Gerard Bruggink, Date of Birth, Place of Birth, Date of Death

Gerard Bruggink

Dutch fighter pilot

Date of Birth: 04-Aug-1917

Place of Birth: Tubbergen, Overijssel, Netherlands

Date of Death: 05-Dec-2005

Profession: military personnel, aircraft pilot

Nationality: Kingdom of the Netherlands

Zodiac Sign: Leo

Gerardus Meinardus Bruggink (4 August 1917 – 5 December 2005) was a Dutch pilot of the Royal Netherlands East Indies Army Air Force.
A recipient of the Military Order of William, he was one of only four Dutch pilots to dogfight the Japanese in the Battle of Java.Born in Tubbergen, Overijssel, Bruggink followed a Catholic seminary.
He met his wife, Corien, while serving in the Dutch East Indies and they were married in January 1942.
A replica B-339C Brewster Buffalo (B-3107) was built in July 2008 and delivered to the National Military Museum in Soesterberg, Netherlands, carrying the markings of the plane flown by Bruggink.