Crash site: North Sea 75 km North of Vlieland, NL
Crash cause: unknown, possibly due to low flying
Name |
1. Blok, Willem Lodewijk |
Dutch RAF aviator datasheet |
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W.L. Blok. Source: SLH |
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Rank |
Korp Vltg Telegr, Cpl., Wop/Ag |
Stb.Nr. 20510 |
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Decorations |
OHK met de gespen 6/1/1948 |
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Born |
30/6/1913 |
Place |
Rotterdam, NL |
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Squadron |
RAF 320 (Dutch) Sqn Bomber Command |
Ops/hr |
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Aircraft |
Mitchell Mk. II Nr. FR144 NO-B |
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Base |
RAF Attlebridge, Norfolk, GB |
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Mission |
ASR patrol |
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Status |
MIA, crash cause unknown. Aircraft suddenly dived into the sea from 300 ft. |
age |
30 |
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Missing |
30/7/1943 |
Place |
North Sea, 53.50N 04.55E, 75 km N of Vlieland, NL |
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Known to |
OGS |
yes |
CWGC |
no |
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Other crew |
2. Kok 2kl C.P.J.M. van der Does, passenger - MIA 3. Res 1Lt Vl E. van 't Eind, Copilot - MIA 4. Off Vl 2kl W.J. Ritte, Pilot - MIA 5. Res 1Lt Vl Mr. A. Roessingh, passenger - MIA |
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Memorial |
Soesterberg |
yes |
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Memorial |
Other |
no |
not known |
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GB arrival |
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Remarks |
FR144 was one of the first 4 Mitchells received by 320B Sqn |
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Data confusion |
Gedenkrol KM: mission flown from RAF Methwold |
Name | 2. Does, Cornelis Pieter Johannes Maria van der | Dutch RAF aviator datasheet | |||||
C.P.J.M. van der Does. Source: @St.M.Vl.P. 1939-50 | |||||||
Rank | Kok 2kl, Ac2., passenger | Stb.Nr. 90465/Z | |||||
Decorations | Kruis van Verdienste | ||||||
Born | 15/5/1920 | Place | Velsen, NL | ||||
Squadron | RAF 320 (Dutch) Sqn Bomber Command | Ops/hr | |||||
Aircraft | Mitchell Mk. II Nr. FR144 NO-B | ||||||
Base | RAF Attlebridge, Norfolk, GB | ||||||
Mission | ASR patrol | ||||||
Status | MIA, crash cause unknown. Aircraft suddenly dived into the sea from 300 ft. | age | 23 | ||||
Missing | 30/7/1943 | Place | North Sea, 53.50N 04.55E, 75 km N of Vlieland, NL | ||||
Known to | OGS | yes | CWGC | no | |||
Other crew | 1. Korp Vltg Telegr W.L. Blok, Wop/Ag - MIA 3. Res 1Lt Vl E. van 't Eind, Copilot - MIA 4. Off Vl 2kl W.J. Ritte, Pilot - MIA 5. Res 1Lt Vl Mr. A. Roessingh, passenger - MIA | ||||||
Memorial | Soesterberg | yes | |||||
Memorial | Other | yes | 1. Vijfluik Loenen, Gelderland, NL
Vijfluik Van der Does 2. In IJmuiden, Noord Holland, NL, a street was given his name | ||||
GB arrival | Engelandvaarder via Canada. An interrogation report has not been found in the archive of the Dutch Ministry of Justice in London, NA 2.09.06 | ||||||
Remarks | FR144 was one of the first 4 Mitchells received by 320B Sqn | ||||||
Data confusion | Gedenkrol KM: mission flown from RAF Methwold |
Name | 3. Eind, Evert van 't | Dutch RAF aviator datasheet | |||||
E. van 't Eind Source: @St.M.Vl.P. 1939-50 | |||||||
Rank | Res 1Lt Vl, F/O., Copilot | ||||||
Decorations | None known | ||||||
Born | 11/7/1920 | Place | Amsterdam, NL | ||||
Squadron | RAF 320 (Dutch) Sqn Bomber Command | Ops/hr | 1 | ||||
Aircraft | Mitchell Mk. II Nr. FR144 NO-B | ||||||
Base | RAF Attlebridge, Norfolk, GB | ||||||
Mission | ASR patrol | ||||||
Status | MIA, crash cause unknown. Aircraft suddenly dived into the sea from 300 ft. | age | 23 | ||||
Missing | 30/7/1943 | Place | North Sea, 53.50N 04.55E, 75 km N of Vlieland, NL | ||||
Known to | OGS | yes | CWGC | no | |||
Other crew | 1. Korp Vltg Telegr W.L. Blok, Wop/Ag - MIA 2. Kok 2kl C.P.J.M. van der Does, passenger - MIA 4. Off Vl 2kl W.J. Ritte, Pilot - MIA 5. Res 1Lt Vl Mr. A. Roessingh, passenger - MIA | ||||||
Memorial | Soesterberg | yes | |||||
Memorial | Other | no | not known | ||||
GB arrival | Arrived with the HMS Keith group. Detached KL to KM. Send from England to NEI 1/9/1940 for military flying training. | ||||||
