Hey All ...... I have been trying to find information on this particular explosion that is in this photo. This picture is of the back of the barn where my Father was born and raised. At the bottom right you can see a dark spot .... that spot is actually a hole in the ground, you may be able to see the plank of wood that is over the hole. My Father said that no one ever explained the explosion and repairs were made and life moved on. I have researched flight records from both the german and British sides. Neither of which has any records indicating any aircraft in the area at all. So that should rule out the possibility of an aircraft dumping its payload. I have been to the archives of the little town in the Netherlands to see if they had any information, but they knew nothing and had no records of the rebuilding of the barn either. What are your thoughts, theories or ideas? Thanks so much! Scott
I'm not sure if it will be possible to know for sure what caused the damage. You are probably on the right track by ruling out as many possibilities as you can. Maybe artillery?
An aircraft dropping its bombs is what my Father thinks it was. Unfortunately there were, according to the research I have done, absolutely no aircraft in the area at that time. But as I wrote this...... maybe the time frame is incorrect? I'll have to check on that. The reason my Dad thinks that it was a plane dropping bombs is that there were a few other explosions further away in a line leading towards the coast.
Bombers especially damaged ones wouldn't necessarily have many details associated with their actual flight path. For instance this account (linked and posted by one of our members): http://elinorflorence.com/blog/halifax-bomb-aimer gives the account of a damaged bomber that thought they were headed back for Britain but actually headed for Germany until one of them noted the North Stars position at which point they turned around and headed for Britain. I doubt there are any records that show with any great reliablity just where this plane was. Navigation during that period was also not as precise as it is today. My uncle taught nav school for bomber navigators then flew combat missions with the 8th AF. He had a number of "interesting" times where due to unexpected winds they were off their flight path to a considerable extent.
Well, knowing that bit of info, I would have to agree with your Dad. And, as others have pointed out, absence of evidence is not evidence of absence. No record of aircraft in the area is not the same as no aircraft in the area.
