Operation: Circus 122, France

Date: 12th April 1942 (Sunday)

Unit No: 41 Squadron, Tangmere Wing, RAF Fighter Command

Type: Spitfire VB

Serial: BL595

Code: EB:E

Base: RAF Merston, West Sussex

Location: North of Saint-Omer, France

Pilot: Flt Lt. Bram ‘Bop’ van der Stok 106346 RAFVR Age 25. PoW */Great Escaper

* Stalag Luft 3, Sagan-Silesia, Germany, now Żagań in Poland.

Above. Flt Lt. Bram ‘Bop’ van der Stok (By unknown - Original publication: unknown Immediate source: unknown, Fair use)

Above: Fighter claims by Flt Lt. Bram ‘Bop’ van der Stok

REASON FOR LOSS:

Nine (9) Spitfires from the Sqn took-off from RAF Merston at 12:45 hrs to join the Northholt wing to escort twelve (12) Bostons from 107 Sqn on an operation to the Hazebrouck Marshalling Yards in France.

Flt Lt. van der Stok was one of four (4) pilots that failed to return with a fifth, Spitfire VB AD477 EB:? crash landing at Ripple in Kent. Plt Off. Roy Frank Cambridge 67091 RAFVR was injured and admitted to Hospital. He was transferred to the Technical Branch on the 14th February 1943, London Gazette 20th July 1943.

The other three were:

Flt Lt. Wilfred ‘Bill’ Palmer DFM 110572 RAFVR - Spitfire VB W3852 EB:W ‘Peggy’ - PoW No.125, Stalag Luft 3;
Plt Off. Albert van Rood 111131 RAFVR - Spitfire VB W3654 EB:V - PoW No. 783, Oflag 4C;
Flt Sgt. Edward George Hullet Watts 1051882 RAFVR - Spitfire VB W3450 EB:H – KiA.

Flt Lt. van der Stok became separated from his formation and was attacked by enemy fighters near Saint-Omer which disabled his Spitfire and he was forced to bale out at approximately 16,000 ft. He landed in a field north of Saint-Omer and contacted some French people, but they refused to help him because the Germans were nearby, and was captured about 5 mins after landing. He was taken to Saint-Omer aerodrome, where he was interrogated and introduced to the pilot who claimed to have shot him down.

The Oberkommando der Luftwaffe (OKL) (German Air Force High Command) fighter claims for the Reich, West & Südfront on the 12th April 1942 lists a Spitfire being claimed by Fw. Kurt Bohn from 3./JG 26, his 4th Abschuss, 5 km. NE of Saint-Omer at 13.40hrs. This was the only Spitfire recorded to have been claimed to the north of Saint-Omer.

He was then taken to a house in Saint-Omer, which was reserved for the detention of captured airmen, where he spent the night. The following day on the 13th April he was searched and asked some questions after which he was transferred to Dulag Luft, Oberursel arriving there the next day. Before being allowed to enter the camp he was interrogated, but he refused to answer questions of military matters. No attempts were made to force him to answer questions.

On the 27th April he was amongst a party of approximately seventy (70) Air Force personnel sent to Stalag Luft 3, Sagan where he was put into the East Compound.

Flt Lt. van der Stok made three attempted escapes from Stalag Luft 3:

First Attempt: About the middle of June 1942 he and a Flt Lt. Palmer decided to make an attempt to cut through the perimeter fence of the East Compound at night. On the way from out the barrack to the fence they were picked up by a searchlight from one of the watch towers. However, they were able to get back to their barrack without incident, and the Germans did not succeed in discovering their identities.

Flt Lt. Palmer – This was Flt Lt. Wilfred ‘Bill’ Palmer DFM 110572 RAFVR PoW 125. Pilot of 41 Sqn Spitfire VB W3852 EB:W ‘Peggy’. Shot down on the same operation as Flt Lt. van der Stok on the 12th April 1942.

Second Attempt: On the 12th March 1943 he and a Lt Cdr. Schaper succeeded in getting into the Vorlager from the East Compound in a delousing party and were not missed when the party returned to the compound. They were wearing Russian greatcoats and caps under which they were wearing German Luftwaffe uniforms covering their civilian clothes. They hid in the roof of the lavatory used by the Russians were they remained throughout the night.

Lt Cdr. Schaper – This was Kpt Lt. (Lt Cdr) Heije Jacob Schaper, Royal Dutch Naval Air Service (RDNAS) PoW No. 384. He was the pilot from 320 Sqn, Hudson III AM939 NO:E ‘Cheribon’ which was hit by Flak and ditched in the North Sea on the 30th May 1942 (4 PoWs).

Two others were attempting the same method of escape at the same time and hiding in the same roof, however, they were discovered during the night. A further search of the lavatory early next morning discovered him and Lt Cdr. Schaper. They were able to save their money and papers, with the exception of Lt Cdr. Schaper’s Soldbuch (standard identity document in the German military, issued to every man). The money and papers were returned to the Compound by giving them to a Russian who was in the lavatory at the time of their capture. They were punished with fourteen (14) days ‘Cooler’.

