Studiegroep Luchtoorlog 1939-1945

						Sgt. James F. Burnett was the left waist gunner of B-24 42-95138 ‘No love no nothing’ that crashed in the hamlet of Hessum near Dalfsen on 11 September 1944. He bailed out and landed in the vicinity of Ommen where he was assisted in hiding by three persons: 'Jon', 'Herman' and 'Gerrit'. Initially this was in the fields somewhere west of Ommen. From September 20 until October 10, Burnett stayed with the family of Herman Frie in the Wilhelminastraat in Nijverdal. On 14 or 15 October Gerrit Jan Piksen (Zuidweg 94 at Nijverdal) a resistance worker from Nijverdal, brought Burnett to the farm of G.J. Hegeman at the Noetselerberg 8. Here he met 1st Lieutenant Ted L. Weaver (E0602). During or shortly after the transfer, Piksen was arrested by the Germans. He was interrogated and badly molested before he was executed on 19 October 1944. On 29 October both Americans moved to the house of the Harten family at the Grootestraat 274 in Nijverdal. From here they moved to the house of the Van der Wal family at the Hellendoornseweg in Nijverdal on December 1st to returned to the Harten family on December 7th. Rumor had it that the Germans would confiscate the house so both airmen were transferred to different addresses on 6 March 1945. Burnett went to stay with the Ter Avest family in Zuna to be liberated in Rijssen on 9 April 1945.