Archief voor categorie: Airborne Magazine

CONTENT
3. -4.Ideas and plans for the future of the Airborne Museum “Hartenstein” – Editors
4.Annual General Meeting -19 March 2016 – Editors “Social Evening” on 12 February – Editors
5.Airborne Museum receives ammunition magazines from a RENAULT tank, used by the Germans – Roland Boekhorst
6.Special “Hartenstein wines” available- Nathalie Rosenberg, Candles on the graves at the Airborne Cemetery in Oosterbeek – Editors, Unique gift from Germany – Wybo Boersma
7.“Afternoon Tea” in the Airborne Museum seems to be a great success – Natalie Rosenberg
7.-8.“Arnhem Bridge, Target Mike One” – Niall Cherry, Diary of Anje van Maanen gives a powerful picture of the wartime days in Oosterbeek – Robert Voskuil
9.New research by Dilip Sarker – Editors
9. -10.DVD “Ten days in September ‘44” – Ben Kolster
10. -11.Much interest in the exhibition about the Kuik brothers – Robert Voskuil
11.Ministory 123: an example of a detailedhistorical study – Editors
12.-14.Ministory 123. The death of a German General at the Battle of Arnhem (Part 1) – Scott Revell
15.Programme 2016

(Photo: Airborne Museum Collection)

IDEAS AND PLANS FOR THE FUTURE OF THE AIRBORNE MUSEUM “HARTENSTEIN”

On the ’theme day’ of the SFAM that was held on 14 November 2015 in the Concert Hall in Oosterbeek, two special guests were invited: the Director of the Airborne Museum, Sarah Thurlings, and the member of Marketing and Sales, Natalie Rosenberg. They gave a presentation about the activities held in the Airborne Museum during 2015 and told of ideas and plans for the coming years.

A couple of the main points from their presentation were:-
In future, every year will see a large theme based exhibition. In 2016 a number of special people (British, Polish, Dutch and German) will form the central part of a display about their roles in the Battle of Arnhem. In the following years a number of exhibitions will be held about the German side in the Battle of Arnhem, the Resistance movement and about the Poles.
Alongside these large exhibitions, will appear a regular number of smaller displays, covering various subjects.
The exhibition “The Kuik brothers – teenagers in the Resistance”, was an example of such a display.
The support given by the SFAM to the Airborne Museum is very important. This is not only by way of financial support, but also by the provision of the specialised knowledge held by various members of the SFAM to the young and new staff of the Museum.
At a time when museum subsidies are getting smaller, new future activities will have to be designed to attract more public visitors to the Museum. The “Afternoon Tea” is an example of this move.
There are plans for a small exhibition on the general history of the “Hartenstein” villa, that earlier served as a countryside villa.
In 2016 the Airborne Museum staff, together with people from a number of other organizations, will create a new and modern Information Centre about the Battle of Arnhem, close to the Rhine Bridge in Arnhem.

More information about the above mentioned matters will appear in the following numbers of the Airborne Magazine.

ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING – 19 MARCH 2016

The 35th Annual General Members Meeting, together with the Annual Meeting of the Society of Friends of the Airborne Museum will take place on Saturday 19 March 2016 in the Concert Hall, Rozensteeg 3, in Oosterbeek, starting at 14.00hrs

The agenda is as follows:-
1. Opening
2. Minutes of the Annual Members Meeting 21.March 2015
3. General Report 2015
4. Financial Report 2015
5. Budget 2016
6. Report by Finance Committee
7. Management election
8. Appointment of Finance Committee reserve member
9. Questions -A.O.B.
10. Close

Points 3 and 4: The General Report, the Financial Report and the Finance Committee Report will be available for inspection 30 minutes before the Meeting opens, at the hall entrance. You can also request copies of the General and Financial Reports by sending an e-mail or post letter to the SFAM.

Point 7: This year sees the routine resignation of Frits Miedema. He is not available for re-election. The SFAM Management nominates Luuk Buist from Doorwerth as a candidate for this post. In accordance with Article 8 of the Foundation Statutes, members can propose alternative candidates. Nominations for this position must be delivered in writing to the Secretary of the SFAM not later than 10 days before the Meeting. This nomination must be signed by not less than 10 members and accompanied by a certificate of acceptance by the candidate, who must be of adult age and a member of the Society.

After closure of the meeting will be a PAUSE. The program after the Pause will be later announced on the SFAM website and via an Airborne Newsflash.

“SOCIAL EVENING” ON 12 FEBRUARY

As listed in the Annual Program of the SFAM, on 12 February 2016, a “Social Evening” will be held in the Airborne Museum. At the time of going to print with this edition of the Airborne Museum, the whole programme was not entirely known. Thus, this will be made available using a News Flash and the SFAM website (WAM).

AIRBORNE MUSEUM RECEIVES AMMUNITION MAGAZINES FROM A RENAULT TANK, USED BY THE GERMANS.

A while ago, SFAM members, Hans Timmerman and David van Buggenum, found two special French ammunition magazines, along the Van Borsselenweg in Oosterbeek. The magazines were found during a search for bodily remains of a missing serviceman relating to the Battle of Arnhem. This field search was conducted with the approval of the Renkum Council.
The magazines found originated from one of the French Renault Char-B2 tanks, which in 1940, the Germans had captured from the French forces and, during the Battle of Arnhem, had employed against the British forces on the western side of the Perimeter. During the Battle of Arnhem, in the area along the Van Borsselenweg in Oosterbeek, were sited “D” Company of the 1st Battalion of the Border Regiment, comprising roughly 140 men, split into three platoons. Their HQ was located in the large, white farmhouse on this road, which also held a casualty station. The “D” Company included control of two 6-pounder anti-tank guns.

The Char B tank near the Van Borsselenweg in Oosterbeek, after it was destroyed by the British with a ópdrgun. (Photo: PK Kriegsberichter Rutkowski – Airborne Museum collection)

On 21 September 1944, the Germans launched an attack on the western edge of the perimeter. The attack was supported by a number of French Char-B2 tanks from the Panzer Kompanie 223, that had been converted into flame-throwers. One such tank advanced via the country lane that emerges at the white farmhouse on the Van Borsselenweg. The tank fired with the machine-gun Chatellerault M31 at the British positions by

the farm. They attempted to turn one of their anti-tank guns in the direction of the approaching enemy, but they were knocked out by the machine-gun fire from the German tank. The British Lance Corporal Bill Beck then attacked the tank with a Bren gun fired from the hip. Shortly after, Pte Parker came who, with another soldier, fired a PIAT bomb. This bomb caused some light damage but the tank continued to advance and finally was put out of action by the other 6pdr anti-tank gun, that in the interim was turned by another soldier and stood at a very short range from the Char-B2 tank.

Nearly all cartridges within the recently found magazines were exploded. This was due to the fact that the tank was finally hit by a British anti-tank grenade and as a result was burnt out. In the boxes found were 101 exploded cartridges of 7.5mm calibre, suitable for the French Chatellerault M31 [Mle31) machine-gun. One box can contain, in total, 150 of these cartridges. These were normal cartridges, an armour piercing version and incendiary types. These sat in sections of three in the box. The two cartridge magazines were, with permission from the responsible authorities, donated to the Airborne Museum, where they have been cleaned and preserved as much as possible. (Roland Boekhorst)

One of the two magazines found in 2015 which were from the French Chatellerault M31 (Mle31) machine gun from the CharB tank. The ammunition had exploded in the magazine. (Photo: Roland Boekhorst)

SPECIAL “HARTENSTEIN WINES” AVAILABLE

For many years in the Airborne Museum shop, the so-called “Airborne Wine” has been available. Just recently, two special additional “Hartenstein wines” were introduced. Via a wine sample provider, a white Sauvignon Blanc and a red Cabernet Sauvignon have been selected. These are quality wines to drink yourself or to give as a present. The “Hartenstein Rouge” and the “Hartenstein Blanc” cost €9,95 per bottle at the Airborne Museum. (Nathalie Rosenberg, Marketing and Sales)

CANDLES ON THE GRAVES AT THE AIRBORNE CEMETERY IN OOSTERBEEK

Since 1991, there has been a tradition that on Christmas Eve citizens [especially school children) place candles on nearly 1400 graves, at the Canadian War Cemetery at Holten in The Netherlands. This is an impressive and emotional way to commemorate those who died in the darkest period of the year.
On the initiative of Roland Boekhorst, staff member of the Airborne Museum, this tradition has recently been adopted and, in the evening of 24 December 2015, several hundred candles were placed on a number of graves in the Airborne Cemetery at Oosterbeek. About two hundred interested people took part.

On 24 December 2016 it will be attempted to place candles at each of the approximately 1700 graves at the Airborne Cemetery. /Editors)

UNIQUE GIFT FROM GERMANY

Just recently, the Airborne Museum received a British tropical uniform shirt, that was worn by a member of Luftwaffe who served with the German Africa Korps. The father of the donor had the item in his possession. It was originally obtained from a German military person, who was a photographer and who was posted to aerodromes in North Africa, where he had to take propaganda photos. However it is not certain that he was an official member of one of the German Propaganda Kompanieën.

On the shirt are the original emblems of the Africa Korps and an armband with Kriegsberich-teron it (see illustration).

It is said that the wearer later served as one of the Kriegsberichters at Arnhem, but that is not so easy to confirm with certainty, because the name of the man is not known. The armband is very rare and, as far as we know, does not appear in the well known emblem record books. In 2011 a similar armband, but without the blue triangle, was sold at auction in England for a very high price.

British tropical uniform shirt that was worn by a Luftwaffe military person with the German Africa Korps, with, on the sleeve, a “Kriegsberichter” armband. (Text/Photo: Wybo Boersma)

“AFTERNOON TEA” IN THE AIRBORNE MUSEUM SEEMS TO BE A GREAT SUCCESS

The first “Afternoon Tea” that took place in the Airborne Museum on 27 September 2015. (Photo: berrydereusfotografie.nl)

On 27 September 2015 in the Airborne Museum, the first “Afternoon Tea” took place. This initiative from Director Sarah Thurlings, was a definite success. Not only on this first occasion was the event fully booked, but also the thereafter following dates were also immediately fully booked. Thus the Museum goes forward in 2016, with the organizing of a monthly “Afternoon Tea”. If you would like to take part sometime, make contact with the Museum in person or via the website. (Natalie Rosenberg, Marketing and Sales)

“ARNHEM BRIDGE, TARGET MIKE ONE”

The latest RN Sigmond publication was published to coincide with the 71st anniversary of Operation Market Garden and this is called Arnhem Bridge Target Mike One, written by David Truesdale, Martijn Cornelissen and Bob Gerritsen. Arnhem Bridge Target Mike One covers the story of the 1st Airlanding Light Regiment RA during its short life in the Second World War, covering the formation of the unit, their actions in North Africa and Italy and extensive coverage of their time at

Arnhem in September 1944. As you would now come to expect from a Sigmond book it is a high quality publication both in terms of production and facts. The book follows the usual format of a Sigmond work, with documents, official reports and personal accounts all woven together into an excellent history of the Airlanding Light Regiment. Over 200 photographs complement the book and at the end is a fold-out A3 aerial photograph of the area around the church in lower Oosterbeek showing the gun positions which is really useful. I understand 1,000 copies were printed and are selling fast. It really does not need me to endorse this book as the book sells itself. Highly recommended, a ‘must have’ book and I suggest you get a copy and don’t wait too long!
“Arnhem Bridge, Target Mike One”, has 282 pages and more than 200 photos, prints of documents, maps and air photos. The ISBN number is: 978-90-812703-6-6.
The price in Netherlands is €37,50 and in the UK £30. The book is available in the Netherlands from the Airborne Museum and at the Meijer & Siegers bookshop in Oosterbeek. It can also be ordered directly from the publisher by sending an e-mail to robert.sigmondraplanet.nl.
In the UK, the book is available, amongst other sources, from the SFAM Secretary at his email address: niallcherryrabaesystems.com. (Niall Cherry)

DIARY OF ANJE VAN MAANEN GIVES A POWERFUL PICTURE OF THE WARTIME DAYS IN OOSTERBEEK

12 September 2015. Anje Brummelkamp-van Maanen with three young family members, looks at the first copy of her just published diary. (Photo: berrydereusfotografie.nl)
The recently published book “Noodhospital De Tafelberg. Diary Oosterbeek 17-25 September 1946” written by Anje van Maanen, is a very welcome issue, as much for Dutch readers as for English language interested parties. The text of the book was written shortly after the end of the Battle of Arnhem by the then 17 year old Anje van Maanen, daughter of Doctor G.H.0. van Maanen in Oosterbeek. He was a GP and lived with his family in a large villa on the Pietersbergseweg, close behind Hotel Schoonoord. Shortly after the start of the British air landings, Dr van Maanen moved into the Hotel de Tafelberg, which was converted into an emergency hospital. Anje and the rest of the family stayed in their own home, until 22 September when a group of British paratroops (of the 21st Independent Parachute Company} wanted to convert the villa into a stronghold. The family chose to also move into the Tafelberg and spent the rest of the Battle of Arnhem, which became the “Battle of Oosterbeek”, in that building.
Anje wrote the nine day battle with a great eye for detail. Especially for readers who know Oosterbeek well, the situations described and the names of people and places will be easily recognised.

