Max Christern

Max Wilhelm Douwe Christern (7 May 1923 – 7 October 1946) was a Dutch-born German aviator of Swedish descent. During World War II he fled by plane to avoid conscription and became a pilot at the Royal Air Force and after the war at the Royal Netherlands Air Force. On 7 October 1946 he caused the 1946 Apeldoorn aircraft crash killing himself and 22 school children.

Biography Christenen was born on 7 May 1923 in Vorden. Christern was of Swedish descent and had the German citizenship. He was given the order to fly in the neighbourhood of the air base to become familiar with the aircraft and then return to the airbase. However, he flew to Apeldoorn where his mother lived. In Apeldoorn he made some dives above the market square. Afterwards he flew in the direction where his mother lived. Christern was flying very low, and probably saw the school tower of the Hogere Burgerschool too late. With an extreme maneuver he managed to avoid the tower, but his right wing touched the left corner of the school building. The wing broke off, tearing open the fuel tank at the bottom of the wing. The fuel tank fell on the roof of the gym and burning fuel flowed into the gym with 27 children and a teacher. 22 of them lost their lives. Christern crashed with his airplane into the trees right behind the school building and died. His mother died from a heart attack after she was told her son was killed. Christern and his mother Maria Christern-Slingervoet Ramondt were cremated in Driehuis. Next to family and relatives, the cremation was attended by many colleagues. One of the speakers was the naval chaplain who spoke on behalf of the Commander of the Royal Netherlands Navy.