In the early morning of Jume 17, 1944 a Halifax of  431st Squadron of the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) crashed at the Nieuwstraat, near the "Drie Bruggen"....

 

 

  
   
Every burgomaster  was obliged to produce a monthly report to inform the Germans about the situation within their community. This had to with f.i. economy, airprotection, etc.

In the report of June 1944 burgomaster Waals wrote: “A burning English plane crashed in this community which caused some damage to the fields.” 

Halifax MZ-537 serial code SE-L took off at  23.14 hrs from Croft airbase in Yorkshire. The target of this night was the city of  Sterkenrade/Holten in the German ruhr area.

 

 

431e Squadron RAF in May 1944
 
At 02.30 hrs the plane was hit by a German nightfighter above the area between the rivers Maas and Waal. The crewmembers managed to bail out near the villages of Puiflijk and Druten (Netherlands)

The German "Abschussliste" states that this "vier-motoriges Flugzeug" was hit by Ltn. Kristopher of the "Dritte Nacht Jagd Geschwader 7".

According to German records the Halifax was hit at an altitude of 5800 meter  and crashed near the city of "Thiel". Time of the crash is according to the German records 01.20 uur. (Time difference between England and Germany)

 

  
 
 
 
The empty plane flew on his own untill the village of Dreumel. Inhabitants do remember that one wing of the plane fell behind the old mill followed by the crash of the plane in the Nieuwstraat, near a place called the "Drie Bruggen.”

Mr. Jan van Oort has a good recollection of the exact crash location:

"I do very well remember that this plane crashed.  My father (Mr. Has van Oort) had leased a pasture field in the  Nieuwstraat close to the "Drie Bruggen."  When the location was cleared my brother Niek, my father and myself went to the pasture field.

 
 

 

We could see still see traces of the crash. One of the engines had fallen into the ditch and now there was a big hole.The small bridge across the ditch was alsodestroyed. The Germans had taken the engine out but there still were some small remnants left."

 

"Drie bruggen"

"Drie bruggen" was situated near this farmhouse
 
Mr. Jan van Oort still has two parts of the plane.
 

Some parts of the plane. Click on the photograph to read more
 
 
Records show that all crewmembers eventually were arrested by the Germans. They were transported to prisoncamps in Eastern Europe.
 

1

F/Lt   JOHNSTONE M M 

Pilot    

RCAF  

POW Nr. 4794 in Stalag Luft I Barth Vogelsang
 
2 Sgt   J C FEREDAY  Engineer   RAF

POW Nr.  159 in Stalag Luft VII Bankau-Kreulberg
 
3 F/Lt  J C BURNS   Navigator    RCAF

POW  Nr.  5067 in Stalag Luft I Barth Vogelsang
 
4 F/O  C  BELL   Bombaimer RCAF  

POW  Nr.  4791 in Stalag Luft I Barth Vogelsang
 
5 F/O  Lloyd Oliver  STANLEY wireless operator RCAF

POW Nr. 6289 in Stalag Luft I Barth Vogelsang
 
6 F/O  M B STEEVES   airgunner RCAF 

POW Nr.  5073 in Stalag Luft I Barth Vogelsang
 
7 F/O  R J  OATES   airgunner RCAF  

POW Nr.  6286 in Stalag Luft III Sagan
 

Stalag Luft 1 in Barth Vogelsang
 

Research however has learned that there happened more between the moment of landing and the arrest.
 

Mr. Jan van Welie (Gzn) has the following recollection: “ One of the crewmembers landed in Dreumel. He flew to the duckdecoy in the Merenweg. He stayed there for a couple of days. In the end he went to the farmhouse of Mr. “Montje van Welie” (Meerheuvelweg), who handed him over to the burgomaster.”  This is confirmed by the monthly report of the burgomaster which says: “June 22, 1944 a wounded English pilot was found. He is handed over to the Germans.”

We do not know who this man was. There are more recollections of "pilots" that have landed between Dreumel and Alphen. We also have heard of Germans fanaticly searching the area. All these memories however can not be connected to real facts for this moment.
 
After bailing out F/Lt Johnstone, airgunner Steeves and bombaimer Bell succeeded in finding an escape line. Their adventure ended at Antwerp where the Germans arrested them.
 

Navigator John Burns also ended up in Antwerp. He was accompagnied by two crewmembers (Sheppard en Glew) of a Halifax that had crashed at Ede June 21/22 1944.  They also were caught by the Germans.

John Burns landed between Puiflijk and Altforst. It was the start of an adventurous story that resulted in a long term friendship.

(Click on photograph to read more)

The story of John C. Burns

  
 

Any additional information or photographs will be greatly appreciated!

Sources:
Research - Ruud van Dinter and Jos van Koolwijk
Van Vamele tot Wamel - red. Frans van Ooijen e.a.
Conversations with Mr.H. van Gelder, Sint Anthonis - Jos van Koolwijk & Ruud van Dinter
Wartime memories from inside a Dutch church steeple - Dave Brown, Canada
The Perth Courier - 08-11-1995: John Burns - Stephanie Strachan, Canada
Research Group Jos Andre - Michael Leblanc, Canada

Vliegen en vechten bij de Maas – W.F.J. Boeijen