Flying Dutchman DM

b. ?  d. 08/1944 English Channel.

DATE OF DM ACTION: 1944 Occupied Europe.

Little is known of the background of the dark-chequered cock bird originally given the code name NPS.42.NS.44802. During 1942 and 1943 he was assigned to light aircraft in the North Sea, and on many occasions, completed flights from crash-landed light aircraft. After proving himself, he was selected for more dangerous work behind enemy lines accompanying agents on the Continent.

On three occasions he homed in with important messages in March, May and June 1944, each time covering a distance of between 150 and 250 miles in good time. On the fourth mission, in August 1944, he was released by his agent with a message but sadly he never made it home to his loft. Consequently, he was renamed the Flying Dutchman after the ghost ship which never made port. He was posthumously awarded the Dickin Medal in March 1945.

 

DM CITATION:

For successfully delivering messages from agents in Holland on three occasions. Missing on fourth mission, while serving with the RAF in 1944.

 

BURIAL LOCATION: LOST AT SEA.  

LOCATION OF MEDAL: UNKNOWN.