Gilze-Rijen AFB

Landing (descent or approach)

Operator:

Registration:

R4+-S

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Gilze-Rijen - Gilze-Rijen

MSN:

1287

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While returning to base following an operation, it crashed upon landing at Gilze-Rijen AFB, apparently following a pilot error. All three crew members were injured.
Crew:
Fw Ernst Potthast +2.

Probable cause:

Pilot error.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88C-6 in Poortugaal: 3 killed

Date & Time: Aug 1, 1942 at 0125 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

R4+AD

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Gilze-Rijen - Gilze-Rijen

MSN:

0152

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Gilze-Rijen AFB on an operational sortie when it was shot down by a Halifax and crashed in Poortugaal. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Cpt Herbert Bönsch, pilot,
Fw Otto Böttscher, radio operator,
Uffz August Willi, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British bomber.

Crash of a Dornier DO.217E-4 at Gilze-Rijen AFB

Date & Time: Jul 24, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

U5+BL

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Gilze-Rijen - Gilze-Rijen

MSN:

4252

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane was engaged in a combat mission when it was shot down by a British fighter and crashed at Gilze-Rizen AFB. All four crew members were injured.
Crew:
Fw W. Schludecker, pilot,
Oblt H. Reisz, observer,
Uffz. A. Bemelmans, radio operator,
Fw H. Buhr, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by a British fighter.

Crash of a Dornier DO.217J at Gilze-Rijen AFB

Date & Time: Jun 30, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

R4+-S

Flight Phase:

Takeoff (climb)

Flight Type:

Airport (less than 10 km from airport)

Survivors:

Yes

Site:

Schedule:

Gilze-Rijen - Gilze-Rijen

MSN:

1302

YOM:

1941

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Following a crew error, the airplane crashed upon takeoff from Gilze-Rijen AFB. The airplane was destroyed and all three crew members escaped unhurt.

Probable cause:

Crew error.

Crash of a Dornier DO.217E-4 into the North Sea: 1 killed

Date & Time: Jun 25, 1942

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

U5+?K

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Military

Survivors:

Site:

Lake, Sea, Ocean, River

Schedule:

Gilze-Rijen - Gilze-Rijen

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane crashed in unknown circumstances into the North Sea off the Dutch coast. The pilot was killed.
Crew:
Ofw E. Geselle, pilot.

Crash of a Dornier DO.217E-4 in Oranjebond: 4 killed

Date & Time: Jun 16, 1942 at 2350 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

U5+BK

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Gilze-Rijen - Gilze-Rijen

MSN:

5384

YOM:

1942

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

Few minutes after takeoff from Gilze-Rijen AFB, the airplane entered an uncontrolled descent and crashed in a field located in Oranjebond, some 17 km southeast of the airbase. All four crew members were killed.
Crew:
Uffz H. Jeub, pilot,
Uffz E. Schmidt, observer,
Uffz W. Schreiter, radio operator,
Ogfr R. Hauschke, air gunner.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88C-4 near Baarle-Nassau: 3 killed

Date & Time: Jun 1, 1942 at 0239 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

R4+CT

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Plain, Valley

Schedule:

Gilze-Rijen - Gilze-Rijen

MSN:

0630

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

The airplane departed Gilze-Rijen AFB on a combat mission. It was probably shot down by enemy fire and crashed near Baarle-Nassau. All three crew members were killed.
Crew:
Ofw W. D. Schade, pilot,
Uffz J. Cezanne, radio operator,
Uffz A. Jansen, air gunner.

Probable cause:

Shot down by enemy fire.

Crash of a Junkers JU.88C-6 near Tilburg: 1 killed

Date & Time: May 31, 1942 at 0200 LT

Type of aircraft:

Junkers JU.88

Operator:

Registration:

R4+RR

Flight Phase:

Flight Type:

Survivors:

Site:

Schedule:

Gilze-Rijen - Gilze-Rijen

MSN:

0184

Location:

Country:

Region:

Crew on board:

Crew fatalities:

Pax on board:

Pax fatalities:

Other fatalities:

Total fatalities:

Circumstances:

While on a night mission out from Gilze-Rijen AFB, the airplane was hit by return fire from a bomber. The crew bailed out but unfortunately, the flight engineer Gefr G. Methfessel remained on board and was killed when the airplane crashed 10 km north of Tilburg.

Probable cause:

The airplane was hit by return fire from a bomber.

Crash of a Dornier DO.217E-4 off Lowestoft: 4 killed

Date & Time: May 16, 1942 at 1705 LT

Type of aircraft:

Operator:

Registration:

U5+BL

Flight Phase:

Flight Type: