the crash of an American bomber in a Dutch polder

Dries, Mark van den | Paperback / softback | 30-08-2014 | 9789461536068

On September 18th, 1944, day two of Operation Market Garden, a thunder in the sky alarmed the Dutch town of Heinkenszand. The citizens ran outside their homes, to see a burning bomber flying toward them and parachutes floating down. The American B-24 Liberator skimmed over the buildings and crashed in a polder. Two airmen lost their lives, German soldiers arrested six, and two mangaged to escape. Local resistance fighters came to the aid of the escaped airmen. This book, written by a grandson of one of the resistance fighters, describes the missions of the crew, the circumstances of the fatal crash and the grim faith of these airmen. This is also the story of the local resistance group that helped the two evaders to hide. We follow the trail of arrested radio operator Elton Southwell, as he takes us on a horrific journey through army bases and concentration camps to a final, cruel welcome at a Polish POW camp. He tells how he barely survived the infamous Black March and escaped from the German guards.

“A well made reconstruction, richly provided with photos.” NBD Biblion