BRUMMEN GENERAL CEMETERY
Gelderland
Netherlands
GPS Coordinates: Latitude: 52.09861, Longitude: 6.15215
Location Information
The town of Brummen is situated to the south-east of Apeldoorn on the N48. From the motorway A12, which runs between Utrecht and Oberhausen, turn off at the junction Velperbroek onto the motorway A48 in the direction of Zutphen. Follow the A48 to the end and turn left onto the N317. At the next junction turn right onto the N48 in the direction of Zutphen. On reaching the town of Brummen turn left into Arnhemsestraat in the direction of the town centre. Follow the main road into Zutphensestraat and at the fork bear left into Voorsterweg. The cemetery is along here on the left. There are two U. K. Airmen buried here.
Historical Information
During the war a Mosquito HK288 of 25 RAF Squadron crashed at Empe on June 13th 1944. Empe is a very small village about 6 kms west of Zutphen. The plane was on an intruder mission to Deelen airfield and was hit by German Flak. It crashed just before the farm of the great-grandparents of Gerrit Bleumink of Apeldoorn The farm was set on fire by burning parts and the explosion when the plane crashed. The two airman were killed and they are buried on the cemetery in this cemetery.
The above was provided by Gerrit Bleumink. Please get in touch if you can provide anymore information on the two Airmen.
88430 Flight Lieutenant Alastair Stuart Hamilton Baillie, Pilot in 25 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, died 13th June 1944, aged 30. Plot D. 15A. Alastair was born on 15th May 1914 at 53 Randolph Road, Partick, Glasgow. Son of Stuart Fraser Baillie and Andrewina Proudfoot (Walker) Baillie, of Moidart, Renfrewshire; husband of Anne Baillie.
136337 Flying Officer John Milne Simpson, Navigator/Radar Operator in 25 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, died 13th June 1944, aged 22. Son of Robert and Grace Ann Simpson, of Montrose, Angus. His headstone bears the inscription "So Dearly Loved So Madly Missed So Deeply Mourned"
On June 15th, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., a monument was unveiled in Empe – a small village at about 5 kms west of Zutphen – in memory of two pilots of the British Royal Air Force. Alastair Stuart Hamilton Baillie (pilot) and John Milne Simpson (navigator) who were killed on June 13th 1944 after their aircraft – a Mosquito fighter-bomber – was hit by enemy fire during a mission. Their aircraft caught fire and crashed burning in front of the farm 'De Rietmus' on the Voorsterweg in Empe.
The monument will be placed in the triangle where the Schoolboslaantje meets the Voorsterweg. The initiative comes from the great-grandson of the then residents of 'De Rietmus' with the cooperation with the 4-May Committee Brummen and the Municipality of Brummen.
Primary school J.H. Isings in Empe adopted the monument and some pupils unveiled the memorial stone. Prior to the unveiling, the children walked from their school to the monument, accompanied by a bagpipe player from the City of Apeldoorn Pipes & Drums. This Scottish touch is also a tribute to the two RAF-pilots, who both came from Scotland. After the unveiling, a horn blower from the Royal Netherlands Air Force Orchestra played 'The Last Post', followed by two minutes of silence. The bagpipe player then played 'Abide With Me'.
After the ceremony wreaths and flowers were laid by officials and schoolchildren.
The town of Brummen is situated to the south-east of Apeldoorn on the N48. From the motorway A12, which runs between Utrecht and Oberhausen, turn off at the junction Velperbroek onto the motorway A48 in the direction of Zutphen. Follow the A48 to the end and turn left onto the N317. At the next junction turn right onto the N48 in the direction of Zutphen. On reaching the town of Brummen turn left into Arnhemsestraat in the direction of the town centre. Follow the main road into Zutphensestraat and at the fork bear left into Voorsterweg. The cemetery is along here on the left. There are two U. K. Airmen buried here.
Historical Information
During the war a Mosquito HK288 of 25 RAF Squadron crashed at Empe on June 13th 1944. Empe is a very small village about 6 kms west of Zutphen. The plane was on an intruder mission to Deelen airfield and was hit by German Flak. It crashed just before the farm of the great-grandparents of Gerrit Bleumink of Apeldoorn The farm was set on fire by burning parts and the explosion when the plane crashed. The two airman were killed and they are buried on the cemetery in this cemetery.
