Visit of the Perry-Wainwright family to the remembrance post at the Wagenpad

On a windy Sunday morning, 21 September 2025, the Hollands Kroon Remembrance Posts Foundation received special visitors from Canada. From Toronto, Ross and Elizabeth Perry-Wainwright travelled to the Wieringermeer to visit the site where, during the night of 12 to 13 June 1941, Whitley bomber T4279 crashed.

Also present was the Smit family, the original farming family of the Wagenpad farm where the aircraft came down.

For Elizabeth Perry-Wainwright, the visit was deeply meaningful. Her mother and Sergeant-Pilot Kenneth Rowland Wainwright were cousins and childhood friends. Kenneth was the only child of his parents, who had emigrated from England to Toronto in 1919. He volunteered for the Royal Canadian Air Force in July 1940 and was trained as a pilot within eleven months.

On 12 June 1941, Kenneth took off as second pilot from RAF Topcliffe with his crew for a bombing mission to Schwerte. The aircraft was shot down over the Wieringermeer by a German night fighter and crashed in several parts on and around the Smit family’s land. All crew members were killed.

The Perry-Wainwright family not only visited the crash site but also shared valuable documents and photographs, which — with their permission — we may show on our website. These include, among others:

• the Wainwright family gravestone with Kenneth’s name

• the attestation paper Kenneth signed in his own hand on 17 July 1940

• background information on his life and military service

Both the Perry-Wainwright and Smit families expressed their appreciation that the crash site is marked with our very first remembrance post, placed in 2019. Their visit highlights the importance of preserving and passing on these stories.

Impressive unveiling of remembrance post Halifax JB843 at the Zijperdijk

On Saturday 27 September 2025, a remembrance post was unveiled at the Zijperdijk near Oudesluis in honour of the crew of the Handley Page Halifax Mk II JB843. The aircraft was shot down by a German night fighter during the night of 25 to 26 June 1943 and crashed along the Anna Paulownaweg near ’t Zand. All seven crew members were killed.

Reception at the Zijper Museum

From 14:00, around sixty guests were welcomed at the Zijper Museum in Schagerbrug with coffee, tea and cake. Among them were no fewer than eight relatives of bomb aimer Thomas Eric Judd, who had travelled from England especially for the occasion. Also present were many family members of Jaap de Wit, who had witnessed the crash firsthand and compiled an impressive archive of four binders full of research material. Thanks to this information, the remembrance post could be realized.

During the reception, memories were shared, photos were viewed, and historical documents were shown, including personal letters and official messages, among them communications from Buckingham Palace.

The guests were welcomed by Piet Glas, chairman of the Historical Association De Zijpe. He expressed his appreciation for the work of the Stichting Herdenkingspalen Hollands Kroon and shared his hope for continued collaboration with and within the municipality of Schagen.

Speech and departure to the crash site

On behalf of the foundation, Chris Dijkshoorn gave a speech in which he shared the story of Jaap de Wit, his research, and how this initiative came about. The crash site lies on the border between the municipalities of Schagen and Hollands Kroon. Ultimately, the aircraft came down within the municipality of Schagen, while the remembrance post was placed along the Zijperdijk, with Schagen on one side and Hollands Kroon on the other.

Around 14:45, the guests travelled to the unveiling location, about 700 metres from the original crash site.

Ceremony at the Zijperdijk

At the site, Chris shared more about the crash and read the names and ages of the seven fallen crew members. He was followed by a speech from Rian van Dam, mayor of Hollands Kroon, who reflected on the sacrifice of the crew, the importance of remembrance, and the foundation’s role in keeping their stories alive.

Both municipalities were represented: Marjan van Kampen, mayor of Schagen, was also present and took part in the ceremony. The official unveiling of the remembrance post was performed jointly by both mayors.

As usual, veterans were well represented. Bertus Jager, one of the regular attendees, recently celebrated his 100th birthday and is still actively involved. The salute during the ceremonial music was led by veteran Frans van Zwam.

A particularly moving moment was the musical tribute: Paul Malone performed The Last Post, which held extra significance as his wife is a niece of crew member Eric Judd. Hans Elling followed with the British national anthem, after which a minute of silence was observed.

Wreath laying and personal tributes

Two wreaths were laid:

• On behalf of the municipality of Hollands Kroon, by mayor Rian van Dam and John Judd, nephew of Thomas Eric Judd.

• On behalf of the municipality of Schagen, by mayor Marjan van Kampen and Daan de Wit.

At the end of the official ceremony, John Judd addressed the attendees on behalf of the family. A deeply touching moment followed as Mieke de Wit scattered the ashes of Jaap de Wit near the remembrance post, a powerful tribute that left a lasting impression on those present.

Click here for more photos and more information about this crash

Attention to Crashed German Aircraft in Hollands Kroon

The Stichting Herdenkingspalen Hollands Kroon (Foundation for Remembrance Posts Hollands Kroon) has been active for five years. During this time, we have placed 29 remembrance posts in our municipality to honor the crew members of aircraft that crashed in Hollands Kroon during the Second World War. Until now, these were allied aircraft with crew members of various nationalities. For example, crew members from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States lost their lives in Hollands Kroon. Some crew members survived the crashes. Additionally, aircraft from the Netherlands also crashed here, such as a Fokker C.V., for which we placed a remembrance post along the Schelpenbolweg in the Wieringermeer.

In addition to allied aircraft, German planes also crashed in Hollands Kroon during the war. As a foundation, in collaboration with the municipality of Hollands Kroon, we want to draw attention to these crashes as well. These incidents also involved young men who lost their lives, leaving families behind in grief. For relatives, the uncertainty about what exactly happened often remains an open wound that does not heal. Questions haunt them, such as: What happened to the aircraft that day? What was the fate of the crew? Why did the plane crash? Was it due to allied actions, a Dutch aircraft, or friendly fire? This lack of answers can complicate the grieving process and leave a sense of incompleteness.

Do You Have Information About German Aircraft That Crashed in Hollands Kroon?

If you have information and are willing to share it with us, please email the foundation at info@shhk.nl.

Overview crashed planes and unveiling of our remembrance posts