Remarks | FR144 was one of the first 4 Mitchells received by 320B Sqn | ||||||
Data confusion | Gedenkrol KM: mission flown from RAF Methwold |
Name | 4. Ritte, Willem Jacobus | Dutch RAF aviator datasheet | |||||
W.J. Ritte, May 1940 Source: @St.M.Vl.P. 1939-50
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Rank | Off Vl 2kl, P/O., Pilot | ||||||
Decorations | Bronzen Leeuw, Distinguished Flying Cross | ||||||
Born | 4/6/1913 | Place | Haarlem, NL | ||||
Squadron | RAF 320 (Dutch) Sqn Bomber Command | Ops/hr | |||||
Aircraft | Mitchell Mk. II Nr. FR144 NO-B | ||||||
Base | RAF Attlebridge, Norfolk, GB | ||||||
Mission | ASR patrol | ||||||
Status | MIA, crash cause unknown. Aircraft suddenly dived into the sea from 300 ft. | age | 30 | ||||
Missing | 30/7/1943 | Place | North Sea, 53.50N 04.55E, 75 km N of Vlieland, NL | ||||
Known to | OGS | yes | CWGC | no | |||
Other crew | 1. Korp Vltg Telegr W.L. Blok, Wop/Ag - MIA 2. Kok 2kl C.P.J.M. van der Does, passenger - MIA 3. Res 1Lt Vl E. van 't Eind, Copilot - MIA 5. Res 1Lt Vl Mr. A. Roessingh, passenger - MIA | ||||||
Memorial | Soesterberg | yes | |||||
Memorial | Other | yes | His name is on the Memorial in Reinaldapark, Haarlem, NL Section of the Monument in the Reinaldapark, Haarlem, NL Haarlem 080403 Ritte | ||||
GB arrival | 22/5/1940 from France after he, in a group of 24 aircraft, mostly Fokker trainers, had escaped from Holland on 14/5/1940 | ||||||
Remarks | FR144 was one of the first 4 Mitchells received by 320B Sqn Off Vl 2kl W.J. Ritte received the Bronze Cross for the daring action on 16/10/1940, flying Fokker T-VIIIw Nr. AV961, formerly R-7, from Pembroke Dock to the Tjeukemeer in occupied Holland at night. This 'Operation Windmill' was to retrieve resistance people from Holland. The aircraft was flown by Off Vl 2kl H. Schaper and Korp Vlgt Telegr K. van Tongeren. See the BL & DFC citations of K. van Tongeren in chapter 3/21. The Germans were expecting the aircraft. They had massed 200 men around the lake, and there were small armed vessels on it. The Fokker, taxying on the water after landing in the dark, received numerous hits, and both Ritte and Van Tongeren were injured. Van Tongeren's return fire produced enemy casualties. Schaper managed to take off quickly from the lake, and to return home in spite of a leaking fuel tank. The three men were the first Dutch RAF aviators to receive British decorations. | ||||||
Data confusion | OGS: no decorations mentioned Gedenkrol KM: mission flown from RAF Methwold |
Name | 5. Roessingh, Mr. Albert (Ab) | Dutch RAF aviator datasheet | |||||
Mr A. Roessingh. Source: @St.M.Vl.P. 1939-50 | |||||||
Rank | Res 1Lt Vl, F/O., passenger | ||||||
Decorations | Kruis van Verdienste | ||||||
Born | 28/6/1914 | Place | Tilburg, NL | ||||
Squadron | RAF 320 (Dutch) Sqn Bomber Command | Ops/hr | 2 | ||||
Aircraft | Mitchell Mk. II Nr. FR144 NO-B | ||||||
Base | RAF Attlebridge, Norfolk, GB | ||||||
Mission | ASR patrol | ||||||
Status | MIA, crash cause unknown. Aircraft suddenly dived into the sea from 300 ft. | age | 29 | ||||
Missing | 30/7/1943 | Place | North Sea, 53.50N 04.55E, 75 km N of Vlieland, NL | ||||
Known to | OGS | yes | CWGC | no | |||
Other crew | 1. Korp Vltg Telegr W.L. Blok, Wop/Ag - MIA 2. Kok 2kl C.P.J.M. van der Does, passenger - MIA 3. Res 1Lt Vl E. van 't Eind, Copilot - MIA 4. Off Vl 2kl W.J. Ritte, Pilot - MIA | ||||||
Memorial | Soesterberg | yes | |||||
Memorial | Other | yes |
Vijfluik Loenen, Gelderland, NL
Vijfluik Roessingh | ||||
GB arrival | Engelandvaarder. Departure 15/11/1940 from Delfzijl, NL, with R.L.G. Borgerhoff Mulder, by ship to Sweden, then Moscou, Bombay, and from there with the Dutch vessel 'Blommersdijk' to England, where he arrived 1/10/1941. Source: NA 2.09.06-4152 | ||||||
Remarks | Trained in De Winton, Canada FR144 was one of the first 4 Mitchells received by 320B Sqn | ||||||
Data confusion | Gedenkrol KM: mission flown from RAF Methwold |
2. Crash site data
North Sea, from the West point of Terschelling, looking towards the crash area of Mitchell FR144.
Terschelling 060702 FR144 area
Map 37. North Sea crash area of Mitchell FR144 (Ritte)
North Sea, 53.50N 04.55E, 75 km N of Vlieland, NL, area where Mitchell FR144 suddenly
dived into the sea on 30/7/1943, ending a low altitude patrol,
taking the lives of the five men crew.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning we will remember them. - Laurence Binyon
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