RNZAF Amsterdam Graves...

[chinapilot]

Dave...this is photo intensive so cull if you need to...

Made it to the 'New Amsterdam Cemetery' on a cold blustery day with the wind coming directly from the North Sea...on first sight the small section the CWGC has looked a bleak place for these aircrew to have as a final resting place....just the sound of aircraft passing overhead on a approach to Schiphol and the faint hum of children playing on a break to keep them company.

I'm sure Errol will fill in the gaps when he has time.















July 1940...makes this an intriguing one.DFC already also.








A Dutch Agent who didn't make it..













As I left the sun finally came out...

[errolmartyn]

"Dave...this is photo intensive so cull if you need to...

Made it to the 'New Amsterdam Cemetery' on a cold blustery day with the wind coming directly from the North Sea...on first sight the small section the CWGC has looked a bleak place for these aircrew to have as a final resting place....just the sound of aircraft passing overhead on a approach to Schiphol and the faint hum of children playing on a break to keep them company.

I'm sure Errol will fill in the gaps when he has time."

Ian,

Just the one 'gap' - 42722 Frank Twain Poole, a New Zealander serving in the RAF on a short service commission at the time he was killed on 26 Jul 40 with 75 (NZ) Sqn. You probably missed him through there being no New Zealand reference on the headstone.

Errol

[chinapilot]

Thanks Errol...should have looked at the 'Register' more closely.

Noticed the S/L Harris 'Of New Zealand' - guess he was pre war RAF?

F/O Coleman DFC -was he 75 Sq also?

Guess they could all tell some stories....the cemetery is a 'working' one and there were quite a few elderly people seeing off their friends...they would have been alive at the time when these guys were roaring overhead.

Closed a sort of gap for me as I flew with a guy who flew Venturas in that squadron and later on flew RAF B-25s...he never spoke about it much but he lost a lot of good mates on that mission.

[Dave Homewood]

I have no desire to cull any photo threads - keep them coming mate.

[errolmartyn]

Dec 16, 2011 15:56:17 GMT 12 chinapilot said:

Thanks Errol...should have looked at the 'Register' more closely.

Noticed the S/L Harris 'Of New Zealand' - guess he was pre war RAF?

F/O Coleman DFC -was he 75 Sq also?

Guess they could all tell some stories....the cemetery is a 'working' one and there were quite a few elderly people seeing off their friends...they would have been alive at the time when these guys were roaring overhead.

Closed a sort of gap for me as I flew with a guy who flew Venturas in that squadron and later on flew RAF B-25s...he never spoke about it much but he lost a lot of good mates on that mission.

Ian,

Bios herewith from Vol Three of my For Your Tomorrow explain:

HARRIS, Squadron Leader George Lawlor Bernays.
41406; b Wgtn 3 Oct 13; Hutt Valley HS & Wairarapa DHS; clerk - NZ Shipping, Wgtn. RNVR 6 May 30, Res 30 May 33; selected for RAF SSComm by 27 Jul 38, emb for UK 25 Aug 38, arr 29 Sep 38; RAF & to Brough/4E&RFTS as Pilot u/t 6 Oct 38, SSComm [wef 6.10.38] & 1 Depôt 14 Dec 38, 2FTS 2 Jan 39, Pilots Badge 6 May 39, 218 Sqn (Battle) 5 Aug 39, 35 Sqn (Battle) 21[28?] Sep 39, 98 Sqn (Battle) 23 Nov 39, 106 Sqn (Hampden) 30 Nov 39 [att SAN (Anson) for instructors cse 19 Feb-12 Apr 40], 49 Sqn (Hampden - 37 ops) 6 May 40, 14OTU (Hampden) as staff pilot 28 Oct 40, 25OTU (Hampden) as staff pilot 25 Feb 41 [att 7BATF (Hampden) for c.1 wk in Oct], 420 Sqn RCAF (Hampden - 4 ops) 2 Jan 42, kao 12 Feb 42. Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery - 85.B.11, North Holland, Netherlands. Son of George Edward & Maribel Georgina Harris (née Lawlor), Perth, WA; h of Mary Harris (née Cotgreave) & f of 1 child, Lower Hutt.

COLEMAN, Flying Officer William Harcourt, DFC.
NZ2526* (39781 in RAF); b Chch 29 Nov 16; Chch TColl; occ? Canty Gliding Club 'in his teens', Auckland Aero Club Pilot u/t by Feb 35, 'A' Licence 14 Dec 35, recommended for RAF SSComm 1936, emb for UK 14 Jan 37, arr 17 Feb 37; RAF & to Perth 11E&RFTS as Pilot u/t 5 Apr 37, SSComm [wef 5.4.37] & Depôt 31 May 37, 6FTS 5 Jun 37, Pilots Badge 4 Sep 37, 97 Sqn (Heyford, Whitley) 8 Jan 38 [att AST Ltd (various a/c types) for nav cse 13 Feb-12 May, att 166 Sqn (Heyford) 5-20 Jan 39], t/frd to RNZAF SSComm & NZ Sqn [redesignated 75(NZ)Sqn RAF 8.4.40 & its RNZAF personnel att RAF] (Wellington - 27 ops) 7 Jul 39, kao 26 Jul 40. Amsterdam New Eastern Cemetery - 69.A.21, North Holland, Netherlands. Son of Vernon Harcourt & Claudia May Monica Coleman (née Dunphy, later Walton), Devonport. Note: * NZ2526 allotted posthumously at war's end. [phot. TWN 3.7.40 & 7.8.40].

Errol