Although it was never Anje’s intention to publish her diary, finally, after 71 years, the pressure from the family, persuaded her to agree and go ahead. The publication has used the original letter by letter text from 1944 and thus no extra additions or notes have been included. However, a number of photos and a map of Oosterbeek have been added. The presentation of the book took place on 12 September 2015 in the Airborne Museum. The now 88 year old Anje Brummelkamp-van Maanen, with great interest from her family, was presented with the first copy of her book.

“Noodhospitaal De Tafelberg” was published by “Kontrast” in Oosterbeek. The price of this attractively presented issue is €16,95. The book is naturally available at the Airborne Museum.

The English language edition is entitled “Tafelberg Field Hospital”. Niall Cherry, the representative of the SFAM in the UK has copies in stock. (Robert Voskuil)

NEW RESEARCH BY DILIP SARKER

In the Airborne Museum, we recently had a meeting with Mr Dilip Sarker MBE, one of our members from the UK. Mr Dilip Sarker is busy with the preparation for the writing of a book with stories about military personnel who died at Arnhem. Dilip is always very much moved by stories about the fortunes of soldiers who died during wartime circumstances and the sorrow and sadness that impact on the relatives. After his visit to Oosterbeek, Dilip Sarker wrote to us: “What I would like to do is to tell the stories about a number of men who are buried in Oosterbeek. I will do it with help from people who knew them and with the help from personal documents and photos, as it were, to bring them back to life”. Dilip has earlier written a similar book about crewmen who died from the sinking of the British battleship Royal Oak that was torpedoed by the German U-boat U-47. That book, “Hearts of Oak: The Human Tragedy of HMS Royal Oak”, that was published in 2010, is, amongst others, used to give more understanding to the War Widows Association. With his other publications, such as that about the Battle of Britain, he has attempted to promote the RAFBenevolent Fund, the Battle of Britain Fighter Association and the Battle of Britain Memorial Trust.
Also he wrote to us “In my new book, I would like to promote further attention to the Airborne Museum in Oosterbeek, and also the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. Also it is very important to write about the role of the “flower children”, as well as the close connection that since September 1944, has existed between the local population from the area around Arnhem and the Airbornes. I will emphasise that a war, in the first place, is remembered for “the suffering of the people” and not through the “glorious victories”. Therefore I will write, not only about the losses of the British, Polish and the Dutch people, but also about the German dead.”

Dilip Sarkar would very much like to make contact with people who may be able to share relevant information and/or material with him. The contact details of Dilip Sarkar MBE, FRHistS, BA(Hons) are:- Telephone in the UK: (Office: 01905 420441 – Mobile: 07971 677638.,

E-Mail: dilipsarkarbeOyahoo.co.uk.

See also his website: http:/www.dilipsarkarmbe.co.uk

(Editors)

DVD “TEN DAYS IN SEPTEMBER ‘44”

A number of years ago, during the commemoration of the Battle of Arnhem, the Dutch journalist Maaike Kuy-venhoven met the British veteran Douglas Charlton. Maaike was so impressed by the moving way in which Douglas told of his experiences during the September days of 1944, that she decided to make a film portrait about him. Together with documentary maker Jan-Cees ter Brugge, they filmed Douglas during his annual visits to Holland. They took him to the various locations which featured in his stories, such as the landing zones; on Onderlangs in Arnhem and in Oosterbeek itself. They also interviewed him in England.

Many hours of film material were, during the editing, reduced to 58 minutes. To finance the production of a DVD, the film makers used a crowd funding scheme and this brought in the required funds. The film was released in September 2015.

Douglas Charlton was part of R-Company (under command of Major Timothy), as a unit of 1st Parachute Battalion, that, on 17 September 1944, landed near Renkum. After the initial advance, during which they suffered large losses, the men entered the western part of Arnhem. On 19 September the Battalion at

tempted to advance along Onderlangs, to reach the Road Bridge, where the 2nd Parachute Battalion under Lt Col Frost had been dug in since the evening of 17 September. The attack was a total failure. Charlton was taken P0W but he managed to escape, after, with the agreement of the Germans, he brought a wounded colleague to the St Elizabeth Gasthuis (Hospital). He decided to try to reach Oosterbeek, where on arrival, he was sent to support the men in the area around the Old Church, that was being defended by the “Lonsdale Force”. He took part, amongst other actions, in the fighting around the laundry of Van Hofwegen and in the garden of blacksmith Breman. At the end of the battle, he was part of the very last group who, in the night of 25/26 September, managed to cross the river.

What is very special about this story, is the unique way by which Charlton describes the fighting. It is not a simple military report or a romanticised glory tale, but his story is about the emotions of a simple’ soldier, during the often gruesome situations where he found himself. Douglas can describe his memories in a very special way, mainly due to his amazing memory and his typical British humour. To place particular situations in its historical context, the film makers asked Robert Voskuil, at some points in the film, to provide some extra explanations.

Sadly Douglas did not live to see the final result of the film. He died in October 2013. The film makers see their film as a tribute to him and to his comrades. The title of the DVD about Douglas Charlton reads: “10 dagen in September ’44 – a documentary about the Battle of Arnhem through the eyes of an English soldier”. The DVD is provided with Dutch sub titles.
There is also an English language version where the parts where Dutch is spoken have English sub titles. In Holland the DVD is on sale in the Airborne Museum and local book shops. It can also be ordered by sending an e-mail to: inforamaaikekuyvenhoven.nl

(see also the facebook page: 10dageninseptember44). In the UK the DVD is available from Niall Cherry.

MUCH INTEREST IN THE EXHIBITION ABOUT THE KUIKBROTHERS

After the opening of the exhibition about the Kuik brothers, Mayor Jean Paul Gebben from Renkum and Els Kuik look at the objects in one of the display cases. (Photo: berrydereusfotografie.nl)

In the previous issue of the Airborne Magazine, we mentioned the exhibition “Gebroeders Kuik ’44 – (Kuik Brothers ’44 – Teenagers in the Resistance”) in the Airborne Museum. This small display which was held in the Hall of Fame in the Airborne Museum, attracted not only many visitors, but also resulted in surprisingly high levels of publicity.

At the opening on 1st October 2015, Mrs Els Kuik from Oosterbeek gave a speech. She is the widow of Wobke Kuik, the youngest son of the Kuik family and brother of Bert and Hans, who, on 3rd November 1944 were shot dead by the SD NC0 Friedrich Enkelstroth, on the Rosendaelsche Golf Club in Arnhem. Els Kuik had presented the whole archive about the
murder of Bert and Hans and its aftermath, to the Airborne Museum, which made this display possible.

The well known Dutch historian and journalist Ad van Liempt spoke in depth at the opening of the exhibition about the role of young Dutch people in the Resistance against the German Occupation in the period 1940-1945. Until now, little thought has been given to this role, even though it appears to be a much more important aspect than the majority of people are aware of. And that is also the case about their contribution during the Allied “liberation operations” in 1944/45.

As a result, in the coming years, amongst others, the ‘Nederlands Instituut voor Oorlogs Documentatie en Holocaust Studies’ (Netherlands Institute for War Documentation and Holocaust Studies) in Amsterdam, will be undertaking further research about the subject. In the days after the opening, on the television (including the Dutch National NOS Television News), the radio and in newspapers, in depth coverage was given to this subject, which resulted in many additional museum visitors.

At the exhibition, that continued until 31 January 2016, a brochure (in the Dutch language) was available, titled “Gebroeders Kuik ’66 – Tieners in het Verzet” (Kuik Brothers ’66 – Teenagers in the Resistance). This was produced by Tim Streefkerk, historical researcher at the Airborne Museum. The cost of this publication has been entirely met by the SFAM. Copies of the brochure are still available in the Museum shop.

In addition, the exhibition had an unexpected follow-up. The Management of the Rosendaelsche Golf Club, announced that they had approved the placing of a plaque at the tree beside which both lads were shot dead on 3 November 1966, in the centre of the golf course. On Tuesday 3 November

The simple plaque on the tree on the Rosendaelsche GolfClub, next to which on 3 November 1944, Bert and Hans Kuik were shot dead. The unveiling of this memorial took place on 3 November 2015. (Photo: Frank Versteegh)

2015, exactly 71 years after the event, this plaque was unveiled by Els Kuik, during a simple but moving meeting together with a large group of interested people. For Els, this was the lovely end to a long standing wish. The two brothers will not be forgotten. {Robert Voskuil)

MINISTORY 123: AN EXAMPLE OF A DETAILED HISTORICAL STUDY

Recently we received from our member Scott Revell in Australia, a story about the German General Kussin who, on the first day of the Battle of Arnhem, was killed in Oosterbeek. Scott Revell has a military background and is a reserve officer in the Australian forces. He has always been interested in the history of the Battle of Arnhem, especially in the role of the German units. In his research project into the German side of the Battle of Arnhem, he works thoroughly and is a real specialist in this subject. He works closely together with a number of amateur historians in the Netherlands and the UK and together with them, he has written a number of books, including “Retake Arnhem Bridge: An Illustrated History of the Kampfgruppe Knaust September to October 1966 (2010)”., “Arnhem, a few Vital Hours: The SS-Panzergrenadier-Ausbil-dungs und Ersatz-Bataillon 16 at the Battle of Arnhem, September 1966 (2013)” and “A Piece of Coloured Ribbon, an insight into German Award Winners at the Battle of Arnhem” (2015).

This story is to focus on a particular event that occurred on the first day of the battle; the now infamous ambush of General Kussin’s vehicle by men of the 3rd Parachute Battalion.

Because the length of the story sent by Scott Revell was too big for one number, we have divided his article into two parts. The second part will be published in the next issue of the Airborne Magazine.(Editors)

MINISTORY 123: THE DEATH OF A GERMAN GENERAL AT ARNHEM (PART 1)

Scott Revell
This Ministory is dedicated to the memory of Bart Leyte

On the 17th September 1944 the first elements of the British 1st Airborne Division dropped or landed west of Arnhem. Expectations were high as pre-operational briefings had indicated minimal resistance and that the ground forces of XXX Corps would relieve them before the third lift had even arrived. The plan for the British 1st Airborne Division was to send the 1st Parachute Brigade towards Arnhem via three distinct routes with the 1st Airborne Reconnaissance Squadron racing ahead to secure the Arnhem Road Bridge. As we know, things didn’t go to plan and thousands of airborne soldiers were to embark on a 9-day struggle with German Forces in and around Arnhem.
This short story is to focus on a particular event that occurred on the first day of the battle; the now infamous ambush of General Kussin’s vehicle by the 3rd Parachute Battalion. The story will provide a small background to Kussin’s command, a narrative of the actual event and set the record straight regarding the number of German occupants in the vehicle at the time of the ambush.

Major General Friedrich Kussin, in September 7 944, Commanding Officer of Feldkommandantur FK642 (Photo: Scott Revell collection)

Feldkommandantur 642

Generalmajor Friedrich Kussin was appointed to the position of commander of Feldkommandantur 642 (FK 642) in early September 1943. Born in 1895 Kussin was a 49 year old pioneer veteran of WWI and also held command positions during the invasion of France as well as on the Eastern Front. Transferred to the Führer Reserve in April 1943 after promotion to General, Kussin waited for his next appointment before taking up his final position which was headquartered in Arnhem.

In quite a number of publications in the past, Kussin has been wrongly assigned as the Arnhem Stadtkom-mandant (City Commander). In fact, his position was the area commander with the designate of 642 which incorporated the city of Arnhem. The size of FK 642, from a personnel perspective, was relatively small and if it followed the official establishment (KStN 2201). This establishment would have had the following posted positions:

Officers: 7 Officials: 3 NCOS: 21 Soldiers: 12

Sometimes these area administrative commands would have security or police type units attached to them if the threat warranted it. This was most prevalent on the Eastern Front when these commands had to deal with partisans. The purpose of the Feldkommandantur could include, but was not limited to, securing supply lines, depots and traffic lines, vital asset protection and keeping the rear area secure. If forces were not allocated to achieve these tasks then where possible the staff of the Feldkommandantur would recruit locally to complement its establishment. It has been widely written that FK 642 had a security platoon or two that manned the bridge on the 17th September 1944 however to date no sources of information in official records have come to light to confirm or deny this.

