HisStory during the Air-Battle of Berlin

Gerard lived at the Broerdijk 107, Nijmegen, Holland.
Our family consisted of father and mother and two sisters. Gerard was the oldest of the children.
His school was at at the Hertogstraat, because the German progressed the school at the Koolemans Beynestraat.

Every morning, Carel Zwarts picked up my brother. Gerard grabbed his breakfist, kissed my mother and went to school.
On that terrible February 22 it was something else. He had reseaved a dime for the tram, gave mom a kiss and left. He was already out of the garden gate when he suddenly came back again to give mother a kiss. That's what my mother always remembered.
The incredible noise of the bombardment I will never forget. We were terrified to Gerard, who, unlike his cousin Albert Cox and several other children, still was not home.

My mother brought my sister to the neighbor and together we went to town to find Gerard.
At the “wedren”, we were sent back and eventually we reached in one way or another the Wilhelmina Hospital. I was not allowed inside. I remember that my mother was deathly pale came out.
Everywhere she had seen dead and moaning seriously injured. Against so much misery, she was no match. The brother of my mother whent to pick up my father from his work at Alewijnse and together they continued the search.
In the Wilhelmina Hospital, everyone was in and out, looking for missing relatives. There, my father found Gerard, among many other deaths. My father was devastated by grief. He has removed Gerard among the dead and separately laid apart.

Later we heard that manny boys had missed the tram and that they walked to the next stop on the Kelfkensbos were they were hit by a cluster bomb.
It must have been horrible, so many dead and wounded in one place.
Henk van Kleef, who was seriously injured, but survived, said my brother told him that "he was so terribly cold." Those were his last words.
Beside my brother Gerard also his close friend Carel Zwarts and their fellow students Willy Becks, Daantje van Halen , Tonnie van Megen, Henkie Puts and Antoon and Henkie Schreven died at the Kelfensbos.
They were burried from the Christuskoning Church in the cemetery at the Daalseweg in one grave .

Returned early	LW815	P/O L.Broadhurst returned early due engine problems between Cambridge and Norwich. Furthest point reached at 52.39N/00.58E Bombs jettisoned safe over sea on there return flight.
Returned early	LW510	S A. McCarthy returned early owing to port Inner engine being unserviceable due engine problems over the North Sea. Furthest point reached at 50.20N/01.00E (LW510 crashed on the raid of March 24)
Lost in Action	LV814 EY-C	The LV814 of P/O G.Storey crashed at Recourt-le-Cruex (Meuse), S of Verdun. All airman were killed. Airborne 23:58 hours from Breighton. Cause of loss not established. Believed to have crashed at Recourt-le- Creux (Meuse), 25 km S of Verdun. All are buried in Choloy War Cemetery, France. F/s G.M.Storey KIA, Sgt W.R.Hales KIA, F/S J.S.Sutherland KIA, F/O P.Kinsella KIA, Sgt A.E.Reeve KIA, Sgt E.C.Nott KIA, Sgt R.W.Gray KIA.
Lost in Action	LV813	F/S Hrynkiw took off from Breighton at 00:45 21 Feb '44. The primary target was attacked and bombed at 4:04 a.m. from an altitude of 70,000 feet. On return diverted to RAF Dunsfold, Surrey due to fuel shortage and landing gear problems. Upon landing at 6:10 a.m. it swung 90 degrees to starboard. The pilot tried to get airborne again but crashed into trees near the border. Fortunately, none of the crew members were injured.