Tribute page: WW2 SAAF bomber pilot Jack van Eyssen
Jacobus Lodewikus van Eyssen Joined the SAAF in 1936 as a cadet in the Transvaal Air Training Squadron while being an engineering student. Jack obtained his Engineering degree in 1940. He then became permanently involved with flying instruction at various air schools in South Africa.
In mid 1944 he joined SAAF No. 31 heavy bomber squadron in the Mediterranean, flying B-24 Liberator aircraft. From Italy they flew mostly sorties to targets in Southern Europe.
On the night of 14 August 1944 Jack's Liberator was shot down in Poland on a special supply drop mission to Warsaw. Jack bailed and made a safe decent by parachute. He was taken in by the Russians, interred for a while in Russia and then repatriated back to South Africa.
Jack returned to the squadron in early 1945 and finished his operational tour when the war ended.
After the war Jack had a long and successful career in the mining industry as a mining engineer.
Jack passed away on the 5th November 1999.
This is a living web site. Any input and/or participation will be much appreciated regarding additional information, correctness, information from relatives of members who served with Jack, photographs, stories etc. Please e-mail me.
If you perhaps have a family member who served as a SAAF fighter pilot during WW2 and you would want to find out more about his war service please contact me, hopefully I can be of some help.
Tinus le Roux
August 2015
Beryl van Eyssen (Jack's wife) and Marion Read (Jack's daughter) laying a wreath at the Katyn memorial during the 2014 SAAF Warsaw flights commemoration service in Johannesburg.
Military Career
??/??/1936 Joined the SAAF and attended the Transvaal Air Training Squadron, a part-time unit with flying instruction after-hours.
25/10/1938 Obtain wings, qualified as a pilot
10/10/1939 Called up for service but obtained exemption until his studies was finished
03/12/1940 Resume full time service, Zwartkops Air Station, flying training
03/12/1940 Promoted to 2nd Lieutenant
14/01/1941 Promoted to Lieutenant
12/12/1940 Attended various air schools as flying instructor: 2 AS, 24 AS, 62 AS, 29 OTU
01/10/1942 Promoted to Captain
22/05/1944 Training on B-24 Aircraft at 1675 H.C.U. Lydda, Palestine
19/06/1944 SAAF No 31 Squadron, Middle East
19/07/1944 Raid on Fiume harbour, Yugoslavia
21/07/1944 Raid on Fanto oil refinery, aircraft holed
24/07/1944 Attacked Valence airfield in Rhone valley
29/07/1944 Briefed to bomb Bucharest
30/07/1944 Mined the Danube river west of Corabia, aircraft holed
03/08/1944 Bombed Valence railway yard
07/08/1944 Bombed airfield on Austria/Hungary border near Szombathci
09/08/1944 Raided Rumano Americano refinery at Ploesti
12/08/1944 Raided an airfield at Haltdu- Boszormeny Hungary
14/08/1944 Supply dropping at Warsaw, shot down, baled from aircraft and made safe parachute decent, taken in by the Russians and interred for 16 days.
09/10/1944 Returned to Pretoria South Africa
13/01/1945 Returned to 31 Squadron, stationed in Foggia, Italy
13/01/1945 Promoted to Major as Flight Commander
02/02/1945 Supply drop to Flotsam Yugoslav partisans
04/02/1945 Supply drop to Italian Partisans, Crayon, no drop, clouds
12/02/1945 Bomb attack on Verona Marshalling yards
15/02/1945 Bombing attack on Fiume harbour quay and storage tanks, Yugoslavia
22/03/1945 Bomb Villach marshalling yards, Austria
01/04/1945 Bombed Arsa Harbour, Aircraft holed
08/04/1945 Bombed Trento Marshalling yards
11/04/1945 Bombed ammo dumps and close army support
15/08/1945 Returned to South Africa
14/09/1945 Demobilised
Jack posing in front of a an Avro Tutor when he did part time training as a SAAF TATS (Transvaal Air Training Squadsron) cadet (1936-1938)
Jack at st some Air School in South Africa
SAAF No. 31 SQUADRON
At Lydda, Palestine 1944. It is here where 31 squadron received training on Liberator bombers.
Painting in Jack's home showing a Liberator doing mine-laying in the Danube river at night, Jack went on such a sortie 30/07/1944.
WARSAW SUPPLY DROP AND SHOT DOWN 14/15 AUGUST 1944
Position of crash site
Distinguished Flying Cross
JACK'S OFFICIAL REPORT AFTER HE WAS SHOT DOWN
Jack's Liberator crash site memorial (Airmen's Hill) at Michalin near Warsaw: visit by South African group 2014
Jack van Eyssen's family at the memorial: Marion (daughter) with her two children Lauren and Stuart. The Mayor of the town was also present.
AIRMEN'S HILL MEMORIAL, MICHALIN
(crash site of Jack's Liberator)
A small shrine built by Bronisław Kowalski, this shrine was destroyed by vandals. Also displayed was a small inscribed plaque made from a piece of aircraft wreckage aluminium.
A wooden cross was erected and stood alone for many years.
Bronisław Kowalski with his first epitaph and the monument in the background. The monument was made in 1977. Mr. Kowalski was part of the Polish resistance movement during the war and was involved with the moving of shot down SAAF crew members. As I understand he was also involved with the establishment of the memorial at Airmen's Hill at own cost.
Jack meeting Mr. Kowalski at Airmen's Hill in 1992.
Airmen's Hill memorial in 1979, photograph by Paweł Sulich.
Jack's crew members who were killed , buried in Krakow. (Hudson, Hamilton, Mayes)
1994, Jack van Eyssen (middle), Prime Minister Waldemar Pawlak (right) and George Bertram (50th anneversary of the uprising)
The last meeting of the front line. 1994, at the House of Bronislaw Kowalski (in the middle), Jack van Eyssen (right) assisted by George Banas
A PRIVATELY MADE DOCUMENTARY AT THE CRASH SITE OF JACK'S LIBERATOR KG939 ( KONDRED)