SCHAPER Heije (F/O) RAF n° ????

 

Grand Officier Ordre de l'Orange Nassau (2e)

Militaire-Willems-Orde : Ridder 4e klasse
Orde van de Nederlandse Leeuw 2e klasse
Oorlogsherinneringskruis (Croix commémorative)

Ereteken voor Orde en Vrede
Officierskruis (XV)
Inhuldigingsmedaille 1948

Herinneringsmedaille 1962
Huwelijksmedaille 1966
Kruis van het NOC/NSF voor de Militaire Vijfkamp

Orde van Verdienste (Bondsrepubliek Duitsland)
Legion of Merit
Ordre de Leopold II

Knight Grand Cross in the Royal Victorian Order (GB)
Orde van burgerlijke en militaire verdienste Adolph van Nassau
Distinguished Flying Cross

 

Citation DFC GB : Lieutenant Schaper, Sub-Lieutenant Ritte and Corporal Van Tongeren were pilot, navigator and wireless operator gunner respectively of a Fokker seaplane detailed to undertake a special mission of the very greatest importance involving unusual preparation courage and initiative of a high order. Moreover the operation involved landing and taking off in enemy territory at night without assistance of any kind. Intense opposition from machine guns and searchlights was encountered at a height of less than 100 feet. Sub-Lieutenant Ritte received the entire bust of tracer bullets at point blank range. Fortunately the burst was deflectedby the bomb sight but splinters sprayed this officer's legs, face, hands and chest. Corporal Van Tongeren displayed extreme coolness and qualities of a high order in keeping his gun in action depite the fact that he was wounded in his leg and had his gun nocked out of his hands. Lieutenant Schaper succeeded, by his determination and courage, in bringing his severely damaged aircraft back to base with both members of his crew wounded. Although suffering from loss of blood, Sub-Lieutenant Ritte continued to navigate the aircraft and so enabled his pilot to make a safe landing in the most difficult circumstances. Lieutenant Schaper, Sub-Lieutenant Ritte and Corporal Van Tongeren formed a team whose perfect co-operation alone enabled them to extricate themselves from what might have been a hopeless situation.