17 September 1944

The 3rd Parachute Battalion under the command of Lieutenant Colonel John Fitch together with a troop of 6-pounder anti-tank guns from an airlanding antitank battery, a section of medics from 16 Parachute Field Ambulance and about half of C Troop from 1st Parachute Squadron RE, were to take the center route which was to move along the main Utrecht-Arnhem road (code named ‘Tiger’ route) into Arnhem to assist the 2nd Parachute Battalion to capture and hold the road bridge.

By around 1700h the leading elements of the 3rd Battalion encountered some minor resistance just short of the Utrechtseweg and Wageningen crossroads. The Germans located here were outposts set up by SS-Panzergrenadier Ausbildungs und Ersatz Batail-lon 16, under the command of SS-Sturmbannführer Sepp Krafft, which was aimed at providing his battalion with early warning. These outposts would have quickly withdrawn after engaging the British and moved back to the main defensive position. The spearhead of the 3rd Battalion had the order to advance into Arnhem at lightning speed so unless they were fully engaged they were required to move past these minor skirmishes. With Krafft focussed on these enemy troop movements to his west and south-west, he was surprised by the arrival from the south of a Citroën 11CV Traction Avant staff car just prior to the sounds of gun fire to his south. Stopping in the grounds of the Hotel Wolfheze was the Wehrmacht Area Commandant General Friedrich Kussin who stepped out of the vehicle and greeted SS-Sturmbannfiihrer Krafft. According to Krafft’s report the General provided Krafft with the latest intelligence of the Allied landings and informed him that overall command of the area is now the responsibility of the lind SS-Panzer Korps. Kussin calls upon Krafft’s battalion to show all endurance and he then prepared to leave via the same route he came on.

Krafft was concerned for the General since he had received the report of enemy forces to the south. General Kussin assured Krafft that he had visited one of Krafft’s sentry posts on the Arnhem – Wageningen road and that all was good before he had arrived. Even though Krafft put in one last objection based on recent reports and suggested a different route, the General would not be put off. Krafft watched with disbelief as the Citroën staff car carrying General Kussin and his passengers, sped off south back towards the crossroads.

Krafft records in his report a small entry relating to the outcome of Kussin heading off towards the enemy in his staff car. It states:

‘A few minutes later we hear a burst of machine-gun bullets and we have lost a gallant solder and his three companions. He is surely the first of the German dead in the intense fighting now beginning. ”

The burst of machine gun fire at 1715h came from the leading elements of the 3rd Parachute Battalion which had now passed the crossroads. Then men of No. 5 Platoon, B Company under the command of Lieutenant James Cleminson had seen the vehicle travel at speed from their left rear and they had opened fire with the platoon’s weapons. The fire had the desired effect and stopped the vehicle in its tracks killing all of its occupants.

After the war a member of the platoon was a little more descriptive than Krafft in detailing the events of Kussin’s car at the crossroads:

“The platoon had been selected to lead the 3rd Parachute Battalions march to Arnhem, and for the first two hours we made good progress, scouting ahead of the main force. As we approached Battalion Krafft’s blocking line east of Wolfheze, a German Citroen staff car suddenly appeared at a junction between the platoon’s positions, prompting the unit to open fire with rifles and Sten guns, killing all inside. So enthusiastic had been the firing that

both the vehicle and passengers were riddled with bullets and it took Cleminson’s intervention to get the men to cease fire. This prize put the platoon on a high. Cleminson did not discover until after the war that his men had killed General Friedrich Kussin. He had been visiting Krafft when he unwisely decided to return to the town and his own headquarters.”

Captured on Camera

The results of the ambush was later captured for ever more when Sergeant Dennis Smith and Sergeant Gordon Walker of No.5 AFPU [Army Film and Photographic Unit) took three photos and some film of Kussin’s shot up car. The stationary vehicle sat in the middle of the road at the junction of Wolfhezerweg and Utrechtseweg with the dead occupants still inside. Smith positioned himself on the passenger’s side and took his first photo (Photo 1 – Smith, roll 2, frame 4) of Generalmajor Kussin who had been hit several times in his seat. In the same photo it is possible to see the body of the driver, the 42 year old Getreiter Josef Willeke, slumped over the centre of the car with his cap still on.

The first photo taken by photographer Smith, after he arrived at the German staff car, shows the dead Major General Kussin, in the front passenger seat. Next to him, the chauffeur Josef Wilke. (Photo. Dennis Smith, AFPU, IWM London collection)

For some reason, either Smith or someone else decided to remove the bodies of Kussin and Willeke from the front of the vehicle in order to capture the next two photographs (the Dutch Commando Lieutenant Maarten Knottenbelt had already removed the General’s rank insignia from his collar on the 17th September 1944 and LCPL Wilce of No. 4 Section, 1 st Airborne Provost Company had removed the shoulder rank slides on the 18th September 1944). It would have been without doubt that they would have been surprised on how Kussin appeared after being removed from the car. It was quickly deducted that the fire from the airborne soldiers had been so ferocious and accurate that one bullet had struck the right lower cheek of General Kussin exiting out the back of the head giving the appearance that he been scalped when he was removed from the vehicle. Smith captured this infamous photo (Smith, roll 2, frame 5] which has since been published hundreds of times.

After the two dead men in the front of the car, were pulled out, Smith photographed first, Major General Kussin (Smith Photo 2. This photo is not shown in this article) and then on the other side of the vehicle, the chauffeur Josef Willeke (Smith photo 3). He lies out of the car with a Dutch carbine Model 1895 on his body. (Photo: Dennis Smith AFPU; IWM London collection)

Smith then proceeded to the other side of the vehicle where he took a photo (Photo 2 – Smith, roll 2, frame 6] of the driver Getreiter Josef Willeke. The photo was somewhat staged where they had removed Willeke from the car and placed a Dutch Model 1895 carbine across his body giving the impression that the driver had tried to make ready his rifle and return fire. Willeke never stood a chance as the men No. 5 Platoon, B Company of the 3rd Parachute Battalion had riddled the fast travelling vehicle with enough bullets to kill all its occupants. What is interesting, and a shame in hindsight, is that Smith never took any photos of the remaining occupant(s) in the back of the car. If he had, the question that has pondered researchers and military historians for over 70 years would have been answered years ago. That is, who else was in the car?
The number of occupants in the vehicle has been a point of contention for over 70 years with various sources stating different numbers. The majority of publications have specified that there were three occupants in the vehicle which was made up of General Kussin, Getreiter Willeke and the 44 year old Unteroffizier (Sonderführer) Max Koster born in Arnhem. Conversely there have been a number of eye witness accounts that have stated there were four occupants in the car. So why contradicting numbers and if there were four occupants, then why don’t we know the name of the fourth occupant?

There is no disputing that at least there were three occupants of the car that were killed and buried together. This is confirmed from a report written by the Reverend Captain George Pare MID of 1st Wing, Glider Pilot Regiment A.A.C. where he stated:

“On my return, Mr Harlow [Reverend Major Albert Harlow D.S.O., MID of HQ 1st Airborne Division] asked me to bury a German General, whose body was still leaning out of a car, where he had been shot about half a mile away along the main road towards Wolfheze. It had been arranged that prisoners should do the digging. A pilot arrived as an escort bringing two young SS soldiers aged 17 and 18 who were both wearing their camouflage smocks. They sat on the bonnet of the jeep and we drove off The body of the German General was certainly badly shot up and with it were those of his batman and interpreter. His car had been ambushed on Sunday and was riddled with bullets The two Nazis started to dig the graves at the roadside, for I decided to have common burial for all three.”

However as stated previously in this article, SS-Sturm-bannführer Krafft mentioned the loss of a gallant soldier [Kussin] and his three companions when the car was ambushed. Could Krafft have been wrong during the heat of the Battle? Would Krafft, or any officer for that matter, notice the number of staff officers accompanying the General when under pressure?

What is sure is that there are a number of eye-witness accounts from both sides that confirm Krafft’s account.  [To be continued)

PROGRAMME 2016

12 February: Friday evening 19.00-22.OOhr: Social evening in the Airborne Museum.
19 March: Saturday afternoon: 13.30-15.OOhr: Annual meeting of SFAM in the Concert Hall in Oosterbeek. 15.30-17.OOhr Themed lecture.
16 April: Saturday afternoon: 13.30hr: Battlefield tour – the fighting on Onderlangs and Bovenover in Arnhem 18-19 September 1944.
23 April: Saturday 09.30-15.OOhr: 25th Book Fair with second-hand books and documents from and about WW2 in Hartenstein Park, Oosterbeek.
18-22 May: Battlefield Tour Normandy.
10 September: Battlefield Tour Arnhem.
30 September – 2 October: Battlefield Tour Hürtgenwald, Germany.
8 October: Saturday afternoon: Battlefield Tour around the Old Church in Oosterbeek.

N.B: Subject to alterations and additions.

For additional information about the various activities and events and any eventual alterations, please see the website: www.vriendenairbornemuseum.nl

COLOPHON
The Airborne Magazine is a publication of the Society of Friends of the Airborne Museum Oosterbeek (SFAM] and appears three times per year. The objective is to promote the Airborne Museum, the SFAM and the history of the Battle of Arnhem.

Editors: Drs. Robert P.G.A. Voskuil, Wybo Boersma MBE Marieke Martens, Curator of the Airborne Museum
Archiving and distribution of back numbers of the magazine: Wybo Boersma, Ede, w.boersmafdwxs.nl
Translation: Peter Burton, London, UK
Design: Michal Kuscielek Artefakt Design, Nuenen
Print: Wedding Proson, Harderwijk
E-mail address SFAM: infofdvriendenairbornemuseum.nl, Telephone: 0318 639633
Postal address: SFAM, Ivar Goedings, P.O. Box. 8047, 6710 AA, Ede, The Netherlands
Representative in the UK: Niall Cherry. Email addres: Niall.CherryfObaesystems.com

Download the magazine in pdf format

CONTENT
3.-4. Wim Duyts leaves the Management of the Airborne Museum Foundation- Paul Tirion
4. News from Niall- Niall Cherry
4.-5. Tree for Sir James Cleminson, Part 2- Niall Cherry
5. The Weekend of the War Book’
5. Saturday 30 May 2015 -Experience Tour· The Battle of Arnhem from the German perspective
6. ‘Iconic Images’: the theme for Sunday 31 May- Marieke Helsen
7. New photographic books- Wybo Boersma
7.-8. Tanno Pieterse passed away- Robert Voskuil
8. Saturday 4 July 2015: Battlefield Tour to the Albert Canal and Fort Eben-Emael in Belgium
9. Parts of a Eureka beacon bought by the SFAM and donated to the Airborne Museum
9. Speakers invited
10. Who can design a logo for the SFAM?
10. Book about the ‘Denison Smock’- Wybo Boersma
11. Exhibition -‘Van Huis en Haard -Airborne Memo­ ries”, extended due to its success- Tessa Jansen
11.-14. Ministory 121 – The Royal Air Force ‘Air Liaison Group’ at Arnhem- Wybo Boersma
15. Program of the Society of Friends of the Airborne Museum, 2015.

On 21 September 2011, 1n the Airborne Museum, Wim Duyts received the medal set from Mr Owen. veteran of the Battle of Arnhem
/photo: berrydereusfotografie.nl]

WIM DUYTS LEAVES THE MANAGEMENT OF THE AIRBORNE MUSEUM FOUNDATION

After nearly 45 years, on 30 January 2015, Wim Duyts retired from the Management of the Airborne Museum Foundation. Wim’s career at the Museum began on 10 November 1969, when he was elected as a member of the then called “Foundation for Cultural History in the Renkum Council area” with the sub title “Airborne Museum”. The Museum was then still based in the Doorwerth Castle. During his daytime life, Wim was an officer with the Royal Dutch Air Force, on the Deelen air base, and later in Nijmegen.

On 13 December 1977, Wim transferred to the newly formed “Airborne Museum Foundation”. Shortly before then, the Hotel-Restaurant Hartenstein in Oosterbeek, came to be empty and the Village Council had ap­ proved the plan to rehouse the Airborne Museum into the Hartenstein building. For Wim Duyts, but also for the management members, Wybo Boersma and Aad Groeneweg, a very busy time opened, because the big question was, “how do you renovate a neglected buil­ ding and fit it out as the Airborne Museum?” For the restoration and fitting out of the building, only 200,000 guilders, about €90,000, was available. This meant that much of the work had to be performed free of charge and thus much hard work had to be performed by a team of volunteers. Wybo Boersma laid out an instal­ lation plan and he worked on this, in close co-operation with the Renkum Council and the Dutch Army Mu­ seum. I think the whole period can be spoken about with great respect to all those involved. An enthusiastic group of people then worked amazingly hard for three months to produce an impressive museum.

