Dutch RAF/FAA Aviators Taken PoW

In alphabetical order. All survived the War in POW camps, whilst some escaped from captivity, to fly in combat again.

1. F/Lt. Bakker, Willem, RAF Nr. 40595, 320C Sqn; POW North Sea off the Lista peninsula, Norway coast, dd. 30/08/1941, after the emergency landing of Hudson Mk. III V9063 NO-M 'Islawreker'. He was credited with one 3.000t cargo vessel sunk near Mandal, West of Kristiansand, Norway, on 30/8/1941. POW camp not known.

2. W/O. Bary, A.J., 322F Sqn; POW near Kevelaer, Germany, 13/2/1945. His Spitfire Mk. XVI Nr. RK921 was crash-landed as a result of engine trouble, the pilot was injured. POW camp not known.

4. F/Sgt. Beers, Ronald Leopold van, RAF Nr. 1814965, 322F Sqn; Trained at JAAB, USA. POW near Duinkerken, France, dd. 26/08/1944, after the emergency landing of Spitfire Mk. XIV MJ232, shot down by Flak during a cross Channel sweep. POW in Stalag Luft VII Bankau.

5. Sgt. Boer, Aloysius Cornelis den, RAF Nr. 21078, 320C Sqn; POW North Sea near Terschelling, dd. 30/05/1942, after the crash of Hudson Mk. III Nr. AM939 NO-E, shot down by a Flak ship. POW in Heydekrug, POW Nr. 394.

6. F/Lt. Brand, Daniël H., VK; 320B Sqn; POW Forêt de Grimbosq, Calvados, France, dd. 12/06/1944, after parachuting out of Mitchell Mk. II B-25C Nr. FR149 NO-D, shot down by Flak. POW camp not known.

7. Sgt. Dijken, Jan van, RAF Nr. 21067, 320B Sqn; POW mid-Channel between Brest and Plymouth, dd. 25/10/1943, after the emergency landing of Mitchell Mk. II B-25C Nr. FR166 NO-R, shot down by Flak. POW camp not known.

8. 2Lt Vl Ferwerda, E.W. (Eelco), 602F Sqn, RAF VR 108808, engaged on Circus 114, escorting Bostons to St. Inglevert, France.; shot down in Spitfire Mk. Vb Nr. W3526 by a fighter from JG26. Taken POW near Hazebrouck, France, dd. 13/03/1942. Send to Stalag Luft III Sagan, POW Nr. 769. Source: Henk Welting 12/7/2006

9. P/O. Geesink, Cornelis ("Dick"), RAF Nr. 124747, 41F, 167F Sqn; took off from RAF Ludham, GB, 13.40h; shot down in Spitfire Mk. Vb Nr. EP251 VL-R in the North Sea 30km Northwest of Bergen aan Zee, NL, dd. 13/11/1942, 14.32h, by Lt. Wilhelm Tschira from 5./JG1, flying a Fw.190. Rescued by the Germans. POW in Stalag Luft III Sagan, POW Nr. 862. Source: Henk Welting 12/7/2006

Groendijk, H., RAF VR 906042 ???? Mentioned as RAF POW with Dutch nationality, but no more data has surfaced yet.

10. F/O. Haeften, W.C. van, 320B Sqn; POW Forêt de Grimbosq, Calvados, France, dd. 12/06/1944, after parachuting out of Mitchell Mk. II B-25C FR149 NO-D, shot down by Flak. POW camp not known.

11. Sgt Vltg Telegr z/m Heijden, Reinout Philip Martin, 320B Sqn; POW Forêt de Grimbosq, Calvados, France, dd. 12/06/1944, after parachuting out of Mitchell Mk. II B-25C Nr. FR149 NO-D, shot down by Flak. POW camp not known.

12. Sgt. Huijstee, Cornelis E. van, RAF Nr. 11031, 320C Sqn; POW North Sea off the Lista peninsula, Norway coast, dd. 30/08/1941, after the emergency landing of Hudson Mk. III V9063 NO-M 'Islawreker'. POW camp not known.

