Lancaster
Exhibition
On the night of 4 to 5 September 1942, 251 bombers took off from RAF Syerston in England. One of them, the Lancaster R5682, was shot down above the Wadden Islands. The aircraft subsequently crashed in De Alde Feanen, near Warten. Of the seven crew members on board, five managed to escape by parachute. One of them did not survive the jump, while the other four were taken prisoner. One body was later recovered from the crash site. The final crew member, tail gunner Francis Cooper, was never found after the crash.
At the site where the Lancaster crashed, a permanent memorial has been created: De Zwaluwhaven. This 32-metre-long wall, designed by landscape architect Nynke Rixt Jukema, contains 251 holes for sand martins. The number of holes corresponds to the 251 aircraft that took off on the night of 4–5 September 1942. The length of the wall reflects the length of the Lancaster aircraft. Of the 251 holes, 12 are closed — symbolizing the twelve aircraft that did not return that night.
De Zwaluwhaven was officially opened on 15 April 2018. This date was chosen deliberately, as it marks the day Friesland was liberated in 1945. At the unveiling of the monument, 39 relatives of the pilots and crew members were present. Since 15 April 2018, an exhibition about the Lancaster and De Zwaluwhaven can also be visited in Earnewâld (De Stripe 12a, behind the Skûtsje Museum).
Opening hours
The exhibition has the same opening hours as the Skûtsje Museum. You can find the times here.