On 11 May 1978, the Airborne Museum ‘Hartenstein’ was officially opened by Major-General Roy Urquhart. In the Jubilee year 1984, so many sets of medals from veterans were presented to the Museum, that it was decided therefore to create a suitable display.Wim Duyts took on this task and until todayWim has, as the specialist in this area,  maintained this special ex­ hibition. That he has done with much knowledge of the subjects, but also very carefully, because all medals have been exactly displayed in a correct and attractive way. The · Hall of Fame· in the Museum, has also become ·a place of honour· for Wim.

An enthusiastic group of people worked extremely hard for three months to produce an impres­ sive Museum.

Wim also worked on the book ‘The Harvest of 10 years· (‘De Oogst van Tien Jaar’l. wherein a large number of accounts appear, written by veterans of the Battle of Arnhem. These stories were received in the first 10 years that the Museum was located in Hartenstein.
Also for several years, Wim attended the management meetings of the SFAM, as representative of the Airborne Museum Foundation.Wim had many contacts with veterans, as well as the BritishParachute Regiment, especially with the 10thParachute Battalion. He was also responsible for the contacts with the Royal Fa­mily, and he did that in an excellent manner.With the passing of the years,Wim had performed all formal functions in the manage­ ment of the Airborne Museum Foundation. That made him a perfect ‘all­ round’ member.

But above all,Wim was a precise secretary’ He was always closely involved with new developments within the Museum, also when in 2008-2009, the Museum underwent a substantial innovation. Throughout his 45 years long service,Wim was someone who the ma­nagement could rely on for information and advice about all matters, having been involved in the long history of the Airborne Museum. The Foundation management will miss that support enormously. Wim, we thank you earnestly for all the work you have done over many years!

[Paul Tirion – Treasurer – Airborne Museum Foundation).

NEWS FROM NIALL

The 2015 membership cards were sent out by me to members who had paid for 2015 in early March and hope­ fully have arrived. If you think you have paid for 2015 and have not received it yet please contact me at my normal address. Plans for the June 2015 tour are well advanced and I look forward to meeting old and new friends on the ground then. The time since last September has seen a lot of Arnhem veteran friends sadly pass away no­ tably HaroldPadfield, Tony Hibbert and Ken Fleet. A memorial service was held in Aldershot for Tony Hibbert in February 2015.

SIR JAMES CLEMINSON, PART 2

Following on from the article in the previous Airborne Magazine about the Sir James Cleminson tree, un­ veiled in September 2014, 200 copies of a booklet on his life were produced by the Arnhem 1944 Fellowship, which were given away to members who attended the unveiling. A few details on the life of Sir James which may be of interest prior to his Arnhem adventures: James Arnold Stacey Cleminson was born on Au- gust 31 1921 in Hull, where his father, Arnold, was chairman of Reckitt & Co, a starch manufacturer which merged in 1938 with J&J Colman of Norwich, best known for its mustard. His mother, Dr. Florence Stacey-Cleminson, was a pioneering physician at Hull’s Victoria Children’s Hospital. James was educated at Rugby, and according to the 1939 Hart’s Army List he is shown as a 2nd Lieutenant on the Royal Artillery Territorial Army, Supplemen­ tary Reserve list with dates of 27th May 1939 and 24th August 1939.We believe the first date is his ·seniority’ date and the second the date of his appointment. From there the trail goes cold until May 1941 when he ap­ pears as commissioned into the Cheshire Regiment with an Emergency Commission date of 31st May 1941 and his rank given as W/S Lieutenant War Substan­tive and he is shown as remaining with this Regiment until October 1942.

The 3rdParachute Battalion war diary shows him being posted in from the 70th Battalion King·s Royal Rifle Corps on 13th July 1942. This unit was a ‘young sol­ diers· battalion and had been on home defence duties since it was formed after the outbreak of the war. Inte­ restingly this unit’s war diary shows him on 22nd June 1942 as being posted to XI Corps Defence Company as a 2nd Lieutenant, with Cheshire Regiment shown in brackets afterwards. In any case it seems the air­ borne world was starting to worm ifs way into the 70th KRRC as war diary entries indicate – 11th April 1942 volunteers [125] for Airborne Division seen by Special Interview Board, 51 were eventually accepted.
Was Sir James one of these? Then in October 1942 the Battalion was paraded and informed that it was to be disbanded. The War Diary records, “Major Luard of the Paratroop Regiment called for volunteers. About 80 OR’s responded to this and were immediately exa­ mined. TheParatroop MO rejected less than 5%.”
We assume that Sir James went fairly quickly on a pa­ rachute course at Ringway, most likely in August 1942. Unfortunately there is no trace of him going through Ringway in the records, with records sadly missing for two courses during this month.
There is an entry in 3rdParachute Battalion War Diary for 18th December 1942, 1800 hoursPatrol under command Lieutenant JAS Cleminson sent forward to contact Lieutenant FWM Sharman MC”. This is the last entry of Sir James for 1942 and it is known that he was taken prisoner at about this time and was transferred to aPOW Camp in Italy soon afterwards. He managed to escape from his Italian prisoner of war camp and reached British lines in September 1943, after the capitulation of the Italian Army.

So by the summer of 1944 Sir James was a 23 year old platoon commander with the responsibility for running 5Platoon of B Company of the 3rdParachute Battalion and I think it is relatively well known what happened to him at Arnhem.

Given that a lot of Society members are avid collectors of printed material it can be said I feel that ‘He Inspired His Men with His Offensive Spirit’ may now be placed on a few people’s wish lists I [Niall Cherryl

THE WEEKEND OF THE WAR BOOK’

During the weekend of Saturday 30th and Sunday 31st May 2015, the Airborne Museum ‘Hartenstein’, in collaboration with the Society of Friends of the Airborne Museum, will again hold the annual Weekend of the War Book·. On Saturday 30 May, the traditional Book Fair will take place. Around the Museum will stand about 40 bookstalls. The various stallholders offer a choice of second-hand books about all aspects of WW2.

The Book Fair will be open from 10.00am until 3.00pm. Entry is free, but entry to the Museum itself,
will attract normal entry fees. See also: www.airbornemuseum.nl and www.vriendenairbornemuseum.nl . For further information: W. Boersma; Tel/Fax: 0318-639633.

SATURDAY 30 MAY 2015 – ‘EXPERIENCE TOUR’ – THE BATTLE OF ARNHEM FROM THE GERMAN PERSPECTIVE’

If you wish, it will be possible to combine a visit to the Book Fair with a walk, that will take place on Saturday afternoon 30 May and is organised by the SFAM, in conjunction with ‘ Between Dutch and Deutsch·. This walking tour around Oosterbeek, led by our member, Ingrid Maan, will focus on the Battle of Arnhem from the German side. The tour will concentrate on the personal experiences of German military personnel. The tour will begin at 13.30hr at the Airborne Museum entrance. The fee for those taking part, will be€7,50 for members of the SFAM and the ‘Arnhem 1944 Fellowship’. Non members will pay€10,00. These fees include the guided tour after which, a drink in the Schoonoord Restaurant in Oosterbeek, when no doubt further discussions will occur. Booking can be made by money transfer of€7,50 €10,00) to account: IBAN: NL33 INGB 0005 1137 51 in name of Vrienden van het Airbornemuseum, Oosterbeek, under reference ‘ Belevings-tour 30 Mei’. You will only be contacted if the tour is fully booked.

ICONIC IMAGES :THE THEME FOR SUNDAY 31 MAY

Evacuation ofArnhem, September 1 944. Citizens flee the city Sitting on the verge, is the p regnant Beb Timmerman, she fled with her husband and children (not in the photo) in friendly company with Jan and Emmie Willemsen and their child, who are in the photo.
(Photo Airborne Museum gifted collection 201 5)

From old shoe boxes filled with photos, film rolls and from old yellow stained photo albums, a continuous stream of pictures are offered to all types of museums and archives. Frequently, old and previously unseen pictures app ea r. Some of these images are taken up by the media, such as the 31 photo rolls that recently surfaced in the USA. The photos were taken by a mili­ tary man, who served in Europe in 1 944 and 1 945 . This is unique material. Also, the Airborne Museum re­ ceives such offers of new material on a regular basis. Amongst these are often found valuable pictures about the Battle of Arnhem and of the evacuation that follo­ wed. Exce pt for those close to the family, these photos are not usually known and seen by others. By donating such photos to the Airborne Museum, it becomes pos­ sible to make the photos available to a greater public. Many of these photos are very impressive, due to their com position and the historic moment when they were taken. You could call them ‘iconic images· . But they bring new questions with them. Can newly uncovered photos still be ‘iconic images· 70 years after they were taken?

In September 201 4, two renowned Dutch authors, Ingrid D. Jacobs and Joost Rosendaal, each published their own book of photos. Alongside the many splendid photos both authors add their own personal stories. Both authors will talk about their books on Sunday 31 May 2015 at the Airborne Museum from 1 4. 00hr until 1 6.00hr.

Ingrid D. Jacobs, freelance writer and academic journalist, studied Dutch language and literature and writes about culture and history. She has an impres­ sive collection of works produced under her name.
Last year she published ‘Arnhem 40-45′, a book in which, with both hundreds of photos and text, the story of Arnhem during theWar is told. She chose photos from German, Allied and Dutch photographers and she attempted to show the daily life of a city under oc­ cupation and during theWar.

Joost Rosendaal is, as a university lecturer in politics and cultural hi story, attached to the faculty Language and Literature at the Radboud University in N ijmeg en. In earlier interviews, he made a clear similarity bet­ ween images ofWW2 and more modern images of war and he pointed to the fact that the comme moration of freedom and peace is and remains very im portant.
In his book “The Liberation in pictures, from Neerpelt toWesel 1 944-45’, he illustrates the various aspects of the battles and the liberation of the South East Nether­ lands and the Rhineland area.
Both authors will speak on Sunday afternoon 31 M ay, about their work. They will also be interviewed and will also happily discuss with those attending . The introduction will be performed by Marieke Helsen, the Airborne Museum Curator. Please app ly to attend via aanmelding@airbornemuseum.nl – there is no extra charge for the lecture – the normal tariff of charg es can be seen at: www.airbornemuseum.nl .
(Marieke Helsen]

NEW PHOTOGRAPHIC BOOKS

Last year, a variety of books were published that dealt with Operation M arket Garden, in part or whole. As mentioned above, two of these books will be discussed by their authors on Sunday afternoon 31 May, at the Airborne M useum. Ingrid D. Jacobs wrote her book ‘Arnhem 40-45’ , published by W. Books, in collaborati­ on with the Gelders Archive. The book offers photos of Arnhem from the p eriod 1940 until and including 1945. From the large number of photographs that exist at the various archives, the author has m ade a balanced choice. Jacobs has divided the content into nine chap­ ters, from the pre-war Arnhem, until and including the return of the citizens and the start of the rebuilding of the city after the end of the War. Each chapter begins with a brief introduction. The photos are provided with a broad explanatory text. In writing these texts, Jacobs had support from various experts. Even so, a couple of mistakes have occurred, especially in the chapter ‘The Battle of Arnhem· . Horsa gliders (p.56) did not carry light tracked vehicles, they were transported with the Hamilcars. The caption of the photo of a German soldier at the Oude Kraan in Arnhem on Page 66, is incorrect. The soldier is not carrying a map case, but a case for a flare pistol and a bag for the flare rounds. I In a better print of this photo in the book ‘ Kampfraum Arnheim’ can be seen that on the ar mband does not appear ‘ Hohenstaufen· but a skull symbol of the 3° SS Panzerdivision ‘Totenkopf. The photos are all printed matt: possibly a gloss print had produced a clearer image. But otherwise, the book is nicely produced and gives a good picture of the wartime period in Arnhem.

The second book is by Joost Rosendaal and covers the period from September 1944 until May 1945, in the area from Neerpelt to Wesel. For this book as well, it is true that Rosendaal had to choose from the thou­ sands of photos that were taken during this time. The book includes many known but also some less well known photos. The same as with Jacobs, each chapter starts with a brief introduction, sometimes with small maps. The photos by contrast, have shorter captions. These captions howeve r, give more details than those in the Jacobs book. If we look at the same photos in each book, we notice the difference in captions. For exam ple, the caption of the well known photo of the evacuation of civilians from the St Elizabeth’s Gasthuis, is dated by Jacobs on 26 September ( Page 65) and by Rosendaal on 19 September [ Page 79] . The truth is that the photo was taken on 19 September 1944, by the Germ an war photographer Wenzel.

The more you study these photos, the more interesting details you see. The book gives a good overview of the whole period 1944-45 in the area between Neerpelt [the beginning of the Operation M arket Garden) and the German town of Wesel [the end of the Rhine Cros­ sing].