13. Vltg Telegr 2kl z/m Kaufman, H.A., RAF Nr. 12023, 320B Sqn; POW mid-Channel between Brest and Plymouth, dd. 25/10/1943, after the emergency landing of Mitchell Mk. II B-25C FR166 NO-R, shot down by Flak. POW in Stalag Luft III Sagan.

14. Cpl. Koning, D.J. (Dick), RAF Nr. 20605, 320B Sqn; POW near Les Pieux, Manche, France, dd. 26/11/1943, after parachuting out of Mitchell Mk. II B-25C FR146 NO-O, shot down by Flak. POW in Stalag IVb Muhlberg-Elbe, POW Nr. 263693.

15. Sgt Telegr Lensing, Abraham Johannes I., RAF Nr. 12060, 320C Sqn; POW North Sea near Terschelling, dd. 30/05/1942, after the emergency landing at sea of Hudson Mk. III AM939 NO-E, shot down by a Flak ship. POW camp not known.

16. Matroos 2kl Loos, M., RAF Nr. 18029, 320C Sqn; POW North Sea near Terschelling, dd. 30/05/1942, after the emergency landing at sea of Hudson Mk. III AM939 NO-E, shot down by a Flak ship. POW in Heydekrug, POW Nr. 429.

17. Res Vdg 2kl Vl Wnr Pol, S. van der, RAF Sqn; POW in Stalag 371 Stanislau, Poland, now part of Russia, from which he managed to escape on 11/1/1944, to become an Engelandvaarder. Source: L. de Hartog, 'Officieren achter prikkeldraad 1940-1945', Baarn 1983, p. 370

18. F/Lt. Rood, Albert H. ('Peter') van, RAF Nr. 111131.He was living in GB when War broke out in May 1940. Commissioned November 1941, 41 F Sqn; taking part with Spitfire Mk. Vb W3654 in Circus 122, to Hazebrouck marshalling yards. Shot down in air combat 12/4/1942 with Fw.190 of JG26, taken POW near Hazebrouck, France, dd. 12/04/1942. He was initially held in Stalag Luft III (POW No. 783), but escaped, September 1942; recaptured & sent to Send to Oflag IVc, better known as Colditz. POW Nr. 783. On 5/4/1943, together with the Dutch Airforce Capt. A. (Dolf) Dufour, he attempted to escape, dressed as German Luftwaffe officers. The attempt was detected. Source: L. de Hartog, 'Officieren achter prikkeldraad 1940-1945', Baarn 1983, p. 171. Liberated April 1945; retired to Australia.

Capt. Dolf Dufour (left) and F/Lt. Van Rood, Colditz, 5/4/1943, in carefully forged German uniforms. Source: L. de Hartog, 'Officieren achter prikkeldraad 1940-1945', Baarn 1983, p. 150

L. de Hartog's caption: 'Zwei Kampfflieger einsatzbereit'. Capt. Dufour has made the highest number of escape attempts of all Dutch POW's.

19. W/O. Roosendaal, J.C. (Hans) van, 322F Sqn, shot down West of Zutphen, NL, 1/4/1945. Taken POW, camp unknown, but escaped and back at base on 17/4/1945.

20. Off Vl 1kl Schaper, Heije, MWO4kl , DFC, ONL, OON, OHK; 320C Sqn; POW North Sea near Terschelling, dd. 30/05/1942, after the emergency landing of Hudson Mk. III AM939 NO-E 'Cheribon', shot down by a Flak ship. He was credited with one 2.500t cargo vessel sunk 7' North of Amelandergat, North Sea, NL, on 15/5/1942, and one 8.000t cargo vessel sunk near Terschelling on 30/5/1942. POW in Sagan, POW Nr. 384. His career led to the highest office in the Dutch Airforce, Chef van de Luchtmachtstaf. After his military career, he became secretary to the Minister of Defence. He died in 's-Gravenhage, 26/5/1996.

21. Cpl. Schot, Cornelis, RAF Nr. 16327, 320B Sqn; POW mid-Channel between Brest and Plymouth, dd. 25/10/1943, after the emergency landing of Mitchell Mk. II B-25C FR166 NO-R, shot down by Flak. POW in Stalag Luft I Barth-Vogelsang, POW Nr. 16327.

