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Monument for a Lancaster crash in 1944

Netherlands / Noord-Holland / Zaanstad /
 Second World War 1939-1945, crash site, war memorial

The Story of Avro Lancaster JB659

On the night of 30 January 1944, above the Houtrakpolder in the Netherlands, German fighters shot down an English Lancaster bomber on its way back from a mission over Berlin. The plane crashed onto a farmhouse which belonged to the Van der Bijl family. The crash killed all seven crew members and six members of the family (father, mother and four children).

The Lancaster penetrated eight metres into the ground on impact. The bodies of the members of the Van der Bijl family were recovered and buried. The bodies of two of the crew of seven were also recovered and buried at Zwanenburg cemetery. The impact of the crash and the resulting fire made it impossible to recover and bury the bodies of the other five crew members. After the war, the owner had a new house and barn built on the same site.

Increasing activities at the port created a need in Amsterdam for new industrial sites and plans were made for the construction of a new harbour. The initial works were completed in 2000. However, there was no place for the farm in the developed and implemented plans. The farm was consequently demolished, which enabled the remains of the crew and the Lancaster to be recovered

In May 2000, after the farm’s demolition, recovery operations started. The work lasted three months and resulted in the remains of the crew and parts of the aircraft brought to the surface. The mayor of Amsterdam proposed that a memorial be built at the site of the farm. It was thought fitting to see one of the Lancaster’s propellers. This was placed centrally between the two walls to indicate the direction of the aircraft, on it’s return flight from Berlin to its intended destination in Londen. After the monument’s unveiling and a remembrance service in Halfweg, the remains of the crew were buried at Zwanenburg cemetery, alongside their deceased comrades.

more info:
www.rafwmm.flyer.co.uk/jb-659/jb.htm
www.missing-airmen.info/PageHoutrakpolder.html
www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2001/s431568.htm

video:
video.google.co.uk/videoplay?docid=9095670404705354795
Nearby cities:
Coordinates:   52°25'6"N   4°44'7"E
This article was last modified 7 years ago