John Zealand
and the Delta Upsilon Fraternity in 1935.
Zealand is in the second row from the
bottom, fourth from the right.
(Photo
courtesy of The Ohio State University
Archives)
After
graduating, he joined the Royal Canadian Air
Force and was trained to be a Navigator.
During the early years of the war, he was
posted to 102 Squadron.
On 9 November
1942, Sgt. John Zealand and his crew, were
to fly a mission to Hamburg. His crew
consisted off:
Sgt D T Marler,
Pilot
F/S F W Read, 2nd Pilot
Sgt John Zealand, Navigator
Sgt M K Callan, Wireless operator
Sgt S Broome, Air Gunner
Sgt W A Moir, Air Gunner
Sgt P Richardson, Engineer
Sgt E H Kingsland, Observer
They took off
in Halifax DT539 DY-A from their base
Pocklington to bomb Hamburg. On the way to
or from the target the Halifax was hit by
Flak. The plane finally crashed on a sea
dike near Oosterend, on the island of Texel.
The whole crew
was killed and were on 13 November buried at
Den Burg cemetery.
P/O Zealand was
33
years old. He is buried at Plot K. Row 6.
Grave 129.
(Picture by
Rob van Voorst)
