Gebruiker:Gijs Fiers/Kladblok

War Monument Bladel

The memorial wall in Bladel was established to commemorate the tragic events during World War II, specifically on September 17, 1944, when, during Operation 'Market Garden', Two British C-47 transport planes, the 'Picadilly Filly' and the 'Clay Pigeon', crashed near Bladel.

War monument Bladel

On Sunday, September 17, 1944, an air fleet of Skytrain transport aircrafts, Waco gliders and accompanying fighters flew the American 101st Airborne Division from England to the Netherlands to be dropped at Son and Veghel.

The area in-between Bladel and Netersel is densely packed with forest, this made for the Germans occupiers to decide on an air-defense post. The defensive position gave extensive anti-aircraft fire. Five Skytrains were shot out of the sky above Bladel, Casteren, Netersel and Hoogeloon (of which two above Bladel). Crew members and paratroopers were killed. Soldiers who managed to jump from their burning aircraft in time were often met on the ground by people from the underground resistance.

The 'Picadilly Filly' , departed from Ramsbury airfield, was commanded by C.W. Gilmore and was hit by German anti-aircraft fire. Gilmore, together with crew members Robert V.H. Thomas, Guy Difalco and William F. Golden died in the crash. The glider they were towing was able to disconnect in time.

C-47 Skytrain

Four residents from Bladel also died in this crash. On September 17, the Spliethof family celebrated a birthday on that day. The family and their visitors stood outside watching the planes passing over. Until the 'Picadilly Filly' came straight to the farm. Part of the group took shelter in the house, but four of them, Mien, Gerrit and Bernard Spliethof and neighbour Jan Kok, fled into the shed. The glider tow cable was still attached to the aircraft and this cable touched an electrical cable. The C-47 crashed near the barn and the impact caused the barn to collapse. A fire broke out and the four people in the barn died.

The other C-47, piloted by Ralph E. Lehr, crashed between Neterselseweg and Bladels Bosch. In addition to Lehr, P.H. Uhlenbrock, E.J. Peterson, and J.B Rice were killed. Of the crew, only B. Benko survived the crash.

The memorial wall, designed by J.A. Verhoeven and erected in 1946, stands as a lasting tribute to the fifteen American crew members who perished in the crash of these aircraft, as well as to the twenty citizens of Bladel and its periphery who lost their lives in this tragedy. The names of these victims are etched in stone, ensuring that their sacrifice and memory will not be forgotten.

The names on the memorial plaque are:

AARTS, E. BROEKHUIJSEN, H.M. ERMES, TH. FLIPSE, W.K. * FREERICKS, J.C.M. * V.D. HEIJDEN, F.A. HOOIJEN, J. HOOIJEN, M.U. KOK, J.J. DE LEEST, C. SEUNTJENS, C.J.T. SPLIETHOF, B.J. SPLIETHOF, G.A. SPLIETHOF, W VAN DE VEN, J.C. VAN DE VEN, N. WOUTERS, L.P.

C.F. V.D. ENDE W.A.M. JANSEN J. WOUTERS

DIFALCO, GUY. L. DOMINIC, RALPH. J. FINDLEY, J.A. GILMORE, C.W. GOLDEN, W.F. LEHR, RALPH. E. PETERSON, EDW. J. RICE, J.B. THOMAS, ROBERT. V.H. SEIBEL, T.J. SNELLING, F.L. UHLENBROCK, PH. WHITE, HARVEY CERVO, JOSEPH BURKE, JOHN, E.

*Note that, J.C.M. Freericks and W.K. Flipse (the second of whom is now buried ‘Rustoord/Vredehof’ in Nijmegen) were not killed during the crash. These two individuals where later executed by the Germans.