Stichting Herdenkingspalen Hollands Kroon
During World War II more than 40 different bombers and jet fighters have crashed within de county borders of Hollands Kroon. The crashes were mostly on land, in the Ijssel lake and the Wadden sea.
Few crew members were arrested after using their parachute to reach the ground, others could flee with the help of the Resistance. However, the majority lost their lives and did not return home safely to their family and loved ones.
This remembrance post was unveiled on September 14th 2019
Whitley T4279
Crash information
On 12 June 1941, 23.12h, the Witley bomber took off from Topcliffe airport in England. This particular evening 227 bombers took off from England to several missions above Germany. The Whitley’s target was the shunting yard of the German city Schwerte.
At 01.10h the bomber crashed on its way to Schwerte. An eye witness stated that during his patrol he witnessed the shooting by the night hunter of Flugzeugfuhrer Oberleutnant Egmont Prinz zur Lippe-Weissenfeld. The aircraft immediately set fire, before it broke down in many pieces and crashed nearby Wagenpad. All crew members lost their lives.
The crew
Donald Keith McFarland | Sergeant | Pilot | 26 years old | |
Kenneth Rowland Wainwright | Sergeant | 2nd Pilot | 21 years old | |
Geoffrey Vivian Heslop | Pilot Officer | Observer | 22 years old | |
Lawrence Stanley Dyer | Sergeant | Radio operator | 20 years old | |
Douglas Howard John Pingel | Sergeant | Gunner | 18 years old |
The official unveiling of our first remembrance post is a fact.
On 14 September 2019, t the exact same spot where the crew of an English Whitley bomber died in 1941, the first remembrance post was placed. Eventually there will around 40 posts which will keep the stories of the deceased men alive. NH news reported extensively on this event.
Stichting Herdenkingspalen Hollands Kroon
Board of the foundation
Name | Role |
Mark Hakvoort | Chairman |
Chris Dijkshoorn | Treasurer |
Martin Blaauw | Secretary |
Board members fulfill their tasks on a voluntary basis
Documents of the foundation