Fokker S.9 - evacuation to France

[robert]

Hi all,

during 14.05.40 some Dutch training aircrafts (Fokker S.9) were evacuated to France. I heard that two of them force-landed en route (No.37 and 38?). I wonder if somebody has more details (crews, crash-places, time).

Regards

Robert

[B.F.M. Droog]

Hello Robert,

On this page about Souburg Flight School [Vliegpark Vlissingen / Flushing airfield] some info can be found. Only in Dutch, alas. I'll try to translate:

'After the nerve breakings days of May 23 training aircraft fly to France. More than 240 men escape to England.'

14/05/1940: At approx. 11.00 hrs [Dutch time? i.e. GMT +20 minutes] the evacuation order is given. The French threaten to shoot at the leaving training biplanes, as they are not aware of the evacution order. A telephone call saves the day.

Shortly after 12.00 hrs, with intervals of 2 a 3 minutes, the 23 S-IV and S-IX Fokkers take off. 'An exited, leaderless group'. They were to fly at an altitude of 200 meters to Berck-sur-Mer in France. They didn't have maps.
Go to 'the first airfield on the coast after Cap Griz Nez' was their mission. Three planes stay at Souburg airfield.

Not all aircraft reach Berck-sur-Mer. One S-IX flew shortly after take-off to the North and landed near Rozenburg [near Rotterdam]. Two other S-IX's force-landed in the dunes near Oostende (Belgium). Two S-IX's force landed near Calais. One of these four planes was repaired and reached Berck-sur-Mer.'

That's all there is on that page, regarding 14/05/1940. Maybe by posting your question on the forum of War over Holland (specializing in May 1940), you'll be getting more details.

Regards,

Bart

[robert]

Thanks!
Perhaps ypu can give some more information concerning accident of sgt.Sitters and sgt.van Hulzen, which were killed on the 15.05 when their S.9 (No.46?) crashed by Hericourt-sur-Samson? (reason and time).

Regards

Robert

[B.F.M. Droog]

Hello Robert,

From the same source as above:

'On 15/05/1940 the 19 aircraft took off for Chartres. They had no maps and had to rely on a oral route description given by the French. which worked out well until they reached Dieppe, where they encountered heavy fog. The group, which was flying in a formation of three flights, broke apart.

One flight commander lost four planes and landed with the remaining three at Caen. the other aircraft landed on a meadow near Héricourt-sur-Samson.

A French officer gave them [the flight which landed in Caen? or the other aircraft?] information where to go and they took off again.

Shortly after take-off the S-IX of res-sgt vlieger C.J. van Hulzen and res-sgt leerling-vlieger C.Sitters crashed. Both were consumed by flames.

In the afternoon of 16/05/1940 the biplanes finally reached Caen. in the evening hours 17 Dutch training aircraft were counted. Two days later the car colonne from Souburg arrived, under command of kapitein Nieuwenhuis.'

[B.F.M. Droog]

Additional info on C. Sitters and C.J. van Hulzen, from the Dutch Wargraves Foundation:

Name Casper Sitters
Rank: Sergeant-Pilot
Unit: 3 Lv.R.
Born: Rotterdam, 22/11/1911
Died: Héricourt, Dépt. Oise, F, 15/05/1940
Buried: Nederlands ereveld Orry-la-Ville, Orry-la-Ville, Senlis. Dept. Oise, France. Headstone-picture

Name: Cornelis Johannes van Hulzen
Rank: Reserve Sergeant-Pilot
Unit: 3 Lv.R.
Born: Baarn, 01/11/1905
Died: Héricourt, Dépt. Oise, F, 15/05/1940
Buried: Nederlands ereveld Orry-la-Ville, Orry-la-Ville, France. headstone

[robert]

Many, many thanks.

Robert

[Leendert]

Bart,

This Dutch site http://www.bhummel.dds.nl/gif/souburg.html#her follows the story as in your replies.
Yet, is there one aircraft missing? 23 a/c left Souburg, minus 1 that flew to Rozenburg/Rotterdam, 2 c/l Ostend, 1 left at Calais = 19 that left for Chartres next day, minus 1 crashed on take-off (Van Hulzen+Sitters, KIFA) = 18.
It says in above site that 17 a/c reached Cherbourg. Where's the missing one?

How to interpret too that on the second day one group commander "lost four aircraft" and reached Caen with "the other three"? It seems that the "lost four" must have reached some airfield after all after the fog had cleared, otherwise the math doesn't add up.

Groet,

Leendert

[B.F.M. Droog]

Hello Leendert,

You're right, but I've just translated what I found - which is what is on http://www.bhummel.dds.nl/gif/souburg.html. It could be that 'Eén groepscommandant verloor vier vliegtuigen' must not be translated as 'lost four planes', but as 'lost sight of four planes' - but well, I wasn't there.

The source doesn't tell what eventually happened to the 17 (or 18) planes, only implies that they were left in France eventually. What leads to another question: what really happened to these planes?

The webmaster of Nederlandse luchtmacht in mei 1940 (Dutch Air Force, May 1940), of which the Souburg-page forms a part, names as source only: 'J. Molenaar, De luchtverdediging in de meidagen 1940, Den Haag, 1970, deel 2 p.1006 e.v. (bijlage 4)'.

Regards,

Bart

[Jan vd Heuvel]

See also

http://www.nederlandseluchtvaart.nl/...er-s-ix-13633/

Jan

[robert]

Hi Jan,

excellent photos. Thanks a lot.

Regards

Robert