That day, a German hospital train approached slowly from the direction of Gramsbergen. It came to a stop on the railway bridge at De Haandrik. An English fighter pilot, who had already flown over the area, grew suspicious and fired a burst of gunfire.

Only one burst was fired, likely because the pilot noticed the Red Cross markings on the wagons, suggesting it was a transport for the wounded. Roelof Meilink, who was trying to find safety with his father and brother, was struck by a stray bullet and killed instantly.

In April 2014, in the presence of relatives and neighbors, Berentien Altena-Meilink—the oldest surviving sister of Roelof Meilink at the time—unveiled a memorial stone at the site where the tragedy occurred.