Story time! This is the fascinating story of Jolly Duck in Zoetermeer

Most Zoetermeer residents will know something about Jolly Duck. It’s a hunting lodge, a monument, an airplane in the Second World War… But what exactly? We will tell you more about this interesting piece of history.

Jolly Duck the plane

Jolly Duck was the nickname of an American plane, a Liberator B-24H bomber to be precise. This aircraft was intended to bomb a German shunting yard. To do this, the aircraft flew very low, making it a dangerous flight. On February 26, 1945, the bomber was fired upon and hit while returning from its mission. The engines then stopped one by one. Some sources state that the aircraft was also low on fuel. An emergency landing had to be made in the Geerpolder, near Zoetermeer. This happened in a meadow, between the cows. The nine American crew members fled in all directions to escape the Germans.

The crew of the Jolly Duck

The Jolly Duck had nine crew members. Four of them managed to escape and found hiding places nearby. Four others were arrested by the Germans. The ninth crew member was John McCornick, a 23-year-old air gunner. He was from the state of Pennysylvania and was the son of an American father and an Irish mother. As a child he already wanted to become a pilot and in 1942, during the Second World War, he enlisted in the air force. There he followed a shooting course.

Killed residents

Four days after the emergency landing of the bomber, on February 26, 1945, the aircraft was set on fire by German on-board machine guns. Four Dutch citizens were also killed, including two children. The American John McCormick had managed to hide. He had hidden in the haystack of farm ‘Voorzorg’ in Zoetermeer. There he was found by the farmer. He was given the choice: become a prisoner of war or join the Zoetermeer resistance.

Connection to the Zoetermeer Resistance

McCormick decided to join the Zoetermeer resistance. A resistance member transported him by bicycle to the hunting lodge in Zevenhuizen. This hunting lodge was a well-known place in the war, several resistance members hid here. Several British airmen were also in hiding.
Many resistance actions were organized from Zoetermeer. For example, organizing hiding places, thwarting the German army and distributing resistance pamphlets.

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Betrayal and fight

On April 29, 1945, the hunting lodge was attacked by a group of 25 Turkestan soldiers of the German army after the location was betrayed. The raid took place during dinner and was very unexpected. There was a period of truce at the time, because the end of the war was approaching. The resistance members in the hunting lodge refused to surrender and a fierce firefight ensued. John McCormick made an attempt to break out from the side of the hunting lodge, a bullet hitting him in the back of the head. This was fatal to him. Guardsman Jacob van Rij also died on the spot. He did manage to hit a number of German soldiers, allowing a number of other resistance members to get away.

To dig

John McCormick was buried with military honors at the Dorpskerk in Zoetermeer. Three other resistance fighters are also buried here: Cornelis van Eerden, Jan Hoorn and the aforementioned Jacob van Rij. One source reports that it was McCormick’s father’s wish that he be buried in the Netherlands and not returned to the US.

In Zoetermeer a scouting club is named after John McCormick. On May 4, scouts lay flowers on his grave. You will also find the names of the resistance fighters on street signs in our city.

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Monuments

At the Geerweg in Zoetermeer you will find the memorial plaque ‘Jolly Duck’. This plaque from 2005 is intended to commemorate the Allied soldiers. The hunting lodge, which served as a hiding place, has also been known as the Jolly Duck since World War II. Until 2010, the interior of the house had remained virtually unchanged. The house is now owned by the De Witte family. There is a monument near the house and the hunting lodge is also regularly open to interested parties, for example during the Open Heritage Days.

More information

Want to know more about this fascinating piece of history? Pay a visit to the Historical Society Oud Soetermeer where history books are available and volunteers can answer your questions. You can also ride a historic Jolly Duck cycle route, you can do this download here.

We used various sources for this article such as NOS.nl, Jollyduck.com, also ditisderotte.nl , Beleefzuidplas.nl and John McCormick.nl.