Neither books should be missing from the book-case covering Operation Market Garden.
‘Arnhem 40 -45’ by Ingrid D. Jacobs. ISBN 978 94 625 8038 1, Publisher W. Books, Zwolle, in co-operation with Gelders Archive, 111 pages, illustrated, €24,95. ‘The Liberation in pictures, From Neerpelt to Wesel 1944-45’ (De bevrijding in beeld, Van Neerpelt tot Wesel 1944-45) by Joost Rosendaal, ISBN 978 90 8145 000 3, Publis hed by Uitgave Vantilt/Fragma. N ijmegen 2014 , 255 pages, illustrated €27,50 . [Wybo Boersma)

TANNO PIETERSE PASSED AWAY

Sadly, on 10 January 2015, our 87 year old member Tanno Pieterse, from Bennekom passed away. Tanno was well known by everyone who was involved with the annual Airborne commemoration.

As a 16 year old youngster, he experienced the Battle of Arnhem from very close by and that period forever left a deep impact on him. [See Ministory 117- “A bin­ding memory of a time that you never forget”, News­ letter 131 – September 2013) .

In 1969, it was suggested that, after 25 years, the of­ficial commemoration of the Battle of Arnhe m should come to an end, because people expected that the interest from the UK, Poland and the Netherlands would then rapidly disappear. Various local commit­ tees who had organised all the various aspects of the annual pilgrimages were disbanded. But, in the then following year, it appeared that in fact, there was no discussion about a diminished interest. In fact, there arrived more and more visitors from abroad , including very many veterans II It was Tanno Pieterse who felt it as a thorn in his side that there was then no Air ­ borne Committee that could organise everything for these visitors. Thus in 1978, he acted in organising the establishment of the com mittee ‘Lest We Forget’. This committee arranged that there would be lo cal guest families where the veterans, could stay and be helped financially where necessary, including paying their crossing to Holland. Tanno did all this work until the 70th commemoration in 2014. Thereafter, it was agreed that ‘ Lest We Forget’ would be discontinued and that its roles and the arranging of the reception of veterans to be taken over by the ‘Police Sport Club’ in Renkum. For Tanno this was a difficult moment, as he regar­ ded ‘Lest we Forget’ as his life time work. Moreover, Tan no had also been involved with other parts of the commemoration of the Battle of Arnhem. He had been involved with the birth of the ‘Stichting Airborne Herdenkingen· (“Airborne Commemoration Founda­ tion·J and was also involved with the International Youth Conference, that now every year is held shortly before the commemoration weekend.

With the passing of Tanno Pieterse , we have lost an amiable, passionate man, who for a major part of his life , served, as he himself put it : ‘”the soldiers who in 1 944 put their lives on the line for me and for many others·· (Robert Voskuil]

Tanno Pieterse during his speech for the Arnhem Veterans Club on 27 September 201 7. [Photo: berrydereusfotografie.nl]

SATURDAY I+ JULY 2015: BATTLEFIELD TOUR TO THE ALBERT CANAL AND FORT EBEN- EMAEL IN BELGIUM

This year, it is 75 years ago that one of the most spectacular actions of WW2 took place.With the introduction of a new type of military force, na­ mely paratroops and gliders, and a new weapon, the hollow charge, on 10 May 1 940, in just 15 minutes, German forces overran the strongest fort in the world, Fort Eben Emael in Belgium. The German introduction in 1 940 of paratroops and gliders, g ave an example, which led to both England and America, following suit in establishing paratroop units. The efforts of the Allies, resulted four years later, with the deployment of parachute divisions in Normandy and the Netherlands.

The SFAM is organising on Saturday 4 July, in conjunction with the Dutch ‘Documentation Group 40-45’ and ‘ Battlefield Tours Groningen· , a one-off Battlefield tour to the Information Centre ‘The Bridge· at the Albert Canal in B elgium and to the nearby Fort Eben- Emael.
The recently opened information centre gives a picture of the defence in 1 940 of the bridges over the Albert Canal and the role played by the Fort Eben- Emael. The visit to Fort Eben Emael will be led by a Dutch speaking guide.

Cost€50,-, should be transferred to account No: IBAN NL33 I NGB 0005 1 1 37 51 in the name of Vrienden van het Airbornemuseum, Oosterbeek, with description BFT 4 Ju ly. Your payment is also your registration. See the WAM website for further details of the tour.

PARTS OF A EUREKA BEACON BOUGHT BY THE SFAM AND DONATED TO THE AIRBORNE MUSEUM

Shortly befo re the main land ings near Arnhem, 1 86 troops from the 21 51 Independ ent Parachute Company, under command of Major Bernard Alexander (Boy] Wi lson were d rop ped. These ‘ Pathf inders·, had the task to mark the d ropping and landing zones. This, the men did with the help of marking panels, smoke si gnals and Eureka rad io beacons. Through use of Rebecca installations within the ai rcraft bringing the main forces, they were able to locate the correct drop­ ping and landing zones.

The Eureka beacons were equipped with an explosive device and thus, if there was a chance that the enemy could capture the item, it could be blown up. Thus it is very rare to find a complete example of this installa­ tion. There is a story that during the Battle of A rnhem, the Germans captured one Eureka set and that as a result, resupp ly d rops fell into German hands, but this is just untrue. From reports it is clear that, during the fighting, two of the presumed 48 Eureka sets were destroyed and that not one fell into German hands’

Eureka beacon with aenal (Photo: Wybo Boersma collection)

In 2008, the Ai rborne Museum was able to obtain a Eureka Mk 11 beacon set, but it was not a comp lete installation. Recently, the Museum, with financial sup­ port from the S FAM, has managed to obtain a power supp ly unit with e lectrical converter. This now stands in the disp lay cabinet next to the model of a British parachutist. Still missing are the aerial, the main te­lephone, the 24-volt battery and the connecti ng cables, but perhaps in the future these can also be found.

The Eureka beacon in the Airborne Museum. To the left, the supply unit purchased with support from the SFAM (Photo: Roland Boekhorst)

SPEAKERS INVITED

Every year, the SFA M o rganises in November or December, a lecture about a subject connected to the Battle of A rnhem and, during the last 34 years, very many subjects have been offered. On 14 November this year, there is again an afternoon lecture planned .
We know that various members of the SFAM invo lve themselves in vari ous aspects of the Battle of Arnhem. This year, we would like to invite a number of them to giving a sho rt p resentation, about the subject they are most closely involved in. If you would be interested in giving such a short [ 20 mins or longer] p resentation, possibly with the suppo rt of Power Point, then p lease let us know before 1 st July 2015 via: info@vriendenairbornemuseum.nl

WHO CAN DESIGN A LOGO FOR THE SFAM ?

The Society of Friends of the Airborne Museum, feels a need for a logo. We already use a type of letter heading, which includes an image of the Museum and a glider, but that is less suited for, say, advertisements. The Airborne Museum uses thePegasus emblem in their logo, so we cannot use it again. Which creative soul will desig n something appropriate for us to use?

For the desig ner of the win ning d esig n will be a gift voucher for€25 available, to be used in the Museum shop. You can send desig ns to the SFAM at Vereniging Vrienden van het Airborne Museum,Post Box 8047, 6710 M, Ede, NL or by e-mail to info@vrienden airbornemuseum. nl. Reception of designs will close on 1 st July 2015.

BOOK ABOUT THE DENISON SMOCK

Recently in the UK, a book was published d ealing with the Denison Smock, also popularly kn own as the para smock. It is a specialist book about a well-known uniform item, that, d uringWW2 was worn by British paratroops and also by other units and that is still in use today. Also in various other countries, the Airborne sm ock was worn and has been copied . It shows that the origin of the Denison smock lies with the German ‘Knockensak’, an apparel item that , during WW2 , was used by the German parachutists.

The first British smocks were an exact copy of the German item. But , quickly, the British smock was de­veloped in its own s pecial form. It was a practical piece of clothing that, during the War, was not on ly wor n by paratroops, but also by, amongst others, Commandos and snipers . Also, d uring the Dutch military operations in the former Netherlands East Indies between 1 945 and 1 949 , British smocks were used. Because in a short time, many smocks were n eeded to be supplied, sm ocks had to come from different factories and so­ metimes had a slightly d ifferent finish, in as well as the model, but also the camouflage pattern. Bruce Wilson has studied the collections both in museums and in
private collections and has attempted to bring some order to the total. Nearly all photos are in colour and of a high quality. For those interested in the history of the British Airborne Forces and the uniforms wor n by them, it is an excellent and attractive reference book.
‘ Denison · by Bruce Wilson ISB N 978- 1 -62620- 1 84-2 published by Military ModePublishing 20 13, 203 pages, illustrated with colour pictures, Eng lish text.
Price€45 . In Holland the book is available to buy at the Airborne Museum [ Wybo Boersma]

One of the smocks that does not appear in Wilson s book, is that from MaJ Gen Urquhart, that 1s now displayed ,n the Airborne Museum in Ooster­beek. In this photo, General Urquhart is wearing this smock, which model differs from the standard model. The photo, in which Lance Corporal J Tof1eld salutes General Urquhart, was taken 1n December 1 944, at Fullbeck Hall in Lincolnshire. (Photo: Airborne Museum collection)

EXHIBITION – VAN HUIS EN HAARD – AIRBORNE MEMORIES”, EXTENDED DUE TO ITS SUCCESS.

The temporary exhibition Van Huis en Haard – Air­ borne Memories· [‘ From House and Home – Airborne Memories’] in the Airborne Museum has been ex­ tended until 20 16. The exhibition, that tells the story of the evacuation from Arnhem and surroundings in September 1 944, received praiseworthy reactions from the public.

Impressive, moving and emotional. Just a few of the reactions from the public after a visit to the exhibition. This largely unknown section of the war history, brings much out of visitors. Children ask their grandparents, how they experienced and coped with their return to a largely damaged or destroyed city. British visitors are astounded and touched by the citizens stories during and after the Battle of Arnhem. More than 86,000 people visited Van Huis en Haard – Airborne Memo­ ries·, since its opening on 25 April 20 1 4. [Tessa Jansen]

Visitors were touched by, what for them was often unknown, stories about the citizens evacuation after the Battle of Arnhem.

MINISTORY 121 The Royal Air Force ‘Air Liaison Group· at Arnhem

By Wybo Boersma

During the Battle of Arnhem, as well as parachutist and air-landing battalions within the British 1 st Airborne Division, other units were attached. Much is known about the larger units such as the Royal Artillery, the Royal Engineers, the Royal Army Medical Corps and many others. With the passage of time, many stu- dies have taken place about almost all of these units. However, there were also many smaller units, about which often much less is known. The reason is that little or nothing about their history has been retained. That was because, often, no ‘After Action· reports were completed. In most written accounts, they are often only sporadically referred to. Many of these units, after the War or even sometimes shortly after the Battle of Arnhem, were wound up and surviving participants can no longer be traced.

One of these less known units is the Royal Air Force Air Liaison Group, comprising the LightWarning Set Units No: 6080 and No. 6341 , two radar units. During the planning, it was thought that, after the landings, the Airborne troops would provide an easy target for the German night bombing force. Therefore, the HQ staff made plans to construct a 1 000 metre runway for Beaufighter night -fighters near Nijmegen. To pro­ vide tactical guidance for these night-fighters, a RAF Ground Controlled Interception [GCI] radar station was needed. It was decided that two mobile radar stati­ ons with 24 RAF personnel, would be carried, divided between four gliders and would land in the Nijmegen area, in the hope that at least one complete radar station would come into being.

As early as 1 941, personnel at the Telecommuni­ cations Research Establishment [T RE] started the development of a mobile radar station, with a range of 50 miles. In March 1 942, radar installations, Light War­ ning Sets, were developed, that could be carried and fit in a 3 ton lorry or a 15cw military vehicle. As a result, about 2000 sets were built in England and America and were used in the Middle- East. North Africa and Normandy. In consultation with the Air Ministry, there were also Light Warning [ LW U] and Ground Control­ ler Interception [ GCI] sets built, that could be carried in gliders. Two LWU and one GCI sets with necessary personnel were attached to 38 Group RAF and moved to the Headquarters of the 1 st Airborne Corps . The per­ sonnel attached consisted of supervisors, technicians and operators. These all came from the RAF. The two units, LWU No: 6080 and LW U No: 6341 were eventu­ ally utilised for Operation Market Garden.

