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| Dutch KLM  Blaak Prewar |
Pilot Captain Cornelis Blaak (missing) Co-Pilot Hendrik Willem Nieuwdorp (missing) Engineer Marinus Veenendaal (POW, died) Radio Pieter Pronk (died, body recovered) Crashed February 26, 1942 Aircraft History Built by Douglas. Construction Number 1981. Purchased by Koninklijke Luchtvaart Maatschappij (KLM) / Royal Dutch Airlines as a civilian airliner. Wartime History On February 26, 1942 at night took off from Broome Airfield piloted by Captain Cornelis Blaak on a flight bound for Bandoeng West Airfield (Andir) on western Java. Due to lack of fuel this plane attempted an emergency landing roughly 18.6 miles / 30km from Palembang but during the landing hit trees and crashed near Loeboekkelibat (Lubuk Kliat) on southern Sumatra. Fates of the Crew The entire crew survived the crash lading, some with injuries. Afterwards, the precise fate of each of the crew is unknown. It is possible pilot Blaak was murdered by locals or Japanese forces. Co-pilot Nieuwdorp managed to escape but is still reported as missing. Engineer Veenendaal was captured and later dies as a prisoner at Birma Railroad Works. Radio Pronk was killed. Postwar, in 1948 the crash was investigated by the Dutch authorities and the bodies of Blaak, Nieuwdorp and Veenendaal where never found. The remains of Pronk were recovered and transported to Bandung for permanent burial. Memorials Pronk is buried at the Dutch War Cemetery Pandu (Ereveld Pandu, Pandu Cemetery) at Bandung in western Java. Relatives Jaap Blaak (son of Cornelis Blaak) Ed Ijsbrandij adds: "I am a friend of the Blaak family and it is very difficult for them to accept that there is no known grave. The Dutch Authorities and KLM Historians from Holland can not help the family more than they did. My question is; Is there anybody who knows the crash site or have contacts in the area of the crash site at Loeboekkelihat? All the info we have so far, is based on the report of 1948." References FindAGrave - Pieter Pronk (Ereveld Pandu) date of death listed as March 6, 1942 Thanks to Ed Ijsbrandij for additional information Contribute Information Are you a relative or associated with any person mentioned? Do you have photos or additional information to add? Last Updated April 26, 2023 |
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