Relation with Lake (class): Lake Casualty Cemetery (LCC)  
Total nr. of casualties buried here (TC): end WW2: at least 15, today 13. 
Lake casualties, initially, end WW2 (LC-I): 2 or 3
Unknown today: 6 (in fact: 1)
of which unknown from Lake (LC-U): 1
of which unknown from North Sea (NS-U): 0
Initial burial site in WW2: yes, Lake Cemetery East side of Lake (LCE)
Post war burial site for collection and reburial from other sites: no 
Cemetery with Lake casualties today: yes.


             
LEEUWARDEN NORTHERN GENERAL CEMETERY

Leeuwarden is on 30km distance from Lake IJsselmeer (old Zuyder Sea) and 16km from the shoreline of the Wadden Sea. Nevertheless 5 victims from lake and sea are buried on this cemetery. That is because there was a large and better equipped hospital here, linked with the German airfield. There is one Mosquito crew interred that was shot down by flak on this airfield. The other casualties are from the strategic bomber offensive on Germany. After the war at least 2 American airmen were exhumed and reburied on US war cemetery "Netherlands" in Margraten. These were S/Sgt. Michael T. La Medica and S/Sgt. Douglas J. Miller. 

   

Dutch name cemetery: Leewarden Noordelijke Begr. pl. 
Full name: Leeuwarden Northern Cemetery.
Address (usable for car navigation):
Schapendijkje 4 or Jan Jelles Hoflaene 1, Leeuwarden.

For reaction or comments; send us an email,
see address and info at CONTACT.
Please use as subject title: 'Leeuwarden'.









As the photo on the right shows, there are 10 headstones on a single row. Left of the flagpole is officially named 'Row 1', right is 'Row 2'. This is something of the past when the grave positions were different; see the below black and white photo of the girl laying flowers in 1947. 


Description of the graves from left (nearest to the camera) to right:


Grave 1 (Row 1, gr. 1)
Text engraved: "4 airmen, RAF, 31 July 1941, Known unto God"
According the research of a local group here in 1 coffin are the remains of the crew of Wellington R1397 of 103 Sqn. Crashed SW of Leeuwarden in the night of 24/25 July 1941. Read more on this (in English) on this site: RNZAF-Fryslan on Leeuwarden. 

Grave 2 (Row 1, gr. 2)
Unknown airman. "An Airman, a Sgt, RAF, 31 July 1941"
This Sgt. is a crew member of the men in grave 1. 

Grave 3 (Row 1, gr. 3)
Sgt. William H. Walker, 2nd August 1941
Crew member of Wellington R1800, 101 Sqn. Pilot was Sgt. W.R. Davey.
This aircraft crashed 02/03 Aug 1941 in lake IJsselmeer off the North-East (Friesland) coast, 2km W of Stavoren. 4 MIA. 
It is possible that Sgt. Walker was found alive in the water and died in hospital here, or his body was identified here.

Grave 4 (Row 1, gr. 4)
Sgt. Henry H.M. Barton, 15 August 1941.
Crew of Wellington R1016, 150 Sqn. Pilot was Sgt. J.D. Elder. All except Barton were taken POW.
Aircraft was in trouble and made an emergency landing on lake IJsselmeer off Workum in the night of 14/15 Aug 1941.
Unfortunately his foot got stuck and he went down with the sinking plane in only 3 meter (10ft) of water. In recovering the wreck, the Germans found his body. 
For more (in English) on this crash see site: www.626-squadron.co.uk/willem19.htm

Grave 5 (Row 1, gr. 5)
F/Sgt. Leonard A. Townrow, RNZAF, 24 April 1944.
Wounded in the crash, died in hospital here. His crew is buried near the crash site at Witmarsum. 
Read more on this at the link at grave 1 - 'RNZAF-Fryslan on Leeuwarden'. 






























Photo right: Leeuwarden May 1947.     .


           
Grave 6 (Row 2, gr. 1)
F/O David K. Foster, 28 May 1944
Mosquito NS931, 515 Sqn. He and F/O Robert S. Ling (grave 10) were shot down by Flak Leeuwarden airfield. 

Grave 7 (Row 2, gr. 2)
Unknown airman, "An Airman, a Sgt, RAF, 11 September 1941"
From lake IJsselmeer or Wadden Sea. He was initially buried near the men in grave 3 and 4. 
There is a small chance this unknown Sgt. was a crew member of Sgt. Walker (grave 3). Four men of that crew are still Missing in Action. 

Grave 8 (Row 2, gr. 3)
Sgt. Michael J. Boyle, 15 January 1943.
Died in hospital. His Halifax BB252 of 10 Sqn (mine laying) crashed in near beachpole 15 on Schiermonnikoog Island 09 January 1943, 18:15h.

Grave 9 (Row 2, gr. 4)
F/Sgt. Albert Hayes, 06 October 1943.
Died in hospital. Halifax DK203 crashed 03/04 October 1943 in the Wadden Sea near Terschelling island. 
Read the whole story (in English) on the site: www.626-squadron.co.uk/willem15.htm

Grave 10 (Row 2, gr. 5) 
F/O Robert S. King, 28 May 1944. 
Mosquito NS931, 515 Sqn. He and F/O Foster (grave 6) were shot down by Flak Leeuwarden airfield. 

Grave exhumed 1945:
American S/Sgt. Michael T. LaMedica, 04 Feb 1943. 
Died in hospital here. Aircraft B-17  41-24589 "Texas Bronco". 91BG - 323BS. Made an emergency landing beach Terschelling island. 
Read more on site: www.heroesoffreedom.nl/Michael.html

Grave exhumed 1945:
American S/Sgt. Douglas J. Miller, 11 Dec 1943.
Died in hospital here. Aircraft B-17  42-30218 "Heavenly Daze". 95BG - 335BS. Crashed near Ferwerd, a few km to the North of Leeuwarden. 
For more information on this aircraft Google 'B-17 42-30218'. 




Photo below: The Lake IJsselmeer victims in grave 3 and 4 and the unknown Sgt. in grave 7. They were buried in August and September 1941.  

 

































 

       
    © ZZairwar (Zuyder Zee Air war).