RNZAF Ramrod raid on Amsterdam. May 3rd 1943

[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