Bram (van der Stok) Vanderstok MBE (1915 - 1993)

Born 13 Oct 1915 in Plaju, Dutch East Indies

Ancestors

Died 8 Feb 1993 at age 77 in Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States

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Biography

Bram (van der Stok) Vanderstok MBE is Notable.

Bram van der Stok, also known as Bob van der Stok, was a World War II fighter pilot and flying ace, and is the most decorated aviator in Dutch history.

Bram van der Stok was the son of Cornelis Elize van der Stok (born 1 Feb 1892) and Annie Snethlage (born 7 Sep 1892) who were both born in Batavia.

His parents married in 1911.^[1]

His siblings were:

• Felix Paul van der Stok (born 21 aug 1913)
• Johan Paul van der Stok (born 21 mar 1919)
• Annie Alette van der Stok (born 12 jun 1923)^[2]

At the outset of World War II, Bram was a reserve Dutch Air Force pilot and was first called to duty when Italy invaded Albania. When Germany invaded the Netherlands, he was and thousands of other Dutch were taken prisoner, but released and told to return home..^[3] Unwilling to sit and watch his countrymen suffer under German occupation, Bram attempted to flee to Britain to join the war effort, but failed in his first attempts. He finally stowed away aboard a freighter sailing under the Swiss flag. Eventually, he turned himself in to the British and was taken to London for interrogation. After being cleared by Dutch officials, he joined the Royal Air Force. He was a flying ace and shot down 6 German craft before he was shot down over France in 1942. He was imprisoned at Stalag Luft III.

There, Bram became involved in "Big X," a committee of men dedicated to escaping from the stalag.^[3]

In March 1944, he broke out of Stalag Luft III – a prisoner-of-war camp in Nazi Germany – during the mass break-out known as "The Great Escape".

He moved to the United States sometime after the war. He and his wife, Edith, lived in Hawaii. After her death, Bram moved to Virginia Beach, Virginia.

He died in 1993.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ Burgerlijke Stand Huwelijk 1911, 's-Gravenhage, Zuid-Holland, Nederland. Akte 389 (1911-03-11), Haags Gemeentearchief accessed via WieWasWie Permalink
2. ↑ Population Register: Bevolkingsregister , 's-Gravenhage, Zuid-Holland, Nederland. Akte unknown (1913), Haags Gemeentearchief accessed (8 January 2024) via WieWasWie Permalink
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} "Squadron Leader Vanderstok:Soldier, prisoner, imposter," The Lompoc Record, 17 Aug 1984. Newspapers Clip: 138319804, Newspapers Clip: 138319844, Newspapers Clip: 138319880.
4. ↑ "United States Social Security Death Index," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:J5ZC-2ML : 11 January 2021), Bram Vanderstok, 08 Feb 1993; citing U.S. Social Security Administration, Death Master File, database (Alexandria, Virginia: National Technical Information Service, ongoing).

See also:

• Wikidata: Item Q2715029, en:Wikipedia
• "United States, Social Security Numerical Identification Files (NUMIDENT), 1936-2007", database, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:6KWL-YSHD : 10 February 2023), Bram Van Der Stok.