Hi all, I'd like to introduce myself, my name is Nick, 19 years old. I live in Gilze, in the Netherlands. Near the former German Fliegerhorst Gilze-Rijen, which has my main interest. I do research over here, with the help of books, many friends, archives and my metaldetector. I'll hope to speak you guys on the forum. Greetings, II./KG26
Thanks all of you. Finds? You name it... Lets say quite a lot. German helmets, M1 Garand, Canteens, Ammunition.... basic stuff. Regards, Nick
Welcome to the forum Nick. I read somewhere that one of the Dambuster Lancaster's crashed on the Gilze-Rijen airfield with no survivors on the way to the Dams. AJ-S ED865/G P/O L. J. Burpee RCAF Sgt. G. Pegler RAF Sgt. T. Faye RAF P/O L.G. Weller RAF WO2 J.L. Arthur RCAF Sgt. W.C.A. Long RAF WO2 J.G. Brady RCAF
Hi Spidge, can you give me a date of that crashsite? Then I can sort things out, and look if I have some more information. I will show pictures etc. in time. Regards, and thanks. Nick
It is assumed to have been shotdown by flak, at about 2 am on the 17th May 1943, on the outward run to the Dams, after straying off course
Some more info here: Navigator Tom 'Tucker' Jaye, aged 20, from Crook, County Durham, aboard ED-865 AJ-S,
By the way, The Dambusters site has the incorrect name for this lad. His surname is Jaye not Faye which I checked up on CWGC.
The crash on the German radar installation and the long term effect is quite interesting. If this is common knowledge there should be more information available.
Interesting that the crater seems to continue off to the left so could be bigger than what it appears. How do you know it's a Lanc crash site, Nick? It must be amazing to search around such an historic area.
