Douwe S. Drijver

Leeuwarden / The Netherlands, January 26, 2018

Re: Geoffrey Wragge. RAF 139947

Dear Madam / Sir

Since the early 1970s our research group Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation (SMAMF) has been investigating the air-war over the Northern part of the Netherlands. It is our main objective to gather as much information as possible about the aircraft and the airmen which came down over the province of Friesland during the Second World War. We consider it very important to keep the memory to the air war alive, especially since many flyers paid with their lives for our Freedom.

Over the years, our extensive archival research brought us in contact with many former airmen, pilot-helpers and other researchers all over the world. In some cases we have been able to clear up the fate of pilots who were reported missing in action. On a few occasions we also succeeded in returning recovered personal items from the flyers to their families. Our research group made several exhibitions about the air-war and closely cooperates with the Frisian Museum and Resistance Museum in Leeuwarden.

One of the aircraft which came down in the province of Friesland was Stirling R9263 of No. 7 Squadron Royal Air Force. The bomber took off from Oakington at 00.40 hours for an operation to Bocholt / Germany. Over the Northern part of The Netherlands the aircraft was intercepted by a German night-fighter flown by Heinz Grimm. After a short aerial combat the Stirling was shot down and crashed near the village of Akkerwoude. Six crewmember lost their lives and are buried in the local cemetery. F.A. Painter succeeded in bailing out and was taken prisoner by the Germans. He had to spend the rest of the war in a POW camp.

Geoffrey Wragg(e). was one of the victims. He was born on the 7th November 1919 in Sheffield and was the son of Samuel George and Julia Mary Wragge, nee Middleton. On the 9th May 1933 Geoffrey entered the Yardley Secondary School. He had his previous education at the Ernest Bailey Secondary School and North Darley Elementary School. They both were in Matlock. In the mid thirties the family lived at 710, Stratford Road Sparkhill and 103, Blythswood Road Tysedale.

On the 5th of May 2018, Dutch liberation day and 75 years after the crash, an information-panel will be unveiled near the meadow where the Stirling came down. It tells the story of the crash and the brave airmen. The people of Akkerwoude will never forget the sacrifice they made for their freedom. We would like to contact the family and invite them to attend the ceremony.

If you have any information about the Wragge family please contact us:

E-mail: [email protected]

Telephone:
00-31-58-2661478 (home)
00-31-58-2050047 (office)

It must be emphasized that it is absolutely not our purpose to violate anyone’s privacy. All the information passed on to us will be for use of the foundation only.

We like to thank you in advance for your cooperation and look forward to your reply.

Kind regards,

On behalf of the Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation,

Douwe S. Drijver,

Treasurer and researcher.