Information From Jelsom
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THE STORY AS FOUND BY RECENT RESEARCH
Early September 1942 as known perhaps, for the Netherlands in the 3rd quarter of the 3rd wartime year, was a 'rather busy' moment at the local town hall of the community of 'Leeuwarderadeel', which 'gemeentehuis' was situated then on De Schrans, in the Huizum borough of Leeuwarden city, in Friesland / NL. On Thursday the 3rd -although not clear- Early September 1942, as known perhaps, for the Netherlands in the 3rd quater of the 3rd wartime year, was a 'rather busy' moment at the local town hall of the community of 'Leeuwarderadeel', which 'gemeentehuis' was situated then on De Schrans, in the Huizum borough of Leeuwarden city, in Friesland / NL. On Thursday the 3rd - although not clear right away to the town hall clerks and other officials (!) - there was a visit of so called inspectors of the country government, in the offices and safe room of the town hall, ending in a 'secret robbery' of 'Persoonsbewijzen' (brand new, unused ID-passes !), which documents were 'desperately needed' for the local resistance organisation. This was a 'cheeky stunt' of Mr. Theo Dobbe, alias Mr. J.W. van Hooghstraten - in civil life an ordinairy sales manager of a carpet factory - who was misleading, together with his resistance companion, nicknamed Jhr. J.P. de Nijs Bik, the town hall servants.
- During the following days, the local police, in particular 'Brigadier' (Police Sergeant) Jan Vrieswijk, was checking all facts, screening all personnel, and even the 'Burgemeester' (mayor) himself, resulting in a 'Proces Verbaal' (police report), finished / signed at September 11, 1942. However, there was more work to do, because...... in the night of 4 - 5 th September, an RAF heavy bomber, on his way to raid the German habour city of Bremen, was attacked by a Luftwaffe night-fighter, resulting in a dramatic air crash in the Jelsumer Aldlân, thus also in the Gemeente of Leeuwarderadeel. That H.P. Halifax (Mk. II) aircraft, numbered W1220, of No. 103 'Black Swan' Squadron (squadron and radio-coded PM - 'T' for Tommy), came down heavy burning, with all 7 crew still aboard (!), and exploded while hitting the ground; alas, there were no survivors, all Allied Airmen were killed in that happening, of which 4 men were Australians.
- In the early morning hours of that Saturday, soon Luftwaffe personnel of the nearby 'Fliegerhorst' (airfield) Leeuwarden, was guarding the smokey crash site, and specialists of their occupying troops, were starting the recovery of the remains of those who were killed in that inferno. Two bodies were found in what was left of the cockpit and nose section of the craft, while two other victims were discovered between the scrap of the fuselage of the total wrecked plane; and the last 3 airmen, their human remains, were traced spred out in the wide open meadows area, not far from the 'Dokkumer Ee' waterway.
- They were all buried in the local churchyard of Jelsum village, near the Prot. (N.H.) St. Genoveva Church, at Mon. 7th Sept. 1942, in Plot K, originally in the graves 23 - 27 (later reburied or renumbered ?; today in the graves 1 - 7). And it happened likely in a military funeral service, led by the Germans, complete with a 'rifle salute' and the 'Our Father Prayer', in English ! Today, those brave men are still interred there, every year mentioned in the 4th of May ('Dodenherdenking') Remembrance Service, and also during the yearly Christmas Eve Candle Light Happening :
F/Sgt. Alec Henry Beesley (Bomb Aimer), F/O. Sidney 'Sid' Frank Belbin (Navigator), Sgt. James Grant Crockett (Air Gunner - MUG), F/Sgt. Ernest 'Earn' Lewis Davies (pilot / skipper) of Nundah, in Queensland (Austr.), Sgt. John James Parish (Flight Engineer), F/Sgt. Sidney Mervyn Selway (Air Gunner - Rear), and Sgt. John 'Jack' Douglas Whitehead (Wireless Operator + Air Gunner).
- Next September 5 - as a simple calculation is learning us - it is exactly 75 years ago that this air war drama was happening. And for that reason, it is my intention to revisit the last resting places of them, on that date indeed, otherwise as soon as possible (in fact depending on the weather, hopefully good enough to take some clear, sunny pictures, for the next of kin too). There is underwhile e-mail exchange going on with some relatives indeed, living in Britain, and with the permission of them, this 'poppy tour' of me will bring a 'flowers greeting' and a 'family message' with portrait photo also, at least to the grave of 'Jack' Whitehead, the Wireless of the Halifax W1220.
- While 'surfing' via Google, trying to find more pictures and detailed information, etc. - more or less related to that wartime happening - we found your website too, with at least a lot of nice photos (Thank you very much !), and also your e-mail address. It is for that reason that we're 'knocking on your door' now, because we've a request, in particular about the (beginning) text on that website, about what is 'thought to be happened to the crew' !!!
- Can you please explain us, from where this information is coming originally; thus, which sources are used for it ?
- Attached you'll find 2 other crew portraits of the killed airmen of the W1220, etc.; but as you can see, our own 'Photo Galery Of Honour' is not complete yet.
Many thanks for your attention so far / with kind regards,
Willem de Jong (volunteer WW2 air combat research), Dronryp village, Friesland / NL.
