Wing of the RAF pilots.
Wing of the Special Forces.
The Halifax had a crew of 7 men. Also the Halifax MkV with ID: MA-W and serialnr. LL388, ended with a crashlanding near Engelen.
1. Pilot
: P. Green 139984
2. Navigator
: N. Slade 939760
3. Flight Engineer : N. Huntley
1592382
4. Bomb-aimer : A.
Dean 152754
5. Wireless Operator : G. Dugdale 651166
6. Air gunner
: C. Carter 53362
7. Air gunner
: N. Hayward 1239050
Badge of the 161 st "Moon Squadron"
On August 28, 1944, at 21.50 hours (GT), a Four-engined Halifax of the 161 st Squadron, took off from Tempsford airport. This flight was being made by the RAF in order of the BBO (Bureau Bijzondere Opdrachten) in London. The BBO was the SOE of the Dutch in coopération with the British and the American Secret Services. The task of this "Bureau"was to organize the resistance in The Netherlands, and to support them with weapons, ammunition and other supplies. Very important was the dropping of well trained secret agents who could support and organize the resistance in a professional way.
In the course of this flight, three secret agents would be dropped near Deurne, at the dropping-zone "Hendrik". A couple of containers would be dropped at the same time. However, this would never materialize. Near Engelen, the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft artillary and cought fire. "It was one huge fireball", Mrs. Van den Oever remembers. The Halifax made a crashlanding in the Henriëttewaard. Two English crew-members were killed during the crash:A. Dean and N. Slade. They are buried in our cemetary in Engelen. Of the 5 other crew-members, problaby 2 managed to escape. All of them survived the war.
Of the three secret agents, Gerrit Kroon (a telegraph operator), was serously injured. He was captured and after interrogations transported to Germany. On May 1st he was liberated by the Americans. He died however from over-exhaustion on May 2nd. He was reburied in a field of honor in Loenen.
Krijn Buitendijk (sabotage-instructor) and Jacky van der Meer (organiser), managed to escape with the help of the van Gent Famaly.
His grave in the field of honor. Gerrit Kroon during his training as Secret Agent.
The wing of Officer Dean: Bombaimer
Flying Officer A.K.M. Dean.
This is "the barn" on Tempsford where the Secrete Agents
prepared themselves for dropping in occupied territory.
Thanks to Chris Bashford who send me the picture.
I found some parts of the Halifax LL388
we appreciate your remarks and opnion on this site.