Studiegroep Luchtoorlog 1939-1945

						Sgt. Michael Fedoruk was the bomb aimer of Lancaster ME672. During a bombing mission to Berlin in the night of 24/25 March 1944, this bomber was shot down by a nightfighter and crashed at Lage-Mierde. Fedoruk was the only survivor. He landed somewhere between Turnhout and Reusel near the Dutch-Belgian border. He started walking in the direction of Eindhoven. He approached a house and was welcomed inside by widow Adriana Kokx-Lemmens (Heikant A6 at Hoge Mierde). He stayed in Hoge Mierde for two weeks. In the next hiding place in Boxtel he met Charles D. Crook (E0312), an American airman. Both airmen travelled separately to Amersfoort where they stayed with family D.L. Otten from 9 April until 10 May 1944. Here they were joined by 2/Lt. Eddie Bevan (E0238). Next hiding place was in Laren near Zutphen. They hid in the farm of the Koeslag family. Fedoruk and the other airmen stayed here from 10 May until 27 July 1944. Fedoruk, Crook and Bevin were joined - shortly after arrival in Laren - by Sgt. G. Martin (E0537) and two Canadian flyers. On 27 July Crook and Fedoruk moved to Nijverdal where they found a hiding place in the house/drug store of the Klomps family. Then they moved to Zuna where they hid in the house of widow Gerritdina Ter Avest-Mensink and her daughter at the Provinciale Weg 9. Shortly after Crook left on his own to try to reach the allied lines. He was replaced by P/O. Gerald Hood (E0004) and after he had left too, by Sgt. James F. Burnett (E0657). The American sergeant also stayed only briefly in Zuna. Fedoruk remained with the Ter Avest family until the liberation of the area. On 10 April 1945 Fedoruk met the first Canadian troops after more than a year after being shot down in nearby Nijverdal. 

Michael Fedoruk passed away on 8 February 2006 at the age of 84 years.