More than food

22 April 1945

We have started practising supply dropping by flying low level across the aerodrome and dropping sandbags on a white cross.

1 May 1945

Holland from Rotterdam to the North is still occupied. To stop our advance the Germans have flooded half of the country with the result that the towns are full of homeless and hungry Dutch people.

By special arrangement we are being allowed to drop food without opposition.
We set out at 11 this moring with 6,000 lbs of food on each aircraft, for a place near the Hague. Crossed the Dutch coast at low level just North of Overflakee. The whole coastline and the banks of the rivers and canals are lined with defense posts and gun positions, although I never saw a German soldier the whole time. I daresay they had orders to keep under cover in case we shot at them. The population turned out and waved at us. It was a heartening sight! Some of them were waving flags. Mostly French, but all red white and bleu. One little man I saw had a big flag in each hand and when he caught sight of our kite (i.e. aircraft) he waved and jumped up and down in his excitement. A woman was perched on the roof of a house waving like mad and shouting something. I should think every person in the Hague turned to cheer us.

Our dropping ground was in a sports ground North of the Hague, and the grandstand was packed with the good people. I wouldn't swear to it but someone looking very much like an English mayor was there in his robes of office. The grandstand was only a stones throw from our dropping point which was marked by a white cross.

Came back to England at nought (i.e. zero) feet above the North Sea very pleased with ourselves.