Jelle Reitsma
7/25/2006 5:05:14 PM | Sgt Watkins was a member of the Butterfoss crew, 613 BS 401 BG. April 29th, 1944, returning from an attack on the Berlin Friedrichstrasse Railway station, he and the rest of the crew had to bail out over Woeste Hoeve, near Apeldoorn, the Netherlands. Their plane crashed in Lieren (Veldweg 25) around 1500 hrs local time (MACR 4345). The Dutch resistance took care of the crew; however, all of them except sgt Watkins were taken POW between April 29th - May 3rd 1944. By now I know most details about the crash, the other crew members, their experiences in German POW camps, and so on. Sgt Watkins evaded, but until now I have no other information than 'Sgt W.E. Watkins, serial nr 39281632, waist gunner, evaded'. I could not trace his enlistment record and I dont' have the faintest idea how he evaded, where he was liberated, returned to active duty or not, and so on. The information is needed to complete the story of the Butterfoss crew in a local book '55 names at Heidehof' about Allied airmen who had to crashland or to bail out in the vicinity of Apeldoorn. 55 of them lost their lives and are buried at the Heidehof cemetery.
Who can help me out?
Jelle Reitsma
Zwarte Kijkerweg 25a
NL-7313 GC APELDOORN
The Netherlands
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