418 squadron were
flying with Boston light bomber at the time,
with a crew of four. The sqaudron's task was
night intruder missions. An intruder mission
was a risky one, in which patience and
stealth were the prime virtues. Night after
night, 418 took to their Bostons and flew
alone at low altitude to the enemy's
airfields, circling in the dark, waiting for
the enemy to approach for landing. When the
airstrip lit up, or the enemy aircraft
turned its landing lights on, the Boston
would swoop in suddenly and attempt to shoot
down the enemy on his approach. Then it
would disappear as swiftly as it had come,
but not before it had deposited its bombs on
the runway.
The squadron flew its
first mission in March 1942. F/O de Mier had
probably already flown with another squadron
before being posted to 418.
On 18 May 1942,
he and his crew prepared for an intruder
mission. That night 5 Bostons would be sent
out to the airfields of Schiphol,
Leeuwarden, Soesterberg, Eindhoven,
Gilze-Rijen.
F/O de Mier and his crew
were sent to Leeuwarden. The crew consisted of:
S/L P.S.Q.
Anderson, pilot
P/O William Falconer Young, navigator
Cpl Frank Jules George Miller, wireless
operator
F/O Sebastian Bernard de Mier, air gunner
They took off in Boston
III W8318 from their base at Bradwell Bay in
Essex.
It seems the Boston was hit by AA fire from
Leeuwarden airfield, causing the oxygen
bottles in the cockpit to ignite. The pilot,
S/L Anderson, managed to bail out or was
thrown out of the plane and managed to open
his parachute.
The Boston came down at 01.15,
near Akkerwoude. All died in the crash
except S/L
Anderson. Although wounded, he is taken
prisoner by the Germans.
S/L Anderson died in an
air crash in 1951.
F/O de Mier is buried
at Damwoude General Cemetery, Plot E. Row 7.
Grave 2.