Third Attempt: On the 11th June 1943 a mass escape from the North Compound was attempted for two groups. A delousing party had been arranged and an hour before this party was due to leave the Compound a similar party was formed up and they walked through the gates with two escapers, dressed as Wehrmacht Gefreiters (Troopers), in charge. The fake delousing party succeeded in getting clear of the camp, but were recaptured later.

A few moments later a party of six (6) senior officers walked through the gates with Flt Lt. van der Stok who was dressed as a Luftwaffe Unteroffizier (Cpl). The six (6) senior officers were Col. Goodrich, Lt Col. Clarke, Wg Cdr. Day, Wg Cdr. Tuck, Sqn Ldr. Jennings and Flt Lt. Kuczginsky.

Col. Goodrich – Col. Charles G. Goodrich O-017166 USAAF. He was the pilot of a B-25 Mitchell from the 81st Bombardment Squadron (M), 12th Bombardment Group (M), 12th Air Force which was one of three that failed to return from a mission to Sidi Amish, Egypt on the 14th September 1942;

Lt Col. Clarke – Lt Col. Albert Patton ‘Bub’ Clark O-020218 USAAF. He was the pilot of 412 (Falcon) Sqn RCAF, Spitfire VB EN784 VZ:?. Which was force landed in France on the 26th July 1942. He was the 31st Fighter Group, Executive Officer and was the first 8th Air Force fighter pilot to become a PoW;

Wg Cdr. Day – This was Wg Cdr. Harry Melville Arbuthot Day 5175 RAF, PoW No 37. He was the pilot of 57 Sqn Blenheim I L1138 DX:? which was shot down by a German fighter on a Reconnaissance between Münster to Breman on the 13th October 1939 (2 KiA, 1 PoW);

Wg Cdr. Tuck – This was Wg Cdr. Roland Robert Standford-Tuck DSO, DFC and 2 Bars, 37306 RAF. From SHQ Biggin Hill flying Spitfire VB BL336 ‘RST’ which was shot down by a Flak on a Rhubarb near Boulogne on the 28th January 1942;

Sqn Ldr. Jennings – This was Sqn Ldr. Lionel Williams Vaughan Jennens 28224 RAF PoW No. 1427. He was the pilot of 7 Sqn, Stirling I W7436 MG:D which was shot down by Bf109s on an operation to Brest on the 18th December 1941 (2 KiA, 5 PoWs);

Flt Lt. Kuczginsky – This was Flt Lt. Z. Kustrzyynski P76718 PAF, PoW No. 507. Flying 303 (Polish) Sqn Spitfire VB AB824 RF:S which was lost on Circus 119 on the 4th April 1942.

Flt Lt. van der Stok’s party was stopped at the second gate when the guard recognised him. He was able to hide his German money but his false German papers were found. The senior officers were punished with seven (7) days in the cells. Flt Lt. van der Stok was held pending enquiries for forty-eight (48) days and then punished with ten (10) days in the ‘Cooler’.

Whilst in the East Compound Flt Lt. van der Stok was one of team of Intelligence workers helped the Escape Intelligence Officer for collating and supplying, when required, all information on particular subjects gleaned from German newspapers and magazines available in the Compound. Flt Lt. van der Stok’s subject was the Low Counties. (Ref 1, p 27).

Whilst in the North Compound he carried on with the same tasks in collating information and supplementing information on the Low Counties (Ref 1, p 168).

On the night of the 24th/25th March 1944, seventy-six (76) officers escaped from the North Compound of Stalag Luft 3 which, at that time, held between 1000 and 1500 RAF PoWs. The escape was made by the means of a tunnel. At about 05:00 hrs on the 25th March the 77th PoW was spotted by guards as he emerged from the tunnel.

He was No. 18 in the tunnel, exited without incident and made his way to Sagan station, where he waited for three (3) hours because trains were delayed due to a raid on Berlin. The time-table had been worked out, and the controlling officer in the woods gave each man a definite train time by which to travel. However, the well laid plan was upset by the air-raid.

On the way to the station he was accosted by a German civilian, who asked what he was doing in the woods. He told this civilian that he was a Dutch worker and that he was afraid of the police arresting him for being outside during an air-raid. He assured him that he would be alright with him and escorted him to the railway station.

At the station one of the German girl censors from the camp, who was on duty there, spoke to Sqn Ldr. Kirby-Green who was suspicious and called over a Hauptmann (Capt) of the Feldgendarmerie (German Military Police) to examine his papers. While this was being done the girl spoke to him and asked a number of questions which seemed to satisfy her. The Hauptmann appeared to be satisfied with Sqn Ldr. Kirby-Green’s papers.

Sqn Ldr. Thomas Gresham Kirby-Green was one of the fifty (50) officers murdered by the Gestapo.

