Alblasserdam is situated 17 kilometers to the southeast of Rotterdam and 8 kilometers to the north of Dordrecht, along the primary route from Rotterdam to 'S-Hertogenbosch. The cemetery is located on the northeastern side of the road leading to Oud Alblas.
Within Alblasserdam General Cemetery, (Algemene Begraafplaats "Oude Torenhof") tucked behind the old tower, there is a modest section housing four Dutch war graves. Each of these graves is adorned with a memorial stone bearing the inscription:
FOR THOSE WHO FELL
1940 - 1945
The four Dutch graves are for:
Cornelis Aafjes
Willem Johannes Hardam
Willem Bastiaan Velden
Jacob Verhoeven
Belgian pilot John Noel Charles Marie van Daele Jr. voluntarily joined the Royal Air Force (RAF) as a pilot. Although he held Belgian citizenship, he is remembered and honored by the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. His final resting place features a Belgian headstone.
Van Daele served as a pilot, flying the 'Tankbuster' Typhoon MN954 with No. 609 Squadron RAF.
On September 28, 1944, their mission involved bombing ships along the 'De Lek' river in the Netherlands. While flying at low altitude, his aircraft was hit by German Flak anti-aircraft fire. He managed to bail out using his parachute but tragically lost his life upon impact not far from where his plane had crash-landed.
The single British grave can be found in the northeastern section, distinguished by a lasting private memorial.
