Crash Site > The Ruurlo Crash Site (12)
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Mr. & Mrs. G.J. Weustenenk
Mr. & Mrs. G.J. Weustenenk and 2 of 7 children stand where pieces of A/C were scattered, this photo was identified by Ben Aalderink (Grandson).
Clair's parents received this picture after the war, perhaps taken by the Bloemendaal's.
Writing on back of picture...
"This is the place where the bomber came down. Right on the place people are standing".
Note's:
- Could this be the farmer (Mr. Weustenenk) mentioned in the RAF document at end of this section?
- Tree line across the field, newer trees along fence line in background, similiar to the Douglas Laffin photo.
- "Hayrick" is similiar to what Sgt. Cliff Wentworth would be hiding in, out of German eyesight.
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Mr. & Mrs. Weustenenk
Mr & Mrs. Weustenenk in thier senior years.
Courtesy Ben Aalderink (Grandson) -
Plane crashed at left side of house
The Halifax crashed within 200 yards to the left of the house, pieces came to rest against the side which caused the shutters to catch fire, but was quickly extinguished.
Photo courtesy Ben Aalderink
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The house in 2010
Mr. Gerritt Hoitink visited the location in 2010 and recalls...
As a young boy Gerritt had been riding his bicycle and had visited the crash site early the next morning, wreckage smoldering. German troops at the location.
Courtesy Mr. Gerritt Hoitink
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Crash location - different view
Halifax LK-801 had starboard engines on fire and was witnessed by the Weustenenk family to be making direct descent on their home, fortunately the stbd engine broke off causing the a/c to veer into a sharp turn. However falling pieces of the a/c had tumbled and came to rest where the trees are. The oldest members of the family got shovels and were able to put out the fires which were already burning the shrubs and shutters at the side of the house.
Courtesy Ben Aalderink (Grandson)
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Weustenenk Family placing flowers
The Weustenenk family placing flowers at the crash site many years ago.
Courtesy Ben Aalderink
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Mr & Mrs Aalderink
Mr. & Mrs. Aalderink - spring 2005
During a cruise in 2005 on the Rhine River which was part of the itinerary for "Thank You Canada" in appreciation of Canada's role in the liberation of The Netherlands during WW II. Mr. & Mrs. Aalderink approached a Canadian couple, Mrs. Karen & Gerald Warman of Saskatchewan. Mrs. Aalderink gave an envelope which contained photos, a newspaper article along with a written letter for me.
(Karen Warman however had to enlist the services of her billet while in The Netherlands to translate what the contents contained as written material was all in Dutch).
Mrs. Warman had no idea who Mrs. Aalderink was, nor the creator of this web site, however she graciously carried out the request and forwarded the envelope to me once back in Canada.
Some of the photos are now posted in this section for P/O C.V. Soderstrom, the newspaper article was published in 2005 in the local Ruurlo area. It detailed my research and made inquiries asking for witnesses to the crash of LK-801 on June 17th 1944. Mrs. Aalderink had written a letter documenting her witnessing the crash in 1944, she was 17 years-old and the only daughter of Mr. & Mrs. Weustenenk.
Photo courtesy Karen Warman
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Douglas Laffin at crash site
Douglas Laffin made the trip to Holland in June 1995 during the 50 anniversary for the end of WW II, Mike was unable to travel at that time. Douglas met with local residents of Ruurlo who were more than accommodating to assist Douglas in locating the crash site.
Message on back of photo...
"Your brother standing exactly on the spot where your Halifax crashed, on 17th June 1944"
On the left side of this picture there appears to be an open field, with a tree line as a shadow. There is also a dirt road barely visible to the left.
Clarence, Mike, and Douglas all met at Croft during the war. Mike recalls one particular evening the three of them were attempting to get into N/CO's mess for dinner, however Douglas was in a Canadian Army uniform and the RAF would not allow him in. The three of them went back to their "Nissen Hut" and Douglas changed into Clarence's B.D.U., the problem was solved.
Photo courtesy Mike Laffin
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The field today - 2010
As you compare the photos, there is virtually no change in the landscape.
Courtesy Mr. Gerrit Hoitink
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Captured German Document
Ben Aalderink's mother who was 17 at the time vividly recalls the drawing up of this document by the German soldier and the signing of same.
