Cycling route Death Valley de Peel - Dubbelcrash (Veluwepeel) (#11)

Double crash

The place where you are now was located on the edge of the undeveloped Veluwepeel during the Second World War. A total of 16 'pilots' lost their lives here in three bomber crashes. During the night of June 21 to 22, 1943, the Avro Lancaster III EE-198 fell into the swamp to the southeast.
All seven crew members died.

On February 7, 1945, the Halifax III NA-197, flown by a French crew, crashed into the ground southwest of the road, just in front of the current stable complex. The bomb load exploded, creating a large crater that immediately filled with swamp water. The device crushed two crew members who were still on the plane. They could never be recovered. Of the other five crew members, four survived the crash. Captain Bernard Pelliot (photo left) let these men go ahead, jumped too late and fell to the ground on the Peel bottom. A memorial cross made of 8,000-year-old driftwood was placed for the two missing people (photo right).

In 2012 it was announced that the Halifax III NA-260 bomber flown by the French also crashed in the airspace above this location.
Six crew members of this aircraft died and only captain Gustave Stanislas survived.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Martin Damen