Memorial Mariaveen Sevenum

Monument, unveiled on October 30, 2021, in memory of the 21 victims of the five planes that died in this area during the Second World War.
The monument, by artist Ruud van der Beele, is made of Corten steel and aluminum and brass from a grenade. Placed at the initiative of Sjaar Huijs and Piet Snellen.

At the start of the war, the British Royal Airforce Bomber Command only flew nighttime bombing flights to Germany. Later on, flights were also made during the day. Bomber Command crews suffered high casualties: 55,573 were killed out of a total of 125,000 aircrews, a 44.4% fatality rate. Another 8,403 men were wounded and 9,838 were taken prisoner of war.

On 12 July 1940 at ten to two in the morning a Handly Page Hampden of 144 Sqn RAF, a light bomber, crashed nearby.
After a night flight at Mönchen Gladbach he was intercepted and shot down by a German night fighter.
The entire crew, 4 men, was killed.
Pilot F/Off Ian HOSSACK 19.
Observer/ Gunner Sgt Eric FRANCE 24.
Flight Eng./ Gunner Sgt Edward LEAMY 20.
Radio Op/ Gunner Sgt Clarence ROSE 20.

On 14 March 1941 at 5.30 pm, a Vickers Wellington of 149 Sqn RAF, a medium bomber, crashed.
After a night bombardment of Gelsenkirchen he was shot down by Hauptmann Werner Streib's Night Fighter. This German later became Commander of the Fliegerhorst Venlo and was a so-called "Ace" of the German Luftwaffe. As a fighter until May 8, 1945, he shot down a total of 135 Allied aircraft.
The crew, 6 men, did not survive the crash.
Pilot F/Off Leslie HAWLEY 25.
Co-Pilot Sgt Charles ROGERS 21.
Observer/ Gunner Sgt Edward PRETTYMAN 34.
Dome Gunner Sgt William MARETT 23.
Radio Op/ Gunner Sgt Ernest WHITE 19.
Tail gunner Sgt Clifford WARD 23.

On March 27, 1941, at around 5:15 PM, an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley of 78 Sqn RAF, a light bomber, crashed.
After a nighttime bomb attack on Düsseldorf, he was shot down on his way back by a German night fighter flown by Oberfeldwebel Gerhard Herzog.
The entire crew, 5 men, was killed.
Pilot F/Off Kenneth SEAGER 25.
Co-Pilot Sgt Alan MILLS 20.
Observer/ Gunner Sub Lt Royal NavyPeter HOAD (MiD) 22.
Flight Eng. Sgt Jack MITCHELL 20.
Radio On Sgt Ernest GRUNSELL 20.

At 5.30 am on 17 May 1941, an Armstrong Whitworth Whitley of 78 Sqn RAF, a light bomber, crashed.
After a nighttime bomb raid on Cologne, the aircraft was caught in the beam of a floodlight and badly damaged by FLAK (Flieger Abwehr Kanonen) (Air Defense) and shortly afterwards shot down by an Oberfeldwebel night fighter Eberhard Pross, who was also killed in the action. He had been shot down by the rear gunner of the bomber.
The crew, 5 men, were killed.
Pilot F/Off John GARROULD 19.
Co-Pilot Sgt Robert KEYMER 25.
Observer/ Gunner Sgt Reginald GARLISH 20.
Flight Eng./ Gunner Sgt Edward OAKES 22.
Radio Op/ Gunner Sgt Alexander SMITH 20.

On February 2, 1945 at five past five in the afternoon, the fighter Hawker Typhoon of 175 Sqn RAF from B80 Air Base (Volkel) had to make an emergency landing.
After a reconnaissance action north of Venlo, the aircraft was hit by anti-aircraft guns and heavily damaged. When the pilot tried to reach his own (already liberated) area, he had to make an emergency landing due to extremely bad weather, which was fatal for him.
The Pilot was killed.
Pilot Fl/ Lt Bernard LYONS 24.