H. De Witt DSC
 

Hi guys

I'm hoping one of our Dutch friends can provide some information regarding a Dutch pilot who flew with the Fleet Air Arm, being awarded the DSC. He commanded 800 Squadron in 1945.

Cheers
Brian

Re: H. De Witt DSC
 

Brian,

No first name so far, but according to fleetairarmarchive.net Lt Cdr De Wit participated in the recapture of Rangoon (flying off HMS Emperor) and
led attacks on shipping and shore targets off Tenasserim Coast, 1945

Regards,

Leendert

Re: H. De Witt DSC
 

Brian,

Also found the name H. de Wit (still no first name!) flying with 1840 Squadron from HMS Furious in attacks on the Tirpitz on 17 July 1944 in a Dutch military history magazine.

Regards,

Leendert

Re: H. De Witt DSC
 

Brian,

What's more, Lt De Wit had an emergency landing in Turkey after operations over Crete and Rhodes when with 1840 Squadron off HMS Emperor. This must have been in the autumn of 1944.

Regards,

Leendert

Re: H. De Witt DSC
 

According to Seedie's List of FAA Awards, Lt(A) Herman DE WIT (RNethN) received an un-Gazetted MID for the Invasion of the South of France; an un-Gazetted MID for air operations in the Far East; and an un-Gazetted DSC for the relief of Greece.

Enjoy!

Frank.

Re: H. De Witt DSC
 

Thanks Leendert & Frank

Excellent!

Actually de Wit was with 800 Squadron when he force-landed Hellcat JV126 in Turkey on 4 October 1944.

There was a second Dutch naval pilot with 800 Squadron at this time - name unknown to me - but I believe he was also awarded a Mention or a DSC. Any ideas?

Cheers
Brian

Re: H. De Witt DSC
 

Brian,

Dutch FAA pilot J.E. Helfrich of 800 Squadron reportedly made an emergency or crash landing near Olympus Mtn, Greece, presumably around the same time as De Wit's landing in Turkey.

Source: online "Mars et Historia" military history magazine (in Dutch).

Regards,

Leendert

Re: H. De Witt DSC
 

Thanks again Leendert

I wonder if we can find Helfrich's first name? Also, date of his crash-landing and serial number of Hellcat.

Unfortunately I do not have access to the late Ray Sturtivant's serial book.

Cheers
Brian

Re: H. De Witt DSC
 

Hi Brian,

de Wit and SLt G Greve (also dutch) made a claim for a Ju52 shot down at Maleme on that date.

regards

Keith

Re: H. De Witt DSC
 

Thanks Keith

I was aware of the Ju52 incident but didn't know that Sub-Lt G. Greve was also Dutch.

What do we know about him, I wonder?

Cheers
Brian

Re: H. De Witt DSC
 

Hi Brian

His first name was Gerry (initials GH) and he flew with 1844 squadron in 1945.

Re: H. De Witt DSC
 

Many thanks Keith

TOCH is great isn't it?

Cheers
Brian

Re: H. De Witt DSC
 

Good morning,

His official name was Herman de Wit, but everybode called him Harm de Wit. He was born on April 16 1919 in Oudkarspel, a small Dutch town, north of Amsterdam. He was trained in the Dutch East Indies (until February 1942) and the Netherlands Military Flying School (from May 1942), before coming to the UK. His fisrt operational unit was 1840 Squadron. In August 1944 he joined with five other Dutch pilots 800 Squadron:

Wladimir Saltykoff
Willem Anton Limque
Charles Alphonse Marie Poublon
Gerardus Hendricus Greve
Jan Eduard Helfrich

De Wit left the Royal Netherlands Navy in 1953 and emigrated to New Zealand.

Regards,

Erwin van Loo

Re: H. De Witt DSC
 

Many thanks Erwin

Have you any photos of these guys?

Cheers
Brian

Re: H. De Witt DSC
 

Brian,

Just to add some info about one of the pilots Erwin mentioned:

Wladimir Saltykoff: 25 Nov 1923 - 10 Dec 1946. On latter day went missing over the North Sea when ferrying a Firefly from England to Holland.

Regards,

Leendert

Re: H. De Witt DSC
 

Brian,

There must be pics in this book: http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=14484

Regards,

Leendert