To keep families, friends, press and officials posted I have a standard mail which I send to give some information. There will be another update, but as things go so fast at the moment, it is still pending
But, here is the one I've been sending out recently :
This year it is exactly 70 years ago the plane crashed near Boekelo (Netherlands) on the 29th of September 1943. Of seven crewmembers, two died and the other five survived. We are proud to tell you that we will reveal a monument for this crew in Boekelo on the 29th of September during a special memorial service. The Mayor of Enschede will be there to give a speech and reveal the monument. The Chairman of the Southend-on-Sea Branch of the Royal Airforces Association want to send a wreath (they may be coming over as well) as a mark of respect to Bertram Scudder, one of the two dead crewmembers. Sgt Laurie Dyck (assistant to the Canadian Defence Attaché in The Hague) and her husband will join the memorial. So far we have 13 family members of the crew (Scudder, Hastings, Clary and Lockhart) confirmed who are coming to the Netherlands for the memorial. Also many families of the Dutch people who helped the airmen will be present.
Since we have so much information, we are also writing a book about this plane and his crew and are making a website for it. A local artist is making a painting , which we are going to use as a book cover also, from the crewmembers (the faces when they where flying that plane). So we never forget their faces. This week we also appeared with our story in the regional newspaper. Through our worldwide friends there will be articles published in Canadian, England’s and USA local newspapers.
Here is a short list of what we found out so far: (there is more than I can put in this mail)
The German Ace Prinz zur Lippe-Weissenveld shot down the plane. He was a highly decorated pilot and far related to Prins Bernhard (our King’s grandfather).
American Pilot Jackson Temple Clary returned back to England after help from the underground and people from the ‘Comet Line’. We have contact with his family and have many documents, photo’s and dvd’s with his story about the crash. We are also in touch with the Dutch family who helped him. In 1943 Clary gave 16 year old Lies van Oven a little ring. Lies is still alive and in possession of that ring. She and her family will also attend the memorial.
Canadian Wireless Operator Ivan Lockhart was captured and send to Stalag Luft 3. This prison camp is well known from the movie ‘The Great Escape’ . We are in contact with his family and have his memoires. We are all thrilled to have them, he tell’s his story from the crash until his liberation. And was actively involved with the preparations of the escape.
American Richard Stuart survived the war and returned to the USA. He also served during the Korean and the Vietnam War and returned to Boekelo 25 years after the crash. We have contact with the family who helped him in 1943. They provided us with documents and pictures. Just yesterday we got in contact with his nephew.
Clarence York Hovey, also from America, got captured and send to Stalag Luft 3. In 1979 a Dutch man tried to get him in touch with the family who helped Hovey. Clarence never came to the Netherlands due to health issues. Two weeks ago I came in contact with his daughter. She was exited to hear what we have been doing and is going to send us his logbook, scrapbook and many pictures. She also told me he too had been active in preparation for ‘The Great Escape’. After the war he worked for the Ministry of Agriculture and later he was teaching History and Science at a high school. Later he became a tour bus driver.
George Victor Hastings returned to Canada after the war and became a political activist and businessman in Manitoba, Canada. He challenged Errick Willings for the leadership of the Progressive Party of Manitoba in 1950. He died in 2002.
Canadian William George Bellinger was severely wounded, managed to bail out and was found hanging with his parachute in a tree. Local people managed to free him, but he died at the home of the Nijhuis Family. We have contact with that family and have newspaper clippings and documents. Today a witness called. His wife seen it happen and she has a photograph of him.
One of the youngest crewmember who died is 18 year old Bertram Scudder from the United Kingdom. Through radio BBC Essex two weeks ago we have found family members and they will attend the memorial as well. They are trying to find out if they have some pictures of him as well. Past week we’ve been on air again, BBC Essex was thrilled to hear the latest news.
Both men are buried in Enschede at the Eastern Cemetary.
If you are interested to ‘hear’ our story, this is a link to the BBC Essex broadcast last week :
http://www.schaddelee.com/ww2/bbc_essex_scudder.mp3