Date:	Tuesday 10 April 1945
Time:	17:00
Type:	Supermarine Spitfire Mk XVI
Owner/operator:	341 (Alsace) Sqn RAF
Registration:	TB381
MSN:	NL
Fatalities:	Fatalities: 1 / Occupants: 1
Aircraft damage:	Destroyed
Location:	near the Tjalling Harkeswei road, Hemrik, Friesland -   Netherlands
Phase:	Combat
Nature:	Military
Departure airport:	B.85 Schijndel (NL)
Destination airport:

Narrative:
On 10 April 1945 the Spitfire XVI TB831 of 341 (French) Sqn RAF was shot down by Flak during an attack on enemy vehicles near Oosterwolde and crashed near Hemrik at around 1700 hrs. The pilot, sous-lieutenant Arnaud Charles Marie de Saxcé, attempted to bail out but his parachute opened too soon and was caught in the tail of his aircraft. The pilot followed the Spitfire down to 500 feet before falling and crashing to the ground near it, being killed on the spot.

Arnaud Saxcé was the stepson of Charles de Gaulle, who was at Saint-Cyr at the same time as his father. He enlisted in the Armée de l’Air in August 1939 and in June 1940 was a student pilot at the "Ecole de Chasse" at Etampes and managed to board a ship to go to England, where he continued his training. In December 1941 he joined 609 Sqn, then 341 Sqn in January 1943, being credited with a victory on 22 August 1943.

"Aviateurs de la liberté. Mémorial des Forces Aériennes Françaises Libres", by Colonel Henry Lafont, ISBN 2-904521-46-1
http://www.francaislibres.net/liste/fiche.php?index=95573
http://forum.12oclockhigh.net/showthread.php?t=8766&page=2
"2nd Tactical Air Force. Volume Three : From the Rhine to Victory. January to May 1945", by Christopher Shores and Chris Thomas. ISBN 1-903223-60-1
https://verliesregister.studiegroepluchtoorlog.nl/rs.php?aircraft=&sglo=T5535&date=&location=&pn=&unit=&name=&cemetry=&airforce=&target=&area=&airfield=
http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hemrik
http://www.maplandia.com/netherlands/friesland/hemrik/
Google Maps

Date/time	Contributor	Updates
17-Dec-2008 11:45	ASN archive	Added
30-Sep-2017 15:14	Laurent Rizzotti	Updated [Time, Operator, Total fatalities, Total occupants, Phase, Source, Narrative]
07-Feb-2020 12:28	Iwosh	Updated [Operator, Operator]
02-Apr-2020 08:21	TigerTimon	Updated [Cn, Operator, Location, Departure airport, Source, Narrative]
31-Jan-2021 15:57	Anon.	Updated [Operator, Departure airport, Operator]