Relation with Lake (class): Lake Casualty Cemetery (LCC)
Total nr. of casualties buried here (TC): 340 end WW2. Today: 264.
Lake casualties, initially, end WW2 (LC-I): 14
Unknown today: 35 (32 airmen, 1 RN sailor, 2 soldiers).
of which unknown from Lake (LC-U): 2.
of which unknown from North Sea (NS-U): 33
Initial burial site in WW2: yes.
Post war burial site for collection and reburial from other sites: yes
Cemetery with Lake casualties today: yes (LCW).
BERGEN (AAN ZEE) WAR GRAVES
The village of Bergen had a small Dutch military airfield, build just before WW2. The Germans enlarged and used it as a forward airfield for their fighters and night fighters. The base recovery unit removed crashed own and enemy aircraft from the airfield, but also from the wide region. Allied casualties found in wrecks were taken back to Bergen for burial. This is one of the reasons that this cemetery became so big, it functioned as centralisation cemetery for land-crashes in this area during the stategic bombing campaign on Germany from March 1941 to 1944. As above map shows, bodies of Allied airmen came from Kennemerland (K), Kennemerland-North (KN), Noordkop-Wieringen (NW), West-Friesland (WF) & Amsterdam-Waterland (AW).
Another reason for the high number of Allied airmen here, is washed ashore airmen from the North Sea and Lake IJsselmeer (Old Zuyder Sea). The North Sea beach is directly west of the airfield. The beach stretches out miles to the North and to the South. Airmen from Lake IJsselmeer (Old Zuyder Sea) were transported for burial in Bergen coming from lake-areas (see above map): Breezand (1), Wagenpad (2), Markermeer (3) and Hoornse Hop (4). The 45 USAAF war dead at Bergen were moved shortly after the war (including the non-identified Americans). They were reburied on the US war cemeteries in Belgium and "Netherlands" in Margraten, NL. The other 264 Allied casualties, mostly airmen, still rest in Bergen today.
Dutch name cemetery: Bergen algemene begr. pl.
Full name: Bergen General Cemetery.
Address (usable for car navigation):
Kerkedijk or Koninginneweg 71, Bergen (west of Alkmaar)
For reaction or comments; send us an email,
see address and info at CONTACT.
Please use as subject title: 'Bergen aan Zee'.
Photo right-under is a postcard of the site approx. 1946.
Photo right: visible is plot 1; the plot with 5 rows of graves period 1941-1942. Behind the centre line of thin trees is plot 2, with 5 rows of graves period 1943-1945 (hardly visible on this photo). The trees in between were later removed.
Burials in Bergen (aan Zee) on plot 1, row 1E started in March 1941, which is quite late in the war. It is possible that before that the washed ashore English victims were buried in nearby Alkmaar or Schoorl because there are 6 English war graves period May 1940 - Feb 1941 (sailors, airmen and a soldier. See also our article on Alkmaar and Schoorl).
The French
French Dunkirk victims that washed ashore here end July 1940 can have been buried here, but probably in an other plot on this cemetery. They may have also been buried in nearby (from south to north): Egmond aan Zee, Heiloo, Alkmaar, Schoorl, Hargen, Groet or Camperduin.
We estimate the number of French war dead in this region, that were assembled in Alkmaar in 1949, on 12. Most of them had a name or were identified and reburied in France in 1949.
BERGEN (AAN ZEE) CEMETERY PLAN TODAY
THE COMMONWEALTH
Stories on the airmen from the UK, Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the Czech can be found in the Aircraft files. For a list of the Commonwealth war dead on this cemetery check the site-page of the CWGC on Bergen General Cemetery.
DIEPPE SOLDIERS (D)
On 1.A.17 (Plot 1, Row A, grave 17) is the grave of Canadian soldier George A. Scaife. He washed ashore here weeks after the Dieppe raid (19 Aug 1942). A few meter to the right of him in 1.A.24 is the grave of an unknown soldier, buried 16th October 1942. This is also an Allied soldier from Dieppe, Essex Scottish regiment, unidentified.
THE POLISH
There are 12 Polish airmen on this cemetery buried under name. One not-identified Polish airman (with Polish headstone) lays in between 2 crew members in grave 2.E.6 (Plot 2, Row E, grave 6). It is possible (small chance) there are 2 more Polish airmen on this row in grave 8 and 11, buried as unknown (crew pilot Stefan Tomicki Wellington HE148). They have no Polish but a CWGC-RAF headstone because their Polish nationality or Polish Air Force status could not be established. The total number of Polish airmen is 13, possibly 15.
Although the headstones indicate Kpl. (Corporal) as rank, underneath photo's show that all had their Sergeant-stripes.
Photo's: Wlodzimierz Rozdzynski, Poland (nephew of Aleksander Rozdzynski).
Read more on Mosquito LR276, F/O B. Sochacki on site Polish War Graves.nl/ned/0957.htm
Read more on Wellington HE148, P/O S. Tomicki on site Polish War Graves.nl/ned/0965.htm
THE LAKE CASUALTIES (L)
6 bombers crashed in Lake IJsselmeer (old Zuyder Sea) have crew buried on this cemetery, 14 men in total (identified). The 6 bombers left 11 crew members in the Lake as MIA. Two of them can be buried on this cemetery as unknown airman, but they can also be from other aircraft that came down in the Lake. The total number of unknown recovered from the Lake and interred here is two.
Photo right: one of the 6 bombers was Manchester L7426 of 83 Sqn. In the night of 08/09 March 1942 it smashed on the ice of the frozen lake. This was near Enkhuizen. German soldiers are examining wreckage. Most of the parts however shot through the ice to the bottom of the lake.
