Fokker S.9 - evacuation to France

[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.'

[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