Aerial Operations in Holland

Heroes Remember

Aerial Operations in Holland

Transcript

Well Brussels was a peace time, Melsbrook was a peace time air base, and so it was a very big base, and the Germans had just cleared out before we got there, sort of thing, so we did our operations from there and most of it would be into Holland, because the army was being held up to make the plunge into, they had to get across the canals, for example. So we did a good few operations from there and then, but, it was only about two weeks later that we moved to Eindhoven and from there we worked very closely with the Army in the whole area. Our area essentially was from Arnhem, Nijmegen, along to the Rhine to, down to Venlo, that area. We did an operation at, while we were at Eindhoven, the Germans were using Het Loo Palace, which was the Dutch, one of the Dutch Royal Palaces, they were using a portion of the Palace property as a headquarters for the SS, and we were asked to go in and take this out. They didn't want the rest of the buildings touched and there was a flight, a squadron from our, 181 and 247, they flew top cover for us, and we obliterated the target which happened to be the horse stables, and as a matter of fact they put a plaque up which says that the, this is how the building disappeared was because 181 had gone in and attacked the target without touching the other buildings. There were wayward moments when the right, the rockets would veer but by and large you could pinpoint the target, particularly a building that you were going after. Picking out a tank, that's a little different we, you know, it and motor vehicles, well you use motor, your cannon on the motor vehicles, but the tanks you went after with the rockets. But I always felt that whether we hit the target or not, as far a the mechanization works go, we put the fear of God in, and of the opposition and I think that more of the enemy gave up after a rocket attack than ever did, then we did by way of damage. Bombing they would get just burrow into the ground and then come after it was all over, but with rockets, the sound, the fact that it looks like it's coming right at you, it changed their minds in a lot of instances.

Description

Mr. Hanna recalls missions in Holland and launching precision-strikes using rockets.

Kenneth Charles Hanna

Mr. Hanna was born in Prescott, Ontario but spent the majority of his childhood in Brockville. He was the oldest of four children and worked as an apprentice tool- maker after graduation from High School. In 1941, Mr. Hanna joined the Air Force in Ottawa. He chose the Air Force, as opposed to the Army or Navy, because he had "illusions of grandeur" and wanted to fly. Living up to his own expectations, Mr. Hanna was a successful pilot flying the Typhoon. He flew many missions in support of the Army over France and the Netherlands and his decorations include the Distinguished Flying Cross.

Meta Data

Medium:: Video
Owner:: Veterans Affairs Canada
Duration:: 03:16
Person Interviewed:: Kenneth Charles Hanna
War, Conflict or Mission:: Second World War
Location/Theatre:: Europe
Battle/Campaign:: Liberation of Holland
Branch:: Air Force
Units/Ship:: 181 RAF Squadron
Rank:: Sergeant
Occupation:: Pilot

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Aerial Operations in Holland

Heroes Remember