AMES Type 6 Light Warning Set
AMES stands for Air Ministry Experimental Station, the code name for a radar station. Although not exactly known which type of radar unit eventually went to Arn­ hem, the body of opinion is that it was the AM ES Type 6 Light Warning Set. Just one source speaks about the American supply of this set, the AN/PTS-3 but that it unlikely as all the personnel were British. The AMES Type 6 comprised a t ransmitter and a receiver, a Plan Position Indicator [PP!]. a Ya gi [TV type) aerial and a tent, in which the insta llation cou ld be constructed. In addition, thought was given to the use of a diesel generator and the necessa ry maintenance kits and spare parts. The whole thing was packed in 16 large us and heavy crates. The range was 50 miles distance and a height of 3000 met res. A number of these units have been p reserved. The Air Force Museu m in Linkoping, Sweden, has more or less three comp lete radar sets. Of these, one has been very recently rebui lt. However, these radar sets were built under licence in America in 1944 and on the inner wall a re marked Signals· .
During the War, eleven units were swapped for a V1 roc ket, that had accidently landed in Sweden. The
Airborne Museu m in Oosterbeek has one AM ES Type 6 unit on loan. This one is not complete. A number of missing parts were supplied by the Ai r Force Museum in Linkoping.

The use at Arnhem
During discussions on 15 September 1 944, at Bentley Pri ory [the headqua rters of RAF Fighter Command in NW London) those present were of the opinion that no radar unit was necessary for Operation Market Gar­ den. This was a major disappoi ntment to the mi lita ry personnel of the LW units. The fo llowi ng day, the deci­ sion was reversed by General B rown ing, possib ly un­ der the influence of Wing Commander John Lawrence Brown MBE. From 1 941 , B rown was closely involved in the use of Ground Controlled Interception [GCI). He took part in the landings in North Africa, as well as at Sici ly, Ita ly and Normandy, in the post of Commanding Officer and Senior Controller of mobile GCI stations. Brown was Commanding Officer of the radar units that would land at Arnhem.

Staff Sergeant Edwards, a glider pi lot from A Squa­ d ron, the Glider Pi lot Regiment, recalls that, on 15 September he was instructed that his original o rder to depa rt with a jeep and a 75mm Howitzer on 17 Septem ber 1 944, had n ow been changed and that he would now take off on 1 8th September with a radar un it. After the fi rst lift had left for Arn hem on the 1 7th September, the crews of four g lide rs were called to at­ tend a meeting in the briefing room at Harwell. There they heard the announcement that a landing strip was to be la id east of N ijmegen for Beaufighter night fighters. For this function, the establishment of a radar function was necessary. The location near N ijmegen was later that day altered to the Landing Zone “X” at Wolfheze. On the thi rd day of Ope ration Market, the 878th [US) Aviation Engineering Battalion, with 80 Ame­ rican and 10 British gliders, was to land at Wolfheze,
to lay out an ai rstri p. The British engineers had taken a 82 bu lldozer to help c lea r the earlier landed gliders from the site. There were to be two Light Warning

Personnel of a Light Warning Urnt (Sdn Ldr F Hayward archive)

Units flown in, the parts of which were each to be divi­ded between two gliders. Troops were to be given extra radios to enable them to contact all concerned, in the event that the gliders could not land where intended. Because the radar role was a static one, no transpo rt faci lities were included. How men were supposed to move the 16 la rge c rates with an extra generato r. fuel, wa ter, tents and radios was a mystery. What was also unknown, was how the remaining material and equipment for the Beaufighters was to reach the Netherlands? One of the glider pilots, John Kennedy, commented that to him the whole plan seemed to have been “put together in a hurry” .

Each LWU came under command of a Squad ron Lea­der, with a Flight Controller, an NCO and a number of other ranks. The whole unit was commanded by Wing Com mander Brown. There wou ld also be two Ame­ rican officers, from No.306 Fighter Control Squad ron in France, who would go as GCI Controlle rs, but at the last moment, that was d ropped. Even so, one did join the task, as a voluntee r. There is an After Action Report known, which came from him. The RAF t roops had not had mi lita ry training. On 17 September 1 944, they fi rst went for an hour to the firing ra nge, to receive a bit of training in the use of weapons and hand g renades. Each fi red off a full Stengun magazine and a rifle and tossed both a hand-grenade and a smoke g renade. The weapons we re loaned from the arms store, but were not returned the re! Two RAF troops were armed with a Stengun, the others with a Lee-Enfield rifle.

The Landing
Wing Commander B rown flew with the fi rst lift to Groesbeek with Browning’s Headquarters. He was killed on the landing zone, when that was fired on by some Me 1 09 aircraft. Brown lies buried in the military cemetery in Groesbeek.

LightWarning Unit No.6080 comprised 9 men, under command of Squadron Leader Coxon. They were car­ ried in two Horsas. American Lieutenant Davis flew with them.

Horsa Chalk Number 5000, was towed by a Stirling which was hit by AA fire. It crashed at Opheusden. The whole crew died. As a result, its glider made an emergency landing at Hemmen in the Betuwe. After the landing, they made the apparatus unusable. In that same area, two other gliders landed, carrying South Staffords and some jeeps, motorbikes and one 6-pounder gun. There they joined forces with each other. With help from local residents, they moved to the Oriel ferry. The ferryman was not sure if he should charge them for the crossing ‘ On reaching the nor­ thern side of the Rhine, the RAF group tried to make contact with the British pt Airborne Division HO. On reaching the railway bridge at Oosterbeek- Laag , they came under enemy fire, took cover and the group lost contact with each other. The next day, the American Lieutenant Davis, took them to the Divisional HQ in

Glider Chalk number 5000, af/er the emergency landing at Hemmen, in the Beluwe region. (Photo collection – Zwijnen-Reijmen)

Hotel Hartenstein.
The second Horsa, Chalk Number 5002, landed on the landing zone undamaged, but was then shot at by Germans and caught fire. Thus this equipment set was also lost.

Light Warning Unit No: 6341 , consisting of 14 men, under command of Squadron Leader Wheeler was also split between two Horsas. The first Horsa, Chalk Number 5003, on approaching the Landing Zone was shot at and the tail was detached, after which the glider crashed at Doodewaard. The whole crew and passengers were killed. They received a fi eld grave beside the remains of the glider. The last Horsa, Chalk Number 5001 , landed safely on the landing zone but , as only one of the two gliders arrived, carrying only one transmitter, a large aerial, one diesel generator, diesel, one radio, spare parts and water, the apparatus was incomplete. The troops destroyed the transmitter with axes and everything relating to it and blew the rest up. The two gliders that did arrive safely in Arnhem had the same load so that it was impossible to construct a complete radar post. So ended the intended use of the Light Warning Units at Arnhem in a total failure.

The fortunes of the personnel
What happened to the RAF personnel during the passage of the fighting? Because as RAF personnel they had not received any infant ry training, as far as is known, they were not further deployed. Some detai ls about their experiences during the Battle of Arn hem, a re known by reports and letters.
Squadron Leader Richardson was seen in the area a round Hartenstein with some RAF personnel. He was dressed in milita ry uniform with a flat cap and thus not regarded as equipped for a fight.
Airman Eric Samwells possibly se rved as a stretcher bearer. He was killed on 22 September 1 944. His field grave was at a field at the Hoge Oorsprong, to the west of Van Borsselenweg in Oosterbeek.
Airma n Austin wrote a report of his experiences. After he was in an eme rgency landing at Hemmen, he cros­ sed the Rhine at the Driel ferry. In the a rea of the rai l­ way bridge at Oosterbeek- Laag, he met the American Lieutenant Davis. Davis brought Austin and a number of other RAF personnel to Park Hartenstein on 19th Septembe r, gave them a few shovels and left them to dig some foxholes. This was appa rently something new for the RAF men, but according to Davis, that was their life saving. Austin made a foxhole with Eden, a RAF radio tech nician. Eden was later asked to help an America n Air Support Team with repai rs to their radios. During a mortar attack, Eden was killed. On 20 Septembe r, Austin was wounded by mortar fi re. Pro­ bab ly he was taken to the Tafelbe rg. Eventua lly he was t ransferred to the Germans and thus ended as a POW. The re he stayed until April 1 945 in Stalag X1 B at Fal­ lingbostel. There, according to his sto ry, he was freed by the Russians. That is not true as the camp was in fact liberated by the British. He then flew by Dakota to Brussels and subsequent ly back to England.

Corporal Eric A .Samwells, RAF, 21 years old. Died on 22 September 1944. Buried at the Arnhem- Oosterbeek War Cemetery, Grave No: 4. C. 20 (Photo from Samwells family)

Of the 24 RAF military personnel, 1 0 died, of whom one at Nijmegen [Wing Commander B rown ), 1 1 were made POW and 3 escaped. The escapees were all officers. Of one man, it is unknown if he was taken prisoner and then died? Va rious sources repo rt that the unit consi­ sted of 25 RAF personnel, in which case 4 men would have escaped from Arnhem.

For this a rticle, amongst others, reference has been made from the following sources:
RAF radar in Arnhem, 1 8th-25th September 1 944 by Sdn Ldr Frank Haywa rd – 21 Ma rch 1 944 [not published]

Tugs and Gliders to Arn hem by Arie-Jan va n Hees [Private pu blication]
Report on Arnhem Operation 1 8-25 September 1 944 by Lt Bruce Davis 1 st Lt USAF

Report by Staff Se rgeant Edams, Glider Pi lot
Report by Staff Sergeant John Kennedy, G lider Pi lot

Report by Corporal Albert Austin RAF.

Pegasus, April 1 980, Magazine of the Parachute Regiment I EE. Proceedi ngs, Vo l 1 32 Pt. A No. 6 October 1 985.

Signals Vol.4, Radar in Raid Reporting, Air Ministry 1 950

Ministory No: 44 with N ewsletter No.56 N ovember 1 994 from the SFAM by L. Buist.jr Air Force Museum Archive in Linkoping, Sweden

PROGRAMME FOR 2015

13 – 17 May: Battlefield Tour Normandy. Excursion by coach to the battlefields in Normandy. Tourguides will be from the International Guild of Battlefield Guides and from the SFAM.
30 and 31 May: Weekend of the Wa r Book’ around and in the Airborne Museum Hartenstein in Oosterbeek.
Saturday 30 May: Sale of second-hand books, about WW2. Location: The grounds of the Airborne Museum, Hartenstein. Opening: 09.30h r.
Saturday afternoon 30 May: Walking tour in Oosterbeek: ‘The Battle of Arn hem from the German side’. The guide will be Ingrid Maan. Start at
13 .30 hrs, at the Airborne Museum
Sunday afternoon 31 May: Lectures by Ingrid D. Jacobs and Joost Roosendaal in the Museum around the theme ·war book’.
26 – 28 June: ‘UK Weekend’ in Oosterbeek for UK members of the S FAM.
Saturday 4 July: Battlefield Tourabout the German Ai rborne attack on 10 May 1 940 on the Fortress Eben Emael in Belgium.
Saturday 12 September: Battlefield Tour’Traces of the Battle of Arnhem·. Day- tour by bus over the battlefields at Arnhem/Oosterbeek and surroundings.
1- 4 October: Battlefield tour ‘Battle of the Ardennes· . Four days bus excursion. Actions of the 10 1 and 82 US Airborne Divisions and the Battlegroup Peiper during the Battle of the Ardennes.

Saturday 14 November: Lecture in the Concert Hall in Oosterbeek­ Laag – Subject content wi ll be announced later.
Further details and supplements to the p rog ram will be released as soon as possible via the website or via the Airborne Magazine.
See: www.vriendenairbornemuseum.nl

On 25 September 1 945, Major-General R. E. U rquha rt la id the fi rst stone for the Airborne Monument, opposite · Hotel Hartenstein in Oosterbeek
(Photo : B.H. Langevoort]

COLOPHON
The Airborne Magazine is a publication of the Society of Friends of the Airborne Museum Oosterbeek [SFAM) and appears three times per year. The objective is to promote the Airborne Museum, the SFAM and the history of the Battle of Arnhem.

Editors: Drs. Robert P.G.A. Voskuil, Wybo Boersma MBE,Tessa Janssen [Marketing @ Sales Airborne Museum), Marieke Helsen, Curator of the Airborne Museum.
Archiving and distribution of back numbers of the magazine: Wybo Boersma, Ede, w.boersma@wxs.nl
Translation: Peter Burton, London, UK
Design: Michal Kuscielek Artefakt Design, Nuenen
Print: Wedding Proson, Harderwijk
E-mail address SFAM: info@vriendenairbornemuseum.nl, Telephone: 0318 639633
Postal address: SFAM, lvar Goedings,
P.O. Box. 8047, 6710 AA, Ede, The Netherlands

Download the magazine in pdf format

CONTENT
2. A new Curator for the Airborne Museum – Marieke Helsen
5. Autumn Meeting SFAM on 15 November 2014 – Eric PaaP, The photo by Sem Presser – Robert Voskuil
7.-8. Battle of Arnhem 70 years – Jan Hovers
9. Photos of Arnhem in 1945 donated – Robert Voskuil
9.-10. Battlefield Tour to Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and Walcheren from Friday 3 October 2014 – Wybo Boersma
10. Book review: ‘The deployment of ‘Jedburgh’ teams in Netherlands’ – Wybo Boersma
11.-14. Ministory 120 Memories of our experiences on the Klingelbeekseweg in Arnhem – Anton van Mens
15.Program of the Society of Friends of the Airborne Museum, 2014.

