Studiegroep Luchtoorlog 1939-1945

						F/Lt. Oliver George Korpela was the pilot of Lancaster ME700. The bomber was shot down in the night of 23/24 September 1944 during a raid to breach the Dortmund-Eems Canal at Ladbergen, north of Münster. Korpela’s Lancaster crashed near Welsum, close to the town of Dalfsen. Six crewmembers died in the the crash. Three others, among whom Korpela, survived and managed to evade capture. After bailing out Korpela was passed closely by a German fighter, but he landed unhurt near the wear in Oudleusden. He buried his parachute and other equipment near the landing spot. After walking for a while he approached a farm. A man came out of the barn and asked Korpela to come inside. He received a glass of warm milk and although the Canadian couldn't make anything of what the famer said, he did understand that he was in The Netherlands. Shortly after Korpela also met the farmer's wife and their children. A little later that Sunday morning 24 September five resistance workers arrived, who first interrogated Korpela. When they were convinced that he was not a German, they escorted the Canadian to the farm of Family W. Dijk at De Vossebeltsweg 1 in Lemelerveld. Here he received a false ID on the name of 'Jan Bos'. He remained here for several months. 

Early in December 1944 Korpela moved to another (unknown) hiding address. In January he transferred to a hide out in the woods between Heino and Raalte. In the underground shelter here he had to sleep on straw. In this hide out Korpela met the two other surviving crew members again: F/O. C.D. Lucas (E0803), the bomb aimer and Sgt. H.H. MacFarlane (E0804), the flight engineer. From this moment they would stay together. In February 1945 the three were transferred to Aalten. After a failed attempt to cross the Rhine River near Lobith the three ended up in Zelhem. After hiding at several addresses, probably with the Family Berkelder in Zelhem and Family Ale Jorritsma at E 208 in Zelhem, they moved during the last weeks of the war to the house of Family Evert-Jan or Evert-Willem Oosterink at A160 in Zelhem or Stationstraat A 40 in Zelhem. They hid here in a room above the store of the Oosterink's. On 1 April Korpela, Lucas and MacFarlane were liberated when Canadian troops reached the town. Via Eindhoven they returned by Dakota to England. Soon after Korpela headed back for Canada. In his 'own' Chapleau region he ran a number of successful lumber mills. Oliver Korpela passed away on 19 February 2006 in Sudbury, ON, Canada at the age of 85.