Studiegroep Luchtoorlog 1939-1945

						1/Lt. Charles Andrew (Jack/Chuck) Haupt was one of the navigators of B-17 Flying Fortress 42-30280 'Crazy Horse'. After bombing Diepholz this radar aircraft fell out of the formation when trouble occurred with two engines. The crew was unable to feather the propellers. Later the bomber was attacked by FW190's. The B-17 eventually crashed near Bunschoten. The entire crew managed to bail out in time and survived. Four of the thirteen crew members managed to evade capture. These were besides Haupt: 1/Lt. Joel D. Punches (E0307), S/Sgt. Harold M. Booth (E0305) and Capt. Gerald D. Binks (E0304). These men bailed out over the Veluwe. Haupt landed according to his own escape report in the Kroondomeinen near Vierhouten. Haupt landed in a tree but could free himself. After burying his mae west and parachute he started walking. There is a story 'going round' that Haupt felt confident enough to go into a small rural Dutch store to buy some food and drink. But the clients stared at him and the man behind the counter asked 'are you a German officer?'. Haupt sensed trouble and replied loudly 'Jawohl'. Outside he went around a corner and ran for some time. According to his own escape report he walked until 1 AM before he hid himself. According to another source, the helper report of Martinus Weber who lived with his wife at the 'Edmar Hoeve' at the Elspeeterweg 30 at Nunspeet, Haupt contacted him in the evening hours. Weber supplied Haupt with a suit, shirt, tie and sock, while another Dutchman, Mr. Hogeweg from the Stationslaan in Nunspeet) gave him shoes and a wintercoat. After he had changed into civilian clothes, Haupt was escorted by Weber to H. Bos at Stationslaan in Nunspeet, who sheltered him in his fox-farm at the Groenelaantje in Nunspeet until members of 'the underground organisation (local)' came to fetch him two days later. Haupt was handed over to Andries Mettinus Lenstra (Eperweg 61, Nunspeet). He was one of the resistance leaders of the Nunspeet area and also one of forces behind the ‘Pas Op’-camp in the woods near Vierhouten, also known as 'Het Verscholen Dorp'. The nine huts of this camp, partly above and partly below ground level were first used for Jewish refugees. Later during the war also airmen sheltered here. Haupt was probably the first, or at least one of the first airmen to arrive in the camp. He would remaind here about 30 days (according to Lenstra).

He was then handed over to Gerrit van den Born (Langestraat 87 in Amersfoort), the 'transport leader' of Fiat Libertas for the Veluwe area and also known as 'Jos', 'Tony' or 'Joost'. He brought Haupt to the house of resistance worker Gelius Leberthus (Gerrit) Ottens and his wife at Randenbroekerweg 5. Here they joined or were joined by Haupt. They remained here for four days. It's very well possible that Ottens handed the three over to Joke Folmer at Driebergen who brought Haupt, Booth and Punches to her parents' house at Homeruslaan 57 in Zeist. According to the Helper File of her father, Herman Folmer, Haupt remained here for seven days and Booth and Punches only one day. From here probably Joke Folmer escorted him to Roermond. She probably handed over Haupt here to Remko Roosjen and/or Frans Verbruggen who at their turn gave him over to Wilhemina van de Voort (Broek in Zuid 44 at Maasniel). Together with her sister she ran a local 'pilot hiding organisation'. From 2 April until 16 April Haupt hid at the house of Petrus Gierlings at Spikkerweg 160 in Maasniel. In this period he also hid for two day in the house of Antonius Josephus Hubertus Suntjens at Koningin Wilhelminalaan 90 in Maasniel. From Maasniel Haupt possibly moved to the estate 'De Bedelaer' at Haelen, where he was helped by the daughter of professor Eugene Dubois. He joined here or was joined here by several other airmen: F/O. Robert Cleveland (E0355), S/Sgt. Edgar M. Taylor (E0323), Sgt. Tom S. Geary (E0317), Sgt. Eric J. Hilditch (E0356), 2/Lt. Leo Williams (E0324), Sgt. James W. Firth (E0448) and Sgt. Mansel F. Williams (E0452), the latter two were both from the RAF and P/O. Richard C.B. Garrity of the RCAF (E0544). Jaak Johannes Wolters (Hunsel 122 at Haler) guided Haupt and others over the Dutch-Belgian border near Molenbeersel and handed them over to Nic Faber. With these men (and possibly one or two more) Haupt was brought to Kelpen. On 2 July the first group, with among others Geary, Taylor, Williams and Hilditch, set off. After an adventurous tour the group found a hiding place in the chicken coops of P. Hendrikx and A. Mooren close to the Canal in Kelpen. On 4 July they were picked up by a truck and taken to the Dutch-Belgian border. Here they hid in the barn of G. Truyen from Molenbeersel (who was unaware of this). In the night of 6/7 July they crossed the border by foot. Although they were shot at by the Rijkswacht they safely arrived in a straw hut near Molenbeersel. The next day the group was taken to another hut. On 12 July the group arrived in Maaseik and was now split up in smaller groups. Haupt eventually moved to the Liege area. He hid at least two weeks in the house of Jean Colleye at Rue Colline 252 in Seraing. He was entually liberated in the vicinity of Liege in early September 1944.

Chartles A. Haupt passed away on 19 October 2007 at the age of 92.