Relation with Lake (class): Lake Casualty Cemetery (LCC)  
Total nr. of casualties buried here (TC): ? end WW2, today 7. 
Lake casualties, initially, end WW2 (LC-I): at least 7.
Unknown today: 2.  
of which unknown from Lake (LC-U): 2.
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 grave concentration: no
Cemetery with Lake casualties today: yes (LCE).


           
STAVOREN PROTESTANT CHURCHYARD

Stavoren is a small Old Zuyder Sea town on the tip of 'The Cape'. It was a landmark that was also visible at night. Therefore it was used as navigational way- and pivot point by Allied bombers on route to targets in Germany and on special missions, as weapons- & agents dropping for the resistance (SOE). It was also on the Northern route for the attack on the Ruhr-dams. Today 7 airmen rest in Stavoren, all washed ashore from the lake.

   

Dutch name cemetery: Hervormde begr. pl. Nicolaas kerk.
Full name: Staveren General Cemetery.
Address (usable for car navigation):
Voorstraat 65, Stavoren.

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









The Protestant Nicolas church and its yard (the General Cemetery) is situated in Stavoren's central street, which is a canal lined with trees and tiny fishermen houses on both sides. Because of the significance of the cape as way-point and dominant position on the bombing routes, one would expect to find more casualties in Stavoren, but there are seven other locations with airwar graves near Stavoren. From north to south: Workum, Hindeloopen, Koudum, Molkwerum, Stavoren, Scharl, Bakhuizen and Nijemirdum. 























































Photo below: During WW2 this area was an isolated occupied zone for five dark years. The daily overpassing Allied airforces reminded the people here that there still was a fighting non-defeated free world, which gave them hope. Allied airmen were their heroes and highly respected. If one came down by parachute, the civil population took great risks to help them hide and evade. As this cemetery shows, also in death the people of Stavoren keep the airmen in their midst.





































































Photo above: War graves plot in Stavoren.

Front row left to right:

- W/O  H.L. Ferguson, Canada (Halifax LL293), 15 Oct. 1944
- "A Victim" (no airforce emblem, no rank, no date), < 14 Oct. 1944
- P/O  J.K. Williams (Lancaster DS824), 22 Jan. 1944.

Back row left to right: 

- "An airman" (no rank, no airforce emblem), 24 Oct. 1943
- F/L Eric A. Tilbury (Lancaster ED603), 12/13 Jun. 1943
- F/Sgt. W.N. Partridge, Canada (Wellington HZ280), 14 May 1943
- Sgt. J.C. Luton, Australia (Lancaster R5755), 5 Sept. 1942

It is not impossible that the non-identified Airman 24 Oct. 1943 is Polish (Polish Air Force).


























































































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© ZZairwar (Zuyder Zee Air War)