Commonwealth War Graves General Cemetery Zevenhuizen

At the General Cemetery in Zevenhuizen are 2 graves of Allied airmen, one from Canada and one from New Zealand, who died on March 27, 1945 in Zevenhuizen.

It concerns the graves of:

Maurice George Gant, Flying Officer (Nav./Bomber) J/42505, RCAF 571 (RAF) Sqdn.,
Born August 18, 1923 in Winnipeg
Died 27 March 1945 in Zevenhuizen

Gordon David Hudson, Flying Officer (Pilot), RNZAF 571 (RAF) Sqdn, Awards AFC.
Born November 16, 1918 in Kaponga
Died 27 March 1945 in Zevenhuizen

Background and research
After an intensive investigation, in which about 34 people participated, things have become clearer. The Mosquito RV 326 came burning over Roden, Nieuw-Roden and Zevenhuizen. There the aircraft made a large turn, probably to start the landing. However, the crew was taken by surprise. Just in the municipality of Roden, in the Steenbergerveld, the left engine with the propeller fell off the burning wing. The following highly likely scenario has played out (after discussing crashes with investigators). When the engine separated from the wing, it slammed; stability was gone. The propeller slammed through the wooden cockpit, knocking off the pilot's lower left leg. Engine, propeller and boot with lower leg ended up in a meadow, just in the municipality of Roden. About five hundred meters further, in Zevenhuizen, municipality of Leek, the aircraft crashed. There it was a chaos of aircraft parts and the badly mutilated crew lay.

Two witnesses (now 87 years old) have stated that they stood at a hole in the meadow. Near that hole was a boot with a lower leg. The hole was cordoned off with a ribbon and a German soldier stood guard. The police report regarding the crash states that three mutilated feet were found at the crash site. Not four, no, it was elsewhere. After the war, 1 engine was recovered from the crash site, not 2. No, the other was elsewhere.

The area where the engine and propeller should be located was examined with a ground radar. The meter fluctuated violently in two places. There is currently consultation with the municipality of Noordenveld (Roden) about what to do. Because there may be human remains at the place where the engine and propeller should be (boot with lower leg), great care is taken.

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Source

• Text: Tjerk Karsijns & Bert Deelman
• Photos: Klaas Graansma (1), Bert Deelman (2, 3)