Stichting Herdenkingspalen Hollands Kroon

Welcome to the website of our foundation Herdenkingspalen Hollands Kroon, founded 29 March 2019.

The foundation’s main goal is to remember the aircrafts and crew members who have crashed in the municipality Hollands Kroon during World War II, by placing remembrance posts.

Hollands Kroon is a merge of the municipalities Anna Paulowna, Nieuwe Niedorp, Wieringermeer en Wieringen

Royal honour for our chairman Mark Hakvoort

On Friday, 24 April 2026, our chairman Mark Hakvoort received a Royal honour. During a surprise gathering in the clubhouse of football club CV Wieringermeer in Slootdorp, he was appointed a Member of the Order of Orange-Nassau. The honour was presented by deputy mayor Mary van Gent.

Mark had been lured to the clubhouse under a pretext and had no idea what awaited him. Upon arrival, he was welcomed by family, friends and acquaintances. Among those present were his wife Claudia, their children and family members, members of the football club, and people involved with the Stichting Herdenkingspalen Hollands Kroon. A group of veterans was also present. As Mark entered the clubhouse, he was greeted with warm and prolonged applause. The surprise was complete.

During the gathering, attention was given to his many years of dedication. Mark has long been committed to preserving the stories of the air war during the Second World War, particularly the crashes in the municipality of Hollands Kroon. His knowledge and passion make a strong impression on everyone who comes into contact with him, for example during lectures and commemorations.

Together with Chris Dijkshoorn, he took the initiative to establish the Stichting Herdenkingspalen Hollands Kroon. Shortly afterwards, Martin Blaauw joined the board as secretary, completing the board. Under Mark’s chairmanship, the foundation has developed into an organisation that organises commemorations in a respectful and meaningful way, making the stories behind the aircrews visible and accessible to a wide audience.

This Royal honour is a recognition of his many years of dedication and the important role he has played in preserving and sharing this history.

After the presentation, there was an opportunity to personally congratulate Mark. Over coffee and cake, people spent quite some time reflecting on a special and memorable occasion.

Commemoration Kolhorn – April 18, 2026

On Saturday afternoon, April 18, 2026, a commemoration took place in Kolhorn for the crew of Avro Lancaster Mk. III JB535 of No. 97 Squadron. The aircraft crashed on the evening of January 30, 1944, above and around the village. All seven crew members were killed.

The afternoon began with a reception at Dorpshuis De Nieuwe Horn. Chris Dijkshoorn welcomed those present and gave a special word of welcome to Greg French, the Australian Ambassador, and to Erica Buzo, niece of crew member Thomas Eric Charles, who had travelled from Australia to attend the commemoration. As always, the veterans, led by Frans van Zwam, were well represented at the commemoration. In his opening remarks, Chris reflected on the history of the crash and his personal connection to it.

After the welcome, the group walked to the remembrance post. There, a brief moment was taken to reflect on the location of the crash, after which the group continued to the Oosterbegraafplaats cemetery in Kolhorn, where the crew is buried.

At the cemetery, Chris spoke again. He took those present back to the evening of January 30, 1944, when an aerial battle took place above Kolhorn and the Lancaster eventually exploded in mid-air. Wreckage fell across the village and the crew was later recovered and buried at this cemetery.

This was followed by a speech from the Australian Ambassador, whose presence underlined the international character of the commemoration. Locum Mayor Maarten Versluis then addressed those present, emphasizing how valuable freedom is and how important it is to continue telling the stories of this crew.

The commemoration continued with the reading of the names of the seven crew members. Hans Elling then played the Last Post, followed by a minute of silence. After this, the British and Australian national anthems were played.

After the ceremony, wreaths were laid by the Australian Ambassador, the locum mayor and the 4 May Committee Niedorp.

Finally, Erica Buzo spoke. Her words, spoken at the place where her uncle and his fellow crew members found their final resting place, gave the commemoration a personal closing.

