In Memory Of

VAN DER MERWE, NICHOLAAS PETRUS

Service Details
Age:
 21
Date of Birth:
 -0001-11-30
Service No:
 778400
Rank:
 Sergeant
Regiment:
 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve
Date of Death:
 1941-09-20
Cause of Death:
 Killed in action, Hampden I P5314, crew of four took off from Croughton which is the satellite airfield for Upper Heyford on a night flying exercise. Unfortunatly for this crew they were unaware of a lone German JU88 night-fighter which was sharing the same air space! Oblt. Paul Semrau (I/NJG2) and his crew had picked out the airfield of Upper Heyford for their next target and released their bomb load which fell in a line across the airfield. At the same time, Sgt, Van Der Merwe was preparing to land back at Croughton after completing their exercises - it is not known if the pilot had been informed that there was a German night-fighter operating in the area. Witnesses on the ground heard a burst of cannon and machine gun fire, before they saw a Hampden catch fire in the air. Sadly, the aircraft crashed near the airfield where it was totally destroyed, killing all four crew
Commemoration
Grave Reference:
 Sec. B. Grave 79.
Cemetery:
 UPPER HEYFORD CEMETERY
Localitly:
 Oxfordshire
Country:
 United Kingdom
Additional Information
Son of Pieter Jacobus Theron van der Merwe and of Stoffelina Cornelia van der Merwe (nee Maartens); husband of Beryl Gwendolyn van der Merwe (nee du Barry), of Salisbury, Southern Rhodesia.