Broadstairs
Note: This map only shows the position of Broadstairs town within the UK.
BROADSTAIRS see also CALLIS GRANGE FARM
BROADSTAIRS: Temporary landing site
NOTES: In his book East Kent At War David Collyer relates that two Dutchmen defected, (or should I say escaped?), in WW2 flying their Fokker seaplane across the North Sea to land here. I wonder what happened to that aircraft?
Having over the years visited most of the towns on the Isle of Thanet, and quite a few recently, it does make me wonder if these two Dutchmen surveyed the coast before selecting Broadstairs to land at. Many if not most of the alternatives have shingle beaches which could easily damage the floats on their aircraft - whereas Broadstairs is both soft sand and having a small harbour for protection.
A PROBABLE ANSWER?
As the information on the inter-web gathers momentum, in January 2022 I decided to look and see what more might be learnt regarding the 'Comment' lodged below.
It appears that on the 6th May 1941, four men, former Lieutenant Govert Steen and Corporal Evert Willem Boomsa, both of the Army Aviation Brigade, along with Fokker technician Wilbert Lindeman and former Dutch Army lieutenant Jan Beelaerts van Blokland, swam out to the Fokker T.VIIw (TD+CI) moored off Minervahaven near Amsterdam. At dawn they got it started and took off heading towards England, landing near Broadstairs. Of interest I think, is that it appears the pilot, Steen, was a fighter pilot, so presumably had next to no experience on twin-engine types, let alone floatplanes?
It seems more than probable that this aircraft was flown across to PEMBROKE DOCK in South Wales to join No.320 (Dutch) Squadron which had been formed there flying this type for coastal escort duties. However, their tenure here was quite short-lived due to lack of spares and these aircraft were ferried across to FELIXSTOWE. Quite why, who knows? Presumably they were then scrapped?
Nathaniel Boomsma
This comment was written on: 2020-03-12 02:33:55My grandad Evert Willem Boomsma was in that plane when it crashed, I really want to know what happened to it, does anyone have info?
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