Crash Site Lockheed Hudson Mk III V9155, MA-Q

Airfield Gilze-Rijen, Gilze-Rijen
North Brabant, Netherlands, the

This aircraft was shot down at or near this location. Date: 01-06-1944 Crew: Flying Officer John Gall (navigator) RNZAF Distinguished Flying Cross, 20 years old Flying Lieutenant Warren Macauly Hale (pilot) RCAF, 20 years old [bioid]118407,Flying Officer Michael Henry Hughes (air gunner) RAF war volunteer[/bioid] Flying Officer Arthur Feorge Maskal (wire operator/air gunner) RAF war volunteer Distinguished Flying Medal, 32 years old Secret agent Cornelis M. Dekkers, second lieutenant for general services, 25 years old Secret agent Jan Gerrit Kuenen reserve second lieutenant BBO, 26 years old The Americans tried to bomb the airfield while this Hudson was on its way to drop the secret agents at Heeze. Flak was therefore on high alert and shot the Hudson out of the sky at Warrande. Hughes was taken to hospital in Den Bosch with serious injuries, where he died. The rest were killed instantly, including the carrier pigeons. Cees Dekkers and Jan Kuenen were England sailors who were to be dropped as spies. Their story can be read in Jan Kuenen de Beverwijkse James Bond by Jan van der Linden (victims of WWII in the IJmond, part 2 of the Midden Kennemerland Historical Society). The location may be inaccurate due to missing/insufficient data.

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Text by: Aviation Safety Network, Femke Akerboom-Beekman & TracesOfWar

Photo(s): TracesofWar