Bram van der Stok | |
|---|---|
 Bram van der Stok | |
| Born | 13 October 1915 Plaju, Dutch East Indies |
| Died | 8 February 1993 (aged 77) Virginia Beach, Virginia, United States |
| Allegiance |  Netherlands |
| Service/ |  Royal Netherlands Air Force Royal Air Force |
| Years of service | 1936–1945 |
| Battles/wars | World War II |
| Awards | Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau Bronze Lion Bronze Cross Member of the Order of the British Empire (United Kingdom) |
Abraham Lamertus "Bram" van der Stok, MBE (13 October 1915 – 8 February 1993), 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.
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".[1][2] After crossing much of occupied Europe, to reach neutral Spain, Van der Stok became one of only three out of the 76 escapees to reach Britain, along with two Norwegians, Per Bergsland and Jens Müller (who together managed to reach neutral Sweden).[1]
- ^ a b "Obituary: Bram van der Stok". The Daily Telegraph. 1 July 1993. Archived from the original on 11 March 2011.
- ^ "Bob (Bram) van der Stok". www.strijdbewijs.nl (in Dutch). Retrieved 18 November 2018.