Royal New Zealand Air Force War Graves in Noord-Holland
Texel (Den Burg) Cemetery
Alan William Porteous Bird
photo available shortly.Plot K. Row 4. Grave 85.
Sgt A.W.P. Bird - 401369
Son of William and Lilias Gibson Bird, of Timaru, Canterbury, New Zealand.
Son of William and Lilias Gibson Bird, of Timaru, Canterbury, New Zealand.
Sgt Bird was the captain and pilot of Wellington Ic, X9630/'BL-J' of 40 Squadron from RAF Alconbury. The aircraft had left its base at 23.20 hrs for a bombing mission to Hamburg in Germany. At some stage in the flight, the wellington crashed into the sea off the Dutch coast. Only one crew member escaped death and was later taken prisoner. The bodies of three airmen were recovered and were buried here in Den Burg Cemetery:
Sgt Alan William Porteous Bird, RNZAF
Sgt Leslie James Harrison, RAF
Sgt Bernard Hassall, RAF
The bodies of 19-year old Sgt Bramwell Frederick Thomas Johnson, RAF, and Sgt Orville Insell Platt, RCAF were never recovered. These two airmen are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial (panels 46 and 61 respectively).
P/O J.R. Jamieson, RCAF, survived the crash of the Wellington and was later taken prisoner.
Sgt Alan William Porteous Bird, RNZAF
Sgt Leslie James Harrison, RAF
Sgt Bernard Hassall, RAF
The bodies of 19-year old Sgt Bramwell Frederick Thomas Johnson, RAF, and Sgt Orville Insell Platt, RCAF were never recovered. These two airmen are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial (panels 46 and 61 respectively).
P/O J.R. Jamieson, RCAF, survived the crash of the Wellington and was later taken prisoner.
BCL, Vol.III, 1941, p.93
Stanley Holmes
photo available shortly.Plot K. Row 1. Grave 2.
Sgt S. Holmes - 405274
Son of William Edward Holmes, and of Edith Mary Holmes, nee Lewis, of Whangarei, New Zealand.
Son of William Edward Holmes, and of Edith Mary Holmes, nee Lewis, of Whangarei, New Zealand.
On the 17th December, 1942, at 18.02 hrs, Stirling I, serial BF403/'HA-R', of 218 (Gold Coast) Squadron, had left RAF Downham Market for a sortie to Fallerleben in Germany. Just after an hour in the flight, the aircraft came down in the sea between Den Helder and the island of Texel. There were no survivors and only two airman of this crew have a known grave. They are F/S Leonard Clarence Shepherd, RNZAF, of Paraparaumu, the captain and pilot of BF403 and Sgt Stanley Holmes, RNZAF, navigator, who was buried here on Texel. F/S Shepherd is buried at Bergen op Zoom.
Sgt Cyril Martin Taylor, RAF (Runnymede Panel 94 )
Sgt Alan John Claude Lavers, RAF (Runnymede Panel 87)
Sgt Joseph Noel Charles Hornidge, RCAF (Runnymede Panel 102)
Sgt Alan Frank Copplestone, RAF Runnymede Panel 80)
Sgt Glyn Price, RAF (Runnymede 91)
Sgt Cyril Martin Taylor, RAF (Runnymede Panel 94 )
Sgt Alan John Claude Lavers, RAF (Runnymede Panel 87)
Sgt Joseph Noel Charles Hornidge, RCAF (Runnymede Panel 102)
Sgt Alan Frank Copplestone, RAF Runnymede Panel 80)
Sgt Glyn Price, RAF (Runnymede 91)
Prewar, before his enlistment, ‘Stan’ was employed at the secretary department of the ‘Northern Tyre Company’, at his home city of Whangarei; and he was a rather successful local sportsman (prominent in cricket and tennis).
BCL Vol.IV, p.280
Additional information on Stanley Holmes from Mr Willem de Jong, Menaam.
Additional information on Stanley Holmes from Mr Willem de Jong, Menaam.
Hugh McLennan Macdonald
photo available shortly.Plot K. Row 4. Grave 89.
F/S H. McL. Macdonald - 402524
Son of Hugh Alan and Rachel Catherine Macdonald, of Fairlie, Canterbury, New Zealand.
Son of Hugh Alan and Rachel Catherine Macdonald, of Fairlie, Canterbury, New Zealand.
The 99 Squadron Wellington Ic, serial T2879, had left RAF Waterbeach at 19.24 hrs in the evening of 28th September, 1941. The target for this aircraft and crew was Frankfurt, Germany. Nothing was heard of this Wellington, except for a w/t some ten hours into the flight. The Wellington must have crashed somewhere off the Dutch coast. There were no survivors. Two airmen were buried here in Den Burg Cemetery: Sgt Ian James Robertson, RAF and F/S Hugh McLennan Macdonald, the wireless operator/air gunner. P/O William Raymond James Brown, RCAF, was buried in Harlingen. The other crew members have no known graves. They are commemorated on the Runnymede Memorial:
Sgt Joseph Stewart Parry, RNZAF (Runnymede Memorial, Panel 64)
Sgt Alfred William Musgrave Chapman, RAAF (Runnymede Memorial, Panel 62)
Sgt Edward Fieldhouse, RAF (Runnymede Memorial, Panel 43)
Sgt Joseph Stewart Parry, RNZAF (Runnymede Memorial, Panel 64)
Sgt Alfred William Musgrave Chapman, RAAF (Runnymede Memorial, Panel 62)
Sgt Edward Fieldhouse, RAF (Runnymede Memorial, Panel 43)
BCL, Vol.III, 1941, p.153
Peter John Dickson McGeehan, DFM
photo available shortly.Plot K. Row 2. Grave 26.