A NEW CURATOR FOR THE AIRBORNE MUSEUM

On 1 May 2014, the new Airborne Museum Curator began working. After a tense selection process with more than 100 qualified candidates, the choice was made of Marieke Helsen. Who is she? Born in Huissen, Marieke grew up with stories from days gone by about the Battle of Arnhem ‘A Bridge Too Far· and the ’the Island’ (the Betuwe area, 1944/1945). But only when she came across the visual material from the War, did she really appreciate the actual reality of the stories from her Father [1929-1995].
“At home we owned three wooden boxes bearing an inscription. These were the so-called ·evacuation boxes·, with which, my Father’s family, after the evacu­ ation, returned home. ·we had nothing!”, he recalled. Another story from her Father, concerned an afternoon when her Father and his brothers were bored! “They decided to change the layout of their bedroom. That night, a piece of shrapnel came through the window exactly where a bed previously stood …” After the evacuation, the family fortunately received accommodation in Gramsbergen. Later, they received linen goods, clothing and the three boxes, in which to carry their new possessions on the return journey to Huissen. “One of these boxes now stands in my lounge.”
Study and work Marieke studied at the Catholic University at Nijmegen in the Cultural Anthropology department. An anthropologist studies the culture of others: customs, standards and values, stories and objec-
tives. This culture can geographically be far away or be found in another time frame or age. At the Amsterdam University, she specialised in Museology. She finished her studies with the question of how an exhibition can affect the creation of visitor’s mental images. In asso­ ciation with this work, she also worked in the Nijme­ gen Cultural Anthropology Museum. Her knowledge of this subject appeared to also fit well in the archaeo­ logical work area. For some years Marieke worked as archaeologist in Nijmegen and Arnhem and excavated Iron Age farms, native Roman settlements and burial grounds. She has retained powerful memories of the excavations in the Schuytgraaf [the area east of Oriel village] where the work was dangerous. “Often we found live ammunition from WW2. The Explosive Clea­ rance Service [Dutch Army unit] often came to blow up the bombs and grenades. One day, the metal detector bleeped continuously. We decided with three of us to excavate further and emptied a ditch that was full of metal: ammunition, crates, helmets weapons etc….” In the Arnhem Council area, she set up a depot and worked on the results of the excavation. Together with eight volunteers, the items found were cleaned, regis­ tered, recorded and conserved.
Thereafter, for 10 years, Marieke worked in the Archaeology Dept in the ‘Het Valkhof Museum in Nijmegen. Here she was responsible for the Archae­ ological collection and the ‘Provincial Depot of Buried Treasures· of the Gelderland province. She wrote the Public Automated Information System Plan of the ‘Het Valkhof Museum and various registration protocols for ‘Adlib’, the museum registration system. She designed and realised the digitisation system for the museum collections with the eventual object of making the objects available in a digital system to the wider public. The result of this, amongst other items, is to be seen on the web­ site CollectieGelderland. nl. There also appears a number of items from the Airborne Museum collection. She combined her role at the ‘Het Valkhof Museum with a function in the education system. “I obtained my first class teaching qualification and taught with much pleasure, Social Studies and Research in the secon­ dary education area.” After those ten years, she had the chance to become a full time instructor immedi­ ately, at the HBO [Higher Professional Education] “An amazingly enjoyable role but that, sadly, ended due to cost reductions”

As Curator, Head of department and deputy director at the Marines Museum in Rotterdam, Marieke went, as a civilian, to work in the Military Defence world. During her time at the Marines Museum, she was often found at the Ministry of Defence in The Hague, writing policy plans; working with the ‘ National Agency for Inheritan­ ce Inspection·; organised exhibitions and worked in the bunkers in the Hague, where part of the collection was stored. “I lived for a month in the barracks, asked mi­ litary personnel to take films during their Afghanistan mission and even acquired a pirate ship from Somalia for the collection” It was an exciting and educational time for Marieke, but her heart lay in the region of her family history.
Airborne Museum ‘Hartenstein’ Since May, Marieke Helsen is the new Curator of the Airborne Museum “Hartenstein”. She faces a number of challenges. A major job for Marieke is the digital opening up of the Museum collection. Also the research and widening of the collection is part of this. The objective is with a systematic and formal approach, to clear the backlog and enter it all into the system registration. The digiti­ sation of the collection will be designed in such a way that it will have maximum connections with the actual national and international policies of the museum in­ heritance sector. The collection will thus be accessible to a broad public, for researchers and colleagues.
To digitise the current collection, it will require much time and manpower. Volunteers and various collabo­ rations are thus very important, for example, with the Gelderland Archive, the Gelderland Museums, the

Marieke Helsen, the new Curator ofthe Airborne Museum
{Photo: Airborne Museum collection}

NIOD [the Dutch National Institute for Wartime Docu­ mentation) and the Museums and Memorial Centres 40-45. On various websites, the collection will become available, such as on digitalecollectienederland.nl, oor­ logsbronnen.nl, Europeane.nl and CollectieGelderland.nl.
The Airborne Museum hopes eventually to present an attractive catalogue about the most important items in the collection and their underlying connections.
One important addition to the existing collection will be the cultural inheritance from the collection of perso­ nal stories about the Battle of Arnhem, the ‘Airborne Memories·. These have as a target the ‘keeping alive’ of the history, and the identification, inventory, docu­ mentation and making available of this ·oral history·.
This all forms part of the tasks of the new Curator.
Also Marieke will look after a number of new inter­ museum exhibitions. There will be a working con­ nection and co-operation achieved with the Museum Kasteel Wijchen and Museum Arnhem, where objects from the Airborne Museum collection will shortly be exhibited. And then, Marieke will organise events such as the Weekend of the Wartime book’ and sometimes a lecture, such as about the collection of personal oral historical stories at the ‘Youth University’ on 7 Decem­ ber 2014. In her own words ·1 have a fantastic job!’

[Marieke Helsen, Conservator)

AUTUMN MEETING SFAM ON 15 NOVEMBER 2014

On Thursday 24 April 2014, amid great interest, the exhibition ‘From House and Home – Airborne memories· was opened in the Air­ borne Museum. This exhibition, as well as the many interviews that took place in the previous years, means for many older citizens, the renewal of their experiences during the Battle with all the resulting hardships. At that time, many, still children, hid in the cellars under their houses. Thereaf­ ter, they had to flee the continuing storm or, after the battle, were forcibly evacuated from the then developed front line North of the Rhine.
The initiative for these interviews and the exhibition has been received with great enthusiasm by these participants. From this it appears that not only the veterans who are received each year with regard and respect, but also those who as citizens in the wartime violence, deserve recognition for the events at that time which, through their contributions, are now brought to light.

Every year, the SFAM organises in November, an Au­tumn lecture. This year, it will take place on Saturday afternoon, 15 November at 14.00hr in the Concert Hall in Oosterbeek. This time it will not be a lecture to which we are accustomed. The 70th commemoration will then have passed us by, the veterans will have formed a renewed centre point and their fallen com­ rades will have been remembered. It is then perhaps appropriate to bring the theme of the exhibition in the Museum closer to home. The veterans shall sadly in the future have left us forever, but the children of the battle will stay with us for some time to come. There­ fore, the Autumn meeting this year will take the form of the theme of the Museum exhibition. The title of the afternoon will be ·our own story·.
The programme for the afternoon is broadly as follows:-

“The Autumn meeting this year will take
the form of the theme of the Museum exhibition.”

• Director Jan Hovers will inform us of the experiences that have been seen thus far with the exhibition

• One interviewer will share with us, the experiences with various interviews he had in making Airborne Memories.

• Robert Voskuil will give a presentation on the scope and size
of the plundering which took place in Arnhem and surroundings.

• A number of our members and guests will talk about their own personal experiences. For this, we are thinking of people originally from Arnhem/Oosterbeek, the Betuwe and Nijmegen.

• Finally there will be a group[s] interview with members and
non-members from the Society, about their experiences in that period. In this way, it will be a meeting by us and for us. Our own stories! I am looking forward to it and hope to meet you that afternoon.
[Eric Paap]

THE PHOTO BY SEM PRESSER

For the exhibition ‘Van Huis en Haard’ (from House and Home) that opened on 24 April in the Airborne Museum, a poster was designed, on which a photo is shown, of people, who, by German dictat, were forced to flee from Arnhem with very few possessions which they piled up on an old pram and on a bicycle without tyres. The photo was taken by Sem Presser.

Although in the photo, relatively little is visible of the background, it proved not difficult to trace the actual location, also because the site has changed very little in the last 70 years. It appears that Sem Presser took the photo on the Rosendaalseweg, at the corner with Middenweg, shown left in the background. The fugitives walk in the direction of the Schelmseweg. The characteristic extension with the windows in the right corner of the photo still stands with no changes that is clearly visible from the recent photo.
The photographer Sem Presser from Amsterdam, who was Jewish had since 1942, been in hiding in the Geitenkamp suburb of Arnhem, where amongst other activities, he worked for the Resistance movement.
He had a false passport in the name of Willem Knol. On Monday 18 September 1944, Presser entered the centre of the city with his camera hidden under his coat. On the Weerdjesstraat, he saw the first British paratrooper and he took ten photos, of which some later became well known. In the in 2003 published book ‘B Company Arrived’, the author David Van Buggenum was able for the first time, to publish all ten photos. Presser only took a few photos of the evacuation. There are only three or four known, of which that taken on the Rosendaalseweg is one. [ Robert Voskuil]

Fleeing citizens on the Rosendaalseweg in Arnhem (Photo Sem Presser}
The same location in June 2014. (Photo Robert Voskuil]

BATTLE OF ARNHEM 70 YEARS

In this special Jubilee year, when it is 70 years ago that the Battle of Arnhem took place, there are a number of events organised in our area, that mark this important occasion. A good overview can be found on the website www.airbornefeelings.nl.

In the Airborne Museum in this Jubilee year, many hitherto untold stories of the evacuation are now incorporated in the “House and Home – Airborne Memories” exhibition. The exhibition deals with the more than 150,000 people from Arnhem and surroun­ dings who, at very short notice and with little time, had to evacuate their dwellings and for many of whom, could only after 8 months return to their often plun­ dered and/or destroyed homes. As a result, they faced the heavy task of rebuilding their homes and lives. In many cases, they did not look back and never spoke about this dramatic important part of their lives. Now, with steadily fewer people who from first hand witness experience, can speak at first hand about this period, a large number of interviews were made in the frame­ work of the “Airborne Memories” citizen participation project, and they have formed the basis of the exhibi­ tion. Roughly one month after the opening on 24 April, more than 16,500 people had visited the Museum. The exhibition brings out many emotions with the visitors. Children and grandchildren of the evacuees, only now for the first time, realise what their parents and grand­ parents went through. And for many of them, seeing the exhibition, it acted as a catalyst for them to speak about this life-changing period. Also many foreign vi­ sitors have been touched by the personal experiences that are presented in the exhibition. For many had no knowledge of this direct result of the Battle of Arnhem. In spite of the size of this project, it is not the only one that the Museum is planning for this Jubilee year. There follows a selection from our activities:

Bullet proof trees
The now beautiful and peaceful Park Hartenstein in September 1944, formed the heart of the perimeter, where heavy fighting took place. Meanwhile, you must look very carefully to see the traces of battle now nearly covered by nature. But it is sometimes said that you are six saws further, when a sick or fallen tree has to be sawn into pieces. On the outside trees in the Park appear restful and pretty but look under their bark, and innumerable bullets and shrapnel pieces appear. Outer appearances thus can deceive! Park Harten­ stein is thus a typical example of what the well-known Dutch artist Armando, calls a ‘Guilty Landscape·.
Armando declares the landscape guilty, not because of the atrocities that happened here but because it covers the evidence. Whatever happens, nature grows on. The wood is not guilty of disinterest but of the erasure of clues. And that while it saw everything that happened:

“Many wood edges. Many guilty trees. It chokes here of the guilt – tree by tree” – so reads a footnote in Arman­do’s “Diary of an offender” from 1973.

