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1940-05-15 The loss of Fokker S-IX Nr. 46 (Sitters/Van Hulzen)

Crash site: Héricourt-sur-Thérain, Oise, France

Crash cause: flying accident, engine failure

On 15 May 1940, the day of the Dutch surrender, a flock of Fokker aircraft from flying schools in Zeeland took off for France, with England as the final destination. The flight was erratic, because unprepared, and tales are told about verbal information given by the French on how to navigate over Northern France... Three planes were lost in the process, one in a fatal accident. Although the two aviators killed in this crash were not enlisted in the RAF, they certainly intended to be. As this accident was not part of the Dutch airborne War effort over Holland, and neither of the RAF effort involving Dutchmen, it falls in between these two categories. Author feels that this fatal accident should also have a place in this study.

The crash took place on a meadow in Héricourt-sur-Thérain, locally known as Montplaisir, Oise, on 15/5/1940. Prior to 10/12/1946, the hamlet was known as Héricourt-Saint-Samson.

At 11 hours in the morning, 12 Fokker S-IX trainer aircraft had landed here. The group was supposed to fly to Beauvais, but had to navigate without a map over unfamiliar terrain. The young aviators were received most cordially by the villagers of the hamlet. Lunch time was near, and a large table was set in one of the gardens. One of the aviators, Sgt. C.J. van Hulzen, had lived in Paris for several years, so he was fluent in French.

At 15.30 hours, eleven aircraft took off to perform aerobatics over the hamlet, in gratitude of the 'acceuil Français'. After the others had set course for Beauvais, Van Hulzen and Sitters took off too. But with difficulty; the engine was not running smoothly. The machine had climbed to less than 100 meters when the engine stopped. The aircraft crashed, and caught fire. Both pilots were killed in the flames; their bodies were carbonized.

The other aviators were unaware of this. They reached Beauvais. When Van Hulzen and Sitters failed to arrive, a search party returned to Héricourt by car. They took with them the bodies, for burial in the Cimetière Communal de Beauvais.

The aircraft was a Fokker type S-IX Nr. 46. Not a type 59, a spelling error that has led to confusion. The crash is described in Germaine L'Herbier-Montagnon, 'Disparus dans le ciel - souvenirs de la mission de recherches des morts et disparus de l'armée de l'air.', Ed. Faquelle, 1943. The author was involved in crash research in 1940.

Name

1. Hulzen, Cornelis Johannes van

Dutch LVA aviator datasheet




Orry-la-Ville 050702 Van Hulzen

Rank

Res Sgt Vl

Nr.

Decorations

none known

Born

01/11/1905

Place

Baarn, Utrecht, NL

Squadron

Military Flying School, Haamstede, NL

Ops/hrs

Aircraft

Fokker S-IX Nr. 46 trainer

Base

Haamstede, Zeeland, NL

Mission

Escape to England

Status

KIFA, flying accident

age

34

Killed

15/05/1940

Place

Héricourt-sur-Thérain, Oise, F.

Buried

Initially at Cimetière Communal de Beauvais, grave 28 or 30. Reburied at Dutch Field of Honour at Orry-la-Ville, Senlis, F., grave A/1/9.

Source: CAD-MvD 5.050.5220/81

Known to

OGS

yes

CWGC

no

Other crew

2. Sgt Vl Sitters, Caspar - KIFA

Memorial

Soesterberg

yes

Memorial

Other

Near the crash site in Héricourt-sur-Thérain, Oise, F.

GB arrival

Did not arrive in the UK

Remarks

Baarn, Baarn Municipality, Utrecht, Netherlands

Data confusion


Name

2. Sitters, Casper

Dutch LVA aviator datasheet

Orry-la-Ville 050702 Sitters

Rank

Sgt Vl

Nr.

Decorations

none known

Born

21/11/1911

Place

Rotterdam, Zuid-Holland, NL

Squadron

Military Flying School, Haamstede, NL

Ops/hrs

Aircraft

Fokker S-IX Nr. 46 trainer

Base

Haamstede, Zeeland, NL

Mission

Escape to England

Status

KIFA, flying accident

age

28

Killed

15/05/1940

Place

Héricourt-sur-Thérain, Oise, F.

Buried

Initially at Cimetière Communal de Beauvais, grave 28 or 30. Reburied at Dutch Field of Honour at Orry-la-Ville, Senlis, F., grave A/1/8.

Source: CAD-MvD 5.050.5220/81

Known to

OGS

yes

CWGC

no

Other crew

1. Res Sgt Vl Hulzen, Cornelis Johannes van - KIFA

Memorial

Soesterberg

yes

Memorial

Other

Near the crash site in Héricourt-sur-Thérain, Oise, F.

GB arrival

Did not arrive in the UK

In a local initiative a Memorial was erected at the site of the crash. In 2005 the Memorial is in need of restoration. Author has raised the issue with the Oorlogsgravenstichting (OGS, Dutch War Graves Commission). OGS is not formally responsible for this Monument, and declined the suggestion, but it can't hurt to reflect upon the issue. There is a small number of small Memorials in France, commemorating the deaths of Dutch RAF aviators at the site. These Memorials are made by local initiative, during or shortly after the War. Those who cared enough to erect these Memorials, may no longer be alive. So the time has come for others to assume responsibility for the care of these Memorials. Author sees a role for the Dutch here, in cooperation with local authorities.

France has countless War Monuments. In almost any city, village or hamlet there is a Monument with the names of War casualties, most from the First World War. The Héricourt-sur-Thérain Memorial is one of three we have found that commemorates an aircraft crash that led to loss of life of Dutch military aviators. The others are in Tréauville, Manche, see chapter 49, on the loss of Mitchell FR146, and in Châtaincourt, Eure et Loir, see chapter 77, on the loss of Mitchell FR185. None found in The Netherlands.

South of St. Denis-de-Méré, Calvados, on 00.3034W/48.5127N, a Monument was found that indicates the site and commemorates the crash on August 4th, 1944, of a Mitchell from RAF 342B Squadron, a Free French Squadron, that was part of the 2nd Tactical Air Force. The four French crewmembers died in the crash. They were colleagues of the RAF 320 (Dutch) Squadron.

Fokker S-IX trainer. Source: Photo Frans Westerburger in Johan Visschedijk Collection

Crash site at Héricourt. To the right the Monument along the Rue de Héricourt. 050623-3




The landing and take-off ground is a flat field high up in the hamlet of Héricourt on the river Thérain. The Rue de Héricourt runs where the trees are. The Monument is located in the center of this line of trees.



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