Tailgunner Sgt. Joseph H. Stone and P/O Ian F. Livingstone were recovered directly since their burial date in Bergen is around 11 March 1942. They lay side by side on Plot 1, row D, grave 5 and 6. The ice melted soon after this photo was taken.
Weeks later the body of pilot officer Christopher R. Frost was recovered from the lake water and buried also on row D, in grave 27. The other 4 men of the crew are MIA (Missing In Action) and have "no known graves".
Direct left of pilot Frost are 2 unknown airmen. Buried on 8 and 11 April 1942 in 1 D, grave 25 & 26. This is directly before or buried on same day as Frost. Already on next occasion again an unknown airman was interred in 1 C, grave 2. On all those 3 unknown rank or even that they were RAF could not be established. This is typical for a smash through ice in an aircraft and recovery from the water after a month. However, the burial record indicate these unknown were recovered from the North Sea beach.
Photo under: Monument for crew Wellington L5371 of 12 Sqn in Monnickendam.
Wellington L5371 crashed near Monnickendam on 26/27 March 1942. Sgt. B. Love and Sgt. Pooley (RAAF) are buried in Amsterdam, but the other crew seem to have jumped out earlier over the lake and found a last resting place in Bergen (aan Zee). These are on Plot 1, row D, grave 17, 18, 19 and 23: Sgt. Thomas Parsons (RAAF), Sgt. Walter R. Lea, Sgt. Leonard C. Stanley and F/Sgt. Francis J. Lowe (RCAF). All are commemorated on this monument that was erected in 1990. Address: de Zarken, Monnickendam. Opposite 12th century Church.
MOTOR TORPEDO BOAT 417 (HM MTB 417)
Motor Torpedo Boat 417 sunk off the coast of France (Channel) after a sea battle on 16 March 1944. Begin May 1944 five Royal Navy sailors washed ashore here of which 3 were identified as crew of MTB 417. Two of them were buried in Castricum (just south of here) and 3 men here in Bergen aan Zee. Two are identified: Lt. Rooper in 2.A.2 and sailor Woolis in 2.A.4. In between them is one of the unidentified sailors in 2.A.3. He kept their washing ashore date on the headstone: 4th of May 1944. He is probably of MTB 417. For more information on MTB 417 see Basher82.nl/Data/Bergen/rooper.htm.
THE UNKNOWN (X)
In Bergen 35 servicemen are buried non-identified, "Known unto God". All washed ashore.
- Two are soldiers. One of them is a Dieppe raid (19 Aug 1942) casualty, buried here 16 October 1942, Essex Scottish Regiment. The other soldier has no inscriptions engraved on his headstone, only: A Soldier, 13 June 1943.
- One is a Royal Navy sailor on Plot 2, row A, grave 3. Described above at MTB 417.
- 32 airmen lay here without a name. Their headstone data and what more is known on them can be found in our database 'Buried as Unknown' (Search Menu).
THE AMERICANS 
Already in July 1942 the first 6 Americans were buried here. They came from 3 different aircraft. Of those men only F/Sgt. Richard A. Russell is still buried here on Plot 1, row B, grave 24. He flew for the RCAF and came from Kansas City, USA.
4 Americans participated in a raid on this airfield on the 4th of July 1942. They flew a Boston III from RAF 226 Sqn and were shot down by light Flak. They crashed in the North-Western corner on the field. A few days later they were buried on Plot 1, row C, grave 25, 26, 27 and 28. In 1945 they were exhumed. Since then these 4 graves on the end of row C were empty, but in 1982 grave 25 and 26 were used again for a post-war burial (see under). The 4 USAAF airmen were 2Lt. William G. Lynn, 2Lt. Boyd S. Grant, S/Sgt. W.E. Murphy and Corporal C.P. Kramarewicz. Read more on the '4th of July 1942-raid' in our article on cemetery Huisduinen (Den Helder).
The other Americans were buried on Plot 2, most in rows A and B. An overview with their names will be placed on this page in 2017.
POST WAR BURIALS (P)
Wellington AD605, 109 Sqn. Crashed Dirkshorn 02/03 July 1942, south of Schagen. During the war, 3 crew of Wellington AD605 were found and buried on 1.C.22, 23 and 24. Then the last 4 grave positions on this row were used for the American crew of the 4th of July raid (see above). The MIA W/O Allison and Sgt. Liversuch of AD605 were found in 1982. They could be buried in this plot, and the only open position was (as a twist of fate): next to their crew mates. The Americans of the 4th of July raid were exhumed from this position in 1945. Since then, the open space appears to have been waiting for the missing men of AD605...
Stirling N3654, 15 Sqn, 10/11 May 1941. Wing Commander Dale's crew (6 men) were recovered by the RNLAF in 2004 near Opmeer. Buried 2.B.13-18.
Read more: Google 'Stirling Opmeer' and nzdf.mil.nz-newsletter
Hampden P1206, 49 Sqn. 08/09 Nov 1941. Sgt. Mullenger and Sgt. Kehoe recovered at Berkhout 2008. Buried in EE 1-2, back-to-back with their crew mates 1.E.27 and 28. Read more on site: raf.mod-uk/storyHampden.
© ZZairwar (Zuyder Zee Air War)
Sources:
- ZZairwar research Bergen (aan Zee) war graves 1999.
- Local newspaper articles NNC/NHD.
- Mr. Hans Nauta
- Book 'Remembrance and Friendship Bergen N.H. 1939-1945' by J.J. Kroon.
- Site CWGC
- Site ABMC
- Site Polish War Graves
