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DIEPENVEEN GENERAL CEMETERY MEMORIAL

World War 2 - Detailed information
Compiled & Copyright © F Loggen 2006

Diepenveen is a large village lying 4 kilometres north of Deventer, about 2 kilometres east of the Deventer-Zwolle road. The cemetery is 180 metres south of the village centre and the graves are in the southern half. There are a small number of 1939-1945 war casualties commemorated in this site. There is a memorial to two R.A.F. crews who died here. The village holds a remembrance day on May 5th every year.

Photographs Copyright © F Loggen 2010

WIJ BRENGEN DANK
AAN HEN DIE VIELEN
TER BEVRIFDING VAN ONS LAND

WE OFFER OUR GRATITUDE
TO THOSE WHO DIED FOR
THE LIBERATON OF OUR COUNTRY

35 Squadron - 15/16 February 1944

After a rest of more than 2 weeks for the regular bomber squadrons, 891 aircraft - 561 Lancasters, 314 Halifaxes, 16 Mosquitos - were dispatched to Berlin. This was the largest force sent to Berlin and the largest non-1,000 bomber force sent to any target, exceeding the previous record of 826 aircraft (which included Stirlings and Wellingtons) sent to Dortmund on the night of 23/24 May 1943. It was also the first time that more than 500 Lancasters and more than 300 Halifaxes were dispatched. The German controllers were able to plot the bomber stream soon after it left the English coast but the swing north over Denmark for the approach flight proved too far distant for many of the German fighters. The German controller ordered the fighters not to fly over Berlin, leaving the target area free for the flak, but many fighters ignored him and attacked bombers over the city. The diversion to Frankfurt-on-Oder failed to draw any fighters. 43 aircraft - 26 Lancasters, 17 Halifaxes -were lost, 4.8 per cent of the force.

Berlin was covered by cloud for most of the raid. Heavy bombing fell on the centre and south-western districts and some of Berlin's most important war industries were hit, including the large Siemensstadt area. This was really the end of the true 'Battle of Berlin'; only one more raid took place on the city in this period and that was not for more than a month.

23 Oboe Mosquitos attacked 5 night-fighter airfields in Holland, 43 Stirlings and 4 Pathfinder Halifaxes carried out minelaying in Kiel Bay, 24 Lancasters of No 8 Group made a diversion raid on Frankfurt-on-Oder, 9 aircraft made RCM flights and 14 Mosquitos carried out Serrate patrols. A Serrate Mosquito was the only aircraft lost.

2 Mosquitos to Aachen, 6 Stirlings and 6 Wellingtons minelaying off Bayonne and Lorient, 48 aircraft on Resistance operations. 1 Stirling lost from a Resistance flight.

Total effort for the night: 1,070 sorties, 45 aircraft (4.2 per cent) lost.

[Extract from Government Web Archive]

The particular target for this aircraft below was Berlin, 18 aircraft returned and 1 failed to return (see below).

15 FEBRUARY 1944    

DANIELS

Raymond Valentine Montigue

Sergeant (Air Gunner) 962812, 35 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died 15 February 1944. Aged 24. Son of Montigue and Edith Daniels, of Ipswich, Suffolk; husband of Stella Daniels, of Ipswich, Suffolk. Buried in DIEPENVEEN GENERAL CEMETERY, Overijssel, Netherlands. Row 2, Grave 13.

POGONOWSKI

Jeffret Eugene

Flight Sergeant 418011, Royal Australian Air Force. Died 15 February 1944. Aged 22. Son of Louis Alexander and Fairy Mignon Pogonowski, of Hawthorn, Victoria, Australia. Buried in DIEPENVEEN GENERAL CEMETERY, Overijssel, Netherlands. Row 2, Grave 14.

BLUNDELL

Colin Frazer

Pilot Officer 411116, Royal Australian Air Force. Died 15 February 1944. Aged 28. Son of George Howell Blundell and Augusta Blundell, of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Buried in DIEPENVEEN GENERAL CEMETERY, Overijssel, Netherlands. Row 2, Grave 1.

HAZELL

Leslie Albert

Flight Sergeant (Flight Engineer) 918657, 35 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died 15 February 1944. Buried in DIEPENVEEN GENERAL CEMETERY, Overijssel, Netherlands. Row 2, Grave 16.

30-31 May 1942

The first 1,000-bomber raid. A total of 1,047 aircraft were despatched to Cologne, of which 868 attacked the main target dropping 1,455 tons of explosives, two-thirds of which were incendiaries. The city suffered severe damage and 469 people were killed. About 250 factories and 18,400 houses were destroyed or damaged. Half of the city's power supply was out of action, and some 12,000 fires started, many of which burned for days. Forty one aircraft were lost, and Fg Off T Manser was posthumously awarded the VC for remaining at the controls of his No. 50 Sqn Manchester to allow his crew to bale out.

31 MAY 1942    

FALK

Frederick Harold

Sergeant (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) 798559, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died 31 May 1942. Aged 23. Son of Capt. Enoch Falk and of Fanny E. Falk (nee Axford), of St. John'S, Newfoundland. Buried in DIEPENVEEN GENERAL CEMETERY, Overijssel, Netherlands. Row 1. Grave 1.

GORTON

William Howarth

Pilot Officer (Observer) 115163, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Died 31 May 1942. Aged 29. Son of Harry and Ann Gorton, and stepson of Minnie Gorton, of Manchester; husband of Barbara Gorton. Buried in DIEPENVEEN GENERAL CEMETERY, Overijssel, Netherlands. Row 1, Joint grave 2-3. (Shared with WOOLNOUGH below).

WOOLNOUGH, DFM

Victor Ernest

Pilot Officer (Wireless Operator/Air Gunner) 48586, Royal Air Force. Died 31 May 1942. Awarded the Distinguished Flying Medal (D.F.M.). Buried in DIEPENVEEN GENERAL CEMETERY, Overijssel, Netherlands. Row 1, Joint grave 2-3. Shared with GORTON above).

Last updated 27 December, 2016

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