The monument commemorates the residents of Eelde of the fighter pilot Arne Rolf Berg, who crashed at the Drift on February 3, 1945, and lost his life.
On February 3, 1945, twelve Spitfires of No. 132 (Norwegian) Wing took off from Woensdrecht Air Base for an armed reconnaissance flight over the northern Netherlands. Eelde Airfield was targeted because it was suspected that German night fighters were stationed there. This turned out not to be the case, but the aircraft carried out an attack on the airfield nonetheless.
During the attack, German anti-aircraft fire hit the lead Spitfire, flown by Norwegian pilot Rolf Arne Berg. One of the aircraft’s wings broke off, and the uncontrollable Spitfire crashed into a farm at De Drift 4 in Eelde. Wing Commander Rolf Arne Berg was killed in the crash.
The memorial stone for Rolf Arne Berg consists of a fieldstone with a plaque.
The text on the plaque reads:
“ON 3 FEBRUARY 1945, NEAR THIS SPOT,
THE NORWEGIAN PILOT
LIEUTENANT COLONEL ROLF ARNE BERG
FELL DURING AN ATTACK BY THE
RAF 332 (NORWEGIAN) SQUADRON
ON EELDE AIRFIELD. HIS SPITFIRE
WAS SHOT DOWN BY GERMAN ANTI-AIRCRAFT FIRE.
FELL IN THE FIGHT FOR THE FATHERLAND.”
Unveiling
The monument was unveiled on May 1, 2020.
