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- No. 320 (Netherlands) Squadron Royal Air Force during the Second World War -


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World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII 1939 1945

No. 320 (Netherlands) Squadron Royal Air Force



   No. Dutch 320 squadron RAF was based in the UK whilst the Netherlands were occupied.

Airfields at which No. 320 Squadron were based:

  • Leuchars


 

16th October 1942 DFM awarded for flying crippled Wellington

May 1943 Transfer to 2TAF

28th Oct 1943 320 Squadron in action  On the 28th Oct 1943 the target for 320 Squadron was shipping at Cherbourg. Bombs fell on the Colonial Artillery barracks and the power station.

28th Oct 1943 320 Squadron in action

22nd May 1944 Two Lancasters destroyed

10th June 1944 Attack on the HQ of Panzergruppe West

30th August 1944 Flying accident

17th September 1944 Operation Market Garden

18th October 1944 Move to Belgium

22nd December 1944 Bomber strike on German army positions

1st January 1945 Operation Bodenplatte

1st January 1945 Airfield attacked


If you can provide any additional information, please add it here.



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Those known to have served with

No. 320 (Netherlands) Squadron Royal Air Force

during the Second World War 1939-1945.

The names on this list have been submitted by relatives, friends, neighbours and others who wish to remember them, if you have any names to add or any recollections or photos of those listed, please Add a Name to this List

Records of No. 320 (Netherlands) Squadron Royal Air Force from other sources.



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Want to know more about No. 320 (Netherlands) Squadron Royal Air Force?


There are:2010 items tagged No. 320 (Netherlands) Squadron Royal Air Force available in our Library

  These include information on officers, regimental histories, letters, diary entries, personal accounts and information about actions during the Second World War.


Anton-Marie Ten Herkel 320 Sqd. (d.10th Aug 1941)

I am trying to trace any relatives of Willem Hijkoop, 30 and Anton-Marie Ten Herkel, 22 both Dutch Pilots who died 10-08-1941 flying Lockheed Hudson, on low level training, and crashed in Fife. They are buried in Leuchars Cemetery. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Gordon K Ball



Willem Hijkoop 320 Sqd. (d.10th Aug 1941)

I am trying to trace any relatives of Willem Hijkoop, 30 and Anton-Marie Ten Herkel, 22 both Dutch Pilots who died 10-08-1941 flying Lockheed Hudson, on low level training, and crashed in Fife. They are buried in Leuchars Cemetery. Any information would be greatly appreciated.

Gordon K Ball



Lt. Albertus Jacobus deHaan DFC, CdeG. No. 320 (Netherlands) Squadron

Albertus de Haan served as an air gunner. He was awarded the DFC (Netherlands) and Croix de Guerre (Belgium).




Hans van_der_Kop 320 Squadron

Hans van der Kop was a friend who took me as a young city worker in London at the beginning of his career, to The Crown Inn, Chiddingfold every year, to celebrate his birthday with some of his old Squadron mates. The company reduced in size every year and at present I do not believe any of them still to be alive. The Crown Inn is the pub where they played games in front of the fire place waiting for the next scramble.

He served as a Navigator in a Mitchell fighter-bomber wit 320 Squadron. I believe that apart from the excursions to the German industrial zones, D-Day was the biggest event for him. Although Hans was older than my father he became a real friend, as he was a most committed golfer. Golf is still one of my great priorities in life (since my early teen-age years) and it is on the golf course we met. Hans gave me his book about the adventures of 320 Squadron on D-Day. A remarkable story. Shame he is no longer around, he was great company. Born in Soerabaja in the Dutch Indies, he was a very good cook when it came to the Oriental dishes. Many a pleasant evening at his place was spent enjoying good food and talking about the past. I guess after flying in a Mitchell under fire, what can be more exciting? In later life he often harped back to the old days of the War, but also to memories of golf courses all over England and Scotland

Alarik van Doorn



F/O. William James Painting 320 Squadron

320 Squadron, Bill is 2nd from right. Others unknown.

Bill (left), other unknown from 320 Squadron

Bill Painting enlisted with the Royal Australian Air Force on the 18th of July 1942 in Sydney. He was born on the 10th of June 1919 in Narrandera, NSW He served as an air gunner until 17th of December 1945 and gained the rank of Flying Officer with 320 Squadron.

Brad Thompson



1e.Lt. Albert "Ab" Roessingh Kruis van Verdienste 320 (Netherlands) Squadron (d.30th Jul 1943)

On 30 July 1943 during an Air Sea Rescue above the North Sea (north of Vlieland) with a B-25 Mitchell (aircraft FR 144) dumped into the sea (with 4 other crew members) The passengers were:
  • Officer pilot 2nd class: W.J. Ritte (pilot)
  • Res. 1st Lieutenant pilot: E. van t Eind
  • Res. 1st Lieutenant elder: Mr. A. Roessingh
  • (20510) Korpl. Aircraft tel .: W.L. Blok
  • (90465) Z Kok 2nd class b / m: C.P.J.M. van der Does

Op 30 juli 1943 tijdens een Air Sea Rescue boven de Noordzee (ten noorden van Vlieland) met een B-25 Mitchell (vliegtuig FR 144) in zee gestort (met 4 overige bemanningsleden. De inzittenden waren:

  • Officier vlieger 2e klasse: W.J. Ritte (piloot)
  • Res. 1e Luitenant vlieger: E. van t Eind
  • Res. 1e Luitenant vlier: Mr. A. Roessingh
  • (20510) Korpl. Vliegtuigtel.: W.L. Blok
  • (90465) Z Kok 2e klasse z/m: C.P.J.M. van der Does

Diederik Roessingh



Tel Lambertus Jan de_Ru 320 Squadron

Shawl embroidered by his wife

Lambert Jan de Ru entered UK as an Engelandvaarder from Holland and was enlisted in the 320 Squadron as radio telegraphist onboard the Mitchells. He married Josephine Treloar of Helston,on the 10th of September 1944 at Chippenham. After the war he was repatriated, divorced and continued sailing as Master onboard Dutch bulkers and tankers until his death in 1986.




F/O. Jan Govert Roosenburg DFC, FC. 320 (Netherlands) Squadron

Jan Govert Roosenburg served with 320 Squadron, he was awarded the DFC and the Netherlands Flying Cross from his native country.




Aloysius Cornelis "Lou" den Boer 320 Sqn (Netherlands)

My father, Aloysius den Boer, joined 320 Sqn after he got back from the East Indies where he was with Dutch Naval Air Sqn, when the 2nd WW started. He flew the Lockheed Hudson until about the end of May 1942. As one of the crew of flight commander H. Schaper he was taken as POW after they got shot down near Terschelling.

Judy den Boer



Sgt. Robert Herbert deHartog 320 Squadron

My father on right with arms folded

My father, Robert de Hartog, was a Dutch soldier when the Germans invaded Holland on 10th May 1940. After the Dutch surrender on 14th May, my father escaped with several other Dutch troops and left France from Cherbourg and landed in Wales on 30th May 1940.

After being part of the Prinses Irene Brigade, my father went for flight training with the RAF and, after returning from the Commonwealth Air Training Programme in Canada, he was assigned to the RNNAS 320 Squadron under the RAF. He flew 10 missions during Operation Market Garden, then was assigned to 860 Squadron flying Swordfish aircraft from flat topped freighters operating in the North Sea. From there he operated with the Dutch Auster Squadron.

After the war, he flew for KLM operating between Curaeao and Miami. My father passed away in July 1994 in Ottawa, Canada.

Robert







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