The train for Breslau arrived at approximately 03:30 hrs the next morning which he caught as a second class passenger. It arrived in Breslau at 05:00 hrs where he saw about eight (8) other escapers. They were Sqn Ldr. Bushell, Lt. Scheidhauer, Lt. Stevens, Lt. Gouws, Fg Off. Stower and at least three (3) others whose names he did not know.

Sqn Ldr. Roger Joyce Bushell, Lt. Bernard William Martial Scheidhauer, Lt. Rupert J. Steven, Lt. Johannes Stephanus Gouws, and Fg Off. John Gifford Stower were five (5) of the fifty (50) Officers murdered by the Gestapo.

He purchased a second class ticket for Alkmaar in the Netherlands as he had the necessary Urlaubsschein (travel permit). He travelled from Breslau to Dresden, where the train arrived at 10:00 hrs. He spent the day in the two cinemas and in the evening took a tram to the main railway station, where he caught a train at 20:00 hrs for Bentheim. His papers were examined on four occasions during the journey and passed scrutiny. The train arrived at Bentheim at 09:00 hrs on the 26 March. His papers were examined at the Dutch frontier control and passed through without incident except that his magazines and newspapers were confiscated.

He then purchased a third class train ticket to Oldenzaal in the Netherlands. At Oldenzaal he purchased a third class train ticket to Utrecht where he contacted a member of the underground who provided him with Dutch identity papers and ration cards, and also provided food and shelter for three (3) days.

On the 29th March he purchased a third class train ticket Amersfoort where he contact another man with whom he stayed until the 14th April and then travelled by train to Maastricht. He had an address where he stayed for two (2) days and on the 16th April he travelled by bicycle to Echt where he stayed at a house for four (4) days. On the 9th April he travelled by bicycle to Geulle and crossed the river Maas into Belgium at Uikhoven escorted by a Belgian who provided a Belgian identity card and a bicycle. He cycled to Hasselt where he stayed for one (1) night. On the 21st April he caught a train to Brussels and on arrival he went to a house where he remained until the 24th May and then travelled by train to Paris arriving the next day. He then continued by train to Toulouse arriving there on the 26th May.

He stayed here until his departure for Spain on the 9th June. He, two Dutchmen and a guide departed by train to Boulogne-sur-Geese. The next morning they left by car and stayed a further night at a farm before driving on to a second farm near Vignaut, some 20 km from the Spanish border, arriving there on the 11th June.

Here they met Lt. McPherson and Lt. Stonebarger, USAAF, Fg Off. H D. Thomas and Flt Sgt. G.J. Shaughnessy, a French Officer, a Russian and a French girl who was the guide for the two USAAF Officers.

1st Lt. Joel W. McPherson O-732302 was from HQ Squadron, 352 Fighter Group. His P-47D 42-75532 ran out of fuel homebound and baled out after escorting bombers to Frankfurt on the 29th January 1944;

2nd Lt. Gilbert M. Stonebarger O-742378 was the Co-Pilot from 733 Bombardment Sqn, 453 Bombardment Group B-24H 42-95019 F8:T which was hit by Flak on a mission to Mannheim on the 25th April 1944 (9 PoW, 1 Evd);

Fg Off. Hugh Dowling Thomas J21887 RCAF who was the Navigator from 218 (Gold Coast) Sqn, Stirling III EH942 HA:M which was shot down by a German night-fighter on an operation to Laon on the night of the 22nd/23rd April 1944 (2 KiA, 5 Evaders);

Flt Sgt. Gerrard Joseph Shaughnessy R186153 RCAF was the Mid-Under Gunner from 432 Sqn, Hallifax III LW643 QO:E which was lost on an operation to Noisy-le-Sec on the night of the 18th/19th April 1944 (6 KiA, 1 PoW, 1 Evd).

On the 16th June they set off east of St. Pé d’Ardet through the Forê de Cargire east of Melles, Caneja where they arrived on the 18th June. They were apprehended by the Spanish Police . On the 22nd June they made contact with the British Consul. On the 5th July the British Embassy took them by car to Madrid and two (2) days later they travelled by train to Gibraltar.

Flt Lt. van der Stok and the two RCAF airmen were flown by DC-3 from Gibraltar on the 10th July 1944 arriving at Whitchurch airfield the next day.

Following a refresher course, in March 1945, he was given command of 322 (Dutch) Sqn which he led until October 1945. After leaving the service he completed his studies as a Medical student. He emigrated to the United States in 1950 and became an American citizen and lived in Santa Barbara, California.

Bram van der Stok was born on the 30th October 1915 in Plaju, Dutch East Indies. He passed away on the 8th February 1993 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, USA.

Burial details:

None – Survived

Researched by Ralph Snape from Aircrew Remembered as dedicated to this crew and their families (May 2025).

Other sources listed below:

References:

1. Stalag Luft III - An official history of the “Great Escape” PoW Camp - Published by Frontline Books - ISBN: 978-1-47388-305-5.

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