Click here for all information about this crash
Click here for all photos of the commemoration on April 18, 2026

Review: Commemoration on Saturday afternoon 11 April 2026 – Middenmeer

On Saturday afternoon 11 April 2026, the annual commemoration took place at the remembrance post at the Molenweg in Middenmeer. We paused to reflect on the crash of the Vickers Wellington bomber Z8838 KX-Z, which went down in the night of 11 April 1942 on land belonging to the Bakker family. All six crew members from the former Czechoslovakia lost their lives in the crash.

This year marks 84 years since the crew perished. Since the placement of the remembrance post in 2021, there has been continued interest, both from within the Netherlands and abroad. Relatives of the crew have also visited the crash site.

The annual commemoration takes place in coordination with the municipality of Hollands Kroon. The embassies of the Czech Republic and Slovakia also value the continued remembrance of this crew.

The commemoration

The afternoon began at De Cultuurschuur in Wieringerwerf, where the Historical Society Wieringermeer hosted the reception. Chairman Jan Wouts welcomed those present. On behalf of our foundation, Mark Hakvoort addressed the attendees.

The embassies were represented by Silvia Swan (Slovakia) and Radek Šedivý (Czech Republic). On behalf of the municipality of Hollands Kroon, deputy mayor Mary van Gent was present. Veterans, led by Frans van Zwam, were also in attendance.

After the reception, the group moved to the remembrance post at the Molenweg, where the ceremony took place.

In the speeches, attention was given to the importance of remembrance. Both at De Cultuurschuur and at the remembrance post, it was emphasized that peace and freedom cannot be taken for granted. In today’s world, with ongoing tensions, this message feels more relevant than ever.

Ceremony at the remembrance post

At the remembrance post, The Last Post was played, followed by the national anthems of the Czech Republic and Slovakia, performed by trumpeter Hans Elling. The veterans present paid their respects with a salute.

On behalf of the embassies, Silvia Swan and Radek Šedivý expressed their gratitude to everyone involved in making this commemoration possible: the foundation, the municipality, the historical society and the veterans.

This was followed by the laying of wreaths and flowers on behalf of:

• The municipality of Hollands Kroon (by deputy mayor Mary van Gent)
• The embassies of Slovakia and the Czech Republic (by Silvia Swan and Radek Šedivý)
• The Historical Society Wieringermeer (by Jan Wouts and Emiel van Liere)
• Squadron 311 (by Chris Dijkshoorn)

Background

In the early hours of 11 April 1942, shortly after midnight, the Wellington bomber of 311 Squadron was shot down during a mission to the German city of Essen, where the Krupp steel factories were the target.

The crew consisted of six airmen from the former Czechoslovakia. None of them survived the crash. They were initially buried at the temporary Allied military cemetery in Huisduinen. Since 1946, the crew has been laid to rest in a collective grave at the British Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery near Bergen op Zoom.

Click here for all information and activities related to this crash

Click here for all photos of the commemoration on 11 April 2026

Attention to Crashed German Aircraft in Hollands Kroon

The Stichting Herdenkingspalen Hollands Kroon (Foundation for Remembrance Posts Hollands Kroon) has been active for five years. During this time, we have placed 29 remembrance posts in our municipality to honor the crew members of aircraft that crashed in Hollands Kroon during the Second World War. Until now, these were allied aircraft with crew members of various nationalities. For example, crew members from the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, and the United States lost their lives in Hollands Kroon. Some crew members survived the crashes. Additionally, aircraft from the Netherlands also crashed here, such as a Fokker C.V., for which we placed a remembrance post along the Schelpenbolweg in the Wieringermeer.

In addition to allied aircraft, German planes also crashed in Hollands Kroon during the war. As a foundation, in collaboration with the municipality of Hollands Kroon, we want to draw attention to these crashes as well. These incidents also involved young men who lost their lives, leaving families behind in grief. For relatives, the uncertainty about what exactly happened often remains an open wound that does not heal. Questions haunt them, such as: What happened to the aircraft that day? What was the fate of the crew? Why did the plane crash? Was it due to allied actions, a Dutch aircraft, or friendly fire? This lack of answers can complicate the grieving process and leave a sense of incompleteness.

Do You Have Information About German Aircraft That Crashed in Hollands Kroon?

If you have information and are willing to share it with us, please email the foundation at info@shhk.nl.

Overview crashed planes and unveiling of our remembrance posts