War in the air
During World War II, the Netherlands frequently became a transit area for bombers and fighter planes, both Allied and German. This resulted in thousands of air battles, with Allied fighters often escorting their bombers. The flight paths varied to confuse German defenses, but the Netherlands was frequently crossed.
Allied bombing missions primarily targeted the German Ruhr area to disrupt war industries. Many bombers crashed in North Brabant, partly due to German anti-aircraft fire. The British conducted nighttime raids to increase survival chances, while the Americans attacked during the day, leading to high casualties: 55,573 out of 125,000 Bomber Command crew members did not survive the war, and the Eighth Air Force lost 26,000 men.
After the liberation of southern Netherlands in 1944, bomber crashes decreased, but those involving fighter planes increased due to Allied airfields in the region.
Valkenswaard and Waalre were not military targets but were still hit by dropped or jettisoned bombs. For instance, in 1940, incendiary bombs fell on Stationstraat in Aalst, likely intended for the Welschap airfield. This incident resulted in fatalities and damage to homes.
In the lead-up to liberation, Allied aircraft bombarded the region to weaken German resistance, with cigar factories in Valkenswaard being targeted.
The Air Raid Protection Service (Luchtbeschermingsdienst, LBD) was established to protect civilians from air attacks. They enforced mandatory blackouts and provided first aid after attacks. LBD members were allowed to patrol the streets at night, which was advantageous for resistance members.
After a plane crash, civilians often arrived at the scene first, searching for usable materials. The government sent field officers to report the crash, after which the German cleanup crews removed the wreckage and buried the dead. Over time, little remained visible of the crash site, except for small remnants in the ground. Important sources of information include reports from that period and the memories of civilians.
Whitley Mk. III Z6657
On the night of June 11 to 12, 1941, 80 bombers took off from England towards Duisburg. The fleet consisted of 36 Whitleys, 35 Blenheims, and 9 Halifax bombers. Only one aircraft did not return: the Whitley Mk. III Z6657, piloted by Flight Sergeant Herbert Hannay.
On the return flight, the aircraft was shot down by German Lieutenant Dieter Frank at 03:16 and crashed burning into Schaft. The Germans quickly cordoned off the area and sent a unit from Fliegerhorst Eindhoven to guard the wreckage. French prisoners of war later cleared the wreckage but could not begin immediately due to smoldering remains and exploding munitions.
Witnesses reported that a crew member had tried to escape with a parachute, which became entangled in the tail section of the plane. The man was found dead next to the parachute, with part of his leg torn off. It is possible that he was still alive shortly after the crash. The Germans eventually recovered all the crew members and buried them with military honors at the “De Oude Toren” cemetery in Woensel, Eindhoven.
Whitley MK V Z6489
On the night of June 12, 1941, Whitleys from 102 Squadron departed from Topcliffe, Yorkshire, to disrupt the railway station in Schwerte. The Whitley V with serial number Z6489 took off at 23:06. Whether the crew reached their target is unknown, but on Friday the 13th, the aircraft was shot down on the return journey by German night fighters from Fliegerhorst Venlo.
According to the police report, the Whitley crashed burning into the land of farmer De Bie in Aalst at 03:18 on June 13. The entire crew was killed. German troops quickly sealed off the area, and later the bodies were recovered and buried with military honors at the “De Oude Toren” cemetery in Woensel, Eindhoven.
Wellington Mk III X3408
Pilot C.W.P. Carter ended up in Stalag Luft III during his captivity. This prisoner-of-war camp is famous for an escape attempt via tunnels, known as “The Great Escape,” which has even been made into a film.
Due to his small stature, Carter was assigned to dig the tunnels for this escape. His nickname in the camp was “Digger.” Just before the escape attempt, he was transferred to another part of the camp and therefore was not among the group that escaped. This proved to be fortunate for him, as a large portion of the escaped prisoners were caught and executed.
