Stichting Herdenkingspalen Hollands Kroon
During World War II more than 40 different bombers and jet fighters have crashed within de county borders of Hollands Kroon. The crashes were mostly on land, in the Ijssel lake and the Wadden sea.
Few crew members were arrested after using their parachute to reach the ground, others could flee with the help of the Resistance. However, the majority lost their lives and did not return home safely to their family and loved ones.
Crash Halifax MKII JN884 NP-F of 158 Squadron at the Dolfijnweg near Slootdorp
Crash information JN884 Slootdorp
The evening of 25 July 1943 at 22:39h the English Halifax bomber took off from Lissett airport
The 3rd mission for the crew who were led by pilot, Kenneth Larkin.
That night Larkin and his six crewmembers flew with 704 other bombers to the Kruppfactories in Essen. The following morning the Halifax didn’t return to Lissett airport and the entire crew was reported as missing. It was on the way there that the bomber was shot out of the sky by a German night hunter at 00.17h. The six fallen crew members were buried that same day on the general cemetery of Middenmeer.
Only Jack Loudoun was able to get out of the burning plane in time by using his parachute just seconds before it exploded. Miraculously, he survived that crash and the war.
The crew
Kenneth Richard Larkin | Sergeant | Pilot | 22 years old | UK |
James Stewart | Sergeant | Flight engineer | 20 years old | UK |
Percy Fisher Watson | Flyer Sergeant | Navigator | 28 years old | NZ |
Edward Raymond Bray | Sergeant | Bomb aimer | 20 years old | UK |
Roy Desmond Raven | Sergeant | Radio officer | 21 years old | UK |
Ronald Joseph Wyatt-Matthews | Sergeant | Gunner | 33 years old | UK |
Jock Ernst Loudoun | Sergeant | Gunner | 21 years old | UK |
Stichting Herdenkingspalen Hollands Kroon
Board of the foundation
Name | Role |
Mark Hakvoort | Chairman |
Chris Dijkshoorn | Treasurer |
Martin Blaauw | Secretary |
Board members fulfill their tasks on a voluntary basis
Documents of the foundation