RNZAF Ramrod raid on Amsterdam. May 3rd 1943

[Alex van de Wetering]

All 4 crewmembers of AE716 / EG-U were killed in the crash. They are buried at the "Rusthof" begraafplaats in Amersfoort.

crew:
Pilot P/O. T.J. Baynton
Navigator F/Sgt. H.C. Lamacraft (RAF)
Wo ag F/Sgt. P.H.R.B. Davies (RAF)
Air gunner Sgt. N.A. Price (RAF)

[Alex van de Wetering]

After the Ventura of T.J. Baynton had crashed at the Grote IJpolder, only 1 Ventura was still moving towards the Power Station.....AJ209 / EG-V of Squadron leader Trent.
Trent was able to shoot down a Messerschmidt 109 with his frontmounted guns, dropped the bombs on the target, shortly before his Ventura was also hit, probably by FLAK. The Ventura broke apart in mid air. Philips and Trent were thrown clear of the wreckage in midair and pulled their parachutes. The other two crewmembers went down with the plane.


crew:
Pilot S/L. L.H. Trent (RAF)
Observer F/Lt. V. Phillips (RAF)
Nav ba F/O. R.D.C. Thomas (RAF)
Air gunner Sgt. G.W. Trenery (RAF)

Crewmembers Thomas and Trenery were buried at the Nieuwe Oosterbegraafplaats in Amsterdam.

Trent and Philips were taken prisoner, but there story didn't end there. Trent ended up in prison camp "Stalag Luft III" and was part of what became known as "the great escape" on march 24 1944. Trent was the last POW to come out of the tunnel and was quickly re-captured by the Germans. Fortunately he was not among the group of escapees that were executed. Trent survived the war and it wasn't until after the liberation that the story of the raid on the Amsterdam Power station became known. Trent was awarded the Victoria cross for the Amsterdam raid.

The detailed location of the crashsite is again given by the city of Amsterdam website and is nowadays the "Monitorstraat". In 1943 the only street close to the crashsite was the "Kometensingel", which is given as the crash location in period documents.
Detailed PDF on the location: https://data.amsterdam.nl/bommenkaart/RAP_430503E.pdf

more info:
https://www.verliesregister.studiegr...rea=&airfield=

Alex

[Alex van de Wetering]

Ventura AJ478 / EG-A was the last of the group.....it crashed at 18:00, 19km's West of IJmuiden. Even though it was the last Ventura to go down, I understand it never reached the target and probably ended up near IJmuiden trying to avoid the German fighters.

crew:
Pilot F/O. O.E. Foster
Observer F/O. T.A. Penn
Wo ag Sgt. R.W. Mann (RAAF)
Air gunner Sgt. T.W.J. Warner

The body of air gunner Warner washed ashore at the Afsluitdijk on June 5th 1943. He is buried at the Bergen op Zoom War Cemetery.
The other 3 crewmembers were picked up by a finishing boat and were taken prisoner.

https://www.verliesregister.studiegr...rea=&airfield=

Alex

[Alex van de Wetering]

The 12 Ventura's in the raid on Amsterdam:

Ventura EG-Q Baker Returned after taking off damage to escape hatch

Ventura AE916 EG-C Duffill Returned early, Damaged beyond repair
Ventura AE956 EG-H Coutts Lost over sea

Ventura AE798 EG-D Lowe 1745 Crashed North Sea off Noordwijkerhout
Ventura AE684 EG-B Coshall 1745 Crashed Leidsevaart near Bennebroek
Ventura AJ200 EG-G Sharp 1745 Believed to have Crashed at Fortgracht Vijfhuizen
Ventura AE731 EG-O Taylor 1745 Crashed Zomerweg Haarlem
Ventura AE780 EG-S McGowan 1745 Crashed van Bosschestraat Amsterdam.
Ventura AE713 EG-T Peryman 1753 Crashed between Hoornse Lijn and Wormer Ringdijk oostzaan
Ventura AE716 EG-U Baynton 1756 Crashed Middenweg Grote IJ-Polder Amsterdam
Ventura AJ209 EG-V Trent 1757 Crashed Kometensingel Amsterdam Noord
Ventura AJ478 EG-A Foster 1800 Crashed North sea 19 km w of IJmuiden


I am not sure what the RAF serial of Ventura EG-Q was. It wonder if it might have been AE785, as this website mentions that this Ventura was transferred to 487 Squadron and crashed on 03-05-1943....yet it doesn't appear in the list above......so could it be Bakers plane with the damage to the escape hatch????


I have made a new map showing the locations of the crash sites, as well as the target. The three crashsites at sea are approximate locations, those on land are based on research by Crash 40-45, ARG 1940-1945, the SGLO, the survey of the city of Amsterdam, official reports, as well as eye-witness reports.


Crash 40-45, Crash Research Foundation in Aviation Society Holland 1940-1945 (museum in Fort Aalsmeer, Aalsmeerderbrug)
https://www.crash40-45.nl/

ARG 1940-1945, Aircraft Recovery Group 1940-1945 (museum in Fort Veldhuis, Heemskerk)
http://www.arg1940-1945.nl/

SGLO, Dutch Study Group Air War 1939-1945:
https://www.verliesregister.studiegr...rlog.nl/zz.php



Also attached is a page from the Operation record book of 487 Squadron. It clearly shows that allthough it was known that the mission was a disaster, the fate of the crews remained uncertain.
source: https://aviationtrails.wordpress.com...-raf-methwold/

On June 1st 1943 the 487 Squadron was transferred to RAF 2nd Tactical Air force and was slowly rebuilt. 487 started receiving Mosquito's in august 1943.


Alex

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Excellent research, Alex! Hats off and

I can't help but feel this mission was one big turkey shoot for the Luftwaffe... I feel sorry for the crews, it seems they hardly stood a fighting chance.

Also worrying to read about so many planes breaking up in mid-air.

Hanno