During the night of June 2 to 3, 1942, Bomber Command conducted a bombing raid on Essen with 195 aircraft. Fourteen planes did not return, including the Wellington X3408, piloted by P/O Cecil William Phair Carter, known as Bill. Bill, an experienced New Zealand pilot, was flying as a substitute for a sick colleague.
During the return flight, the Wellington was damaged by FLAK, and Bill was injured. With one engine out and the other damaged, Bill decided to make an emergency landing. This occurred at 03:10 in a pine grove near Aalst. The crew managed to escape and destroy sensitive equipment. They set the plane on fire and fled.
That night, they sought help at a farm, but the residents were afraid to assist them. Sgt. Ives attended to the injured, Bill and Sgt. Coy, while the crew split up. The uninjured members went into the woods and later found a shed to hide in.
Meanwhile, the Germans launched a search operation. By morning, the fleeing crew members were nearly discovered by a German patrol but managed to escape. They were eventually captured by a German ambulance and taken to the police station in Eindhoven. After interrogation, they were sent to a German prisoner-of-war camp.
Pilot C.W.P. Carter ended up in Stalag Luft III during his captivity. This POW camp became famous for an escape attempt via tunnels, known as “The Great Escape,” which was even made into a film.
Due to his small stature, Carter was assigned to dig the tunnels for the escape. His nickname in the camp was “Digger.” Just before the escape attempt, he was transferred to another part of the camp and was not among the escapees. This proved fortunate for him, as a large portion of the escaped prisoners were caught and executed.
Dornier 217M-1 40727
German and British reports indicate that just before Saint Nicholas Day, a major air battle took place over Eindhoven. Two Canadian Typhoon squadrons (the 198th and the 609th) initially targeted Gilze-Rijen airfield and then engaged a group of Dornier 217 bombers. The Typhoons pursued the Dorniers, which attempted to evade in all directions. According to British reports, 11 Dorniers were shot down, with some crews escaping via parachutes. The British fighters safely returned to their base in Lympne (UK) and received congratulations for their brilliant operation.
The Dornier of Lieutenant Kniendl (from the German unit KG 2, nicknamed Anna) was heavily damaged and set on fire by a Typhoon. Although the lieutenant managed to pull the aircraft up, a second Typhoon appeared, and the Dornier crashed. The plane came to a stop on the Waalre side near the Dommel, with wreckage scattered over 30 meters. All four occupants were killed.
The 3rd Staffel of I/KG 2 lost one of their most experienced crews. The German soldiers assigned to clear the wreckage were billeted with farmer Frans Wijlaars at Timmereind. At that time, Wijlaars was hiding Jews in his attic. It is a miracle that the Germans did not discover these Jews.
Halifax Mk II JD215
The city of Cologne was a key target for the Allies due to its role in the German war industry. On the night of June 28 to 29, 1943, 608 aircraft took off from England despite bad weather. That night delivered the heaviest blow in “the Battle of the Ruhr.” However, the Allies also lost 25 aircraft, two of which crashed in the municipality of Waalre.
At 23:04, the Halifax Mk II JD215 of the 419 (Moose) Squadron took off. The crew was mostly Canadian, including 24-year-old F/Lt Almer Clement Raine. In his last letter to his mother, he mentioned that he had completed 31 missions. On the return flight over the Netherlands, the aircraft was attacked by German night fighter Major Gunther Radusch. The Halifax crashed at 02:13 near the Loondermolen by the Dommel.
The bodies of the crew were buried in various cemeteries. Raine and Dickson, severely mutilated, shared a common grave. Fowler’s remains were not discovered until 1949 and were buried in Mierlo.
Lancaster Mk III ED979
On the night of June 29, 1943, two aircraft crashed in Aalst-Waalre. The second aircraft was Lancaster ED979 from the 619th Squadron, recorded as having crashed at 02:14. The wreckage was found along the Genneperpad in an oat field in Aalst. All seven occupants—six British airmen and one Canadian—were killed. The Lancaster had taken off from Woodhall Spa at 22:58 for a mission to Cologne. Of the twelve Lancasters from the 619th Squadron that night, the other eleven returned safely.
