On 13 May 1943, at 23:17, Halifax JB924 bomber aircraft of British No. 78 Squadron Royal Air Force took off from RAF Linton-on-Ouse (near York, United Kingdom). The aircraft was part of a large formation of planes, the night's target being the city of Bochum, Germany. On the return journey, the aircraft was intercepted by a German Messerschmitt Bf 110 night fighter aircraft from Fliegerhorst Leeuwarden (large German air force base in Leeuwarden, Netherlands at that time). 

The pilot of the German aircraft was Major Helmut Lent, a highly decorated fighter ace. He quickly had the Halifax in his sights and opened fire. The Halifax became nearly uncontrollable and was effectively lost. By then, the aircraft was flying over the Wadden Sea. Pilot Officer Richard Edward Bragg made a final attempt to steer the aircraft inland. During this maneuver, the oxygen supply failed, and the entire crew temporarily lost consciousness. 

As a result, the aircraft plunged downward. Bragg regained consciousness when the Halifax was only a few hundred metres from the ground, and his order to bail out could only be followed by navigator John Miller Farrell and bombardier Harry Gell. 

Gell landed with his parachute near Schalsum. Despite a broken ankle, he managed to crawl to the Attema farm. Aware of his medical condition and the risk of endangering the Attema family, he decided to surrender to the German forces. 

Farrell did not survive his jump from the aircraft, likely hitting part of the plane during his exit. Bragg and the rest of the crew perished when the Halifax crashed at 2:55 AM on April 14 in the Holleweg near Wijnaldum. 

Sippie van der Meulen from Wijnaldum village witnessed the crash: 

‘We saw the plane burning. At that moment, it seemed like the whole world was on fire. The next day, after school, we went to look. An Englishman was hanging in a tree. He had a cap on and wore a leather jacket with a fur collar. It smelled terrible, I think decomposition had already begun. On the day of the funeral, everyone cried. We cried too because we thought it was so sad.’ 

During the war, more than 400 Allied aircraft were shot down over Friesland, resulting in the deaths of hundreds of crew members. The following crew members of Halifax JB924 lost their lives: 

The Canadian crew members: 

Warrant Officer Class II John Miller Farrell (buried in the cemetery at the Protestant church in Dongjum village) 

Flight Sergeant Allan Alfred Kew 

The British crew members: 

Sergeant David Baxter 

Pilot Officer Richard Edward Bragg 

Flight Lieutenant Robert Grey 

Sergeant Rodger David Matches 

Sergeant Edwin Pritchard