01 January 2024: last remaining Dutch World War Two RAF 320 Squadron veteran died at 104 years old...

By: Stratofreighter - 5th January 2024 at 08:16 - Edited 5th January 2024 at 08:18

Last surviving Dutch airman from British Royal Airforce WWII squadron dead at 104 | NL Times

Born in Batavia, Dutch East-Indies, died in Perth, Canada...

 

Dutch BBC, Dutch public broadcaster NOS: WOII-vlieger André Hissink (104) overleden: 'Ik heb gezwijnd' (nos.nl) 

WWII pilot André Hissink (104) died: 'I swooned' (nos-nl.translate.goog)

 

 

NOS News•Wednesday, 8:15 PM

WWII pilot André Hissink (104) died: 'I swooned'

• Paulus Houthuijs

  editor Online

  •  

WWII veteran André Hissink has died at the age of 104. He was the last living pilot of the 320 Dutch Squadron of the British Royal Air Force (RAF). Hissink flew more than sixty missions over France, the Netherlands and Germany, among others, during the war.

"You swooned!" For example, Hissink looked back on his war years in an interview with the NOS in 2022, referring to the luck he had to survive the war. He lived in Canada in recent years and passed away there on New Year's Day. Defense announced his death today.

Hissink's war years could easily be filmed. He experienced the bombing of Rotterdam in 1940, fled to England, went to Java with the Dutch navy, was trained as a pilot in the United States and subsequently flew dozens of war flights from Great Britain. He crashed during the offensive in the Ardennes, but survived the crash.

Dutch citizenship back

Two years ago, the veteran was in the news because he regained his Dutch nationality. "It feels to me as if something has finally been put right," he responded with relief by telephone at the time. He gave up his Dutch citizenship in 1953 to join the New Zealand aviation industry.

Hissink had felt forced to make that tough decision. He initially flew for KLM after the war, he said, but he was fired after a few years. "It was said: there is malaise and there are too few passengers, you have to leave. That was a slap in the face."

Drinking a beer with a German veteran

He then went to New Zealand, where he was able to work in civil aviation. He did that work for years. At one point he started talking to a German colleague, also a WWII veteran. They appeared to have fought at the same place in 1944.

"To my surprise, I was sitting there drinking a beer with a former enemy. You attacked me, and I attacked you, but what did we actually do? We apologized and toasted each other."

Such a conciliatory conversation was completely unthinkable for Hissink at the beginning of the war. He was furious when he saw the sea of ​​flames in the center of Rotterdam, where he was staying while awaiting his flight training in military service.

"I have never experienced such a violent fire in my life," said the veteran. He told himself: I'm going to get revenge.

Supplied by Museum Englandvaarders

Shortly after the bombing, Hissink and two friends managed to get on board a British naval ship. The ship was moored on the coast, the veteran said. "Can we come on board?" After much insistence, the captain gave permission. The crew, including Hissink and his friends, sailed to England.

"The Dutch government was astonished. We were the first military refugees from the Netherlands." Hissink was subsequently seconded to the Royal Navy. In August 1940 he left by ship for the Dutch East Indies. He returned to Batavia, the place where he was born in 1919. "That's where I met my family again."

In Java he was trained as an aviation observer. He also married his British girlfriend there, Defense writes in the message about Hissink's death. The soldier eventually left for the US in 1942. In Jackson Mississippi he completed his training at the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School.

Navigator on board bomber

In the spring of 1943 he returned to the United Kingdom. There he was posted to the 320 Dutch Squadron of the RAF. "We were a group of Dutch boys, mainly between 20 and 25 years old. And when you did that work, you got to know each other and each other's fears very well."

Supplied by Museum Englandvaarders

Hissink together with his crew

The Dutchman was a navigator on board a B-25 bomber. Hissink lost many colleagues. "Whenever we flew, we lost a friend every time." In the end he was spared that fate. Hissink was awarded the Pilot's Cross for his dozens of war flights.

The death of the 104-year-old Hissink does not mean the end of the Dutch England sailors. There is currently one known survivor: Ellis Brandon, who turned 100 last year. "As far as we know, that is the last living England vaarder," says Udo Padding of Museum Englandvaarders.

King Willem-Alexander, Queen Máxima and Princess Beatrix say they remember Hissink with great respect. "The courageous efforts of him and all his fellow English sailors for our freedom make us grateful and will remain in our memories."

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• 'Heart's wish' of 102-year-old veteran fulfilled, he is Dutch again