Operation Manna – 103 Squadron and 576 Squadron – 1945
Towards the end of WW2 the Germans still occupied much of Western Holland which had been flooded to hamper any efforts by the Allies to attack. A serious shortage of food for the civilian population meant the situation was extremely critical - 1,000 Dutch civilians dying every day with many more facing starvation.
Prince Bernhardt of the Netherlands who was in exile in the UK appealed directly to Allied Supreme Commander Dwight D. Eisenhower, but Eisenhower did not have the authority to negotiate a truce with the Germans. While the prince got permission from British Prime Minister Winston Churchill and U.S. President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Eisenhower had Air Commodore Andrew Geddes begin planning immediately. On 23 April, authorisation was given by the Chief of Staff, George Marshall.
Allied agents negotiated with Reichskommissar Arthur Seyss-Inquart and a team of German officers. Among the participants were the Canadian Farley Mowat and the German commander-in-chief, General Johannes Blaskowitz.
It was agreed that the participating aircraft would not be fired upon within specified air corridors. The RAF operation was known as 'Operation Manna' and the USAF as 'Operation Chowhound'. Bomber Command allocated 36 Squadrons for duty and both 103 Squadron and 576 Squadron were wholeheartedly committed to their new role. Between 29th April 1945 and the 8th May 1945, Bomber Command flew 124 Mosquito drop zone marking sorties and 2835 Lancaster food dropping sorties. 6672 tons of food was delivered to the grateful people of the Netherlands. The operations were flown in daylight at low level over enemy occupied territory and were sometimes hampered by bad weather, low cloud and poor visibility. Until the 1st May 1945, when the American Air Force joined in with Operation Chowhound, there was no official truce but the Germans were told of when and where the drops were to take place and asked not to hinder the operations and, apart from seeing anti - aircraft guns pointed at them, the crews experienced no opposition. As one Bomber Command veteran commented years later, "It would not have mattered because we would have gone anyway." At a Reunion for Manna veterans in 1990, it was recalled how the Dutch people had written 'Thank You' on the ground near the drop zones in big white letters. The aircraft flew so low they could see the Germans at their anti aircraft guns, the barrels pointing at the sky over the River Schelde, and the barrage balloons air defences were also clearly visible. Famine was thankfully averted and, on the surrender of the German forces, ships and road transport were able to quickly deliver more aid to the population. The Dutch people have not forgotten what happened in 1945 and Manna veterans, like all Bomber Command aircrew, were treated with great hospitality and warmth whenever they visit the Netherlands.
29/4/45 and 30/4/45 Leiden and Delft - Operation Manna. Lancasters of 1, 3 and 8 Groups commenced operations to aid the Dutch civilian population by dropping food in pre arranged drop zones. The operations were completed successfully in spite of the bad weather. May. 1/5/45, 2/5/45, 3/5/45, 4/5/45, 7/5/45 and 8/5/45 Rotterdam - Operation Manna. 103 Sq flew 104 Manna food drops over 8 days and 576 Sq 177. From 576 Sq P/O Scott swung on take off and his aircraft was damaged beyond repair
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Operation Manna – John Funnell – 103 Squadron
On 16th April 1945, we were told that a large part of Western Holland had become completely cut off from all supplies and that many thousands of Dutch people had already died from hunger or suffered from malnutrition diseases. Plans were in hand to drop food and it was hoped that a truce could be negotiated to allow this humanitarian operation without endangering the aircrews. After being told all of this, our job for today was to carry out a practice drop to determine the best height and airspeed at which the sacks of food could be safely dropped without causing damage to the food or to the aircraft. 3. A few days later on 24th April 1945, my crew along with 3 others were listed on a Battle Order for Operation Manna. However, at the briefing we were told that a truce had not been negotiated and the C in C Bomber Command felt the operation to be too risky for the crews flying over enemy occupied territory in daylight at a low altitude and at a slow speed of 90 knots. The operation was postponed. 4. As the plight of the Dutch became worse, it became imperative for food to be sent and on 29th April 1945 the same 4 crews found themselves on the Battle Order again for Operation Manna. Apart from 2 Officers the crews were S.N.C.Os. At the briefing we were told that a truce had not been negotiated but a broadcast had been made to the Germans telling of our mission, and giving details of our route, height, speed and destination with a request that we should not be harmed. To ensure that we ourselves should not be aggressive, all arms and ammunition was removed from our aircraft. 