Crash at Shackleford Heath, Mitchell 30th Aug. 1944

Shackleford Heath, Mitchell crash, 16:45 hrs, 30^th Aug.1944

Compiled by Frank Phillipson

16:45 hrs, 30th August 1944

North American Mitchell II, FW268, EV-O, (a 180 Squadron aircraft).

Shackleford Heath (Opp. Cyder House PH(?), Pepperharrow Ln., Shackleford.

Hit trees on an air test and flew into ground.

Crew:

Lieut. Cees Waardenburg DFC (Pilot) Royal Dutch Naval Air Service, 320 (Dutch) Squadron (?)(flying with 98 Squadron), Aged 23 killed. Originally buried at Rudgwick – 1964 moved to Dutch section of Mill Hill Cemetery, London

Flying Officer (Air Gunner) Henry George Payne, 139 Wing, 180 Sqdn., RAF, Age 27, killed. Buried at Rudgwick.

180 Squadron Operational Record Book.

“Dunsfold, Surrey’s Most Secret Airfield” by Paul McCue.

1940 War Office OS Map, Cassini Grid.

Current OS Map.

Surrey Police Day Book, report on crash.

At 16:45/30, British Mitchell Bomber, No.FW 268, Squadron letters EVO crashed at Canadian Vehicle Park, Shackleford Heath, Parish of Peperharow, M.R.377-643. Machine wrecked and burnt out. Two in crew, both killed: – Pilot Lt. WAARDENBURG R.D.N.A.S, passenger F/O HENRY GEORGE PAYNE, RAF, both of 139 Wing, Dunsfold Airfield. Plane from Dunsfold Airfield on an air test. Guard mounted at 17:30 hours by HQ No.1 CCOD (Canadian Army Ordanance) Peperharow Park, 1NCO and 10 men. NFS (National Fire Service) in attendance. RAF Dunsfold, and 49 MU, Faygate, informed. Damage sustained to Canadian Army equipment.

http://aircrewremembered.com

http://aircrewremembered.com

http://aircrewremembered.com aircrewremembered.com

http://aircrewremembered.com

Henry George PAYNE, Flying Officer, Air Gunner. 180 Sqdn. RAF. Killed in flying accident at Shackleford. Wed.30th Aug.1944.
Aged 27 .”Harry”. Son of Henry. Husband of Nancy. Father of Gillian.

Henry George Payne Born 1917 in Romford. Wife: – Nancy L Cooper, Daughter: – Gillian Patricia

http://aircrewremembered.com

http://aircrashsites.co.uk/raf-crash-sites-1942-1945/

Roger Nash says: August 31, 2017 at 10:52 am

Searching for accurate location of Mitchell crash 30 August 1944 near Peper Harrow/Shackleford, not far from Godalming Surrey. Pilot Fl.Lt. Cees Waardenburg, DFC, and Gunner FO Harry Payne were only men aboard, up from Dunsfold, and both killed.
Hoping to help Dutch son of Cees’s best friend from those days.

• Nick Macfarlane says:

June 6, 2019 at 10:54 am

Hi Roger,

I’m also hoping to find a more accurate crash site for this aircraft. I know that it crashed close to a Canadian Army vehicle park which I have since found. I work for the local council and would seek to put some sort of memorial up should it be located on the part of the heath that we manage.

Wim van Kamperdijk January 7, 2018 at 1:40 pm

LS
I’m searching for w/c L. A. Lynn, DFC, DSO, his career. I know him through my study for 320 Dutch Squadron. He flew with my ancestor “Cees Waardenburg”. For 320 and 180 Squadron. After the crash of Lt. Cees Waardenburg, DFC, on 30 August 1944, with the Michell FW268-EV-O, I lost track with Commander Lynn.
I hope you have for me information about his movements (life) after the mentioned crash.
Thank you in advance.
(Sorry for my simpele school english) I’m Dutch and not experienced to use the english language.
Wim van Kamperdijk

Dutch people escaping to England: –

? -09-1941: Rudy Burgwal , Jan Linzel , Sietske Rienksma , Bob van der Stok , Theo Vrins , Kees Waardenburg

Escaped from Holland.

Cees Waardenburg (12 september 1920 – 30 augustus 1944)

Nobody knows how many England sailors people sailing to England there were during the Second World War , the number is estimated at 1700. Among them were at least 48 women. Almost 1000 people arranged their own escape, the others had contacts to get away with the help of existing escape routes.

Agnes Dessing ^[1] assumed in her thesis in 2004 that there were 1700 Englandmen, a number that corresponds to the estimate of Loe de Jong . Furthermore, she thinks that at least 783 people have never arrived, but it is not known how many people made an attempt. Many went via the Swedish or Swiss Road . The minority tried to cross the North Sea to England. In a (folding) canoe, 32 men ventured the crossing, only 8 reached England, including the Peteri brothers.

Estimated number of Englandmen from other countries:

• 30,000 from France
• 18,000 from Denmark
• 6,000 from Belgium
• 3 from Italy

Cees Waardenburg (September 12, 1920 – August 30, 1944) from Schipluiden was a British sailor and war pilot. Waardenburg grew up in Schipluiden as the oldest child.

The war years.

After the capitulation of the Netherlands, he made plans with some others to go to England. In May 1941 they tried to escape with skipper Sietse Pieter Rienksma from Schipluiden to England. Rienksma owned the “Nooit Volmaakt”, a Westlander with whom he transported gravel and sand. The trip went well, until the “Never Perfect” got stuck on the Roggenplaat in forbidden territory. Waardenburg and Rienksma made up a story about how the ship ended up there. The Germans swallowed this story. They came off with a fine and seizure of fuel, among other things. On the night of 3 to 4 September 1941, a new attempt did succeed and they managed to reach England with eight people.

Waardenburg trained as a pilot with the R.A.F in England and in Canada. He was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross (DFC) for his Navigator activities, which was pinned to him by the English king George VI. He died in Godalming near the Dunsfold base. He was then 23 years old.

Views: 406