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Post by gforgeorge on Aug 23, 2011 16:23:49 GMT 12
Reading these posts has finally stopped me from procrastinating any longer. Just over a year ago my wife and I were travelling though Europe and while there I decided to visit my Uncle's grave. He was the victim of Helmut Lent, the highest scoring N/F ace up to the time of his death. As mentioned in Errol Martyn's For Your Tomorrow, the Wellington had a crew 6, and were all RNZAF. Only 2 bodies were ever found, one being my uncle. He is buried in the most beautiful cemetery you'll ever see, the graves are tended by Wyp Jan Groendijk who was our most gracious host during our stay and his very good friend JB took us in his 4 wheel drive along miles of beach to where my uncle's body was found, just a mere 70 years ago. to learn more of Vredenhof go to this web site: annadasovic.nl it must have become a bit PC as they have pulled down part of the site that showed you the pages of Anna's book. Some were pretty gruesome but the stories moving. there was a picture of my Uncle half buried in sand next to another body. which brings me to the reason for this post. Wyb Jan believes that the unidentified F/S is that of F/S Frank E.McKenzie, Uncle and Mckenzie were the only F/Ss on that flight, the other 4 were P/o. (they were both buried at the same time with full Military honours, that's the amazing thing about that place, you'll understand more by visiting the web site) if you read the war Graves commision they say the body was exhumed after the war and could not be identified. According to Wyb Jan no body has ever been exhumed at Vredenhof and they only used the German records to identify the victims which as you can imagine were very detailed. this is where I need some help, Wyb Jan wants to find relatives of F.E.McKenzie and get his grave site officially identified. My mother thinks he had a brother as my Parents new his, when they lived in Christchurch after the war.
Visiting the Island of Schiermonnikoog was a highlight of our trip and its amazing to think that the 4 other Kiwis buried there, along with so many other nationalities are never forgotten.
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Post by oggie2620 on Aug 23, 2011 22:58:29 GMT 12
Hi Please contact Glen Turner via the 75 Sqn website: www.75squadron-raf-rnzaf.com/ as he will be glad to hear from you. Please come along to the reunion next year! I am sure he would also love to have contact details for the person who is looking after your Uncles Grave. We visited the Netherlands in July and though it would have a bit far to your Uncles grave it would have been great to link him up with other Dutch people who are doing sterling work with 75 Sqn crews... Will have to look up your Uncle now!  By the way you didnt by any chance take pictures of all the graves as Glens current project is to get a picture of every 75 Sqn grave wherever they may be. Dee |
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Post by oggie2620 on Aug 24, 2011 1:57:42 GMT 12
There are 3 mckenzie families still living in Bryndwr where his parents are listed as living in Errols vol 3. Might be worth ringing them using the white pages to see if the are rellies...
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Post by gforgeorge on Aug 24, 2011 22:26:53 GMT 12
Hi Oggie,
Thank you for the input, I will definitely will follow up. There were photos of all the graves on goggle earth for a couple of years but I looked for them tonight and they've gone. if you go to Schiermonnikoog and hunt close to the Wasserman Bunker, the radar station that would have sealed the fate of AA W, you will see many photos of the Vredenhof and how beautiful it looks in the summer. Wyb Jan has made it his life long ambition to meet as many relatives as he can. He has a small museum in his house which I regret not seeing as we got sidetracked having a few beers. what he did show me was a large file about my Uncle, someone had even written a story about them called lost at sea, though it was in Dutch. There were letters from my Father in 1946 as well my Aunt thirty years ago, photos of the burial with a large number of German soldiers present. one letter came from a fellow pilot who remembered the crew and told of Smith the Pilot who carried a Colt 45 as a side arm, the joke was at the time, if he ever landed in the sea, the gun was so big it would have pulled him under.
It is such a pity you can't view the Anna Dasovic web site called soldiers. the stories are so moving. One i recall was a young RAF crew member, washed ashore, he had a young son who never new his dad, the mother remarried and kept the secret from him until Wyb Jan tracked the mother down, was told to take a jump, the son had to wait for the mother to die before contacting him and finally visit the Grave. It's all in a letter. There will be a doco coming out about The Graves in the Dunes. I think they're still waiting on funding. anyway I better go before i bore you too much more.
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Post by Tony on Aug 30, 2011 22:26:56 GMT 12
anyway I better go before i bore you too much more. Bore? Never George, Personal history is always fascinating |
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Post by Dave Homewood on Aug 30, 2011 22:39:12 GMT 12
Hear hear. Never a bore. Well done on your research efforts.
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Post by oggie2620 on Sept 6, 2011 9:17:36 GMT 12
I agree with both of the above. Glen calls me a 75 Sqn Groupie (tho it should be RNZAF groupie LOL). The personal history is taking me on one heck of a journey. Enjoy yours and keep us posted Dee |
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Post by gforgeorge on Sept 10, 2011 12:51:37 GMT 12
I have found a PDF file that Wyb Jan Goendijk sent after our first
communication, its 1.37MB so maybe too big to post, i'll wait for some advice. It tells of the history of the Island and the reason behind the full military Honors with every burial, it has many pictures especially one of a dead pilot washed up on the sand. The brochure has been put together to promote the upcoming documentary. Also its all in English. I am thinking of showing pictures of my Uncle's own burial which also shows that of Flt/S McKenzie, though because he wasn't identified he didn't have a flag on his coffin
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Post by oggie2620 on Oct 11, 2011 11:21:01 GMT 12
Hi there Sorry I havent come back to you before now. I have been a bit busy and havent got on this forum  Will pm you my email addy and then I will forward it to Bob Moore as he may be able to help us. Dee |
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Post by gforgeorge on Dec 22, 2011 22:36:27 GMT 12
sorry Oggie,
I have just read your message so will send the PDF to you, in the last couple of months I have been gathering some information for
an author in the UK. I had another Uncle killed in a flying accident while instructing on a rest tour. The author has written a book about the individuals who are buried at Scampton and he was after some personal details which I was able to supply him.
The accident was blamed on pilot error, but the author believes it to be equipment failure. I'm looking forward to reading the book when it arrives.
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Post by oggie2620 on Dec 24, 2011 15:45:07 GMT 12
Hi george
Did you I pm you my email addy I am having a dippy moment.
Its wonderful when you find out there is some source material that you dont have and it all adds to the jigsaw of that persons life. If the Uncle is a Kiwi then Glen would be interested in pics of his and any other Kiwis graves too as he knows someone else who would be looking for those.
Best wishes
Dee
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