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1943-07-30 The loss of Mitchell FR144 NO-B (Ritte)

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

W.L. Blok. Source: SLH

Rank

Korp Vltg Telegr, Cpl., Wop/Ag

Stb.Nr. 20510

Decorations

OHK met de gespen 6/1/1948

Born

30/6/1913

Place

Rotterdam, 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

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

Memorial

Soesterberg

yes

Memorial

Other

no

not known

GB arrival

Remarks

FR144 was one of the first 4 Mitchells received by 320B Sqn

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

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.


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