’S’ for Sugar remembered

After some spirited, challenging and enjoyable cross country driving the crews of The Beaujolais Run 2018 found themselves at the Royal Netherlands Air Force Base at Gilze-Rijen.

Gilze Rijen is an active air base, normally closed to the public, and now flying both Apache and Chinook helicopters. On arrival, the ‘Run crews were received as visiting VIP’s, and whisked straight through security.

However in World War Two, the story was very different.The base had been taken over by the Luftwaffe who used it as both a bomber and fighter base. The former to attack Britain and the latter to intercept bomber and reconnaissance planes bound for Germany.

At 0011 on 17 May 1943, the night of the Dams Raid, Pilot Officer Lewis Burpee and his crew left RAF Scampton at 0011, but never made it as far as the German border...

While still over Holland, and approaching the gap between the heavily defended airfields at Gilze Rijen and Eindhoven, the aircraft strayed off course. It climbed slightly, probably in an effort to determine its exact position, but was then caught in searchlights and hit by flak. At 0200, it crashed on the edge of Gilze Rijen airfield, six miles south west of Tilburg. Its mine exploded on impact, demolishing a large number of buildings and doing damage estimated at 1.5 million guilders.

The demise of the Burpee crew was seen by both Stefan Oancia, bomb aimer in AJ-F, a minute or so behind, and Douglas Webb, still further back in the front turret of AJ-O.

The ‘Runs very own 'S' for Sugar crew, of Alex and Suzy Kinsman, layed a wreath on behalf of 617 Squadron, RAF Scampton and the 'Run at the monument; after having been been given a tour of the base and private museum on, which included Dambuster's effects from the crash site.

The memorial to ’S’ for Sugar was unveiled by Burpee’s son; also called Lewis Burpee, who was born on Christmas Eve 1943, seven months after his father’s death. On the 4th of May 2018 this memorial was erected at the crash site. The memorial is made up of a large piece of crankshaft from one of the crashed Lancaster’s engines. It has seven pistons, once for each of the AJ-S crew, and is faced with an engraved plaque. Crews got to meet Sander who campaigned for the memorial an the museums on base curator Ton.

After the story of the memorial’s commissioning, Sander explained that the crew names had been laser cut. The resulting metal letters had been given to the crew members relatives earlier this year. Sander present the ‘Run with the punched out letters that spelt ‘Lest we forget’ in honor of the ‘Runs visit (before it’s core undertaking of returning the Beaujolais). Tonight the crews are scratching their heads coming up with ideas and a location where a permanent, and fitting home can be found. It’s sure to be creative, publicity packed and end up in a very special place.

The ‘Run also presented the museum with two 617 Squadron flight patches conveyed from the UK on behalf of the Squadron, and an article of 617 related 'Run memorabilia for inclusion in the collection.