Reserve 2nd Lieutenant Observer Bernardus Swagerman was a young man of just 23 years old; calm and humble - too calm and too humble in the opinion of them thinking that he was a "softy" in the Soesterberg Air Force community - and at any time in no way the type of a daring fellow or a swaggerer.
These facts however do not illustrate a correct image of the man in reality.
At the first alarm on the 10th of May 1940, as commander of the T-5 bomber 855 he took off and performed several fights with enemy aircraft.
It has been determined that he, using the aircrafts cannon, downed a German aircraft near De Kaag.
One more plane was hit by his bullets in fuselage and engine as he chased it towards Utrecht.
After one and a half hour he returns to Schiphol, to reload and after an hour he is again in the air, bombing Ockenburg airport. The flames of by him destroyed German aircraft are a beacon for 3 T-5's from Ruigenhoek airstrip, at 07.00 o'clock in the morning, ordered to attack the same target.
Swagerman's T-5 855 however is a prey of diving German fighters. Struggling he tries to escape in Western direction, but is shot over the North Sea. His crew is dead. Lt. Swagerman is the only one who jumps out of the burning aircraft, landing by parachute into the sea, half a kilometer from the beach near Wassenaar.
Taking off his harness and heavy leather pilots' suit during swimming, he succeeds in reaching the coast. There he joines patrols of the Regiment of Riflemen "Jagers", chasing German paratroopers in the Dunes.
In the evening he reaches Schiphol again where his mates admire him but also tease him because he is wearing a borrowed "grass-green" uniform of the Riflemen.
The next day, May 11th, he is designated to act as commander of a patrol of 2 T-5's, bombing the Maas Bridge at Rotterdam.
It is a good habit in the Bomva (bombers department) that the collective trained crews act as a whole: first and second pilot, observer-commander, radio-operator and gunner. They understand each other and are aware of the solutions and performances of their fellow-men.
Now, Lt. Swagerman has to work together with a to him unknown crew, as his own mates are killed. That does not hold him back to perform his order. As the accompanying T-5 is shot down and also two of the three escorting fighters hopeless damaged disappear from the air battle, he carries on and with the new crew he succeeds, flying low over the ground, to reach the more-or-less safe nest at Schiphol.
In the mean time it has been experienced that the T-5 bomber, with its unprotected wing tanks, is a very easy prey for the trace ammunition of the enemy. (Trace ammunition that riddle through the unprotected tanks cause a plume of avgas damp, that easily is lit by the glowing bullets).
The only remaining T-5 aircraft has to be used on the 13th of May to bomb the already by the enemy occupied Moerdijk bridge. An other officer is designated as commander of the plane. This man however is married and Swagerman is willing to volunteer is his place. As they argue about this matter, the Wing Commander intervents and decides that Swagerman, being the "lucky boy" can take over command.
Two mine-bombs of 300 kg each - the T-5 can carry more load - are attached to the plane to hold the weight low. Throwing the two together decreases the chance of hitting the target and the Commander in Chief has announced to give highest priority in destroying the Moerdijk Bridge in order to delay German Tanks, moving towards Rotterdam.
Regardless the attacking German fighters, Swagermans plane dives to the bridge and throws one bomb...alas, it disappears into the water of The Hollands Diep. After a sharp turn another dive is performed and now, a concrete pile of the bridge is hit....again no result, the bomb does not explode!
Being chased by enemies' Messerschmitts and hit several times, near Ridderkerk, the last T-5 is getting down in flames.
The whole crew died.
Also Lt. Swagerman has offered his life as a last sacrifice for his country.
After the war, he was posthumous decorated with the "Militaire Willems Orde".
From the book "Nederlands vliegers in het vuur" by C.C.Küpfer. (Boom-Ruygrok-Haarlem, 2e druk, 1946).