Early September 1942 as known perhaps, for the Netherlands in the 3rd quarter of the 3rd wartime year, was a 'rather busy' moment at the local town hall of the community of 'Leeuwarderadeel', which 'gemeentehuis' was situated then on De Schrans, in the Huizum borough of Leeuwarden city, in Friesland / NL. On Thursday the 3rd -although not clear- Early September 1942, as known perhaps, for the Netherlands in the 3rd quater of the 3rd wartime year, was a 'rather busy' moment at the local town hall of the community of 'Leeuwarderadeel', which 'gemeentehuis' was situated then on De Schrans, in the Huizum borough of Leeuwarden city, in Friesland / NL. On Thursday the 3rd - although not clear right away to the town hall clerks and other officials (!) - there was a visit of so called inspectors of the country government, in the offices and safe room of the town hall, ending in a 'secret robbery' of 'Persoonsbewijzen' (brand new, unused ID-passes !), which documents were 'desperately needed' for the local resistance organisation. This was a 'cheeky stunt' of Mr. Theo Dobbe, alias Mr. J.W. van Hooghstraten - in civil life an ordinairy sales manager of a carpet factory - who was misleading, together with his resistance companion, nicknamed Jhr. J.P. de Nijs Bik, the town hall servants.
- During the following days, the local police, in particular 'Brigadier' (Police Sergeant) Jan Vrieswijk, was checking all facts, screening all personnel, and even the 'Burgemeester' (mayor) himself, resulting in a 'Proces Verbaal' (police report), finished / signed at September 11, 1942. However, there was more work to do, because...... in the night of 4 - 5 th September, an RAF heavy bomber, on his way to raid the German habour city of Bremen, was attacked by a Luftwaffe night-fighter, resulting in a dramatic air crash in the Jelsumer Aldlân, thus also in the Gemeente of Leeuwarderadeel. That H.P. Halifax (Mk. II) aircraft, numbered W1220, of No. 103 'Black Swan' Squadron (squadron and radio-coded PM - 'T' for Tommy), came down heavy burning, with all 7 crew still aboard (!), and exploded while hitting the ground; alas, there were no survivors, all Allied Airmen were killed in that happening, of which 4 men were Australians.
- In the early morning hours of that Saturday, soon Luftwaffe personnel of the nearby 'Fliegerhorst' (airfield) Leeuwarden, was guarding the smokey crash site, and specialists of their occupying troops, were starting the recovery of the remains of those who were killed in that inferno. Two bodies were found in what was left of the cockpit and nose section of the craft, while two other victims were discovered between the scrap of the fuselage of the total wrecked plane; and the last 3 airmen, their human remains, were traced spred out in the wide open meadows area, not far from the 'Dokkumer Ee' waterway.
- They were all buried in the local churchyard of Jelsum village, near the Prot. (N.H.) St. Genoveva Church, at Mon. 7th Sept. 1942, in Plot K, originally in the graves 23 - 27 (later reburied or renumbered ?; today in the graves 1 - 7). And it happened likely in a military funeral service, led by the Germans, complete with a 'rifle salute' and the 'Our Father Prayer', in English ! Today, those brave men are still interred there, every year mentioned in the 4th of May ('Dodenherdenking') Remembrance Service, and also during the yearly Christmas Eve Candle Light Happening :
F/Sgt. Alec Henry Beesley (Bomb Aimer), F/O. Sidney 'Sid' Frank Belbin (Navigator), Sgt. James Grant Crockett (Air Gunner - MUG), F/Sgt. Ernest 'Earn' Lewis Davies (pilot / skipper) of Nundah, in Queensland (Austr.), Sgt. John James Parish (Flight Engineer), F/Sgt. Sidney Mervyn Selway (Air Gunner - Rear), and Sgt. John 'Jack' Douglas Whitehead (Wireless Operator + Air Gunner).
- Next September 5 - as a simple calculation is learning us - it is exactly 75 years ago that this air war drama was happening. And for that reason, it is my intention to revisit the last resting places of them, on that date indeed, otherwise as soon as possible (in fact depending on the weather, hopefully good enough to take some clear, sunny pictures, for the next of kin too). There is underwhile e-mail exchange going on with some relatives indeed, living in Britain, and with the permission of them, this 'poppy tour' of me will bring a 'flowers greeting' and a 'family message' with portrait photo also, at least to the grave of 'Jack' Whitehead, the Wireless of the Halifax W1220.
- While 'surfing' via Google, trying to find more pictures and detailed information, etc. - more or less related to that wartime happening - we found your website too, with at least a lot of nice photos (Thank you very much !), and also your e-mail address. It is for that reason that we're 'knocking on your door' now, because we've a request, in particular about the (beginning) text on that website, about what is 'thought to be happened to the crew' !!!
- Can you please explain us, from where this information is coming originally; thus, which sources are used for it ?
- Attached you'll find 2 other crew portraits of the killed airmen of the W1220, etc.; but as you can see, our own 'Photo Galery Of Honour' is not complete yet.
Many thanks for your attention so far / with kind regards,
Willem de Jong (volunteer WW2 air combat research), Dronryp village, Friesland / NL.
My life story and family history and
stories are published on "Kindle", at
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B28KKYA
http://g1uqf7.wixsite.com/bobsbellthorpe
http://blackbirdacrylicart.weebly.com/
http://daviesfamilyalbum.weebly.com
In memory of Uncle Ernie at
http://ernestlewisdavies.weebly.com
https://www.facebook.com/bob.davies.35
https://www.myheritage.com/site-family-
tree-388759022/davies
stories are published on "Kindle", at
http://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B28KKYA
http://g1uqf7.wixsite.com/bobsbellthorpe
http://blackbirdacrylicart.weebly.com/
http://daviesfamilyalbum.weebly.com
In memory of Uncle Ernie at
http://ernestlewisdavies.weebly.com
https://www.facebook.com/bob.davies.35
https://www.myheritage.com/site-family-
tree-388759022/davies