98(,320,180) Squadron ceremony

[hewasahero]

Hi there!

I've been co-researching a 98 Sqdn crash, and now I'm looking for 98/180/320 Sqdn veterans and relatives who might be interested in attending a ceremony in September, or being contacted about it, or contributing to it. The plane was FW211 (VO-Y) which flew out of RAF Dunsfold and crashed 25 Sept 1944 in Hees, Nijmegen. My great uncle was on board and was KIA.

I know that my co-researcher has been working with the 320 Sqdn Veterans Association and has contacts there, including a veteran due to attend, but any contacts that he may not have especially from 98 or 180 Squadrons, I'm sure he'd be happy to get. He's a bloody nice chap, and researches this stuff as a 'labour of love'!

Here's my blog (start reading at the bottom)…

hewasahero | hi! do you like puzzles?

Any questions, please ask. I'm often at Kew and at the British Library (amongst others), and I'm happy to help with others' related research.

 

[vikingBerserker]

Excellent work sir!

 

[hewasahero]

Thank you for your kind words, old bean! Nice sig, by the way. Looks like a Martin B-10 decorated with USAF No.3 Roundels.

I want the moon on a stick, really. I want to contact relatives of everybody directly involved in the two crashes, and I'm a lot of the way there.
Also want to open this up further so it's about a wider sense of comradeship amongst these three Squadrons that flew together out of RAF Dunsfold.

…and isn't that Second Lieutenant Frank Luke Jr. MOH as your profile picture, standing by his biplane?

 

[hewasahero]

The ceremony's arranged now, for 25 September. That's 70 years after the crash! It'll be in the Petruskerk in Hees, Nijmegen, a stone's throw from the crash site, and the Mayor of Nijmegen Mr. Hubert Bruls will attend, along with several members of 320 Squadron, a 95-year old eyewitness who has waited all these years for the opportunity to meet relatives of the crew, and a number of air crew relatives. It's due to finish with a Spitfire flypast.

More info from the organiser here…

Gastenboek

and on my blog here…

hewasahero | hi! do you like puzzles?

Thanks to all involved, and hope you can make it!

 

[hewasahero]

We're in the 6 September edition of 'De Gelderlander', the paper for the Nijmegen area. The original article and an imperfect English translation are both here on my blog…

hewasahero | hi! do you like puzzles?

and for more details of the ceremony please see the organiser's site…

Gastenboek