Studiegroep Luchtoorlog 1939-1945

						2/Lt. Kenneth Elton Foster was the pilot of P-51 Mustang 44-11336. On 31 March 1945 he escorted B-24 Liberators on a bombing mission to Hamburg in Germany. On the return leg Foster's aircraft encountered engine trouble. This forced Foster to crash-land his Mustang near Hengelo. He buried his parachute and harness in a freshly ploughed field with the help of a farmer. Soon after he was captured by a Dutch 'Quisling' though and handed over to the Germans. He was taken to Ommen and from there to the Luftwaffe-airfield of Havelte. Here he was joined soon after by two RAF-pilots who were shot down on 1 and 2 April 1945: Dutchman W/O. Hans van Roosendaal (E0987) of 322 Squadron and Norwegian F/Sgt. H.W. Rohde (E1070) of 332 Squadron. In the late evening of 5 April the three airmen managed to escape after they had cut two iron bars from the cell with a file Foster possessed. They eventually ended up at the farm of Family Buitenhuis in Nijeveen, who gave them food and shelter for two days, from 6 until 8 April. The family also contacted the resistancce. On 9 April they moved to the farm of G. Wildeboer also at Nijeveen. Here they hid until 12 April. In this period Foster was examined by a doctor and Wildeboer also 'went through the German lines' to get the prescripted medicine. On 13 April the three airmen managed to contact Canadian troops at Meppel.