Short Stirling N3709 Memorial, Etten

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On the evening of 26 March 1942, Short Stirling N3709 of 7 Squadron departed RAF Oakington at 20:17, bound for Essen in the Ruhr. Aboard were seven men, including Wing Commander John Henry Abel Chapman — Officer Commanding 7 Squadron — flying as co-pilot. Chapman's presence on a front-line operation was characteristic of the era, when senior officers flew with their crews; his loss at 34 was a significant blow to the unit.

7 Squadron had a particular distinction in Bomber Command history. It was the first squadron to operate four-engined heavy bombers in the war and would later become one of the founding units of the Pathfinder Force (No. 8 Group). On this night in March 1942, however, the Stirling was still a new type and the campaign against the Ruhr was at an early, costly stage.

Over the Netherlands, the aircraft was coned by searchlights operated by Gruppe III, Flakscheinwerfer Regiment 1, and held for approximately nine minutes — an agonising stretch of exposure that would have made evasive manoeuvre extremely difficult. Above Terborg, at around 23:00, the Stirling was intercepted by Oberleutnant Siegfried Wandam of 3./NJG1, flying from Venlo. This was Wandam's second confirmed Abschuss (aerial victory). The aircraft was shot down and crashed at Tappenweg, Rafelder, Etten.

All seven crew were killed. The Australian pilot, Flying Officer Geoffrey Thomas Heard, is believed to have attempted to bail out but was too low for his parachute to deploy. All seven are buried in Gendringen Roman Catholic Cemetery, Row A — just a short distance from where they fell.

The Stirling silhouette memorial, unveiled on the 75th anniversary in 2017, was designed by the Van Loon brothers, local men who grew up near the crash site and brought a personal investment to the project. At 13 metres, the corten-steel structure is visible across the surrounding fields. A QR code on the sculpture links to eyewitness film footage recorded on the night of the crash, so visitors can watch what local people saw.

The memorial was designed by brothers Jurgen and Frank van Loon, local men who grew up near the Rafelder crash site. A QR code on the sculpture links to eyewitness film footage of the crash and its aftermath, connecting visitors directly to living memory of the night. At the 2017 unveiling were Sara Perry-Chapman, daughter of Wing Commander Chapman, and Jonathan Heard, representing the Heard family. Co-funded by the Etten Mill Foundation and TenneT.

Do you know of any commemorative events or annual services held at this memorial? We would love to hear from local communities who remember.

Memorial maintained by the Etten Village Committee. Funded by a partnership of the Etten Mill Foundation, the Village Committee, and TenneT.