July 14th, 1943 a Halifax of 427th Squadron RCAF crashed on the water-meadows just opposite the former ferryhouse of Mr. Bouwman.....................

In the night of 13 to 14 July 1943 the inhabitants of Dreumel woke up because of a high howling sound which appeared to be a bomber. In the plane there was a fire and it came down with a gigantic bang. Hours later there was still ammunition exploding. 

Mr. Adrie de Klein living in the Polstraat has a clear recollection on this: " In the water-meadows opposite the R.C. Church the plane lost one propellor. A kilometre away was the wreckage. It was a Halifax bomber. I read the name followed by  number on some parts."

It was alo very clear how the plane had crashed: "There was a very deep slot of appr. 800 meters. The plane left a very visible trace behind. Later on bulldozers have leveled the area."
Halifax DK142 ZL-C took off at 23.14 hrs from Leeming and was part of a group of 374 bombers that were on a mission to Aachen.

On this mission there were 18 Lancasters, 214 Halifaxes, 76 Wellingtons, 55 Stirlings and 11 Mosquito's involved. Twenty bombers were lost.

It is not clear when, where and how the plane was hit. Probably is was a German nightfighter, but nor allied nor German records have any record of this. In the allied records there is only a little note that says that the plane  "failed to return."
 
The next morning the first locals went to have a look at the crash site. Mr. Adrie de Kleijn did this too. Standing on the dyke you could see parts of the bomber spread around the water-meadows. There also were some brown parcels of first aid bandages. Walking the road to the wreckage Mr. de Kleijn was very surprised to be stopped by an armed NSB - collaborator who was there on guard.

Mr. Meindert van Toorn lived near the "Rooi Schuur" in those days. (Border between Dreumel and Wamel) Accompagnied by his father he went to the water-meadows around 8 a.m. to visit the crash site. Walking there they noticed cows grazing in the long grass. This was very strange, because yesterday the cows had been on the other side of the thorn hedge. The crash must have scared them so much that they went straight through the thorn hedge to get away from the monsturous bomber.

When father and son approached the bomber at appr. 50 meter, someone came running towards them. It was localpoliceman Leenders who ordered every spectator to stay away fromthe plane, bexause there still was ammunition exploding. The plane itself was not very good visible behind the thorn hedge.

A couple of days later a civil servant of the coimmunity visited the Gooijer family living at the Waaldyke. He asked the family to billit two German soldiers. They were allowed to sleep in the stable. These men were charged with clearing the crash site. In the evening one of them helped the farmer with sharpening the knives of the mowing machine.

Forquite a long time it was forbidden to come near the wreck. Mr. Adrie de Kleijn however could, because his father owned some fields there. At one oppertunity he even was able to have a quick look inside the plane. "There was no trace of crewmembers. If there had been victims you shoud have find  something like f.i. a shoe." I
In the following days a lot of digging and cleaning took place. Mr. Al van Oort had to dig the engines. They were some 3 meter deep down in the mud. All parts were transported by truck. One of those trucks stood on the dyke road for quite a couple of days.

It was strictly forbidden to take away parts from the crash site. Nevertheless some inhabitants did.

Mr. Frans de Graauw took away a part of a seat. Mr.  Johan de Graauw took away a part of a tube.

He almost was caught and had to run and hide the tube somewhere in the bush. Later on he was able to pick it up.

 

   

The tube was used to produce glue to fix the tire. For that purpose it was mixed with petrol.

  Yellow line: route pf the plane; Like a glider it flew along the river Waal and touched the ground near the yellow dot where it lost a propellor. From there it slitover theground until the red square. The slit was leveled in the fifties.

The van Toorn family did have some seats for a very long time. Mr. Adrie de Kleijn also had some souvenirs:"I was able to take some things with me. Most of the things had gone by then. I took f.i. a dynamo. It contained a lot of copper which was not easy toget those days. I also took apart of a seat. Someone made a purse of it. It was blue and partly burned.  I took a part of a window and in the wing there was an alluminium triangle. On thhis triangle there was the word Halifax followed by a number. Pity to say I have thrown it away."

Little pieces of plexiglass werd used to make rings. Mr. Jan van Dinter does have a recollection that he received some parts of plexiglass from his old schoolmate Mr. Johan Bouwmans.  they went to the blacksmith  who made a hole in it and back home they filed it into a ring. Mr. Jan van Oort does remember  his grandfather returning home with some parts of plexiglass turret.

 
The crew
Not much is known about the crew. Except one they all were taken prisoner. Where, when and how is not known.
Sgt M E Sobkowicz pilot

 RCAF

 POW   L4 434 Stalag Luft Sagan und Belaria
Sgt S W Bryant Flight Engineer

 RCAF

 POW   L4 649 Stalag Luft Sagan und Belaria
Sgt R T  Hayes  Navigator

 RCAF

POW 

4B 83678  Stalag Muehlberg - Elbe
Sgt W H Green  Bomb Aimer

RCAF

POW 

357 392 Stalag Kopernicus
Sgt J F Hutchings Wireless Operator

RCAF

POW 

357 399 Stalag Kopernicus
Sgt J R R Poudrie Mid Up. Gunnner

RCAF

POW 

L3  222537 Stalag Luft Sagan und Belaria
Sgt J H Brown Tail Gunner

RCAF

Evaded

Mr. Gijs Sas (U), who lived along the dyke during the war, told us a story after the war. In the morning after the crash he found a "pilot"  hidden under a thorn hedge. He transported this man to the church in the next village.(Wamel)Probably this must have been Sgt. Brown.

There is a little information about two crewmembers.

Sgt Stanley William Bryant, from Edmonton, Alberta, succeeded to evade. We trace him again leaving Brussels July 28, 1943 in the company of six other airmen and four Belgium men. In Parijs they spend the night in a pub. The next morning they travel to Bordeaux.

Once again they transported to a pub. They were requested to write down their names and the names of all their helpers in order to honour them later on. They they are transported to a hotel. After arrival the German police arrests them.

Sgt. Reifard “Dick” Poudrier, from Victoriaville, Quebec, left Brussels August 3, 1943 accompagnied byseven other airmen. They also headed for Paris. At  3 p.m., shortly after arrival, they all were arrested too.

 

Sgt W. H. Green; his photograph was found on the internet
Bryant and Poudrier stayed for some time at the residence of Capt. Jackson (de Zitter), 369 Slegers Ave, in Brussels. Later on it was proven that this part of the escape line was infiltrated.
 
Research - Ruud van Dinter and Jos van Koolwijk
Conversations with Mr. Adrie de Klein, Mr. Meindert van Toorn, Mr. Jan van Dinter, Mr. Jan van Oort.
Bob Baxter - Bomber Command & Oliver Clutton-Brock

Chorley - RAF Bomber Command Losses 1943