Table Of ContentDedication
This book is dedicated to all who took part in Operation OYSTER, or who were affected
by the raid, on the ground or in the air. It is especially in remembrance of those, both
military and civilian, who were killed.
Royalties
Royalties from the sale of this book will go to the Royal Air Force Benevolent Fund.
First published in Great Britain in 2014 by
Pen & Sword Aviation
an imprint of
Pen & Sword Books Ltd
47 Church Street
Barnsley
South Yorkshire
S70 2AS
Copyright © Kees Rijken, Paul Schepers, Arthur Thorning 2014
ISBN 978 1 47382 109 5
eISBN 9781473839786
The right of Kees Rijken, Paul Schepers, Arthur Thorning to be identified as the Authors
of this Work has been asserted by them in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and
Patents Act 1988.
A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
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Contents
Maps
Introduction: Eyewitness Accounts and Acknowledgements
Chapter 1 Eindhoven and the Philips Company
Chapter 2 Choice of Target
Chapter 3 Forces Available for the Attack
Chapter 4 Planning and Training for the Raid
Chapter 5 The Raid
Chapter 6 Success Achieved
Chapter 7 The Cost to Philips and Eindhoven
Chapter 8 Aftermath and Hindsight
Chapter 9 Monument: Memorial in Eindhoven
Chapter 10 Postscript: Comments on Appendices
Appendix I No. 2 Group Operation Order 82
Appendix II Low level navigation to Eindhoven
Appendix III Operation Oyster Evaluation
Appendix IV American Diversionary Raid
Appendix V RAF Casualties
Appendix VI Civilians Killed
Appendix VII German Soldiers Killed
Appendix VIII Philips Fire Service Report
Glossary
Bibliography
Maps
Map 1. Operation OYSTER – British Aerodromes
Map 2. Eastern England – Route of Practice Flight
Map 3. Operational Routes to and from Eindhoven
Eindhoven showing principal features, including the Strijp and Emmasingel
Map 4.
plants
Map 5. Route across Eindhoven taken by Boston aircraft OM-Z
Map 6. Route of Boston RH-K
Map 7. Route of PR Mosquito XD-F over Eindhoven
Bombs outside Philips – stray HE bombs dropped early and to the east of the
Map 8.
Strijp target
Map 9. Appendix VIII – Map of area surrounding the Emmasingel complex
Map 10. Appendix VIII – Map of area surrounding the Strijp complex
Introduction: Eyewitness Accounts and
Acknowledgements
Kees Rijken’s words
My interest in aeroplanes dates back from 1932, when the airfield at Eindhoven was
opened and my grandad offered me a flight in the single-engine Fokker F.7A PH-ACT
above the city of Eindhoven (this aircraft was destroyed on 10 May 1940, when hangared
at Schiphol, by a German bombardment during the invasion of The Netherlands). Through
the magazine De Vliegwereld I was able to follow the development and production of all
new aircraft. This enabled me on 10 May 1940 to recognize the German Heinkel 111s,
which were flying in great numbers across Eindhoven on a Western heading. This was the
invasion of The Netherlands and the beginning of the war in our country.
During the war years, the only possible way to gain knowledge about participating
aircraft from the countries at war was via German publications. However, this proved
rather satisfactory and I never had difficulty in instantly recognizing any particular type of
plane during the war. Whenever it was reasonably possible, I tried to see as much as
possible of the aerial movements above and around Eindhoven during these years. My
favourite spotting place was the roof of my parents’ house along the Sint Rochusstraat.
This was also the case on 6 December 1942.
It was noon, half-past twelve. We were all having dinner, when suddenly an enormous
amount of noise interfered, originating from aeroplane engines, anti-aircraft guns,
exploding bombs and machine guns. Up to the roof!
From the rooftop I could see a number of Douglas Bostons approaching from the
west, flying in the direction of the Philips factories. As seen from my vantage point, some
of them started the bomb drop ahead of the St Rochusstraat. Explosions and clouds of
smoke were clearly visible. Several minutes after the Bostons’ departure, from a somewhat
more northerly direction, another group of aircraft followed which I immediately
recognized as Lockheed Venturas, producing a terrific coffee-grinder like noise. They
were being hailed by the now fully alert German anti-aircraft guns. Suddenly the right
wing of one of the attacking Venturas was enveloped in fire. It pulled up sharply, stalled
and dropped like a stone to crash in open terrain near the Schoolstraat (Ventura I, AE702
SB-Q, 464 Squadron). All the crew perished, as I was informed later. I also saw a Ventura,
apparently hit, lose height and disappear in an easterly direction. It crashed at the Nieuwe
Dijk; all the crew perished.
After the departure of the Venturas huge clouds of smoke were filling the sky above
Eindhoven, and the blazing inferno of many fires could be seen and heard. Curious as I
was, I took to my bike and cycled to the city centre. Stratumseind and the Wal were
already sealed off. At the Bergstraat I was ordered to reverse. At that moment a lone
Mosquito raced over the city to photograph and film the results of the bombardment as I
was told by one of the spectators who had been forced to work in Germany for a while and
had seen this happen before. On my way home I saw two not-yet-exploded bombs lying
on the Dommelbrug in de Jan Smitzlaan.
After the war my interest in this raid never left me and I tried to gain an overall
picture of it by buying books in which, albeit mostly on just one or two pages, an anecdote
about this bombardment could be found. This has led to overcrowded bookshelves but still
no clear picture of what happened on 6 December 1942. It was not until my son-in-law
Paul and I started to really investigate the history of Operation OYSTER, by means of
repeated visits to the UK Public Records Office, Imperial War Museum, London and RAF
Hendon that most (still not all) of the puzzle could be recovered. There followed many
discussions and an extensive correspondence with participating veteran airmen and
multiple visits to former airfields involved. We reported our findings in one document, so
as to have all Operation OYSTER related information at hand at once. This is the result.