It is unclear whether the Lancaster was brought down by German night fighter Major Gunther Radusch, FLAK, or a collision with the Halifax JD215.
Some crew members had significant military experience. Sergeant Grace had escaped after the defeat at Dunkirk via Spain and later joined the RAF as an Air Gunner. Sergeant Adsetts, an amateur boxer and RAF champion, served as an instructor in Africa before joining a bomber crew in 1942. The 619th Squadron lost 85 aircraft and nearly 500 crew members during the war, with a survival rate of less than 1 in 3.
Lancaster B II DS776
On the evening of February 19, 1944, Lancaster DS776 of the 426 Squadron RAF took off from England to bomb Leipzig, along with 823 other aircraft. Of this mission, 78 aircraft never returned, including Lancaster DS776, which was shot down by a German night fighter on the return journey. The plane crashed burning on the grounds of the Eindhoven Golf Club, where German troops were stationed.
The German report stated: “05:45 hours Lancaster 2 km N.N.E. of Valkenswaard. Crashed. Crew dead recovered, 2 presumably under the wreckage. Aircraft exploded already in the air and is completely destroyed.”
Witnesses saw the burning aircraft flying overhead, and some discovered in the morning limbs and a glove with a hand inside near the wreckage. The crew consisted of six Canadians and one Brit, who now rest at the “De Oude Toren” cemetery.
Typhoon IB MN665
F/O W.T. Dunkeld, the pilot of the other Typhoon (PD462), crashed near Maarheeze and was killed. He was buried in Jonkerbos, Nijmegen. Duncan’s body was found near the aircraft, indicating that he tried to escape.
Duncan was initially buried at the “De Oude Toren” cemetery in Woensel and later reburied at the Canadian military cemetery in Groesbeek.
Duncan, a young man with red hair and blue eyes, enlisted in the R.C.A.F. in February 1942. Despite initial doubts, he was approved for flight training on July 14, 1942. He received his Pilot Flying Badge on April 2, 1943. On May 29, 1943, Duncan crashed during a training flight. After being missing for a time, he was found and treated for minor injuries. On July 19, 1943, he was deemed fit to fly again.
On May 31, 1944, he was sent to England and joined the 440 Squadron, stationed at Welschap Airfield near Eindhoven. During the Battle of the Bulge, Duncan was tasked with escorting aircraft for attacks near St. Vith alongside another Typhoon. After takeoff, the Typhoons were attacked by a German Messerschmitt. Duncan’s Typhoon crashed in Broek near Waalre on December 24, 1944.
Pictures:
- An Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bomber formation from the RAF.
- In addition to enemy fighters, the Germans had numerous searchlights and anti-aircraft guns ready to intercept Allied bombers. As a result, shot-down aircraft frequently crashed in the region. Often, the crew perished in these crashes. Sometimes, crew members were able to escape by parachute and, often with the help of the resistance, attempted to go into hiding.
- The Bremmers brothers on the wreckage of a downed fighter. The photo was taken on the outskirts of Aalst.
- An Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bomber in flight.
- An Armstrong Whitworth Whitley bomber making its landing approach.
- A Vickers Wellington bomber in flight.
- Photo of the crew in front of the aircraft in the afternoon before the departure of their final flight. From left to right: Jack Lawrence Coy, Herbert Ives, Cecil William Phair Carter, Robert Mayall, and Phillip Newberry Howard.
- Original grave of Josef Kniendl in Eindhoven. The inscription reads: “Gef. 4.12.43 bei Waalre”.
- The Do-217 of J. Kniendl undergoing repair.
- A Handley Page Halifax.
- A Avro Lancaster bomber.
- The cap of Alexander MacKay.
- A Avro Lancaster bomber.
- The crew poses in front of the plane. From left to right: Hancock, Alleyn, McKenzie, Dowe and Cox.
- Last page from E.A. Dowe’s logbook.
- A Hawker Typhoon fighter plane.
- Rockets mounted on the wings of a Hawker Typhoon.