Operation Manna

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Operation Manna took place from 29 April to 8 May 1945, at the end of World War II. Lancaster bombers of the Royal Air Force dropped food into parts of the occupied Netherlands, with the acquiescence of the occupying German forces, to feed people who were in danger of starvation in the Dutch famine.

The aircraft taking part were from Groups 1, 3, and 8, and consisted of 145 Mosquitoes and 3,156 Lancasters, flying between them a total of 3,298 sorties.

Many Thanks spelt-out on the ground in tulips after Operation Manna

The drop zones were marked by Mosquitoes from Squadrons 105 and 109 and were: Leiden (Valkenburg airfield), The Hague (Duindigt horseracecourse and Ypenburg airfield), Rotterdam (Waalhaven airfield and Kralingsche Plas) and Gouda.

During the operation, Bomber Command delivered 6,680 tons of food. These bombers were used to dropping bombs from 6000 m, but this time they had to do their dropping from a height of 150 m, some even as low as 120 m. The idea was for people to gather and redistribute the food, but some couldn't resist eating straight away, which caused some people to get sick and vomit, result that fatty food can have in starved bodies. On the other hand, the just distibution took as long as ten days, as a result of which some got the food only after the liberation. Nevertheless, many lives were saved and another effect was that it gave hope and the feeling that the war would soon be over.

In addition, 400 B-17s of the USAAF dropped 800 tons of K-Rations during May 1-3, on Schiphol airport near Amsterdam.

Earlier, there had been a distribution of white bread made from Swedish flour that was shipped in and baked locally. A popular myth holds that this bread was dropped from airplanes, but that is a mix-up between the two events. Also, the food was not dropped with parachutes, as is often said.

References

They Fell Right In The Larder - Aeroplane Monthly, May 1985.

External links

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