wings.gif (10800 bytes) Wing of the RAF pilots.  

Special Force.gif (2751 bytes) Wing of the Special Forces.

      bemanning.JPG (9848 bytes)          bomrichter.JPG (209931 bytes)                    

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.

Kroonl.jpg (26372 bytes)

                                                         kroon.JPG (11597 bytes)                                             

bwing.gif (6174 bytes)The wing of Officer Dean: Bombaimer

 

 

Deankl.jpg (62001 bytes)                            barn1.jpg (386886 bytes)

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.

 

  

 fueltank.JPG (27027 bytes)part7.JPG (58985 bytes)part2.JPG (17457 bytes)

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                             

I found some parts of the Halifax LL388

  part8.JPG (7973 bytes)             part6.JPG (69598 bytes)

mail.gif (154 bytes) we appreciate your remarks and opnion on this site.

                                               
                                                                            

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