22. Cpl. Vltg Sch. Smit, C., 320B Sqn; POW Forêt de Grimbosq, Calvados, France, dd. 12/06/1944, after parachuting out of Mitchell Mk. II B-25C FR149 NO-D, shot down by Flak. POW camp not known.

23. P/O., Res 2Lt Vl Spierenburg, S.A., pilot of Lancaster Mk. III Nr. ND921 60-D of 582B Sqn; took off 28/6/1944 22.50h from RAF Little Staughton, Huntingdonshire, GB, for a marking mission to Blainville-sur-l'Eau marshalling yards, France. Shot down in the very early morning of 29/6/1944 by a Ju.88. The crew bailed out, the aircraft crashed near Coincy, Aisne, France, 27 km SSE of Soissons.

Other crew:

F/Lt. Siddens, W.H., Fe, RAF, evaded capture

F/Sgt. Foley, W.E., Nav, RAAF, evaded capture

F/Sgt. Hood, L., Ba, RAF, evaded capture

F/Sgt. Austin, J.W., Wop/Ag, RAF VR 1320627, age 21, killed in the crash

Sgt. Chelu, R.W., Ag, RAF VR 1807401, age 20, parachuted out OK, but landed and perished in the debris to the burning wreck.

Sgt. Coole, D.A.F., Ag, RAF VR 1587024, age 22, parachuted out OK, but landed and perished in the debris to the burning wreck.

Austin, Chelu & Coole are buried at Coincy Communal Cemetery, Aisne, F., graves 3, 2 and 1 respectively. Their graves are in a small enclosure outside of the cemetery wall.

P/O. Spierenburg was caught 29/6/1944 by the Gestapo. Interned 14/7/1944 in Buchenwald concentration camp. After two months, he was transported to Stalag Luft 3 (Sagan).

Source: Henk Welting 060712

24. F/Lt. Stok, Bram (Bop) van der, BK, BL, VK2, KvV, OON, MBE etc.; RAF Nr. 106346, 91F, 41F, 74F, 322F Sqn. Arrived in UK, June 1941.

Credited with 2 E/A shot down. Engaged on Circus 122, to Hazebrouck marshalling yards, 12/4/1942. Shot down in Spitfire BL595 during air combat with fighters from JG26. Became POW near Hazebrouck, France. Send to Stalag Luft III Sagan. One of only 3 of the 76 participants of the 'Great Escape', 24/3/2944, who managed to return to Allied territory. All others were recaptured, and 50 of them were executed. Returned to the UK as a 2^nd time Engelandvaarder, via the long land route, to become a Flight Commander, and on 3/3/1945 Commanding Officer of 322 (Dutch) Squadron. Retired December 1946 & emigrated to USA, 1951; died 8 February 1993.

25. Cpl. Theunissen, W.M., RAF Nr. 90604, 320B Sqn; POW, no crash, jumped by mistake near Frichemesnil, France., dd. 20/06/1944, from Mitchell Mk. II B-25C Nr. FV970 NO-K, during the crash of Mitchell Mk. II B-25C Nr. FR151 NO-C, from which the order to jump came over the radio. He was an Engelandvaarder. POW camp not known.

26. Ltz 2kl KMR Vlielander Hein, Benjamin Marius, 139 Sqn, ex 321 & 320 Sqn; POW in Sweden, 08/07/1944, after parachuting out of Mosquito Mk. XVI Nr. MM146 during a raid on Berlin. Both Vlielander Hein, navigator, and F/Lt. J.D. Robins, pilot, were safe in Swedish captivity. Vlielander Hein managed to escape to Norway, and then to the UK.

27. F/O. Wiersum, Fricky K., RAF Nr. 173416, 247F Sqn. Shot down by Flak 05/12/1944 near Bocholt, Germany, in Typhoon Mk. Ib Nr. MP126 ZY-Y. POW in Stalag 371 Stanislau.

Markings used by the Nazis to discriminate prisoners in concentration camps. Left to right columns: political, professional criminals, emigrants, religious, homosexual, asocial. Rows, top to bottom: main colours, bar for recidivists, prisoners of the punishment company, Jews, and special markings, including those for Poles and Czech. Source: Nürnberg Dokumentations-Zentrum

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