The above was provided by Gerrit Bleumink. Please get in touch if you can provide anymore information on the two Airmen.
88430 Flight Lieutenant Alastair Stuart Hamilton Baillie, Pilot in 25 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, died 13th June 1944, aged 30. Plot D. 15A. Alastair was born on 15th May 1914 at 53 Randolph Road, Partick, Glasgow. Son of Stuart Fraser Baillie and Andrewina Proudfoot (Walker) Baillie, of Moidart, Renfrewshire; husband of Anne Baillie.
136337 Flying Officer John Milne Simpson, Navigator/Radar Operator in 25 Squadron, Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, died 13th June 1944, aged 22. Son of Robert and Grace Ann Simpson, of Montrose, Angus. His headstone bears the inscription "So Dearly Loved So Madly Missed So Deeply Mourned"
On June 15th, 2026 at 2:00 p.m., a monument was unveiled in Empe – a small village at about 5 kms west of Zutphen – in memory of two pilots of the British Royal Air Force. Alastair Stuart Hamilton Baillie (pilot) and John Milne Simpson (navigator) who were killed on June 13th 1944 after their aircraft – a Mosquito fighter-bomber – was hit by enemy fire during a mission. Their aircraft caught fire and crashed burning in front of the farm 'De Rietmus' on the Voorsterweg in Empe.
The monument will be placed in the triangle where the Schoolboslaantje meets the Voorsterweg. The initiative comes from the great-grandson of the then residents of 'De Rietmus' with the cooperation with the 4-May Committee Brummen and the Municipality of Brummen.
Primary school J.H. Isings in Empe adopted the monument and some pupils unveiled the memorial stone. Prior to the unveiling, the children walked from their school to the monument, accompanied by a bagpipe player from the City of Apeldoorn Pipes & Drums. This Scottish touch is also a tribute to the two RAF-pilots, who both came from Scotland. After the unveiling, a horn blower from the Royal Netherlands Air Force Orchestra played 'The Last Post', followed by two minutes of silence. The bagpipe player then played 'Abide With Me'.
After the ceremony wreaths and flowers were laid by officials and schoolchildren.
Images in gallery below © Johan Pauwels
New R. A. F. Monument at Empe
On June 15th, 2026 at 2:00 p.m. a new monument was unveiled in Empe, a small village about 5 kms west of Zutphen, in memory of two pilots of the British Royal Air Force. Alastair Stuart Hamilton Baillie (pilot) and John Milne Simpson (navigator) who were killed on June 13th 1944 after their aircraft, a Mosquito fighter-bomber was hit by enemy fire during a mission. Their aircraft caught fire and crashed burning in front of the farm 'De Rietmus' on the Voorsterweg in Empe.
The monument was placed in the triangle where the Schoolboslaantje meets the Voorsterweg. The initiative comes from the great-grandson of the then residents of 'De Rietmus' with the cooperation with the 4-May Committee Brummen and the Municipality of Brummen.
Primary school J.H. Isings in Empe adopted the monument and some pupils unveiled the memorial stone. Prior to the unveiling, the children walked from their school to the monument, accompanied by a bagpipe player from the City of Apeldoorn Pipes & Drums. This Scottish touch is also a tribute to the two RAF-pilots, who both came from Scotland. After the unveiling, a horn blower from the Royal Netherlands Air Force Orchestra played 'The Last Post', followed by two minutes of silence. The bagpipe player then played 'Abide With Me'.
After the ceremony wreaths and flowers were laid by officials and schoolchildren.
The monument was placed in the triangle where the Schoolboslaantje meets the Voorsterweg. The initiative comes from the great-grandson of the then residents of 'De Rietmus' with the cooperation with the 4-May Committee Brummen and the Municipality of Brummen.
Primary school J.H. Isings in Empe adopted the monument and some pupils unveiled the memorial stone. Prior to the unveiling, the children walked from their school to the monument, accompanied by a bagpipe player from the City of Apeldoorn Pipes & Drums. This Scottish touch is also a tribute to the two RAF-pilots, who both came from Scotland. After the unveiling, a horn blower from the Royal Netherlands Air Force Orchestra played 'The Last Post', followed by two minutes of silence. The bagpipe player then played 'Abide With Me'.
After the ceremony wreaths and flowers were laid by officials and schoolchildren.