5. So at 11.50 hours, we set off in Lancaster W for Leiden although the dropping zone was actually at Valkenburg. We crossed the coast a 1000 feet and approaching Leiden we could see anti-aircraft guns tracking us. Running up to the dropping zone we reduced height to 500 feet and speed to 90 knots. At this level we could see hundreds of Dutch people awaiting our arrival and waving sheets, flags and even Union Jacks in full view of the occupation forces. A wonderful sight and indication of the great courage of the Dutch people and something that I shall never forget. We were supposed to gain height to 1,000 feet on leaving the dropping zone but being conscious of those anti-aircraft guns still trailing us and discretion being the better part of valour, we actually dropped down to ground level, feeling that we would be out of sight of the guns before they could take proper aim. This low level flying actually became the norm for all crews that took part in future food drops. We were enjoying ourselves and the Dutch people loved seeing the aircraft at such a low level. 6. On our return to Base 2hours and 50 minutes later, the Intelligence Officer greeted us with “We didn’t really expect you to survive”. This may have been meant humorously but one must cynically ask if this was the reason that that the majority of aircrew taking part were S.N.C.O.s 7. On 1st May 1945, a truce was negotiated and the U.S.A.A.F joined us with their own food drops under the code name Operation Chowhound. We continued dropping food on a daily basis until 8th May1945 and Bomber Command dropped 7,000 tons of food. My crew and I took part in 4 further food drops and each one was a satisfying and thrilling experience. In addition to dropping food, crews took it upon themselves to2 attach their sweet rations to mini parachutes made from handkerchiefs and throw them out for the children. Several years after the war had ended, some commemorative visits were made by aircrew who had taken part in Operation Manna and the most impressive of these was the Millennium Commemoration when two members from different crews of every squadron that took part in Operations Manna and Chowhound were invited to attend. Aircrew attending were British, Canadian, Australian, New Zealand, American and one from Poland This took place over a period of 8 days in April/May 2000 when we Flying Grocers were warmly welcomed by the Dutch populace with much laughter and tears from both sides. We visited all of the dropping zones where we were royally entertained with banquets and in Valkenburg, with permission from the Dutch Government; we were made Honorary Citizens of that city. A final commemorative visit was made in 2005 when it was decided that due to the aging of the remaining aircrews and indeed the Dutch organisers that both the Manna Association and the Food and Freedom Association of Holland should be disbanded. However, many of us still maintain touch with the many friends that we made during the Commemorative visits
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576 Squadron – Manna Operation
RAF STATION FISKERTON. STATION NARRATIVE NO 35 May 1945 With its usual cheerful adaptability, 576 Squadron has this week abandoned its bombs and embarked on the wholesale grocery trade. Reason: the plight of the Dutch in still occupied Holland – for months on the starvation line, and lately a little bit beyond it. And so weeks of not very exciting sandbag dropping, map reading exercises, practice loading of hundreds of food sacks as quickly as possible into bomb bays which were not designed as delivery vans all this bore fruit, and the Squadron got cracking with the dropping of supplies in the Hague, Delft and Rotterdam areas. The idea was not particularly popular at first; it was not known whether these errands of mercy would count as sorties nor was it all certain that they would be unopposed by the unspeakable Hun (and opposition at 500 feet is pretty lethal).However the first trip changed all that. First back S/Ldr Dutton told us the story; thousands of grateful Dutch waving their thanks with anything that came to hand. "Its the first time I have felt tears in my eyes over the target" he said. And so it was for the next six days as enthusiastic crews returned to tell of excited crowds risking their necks to collect the food sacks before the dropping and finished, messages of thanks to the R.A.F boldly painted on roof tops even spelled out in massed yellow tulips. And not a shot fired. In seven days, the Squadron delivered almost 40,000 bags of canned meat and margarine, dehydrated meat and vegetables, sugar, flour, fried eggs and milk chocolate and tea – enough to provide a full day's ration for more than 350,000 people. After the second trip, it was decided that "Spam droppings" would count as "ops." Congratulations to F/O Holmes and F/O Pollard and their crews; also the F/O Drew (2nd tour pilot) P/O Lamprell (Nav) and F/O Isherwood (A/B) on completion of their tours. It's interesting to note that the citizens of Rotterdam are now sending their orders for supplies in advance evidenced by huge notices marked out on the ground appealing for SIGARETTS PLEASE. L. F. L
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Operation Manna - Prince Bernhard.
Prince Bernhard, the husband of the late Queen Juliana, died of cancer at the UMC Hospital in Utrecht on the 1st Dec 2004. More than 40,000 people paid their final respects to Bernhard in The Hague, where he was laid out in state in the Noordeinde Palace chapel. The German born prince was interred in the royal family crypt in Delft on 11 December with military honours. Prince Bernhard was the President of the Manna Association for veterans of the food drops to the Dutch in 1945 and it was largely due to the Prince and his intervention at the highest level that the Manna operation took place at all.
RAFEW Manna vets at the dedication of the Manna Memorial at the airfield some years ago.
Ken Butler of 103 Sqn who was prominent in the Manna operation and organised a Memorial plaque at his old airfield
Compiled by David Fell with photos from my archive and wiki
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