Captured German Document Translated by Marcel Hogenhuis (Airwar/Luftwaffe researcher) Part of Complete Service File.
This info was important to track down the time of crash, also assists in tracking down a possible Luftwaffe pilot through thier airforce records. The local community may also have a record of incident in thier archives.
Translated
Text Entries: "Halifax, 1.30 b. Broeck" (Halifax, 1.30 hours near Broeck) is additional info, most likely from the Germans themselves because the 2 cross signs relate to a crashed aircraft. The time mentioned does therefore mention the time of the crash. How reliable this info is, I cannot say.
On the back of this document (shaded at bottom) you see another remark, also German, that says: "Identif. lt. Suchb. Int.R.Kreuz v. 8.3.45" etc. This is an abbreviation from the sentence: "Identifiziert laut Such buch Internationales Rotes Kreuz von 8.3.45" meaning "identified by the search list International Red Cross from March, 8th 1945". All fighting nations had the obligation to inform their national Red Cross committee about people taken prisoner or found dead. These national organisations informed on their part the (neutral) International Red Cross who informed the Red Cross departement of the country where this soldier came from.
The Germans wanted to know if the man they took prisoner was really the person who he said he was. Therefore they always tried to match their files with those of the Red Cross: the reference on the back of the card does refer to this identification. Otherwise: if the Soderstrom from the Red Cross lists looked not similar to the Soderstrom in the German POW camp, they might have caught a spy in the most extreme case.
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Casualty Inquiry Form
CASUALTY ENQUIRY No. 336
On 23rd August 1945, I visited the town hall of RUURLO, (Map Ref. A1288, Sheet 2A 3A) to try and ascertain the where abouts of Sgt. Soderstrom's grave. The Town Clerk turned up his burial register and found that only one airman was buried in the Municipal Cemetery. The date of the burial was 17th June 1944. The body was unidentified and the rest of the crew were known to have either escaped capture or been taken prisoners. The body was (edited at request of family- A.S.) and was found in the fore part of the machine. The aircraft was identified as a Halifax and was the only aircraft to crash in the district.
I then proceeded to the scene of the crash, (Map Ref. A1683) which was in a field approximately three quarters of a mile from the main road through an appalling muddy track. The farmer confirmed that only one body was found in the aircraft and that the (edited web master). The aircraft was burned out; all trace had been removed by the Germans so the hope of getting some number plate of the aircraft was dashed.
However, from the evidence obtained (1) One man in aircraft, (ii) Rest of crew safe, (iii) Halifax aircraft, (iv) date of crash, 16017th June, 1944, it could only be Sgt. Soderstrom, now Can. J.90388 P/O C.V. Soderstrom.
E.C. Rideal (?)
Flight Lieutenant, Officer i/c,
No. 5 (Holland) Section
M.R.E.S. R.A.F., B.L.A. -
16/17th June 1944 Flight Path Bomber Command
Flight Path to Sterkrade-Holten, Germany and Return
The above flight route map is a copy of an original map from archives. Turning Points (TP) table is the Long./Lat. for reference in flight path. 321 aircraft belonging to Bomber Command flew these two routes in two waves. The slashed lines indicate the squadrons flight path departing their respective airfields (the set of slashed lines meet up with a solid line over the North Sea) which form the main bomber stream, then to Sterkrade.
After bombing Sterkrade (T/P-4 lower right corner in map) the bomber stream/flight path turned direction heading slightly northeast, and deeper into Germany (TP-5) at that point another turn north-west towards the Netherlands. TP-6 (Netherlands) the two waves will make their last designated turns to take them back to their home airfields.
Turning Points - First Wave
TP1: 52.23N - 03.40E > TP2: 51.55N - 05.00E > TP3: 51.55N - 06.00E > TP4: 51.31N - 06.51E
TP5: 52.00N - 07.00E > TP6: 52.30N - 05.50E > TP7: 52.35N - 04.35E > TP8: 54.10N - 01.22W
Turning Points - Second Wave
TP1: 52.10N - 03.20E > TP2: 51.20N - 04.40E > TP3: 51.43N - 06.03E > TP4: 51.31N - 06.51E
TP5: 52.00N - 07.00E > TP6: 52.00N - 05.10E > TP7: 51.30N - 00.45W > TP8: 54.10N - 01.22W
Courtesy Matt Lacroix - Bombercrew.com