P/O P.J.D. McGeehan, DFM - 411989
Son of Thomas Manus McGeehan and of Marjorie McGeehan (nee Hosking), of Avondale, Auckland, New Zealand.
Son of Thomas Manus McGeehan and of Marjorie McGeehan (nee Hosking), of Avondale, Auckland, New Zealand.
Peter McGeehan, DFM, was the pilot of Mosquito FB.IV, DZ497/'XD-Q' of 139 (Jamaica) Squadron, shot down by flak from a Kriegsmarine unit and craned around 19.29 hrs in the dunes near Den Hoorn on Texel Island. McGeehan and his navigator F/O Reginald Charles Morris, DFC, had left their base at RAF Marham at 16.50 hrs in the afternoon of 16th March, 1943. In total 16 Mosquitos had been detailed to attack railway workshops at Paderborn, Germany. This was the only Mosquito of this raid, that failed to return.
Both airmen were buried here in Den Burg.
Note.
The Museum of the 'Aircraft Recovery Group' at Fort Veldhuis, Heemskerk has a substantial wing section of this aircraft in its collection.
Both airmen were buried here in Den Burg.
Note.
The Museum of the 'Aircraft Recovery Group' at Fort Veldhuis, Heemskerk has a substantial wing section of this aircraft in its collection.
BCL, Vol.V, 1943, p.79
Aircraft Recovery Group, Fort Veldhuis, Heemskerk, The Netherlands
Aircraft Recovery Group, Fort Veldhuis, Heemskerk, The Netherlands
Stanley David Steel
photo available shortly.Plot K. Row 4. Coll. grave 76A-79.
P/O S. D. Steel - 404424
P/O Steel was the second pilot of Whiltey V Z9141/'MH-J' of 51 Squadron. The aircraft had left RAF Dishforth at 17.39 hrs, in the afternoon of the 31st October, 1941. The Whitley was part of an RAF attack on Hamburg. Last w/t from this aircraft was heard at 21.52 hrs. At 23.50 hrs the aircraft crashed on Texel Island. There were no survivors.
The airmen were buried here at Den Burg:
F/L Eric Arthur Barsby, RAF
P/O Stanley David Steel, RNZAF
Sgt Jack Harris Knight, RAF
F/S Eric Warburton, RCAF
Sgt Vincent Sature, RCAF
Note.
This Whitley was claimed by Ofw Paul Gildner of 4./NJG 1 from Leeuwarden.
The airmen were buried here at Den Burg:
F/L Eric Arthur Barsby, RAF
P/O Stanley David Steel, RNZAF
Sgt Jack Harris Knight, RAF
F/S Eric Warburton, RCAF
Sgt Vincent Sature, RCAF
Note.
This Whitley was claimed by Ofw Paul Gildner of 4./NJG 1 from Leeuwarden.
BCL, Vol.III, 1941, p.170
Luftwaffe Night Fighter Combat Claims 1939-1945, p.32
Luftwaffe Night Fighter Combat Claims 1939-1945, p.32
George William Tindle
photo available shortly.Plot K. Row 2. Grave 46.
F/S G.W. Tindle - 417128
Son of Muriel Harrop (nee Lockley), of Auroa, Taranaki, New Zealand; husband of Myrtle Pearl Tindle, of Manaia, Taranaki.
Son of Muriel Harrop (nee Lockley), of Auroa, Taranaki, New Zealand; husband of Myrtle Pearl Tindle, of Manaia, Taranaki.
F/S George Tindle was the captain of 7 Squadron Lancaster B.III, JA932/MG-M. The bomber had left RAF Oakington at 17.16 hrs for a mission to Berlin. The Lancaster was hit by flak during some stage into the flight. JA932 crashed near Brakestein, Oude Schild, on Texel Island with no survivors.
All seven crew members were buried here in Den Burg Cemetery:
F/S George William Tindle, RNZAF
Sgt Arthur Douglas West, RAF
Sgt Cyril Henry Hollingsworth, RAF
Sgt James Forrest, RAF
Sgt James Harry Pepper, RAF
Sgt George William Smith, RAF
Sgt Frank William Harris, RAF
All seven crew members were buried here in Den Burg Cemetery:
F/S George William Tindle, RNZAF
Sgt Arthur Douglas West, RAF
Sgt Cyril Henry Hollingsworth, RAF
Sgt James Forrest, RAF
Sgt James Harry Pepper, RAF
Sgt George William Smith, RAF
Sgt Frank William Harris, RAF
BCL, Vol.V, 1943, p.393
George Wells
photo available shortly.Plot K. Row 3. Grave 61.
Sgt G. Wells - 399186
Son of George and Ada Rose Wells, of Fielding, Wellington, New Zealand.
Son of George and Ada Rose Wells, of Fielding, Wellington, New Zealand.
Whitley Z6624/'ZA-O' of 10 Squadron, RAF, had left her base at RAF Leeming at 22.21 hrs on the 25th July, 1941, for an operation to Hannover, Germany. At some stage in the flight, the aircraft crashed into the sea off the Dutch coast. A month later, on 25th August, 1941, the body of Sgt George Wells washed ashore on Texel Island and was buried here in Den Burg. Two other crew members, P/O George Pringle, RAF, and F/S George Christie, RAF, were found on the North Frisian coast in Germany and were laid to rest in Kiel War Cemetery.
The other two airman of this crew have no known grave:
S/L Peter Wellwoof Fortune Landale, DFC (Runnymede Memorial, Panel 28)
Sgt Alfred William Earp, RAF (Runnymede Memorial, Panel 42)
The other two airman of this crew have no known grave:
S/L Peter Wellwoof Fortune Landale, DFC (Runnymede Memorial, Panel 28)
Sgt Alfred William Earp, RAF (Runnymede Memorial, Panel 42)
BCL, Vol.III, 1941, p.103