Which RAF Squadron dropped SOE agent Tazelaar

[MW Giles]

Rummy21 was dropped at 520402N 043201E
Criena2 was at 525624N 054902E

Martin

[Col Bruggy]

Hello All,

I find it simply amazing (and disturbing), that Foot in his work, "SOE in the Low Countries", states, quite categorically (in three separate citations), that Tazelaar(NECKING) and Faber(BOBSLEIGH), were dropped on the 18/19 November, 1944. He also mentions that Faber(DANIEL/JEDBURGH), had previously been dropped on 17 September, 1944.

Marcel, I accept that 620 Sqn operated (6 a/c), on 1/2 November, 1944, with the pilots*, as stated by you. Would you care to share your source for this information? So I can decide whether to accept (in the future), as a reliable source, what Foot has to say.

*
1451972 F/Sgt William Cowell KAY RAFVR (later DFM, LG:26/1/45)

and ...

144313 F/O John Desmond RUSSELL RAFVR.

Col

[Bruce Dennis]

I wonder if the confusion has anything to do with CRIENA being a two-part mission? It appears (I have not double-checked) that 644 Sq dropped 24 containers and 3 'packages' in Holland on the 22nd October in an op called CRIENA I. Perhaps 'packages' was a discrete phrase for agents?


Bruce

[Marcel Hogenhuis]

Dear Col and Bruce,

The source for 'my' version of the requested event is a two volume Dutch history about the air war over the Netherlands (En nooit was het stil) by the late Gerrit Zwanenburg, former aircraft salvaging officer of the RNLAF, who extensively used British primary sources. Whether his account is more reliable than that of M.Foot, I can't say, but given the difficulties to leave the occupied Netherlands, Zwanenburg's account seems more logical to me.

Best regards, Marcel

[Col Bruggy]

Marcel,

Thanks for source of your information. A lot of material has been declassified since Zwanenburg did his research. I'll dig a bit deeper!

Col.