Willem Heitmeijer

Willem ‘Wim’ Heitmeijer was born on 20 October 1925 in Aalten, the son of Jan Heitmeijer and Hilje Balkema. He grew up in Aalten, where his father worked in education.

Fighter pilot

Heitmeijer joined the Royal Netherlands Air Force in 1948. He developed into an experienced fighter pilot. In 1958 he was an instructor on the Hawker Sea Hawk and he also flew the Hawker Hunter. He was later trained on the Lockheed F-104G Starfighter, one of the most advanced fighter aircraft of its time.

On 3 August 1964, Major Pilot Heitmeijer became commander of the operational 322 Squadron at Leeuwarden Air Base. Within the air force he was also known as ‘Bill’.

Family

Heitmeijer was married to Aafke (‘Atty’) Bijsterveld. The couple had four sons.

Final flight

On 17 November 1964, Heitmeijer took off from Leeuwarden Air Base on a navigation flight in Starfighter D-8045. Shortly after take-off he reported problems with cabin pressure and later a headache. During the flight he lost consciousness, probably because of problems with the oxygen supply. His aircraft continued north on autopilot.

The Starfighter flew via Denmark into Norwegian airspace. A Norwegian F-86 Sabre intercepted the aircraft, but its pilot could no longer make contact with Heitmeijer. After the fuel was exhausted, the Starfighter crashed near Niplia in Treekerskogen, close to Straumsnes in Tingvoll municipality. Heitmeijer was 39 years old.

Grave and remembrance

The remains that could be recovered after the accident were buried on 2 December 1964 at Værnes cemetery in Norway. The crash site also remained an important place of remembrance for his family.

In 2000, a memorial plaque to Heitmeijer was unveiled at Niplia. During the ceremony, four aircraft from 322 Squadron flew a missing man formation. In this way, the memory of the Aalten-born pilot also remained alive in Norway.

See also: The final flight of Willem Heitmeijer