Thread: Dropping Bread

Dropping Bread and Clothes rather than bombs. Cpt J A Moller releasing his cargo of supplies to starving Dutch Civilians at Valkenberg on May 1st 1945

There were two operational periods right at the end of the war, between April and May 1945 aimed at relieving the desperate lack of food in Holland and the low countries by the use of air drops.

The RAF flew "Operation Manna" (Manna from Heaven) while the USAF flew their own missions under the codename of "Operation Chowhound".

One RAF pilot who flew on the Manna airdrops referred to it as the finest operation he'd ever been involved with. He also recalled how the Dutch people at the dropping zone had managed to lay out on the ground in letters about ten feet high and using sheets the words "Thank you"; as he said he then knew that the previous six years had been worth it.

Brian.

Its hard to comprehend how these people survived as long as they did during these years, I can’t go half a day without searching the fridge. I can also understand how the Dutch people were so grateful after receiving these drops.