadron Memorial'


Skagerak, the stretch of North Sea between Denmark and Norway, looking towards Lindesnes in Norway. A German bunker has fallen from the dune top to the beach as a result of climate and time. In this sky, C.A.E. van Otterloo was fatally wounded. Skagerak 051210-4


W.M.A. van Rossum took over controls and brought Hudson T9440 home. Source: SLH


Map 15. North Sea off Lindesnes, Norway Area where Hudson T9440 'De Vliegende Hollander' received Flak hits that killed C.A.E. van Otterloo.

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