Crash Location Spitfire LF Mk IXc PT549 GE-T

On 3 February 1945, twelve Spitfires of 349 (Belgian) Sqn RAF took off at 1125 hrs on an armed recce’ of the Gorinchem area "Y". The results were three Met damaged, 1 locomotive and 4 trucks destroyed by Flg Off Erkes and Van der Heyden, Flt Lt Mascaux, Flt Sgts Blair and Branders L, 3 Met destroyed and 2 Met damaged by Flt Lt Seydel, Wood and Flt Sgts van de Werve, De Jaegher and N Leroy, and 1 locomotive damaged by Flt Lt Mascaux.

But one pilot did not return from this operation, Flt Sgt Leon A. van de Werve de Vosselaer. With his section he went down to attack a lorry at V.4556. It was partially obscured by trees and on the first run-in they were over-shooting so the section came in again but Red 4 when looking round could not see Flt Sgt Van de Werve nor could he be contacted on the R/T but he did see the debris of an aircraft and it is presumed he must have hit the trees and if this is so there is little likelyhood of his surviving such a crash.

Flt Sgt Leon A. van de Werve de Vosselaer was effectively killed when his Spitfire LF Mk.IX PT549 crashed at 1230 hrs at Hessum, 2 km east of Dalfsen. He was buried at Dalfsen Cemetery. In 1950 he was exhumed and reburied at Evere (Brussels), Belgium. He was born on 14 October 1919 at Antwerp.

In memory of this event, this information panel was placed by the Historical Circle Dalfsen in the context of 75 years of liberation.

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Maarten Hoedeman