In the Museum, we have asked ourselves if and how the hidden clues of the heavy fighting might be made visible. This has led to the co-operation with the ArLabco-operation with Royal Academy of Expressive Art/ Leiden University/TU Delft] and resulted in a unique application for smartphones and iPads/tablets which we will launch in the forthcoming commemoration period. A number of trees in the immediate surroun­ dings of the Airborne Museum will be provided with small text boards. When you have downloaded the app, you can aim your smartphone or tablet at the text board and you will have a view inside the core of the tree at that site. You then see three- dimensionally the bullets and shrapnel at that point in the tree. The first tests have been staggering and make the tracks of the fighting at that point almost real. In one of the coming editions of this magazine, we will go more in depth to the remarkable realisation of the app and how we came to the best method to scan the exact spot in the trees.
Co-operation with ‘Arnhem Museum’
At first sight, a partnership between a military history museum and a museum of modern art, seems an unlikely option. Around the ‘Arnhem Museum· building during the Battle, very heavy fighting took place. Thus, this Autumn, the ‘Arnhem Museum· forms an impor­ tant part of the commemoration of Market Garden and the Battle of Arnhem.
In the west halls, comes a large exhibition by the Polish artist Miroslaw Balka, entitled F RAGMENT. The exhibition in the eastern halls is a group exhibi­ tion entitled ‘Realms of Memory·. In this Anne Wenzel (ceramic pictures] and Raquel Maulwurf (drawings] are together.

The Airborne Museum contributes with filling the re­ maining spaces in the Museum. The collection of Suze May Sho from Arnhem comprises original objects and photos/films reconstructing what happened in September 1944 , in and around the ‘Arnhem Museum·.
In this theme, many items from the Airborne Museum collection will play an important role in this ·archive·. This will perhaps all take shape in an ‘installation· in the dome with satellite materials elsewhere in the Muse­um. The Suze May Sho partnership consists of Rosell Heijmen, Jessica Helbach and Connie Nijman. An exhibiti­ on of theirs is often in the form of a walk where you are encouraged to leave the main route and thus enjoy going a little astray but not losing sight of the main route. With this partnership, we hope that lovers of both museums will meet each other and each take a look at the other displays.

“Also many foreign visitors have been touched by the personal ex­ periences that a re p resented in the exhi bition. Fo r many they had no knowledge of this direct result of the Battle of Arnhem.”

Display in the Eusebius Church tower
At the time of publishing this bulletin, the finance was not entirely complete. But we proceed with the hope that it will succeed in September, starting with a mo­ dest presentation in a chapel and in various floors of the tower of the Arnhem Eusebius Church tower. The

The completely destroyed tower of the Eusebius Church in Arnhem in 1 945 {Photo Paul /mutsaerts)

Airborne Museum is working on an enduring co- ope­ ration with the Eusebius Church to achieve a perma­ nent exhibition in the chapels and tower of the church, about the Battle of Arnhem. As a beginning, there will be a temporary presentation developed, consisting of a large photographic banners, with a short text in Dutch, English and German.
Three themes will be highlighted:-

1. Battle of Arnhem – summary of the military battle from day to day;

2. The story of the citizens – aftermath of the Battle of Arnhem for the residents: inner city destruction, evacuation, rebuilding;

3. Future vision of co-operation between the Airborne Museum/Eusebius Church (plans and artists impressions]

(Jan Hovers]

PHOTOS OF ARNHEM IN 1945 DONATED

Last February, the Airborne Museum received a wonderful gift in the form of a collection of photos of Arnhem in 1945. The photos were taken by Paul Mutsaerts and they were discovered when, following his death, his house was being cleared. His daughter recently decided that the pictures [with the negatives that were with the photos) would be presented to the amateur photographer. Shortly after the liberation in 1945, he took an interesting series of photos of the destroyed Arnhem city. Roland Boekhorst has since managed to trace the original locations of the majority of the photos [amongst other methods using Google Street View). In the collection, are also pictures of a shot-down Stirling bomber that probably came down

During a resupply mission in September 1944 a Stirling bomber was shot down and photographed in 1945. Likely location somewhere in the Betuwe, to the south ofArnhem [Photo Paul /mutsaerts, Airborne Museum collection]

BATTLEFIELD TOUR TO ZEEUWS-VLAANDEREN AND WALCHEREN FROM FRIDAY 3 OCTOBER 2014.

On 1 November 1944, British, French, Norwegian, Belgian and Dutch Commandos landed at Vlissingen [Flushing] [Operation lnfatuate 1 I and
at Westkapelle [Operation Infatuate 11]. The liberation of Walcheren, the opening of the Scheldt giving entry to the Antwerp harbour had begun. During the preceding weeks, after heavy fighting, units of the 1st Canadian Army had captured Zeeuws-Vlaanderen.

The SFAM has o rganised in oktober 20 14 an excursion to Zeeuws­ Vlaanderen and Walcheren.
A unique opportunity to view this former battle zone from close up.

Programme:-
Day 1: Canadian/Polish Museum, Adegem Belgium, Albert Canal, Eede
(where Queen Wilhelmina set foot for the first time again on Netherlands territory on 13 March 194 5, after her nearly five year long exile in England, cross over by the Braakman, Breskens, cross over to Vlissingen.

Day 2: Vlissingen, anti-tank ditches and defence bunkers at Koudekerke, Zoutelande, landing zones at Westkapelle, Domburg, Oostkapelle, Serooskerke, Dishoek Museum and the battlefields.

Day 3: The Sloedam, Private Museum in Ossendrecht and the Canadian cemetery at Bergen op Zoom.

The excursion will be led by Wybo Boersma, previous director of the Airborne Museum and guide of the ‘International Guild of Battlefield Guides· and Jaap Korsloot, member of the SFAM.
Tour cost €350,– p.p. on basis of 2 person room. Surcharge for single room €50,-
Early application is recommended. There is still space but the number of available rooms is limited.

For information and booking, Vereniging Vrienden v/h Airborne Museum, p/a Binnenhof 38, 6715 DP, Ede.
Tel: 0318-639633. You then receive a booking form.
E-Mail: w.boersma@wxs.nl. For further details see also: www.vriendenairbornemuseum.nl

BOOK REVIEW:THE DEPLOYMENT OF JEDBURGH’ TEAMS IN NETHERLANDS’

During WW2, the British ·special Operations Exe­ cutive·, in conjunction with the American “Office of Strategic Service· , formed a special unit, from which the so-called ‘Jedburgh teams· were created. These teams consisted of three men, an officer commanding, a second officer and a sergeant-radio/telegraphist.
Amongst other tasks they were largely involved in supporting the underground/resistance groups in occupied territories. As well as British, American and French servicemen, a number of Dutch men also formed part of a Jedburgh team. Specifically for Operation Market Garden but also thereafter, these teams were also active in the Netherlands. Until now, there has been little written about the actions of these men in the Netherlands. There is a Dutch book
‘Achter de linies· (Behind enemy lines] about the team in Twente, while in various other books, the teams at Nijmegen and Veghel are mentioned in part. Also there is a broader book over the teams in Market Garden, titled ‘Abundance of Valor’, written by Will Irwin, an American, but a total overview of the Dutch efforts has thus far not appeared. It is thus to the credit of Jelle Hooiveld that he, over the years, has collected much material on this subject and in this new publication does give a total overview. Many faults made by earlier authors are in this book corrected.
The book, which is written in Dutch, is systematically constructed and begins with the origins of the Jedburgh teams, the training and thereafter, from day to day, the involvement with Operation Market Garden. Then the deployment of the teams in the Winter of 1944 -45 and the team with Operation Amherst in April 1945.Various Dutch Jedburgh officers received after the War, high-ranking medals, including the Military Willems-Order. The book is richly illustrated, but in the stated origins of the photos, there are some things to be re-examined. For example, photos from the IWM in London, are too often stated as coming from other institutes. Also the captions of many, partly unknown photos are sometimes incomplete. This publication was produced with contribution from the Dutch ‘Institute of Military History· in The Hague. That is very obvious from the excellent colour maps and orders of battle. It part it is assumed that the reader is well versed in the use of military symbols, used to identify units. That will obviously not be the case with everyone. The many notes giving origins, make clear the lnstitute’s involvement. With the appearance of ‘Operation Jedburgh’ , this has finally put right matters about a small but nevertheless important group of Dutch Special Forces. The book is well worth acquiring and not only for those interested in Arnhem. The price is very reasonable.

‘Operation Jedburgh, Geheime geallieerde missies in Nederland 1944-1945’ by Jelle Hooiveld, is publis­hed by Boom, Amsterdam (2014] ISBN: 978 90 8953 2 56 5, 288 pages illustrated. Price €19,90. ‘Opera­tion Jedburgh’ is available for sale in the Museum in Oosterbeek, but can also be ordered from the usual bookshops.

MINISTORY 1 20 MEMORIES OF OUR EXPERIENCES ON THE KLINGELBEEKSEWEG IN ARNHEM,

Anton van Mens

Introduction
At the end of 2013, Wybo Boersma found at a collector, a notebook of someone who had experienced the Bat­ tle of Arnhem whilst on the Klingelbeekseweg in the western part of Arnhem. It turned out to be a diary with footnotes belonging to Mr Anton van Mens. The text, partly written in ink and partly in pencil was difficult to read and therefore Wybo typed the whole thing again. Because there are few diaries known, originating from that area of Arnhem, Robert Voskuil has taken the section dealing with the fighting on the Klingelbeek and the flight of the Van Mens family to the Hoogkamp in North Arnhem, and edited this part for publication
in this Airborne Magazine and has provided some footnotes.
From research made by Geert Maassen in the Gelders Archive it appeared that in the Arnhem City Directory of 1 942, H. van Mens, Klingelbeekscheweg 14 is recor­ded. The relevant residence record card confirms this information. Anton [Tonnie] van Mens, the author of the diaiy, was a son of the family.From enquiries made of the present occupiers of the house, Klingelbeekseweg 14, it appeared that the aut­ hor of the diary, Anton van Mens, had lived in the house for many years after the War. Their information also revealed that he had died some time ago.

The Diary

Sunday 17 September 1944
Sunday morning early the air raid sounded for 10 minutes, but we see and hear nothing. 15 mins later, the alarm sounds again but again, nothing to see. After the siren sounded for the third time, we see bombers in formations of six fly over, led by fighters. They circle round menacingly. I go to the air raid shelter at W. After a while a loud roar and whistle resounded, after which a number of crunching bangs followed. Shortly after again a tremendous whistle and a number of hard explosions. The door of the shelter shakes like
a devil! Refugees come running in and tell us that they saw a large number of white stripes fall down on the other side of the Rhine, after which large black columns of smoke appeared. With the next roaring
noise, we put our hands over our ears. Once again there are loud explosions. The electric light becomes weaker and weaker and suddenly flashes off. We sit with 14 people in a small dark shelter. A candle is lit and it is quite picturesque to see. So we sit for some hours under ground, while the bombers drone over our heads and bombed the Betuwe. After a while, the electric light flashes on again. The sirens wail the all clear signal. We go back on the street and find large bomb fragments, heavy pieces of steel. Roof tiles are broken, the same as a number of windows. Indoors, the pictures all lay on the ground, Ten minutes later, the sirens wail again. Mosquito fighter-bombers skim low over the city and drop bombs on various locations.

Part of a map ofArnhem. At the capital letter A’. stands the location of the Mens family house.

Later we hear that the Willems barracks are burnt out. We live now in a restless tension. We hear shooting in a westerly direction. There are still fighter aircraft in the air. On the Utrechtseweg, we see lots of Germans in vehicles and on foot coming from the western di­ rection. They are in full battle-dress. It looks as if they are retreating. The air is full of aircraft, but no more air raid sirens. There is no electricity more. Now and then the German ack-ack guns fire from their position near the Rhine. There are absolutely loads of fighter aircraft in the air, but we are gradually not afraid any more of the British Spitfires. We again go looking for bomb fragments. When later, we look over the city from our loft space, we can see the smoke columns from vari­ ous Arnhem locations on fire.

Marietje was at the Fratershuis 11, when a German sol­ dier arrived on a bike and shouted at another German, ” Los, laufen, die Tommies sind bei die Gummifabrik!” [” Let’s go, the Tommies are already near the rubber factory !”] 21. The soldiers ran to the vehicles and raced away to escape. Due to their panic, they left every­ thing behind. Beautiful bicycles that were left were quickly taken by the citizens. When Marietje told that
the Tommies were already neary the rubber factory,nobody believed her. 31. Suddenly shooting starts and the bullets whistle over our heads. We agree to make the air raid shelter in order and carry bits and pieces to it, for example, vegetable and fruit preserves, butter and also clothes. Mr Dekker stands on the roof of his house and by chance sees the Oosterbeek Railway bridge being blown up. We see a black smoke column. Mr Dekker says that he saw lots of soldiers walking by the bridge but he was not sure if they were Germans or British.
We now stay in the air raid shelter because now and again there is shooting. Father walks outside with a French helmet in his hand. At a safe moment, he goes

The Mens family house at Klingelbeekseweg 14, photographed in June 2014 (Photo Robert Voskuil]

briefly up to the street, to have a look. Suddenly he comes back and says “The Tommies are here. I have just got my first English cigarette. They are walking along the Klingelbeek”. We reply: “Oh that can’t be so yet?” We are flabbergasted. Certainly we hear now and again, machine-gun or rifle firing. Together with Mr V, I decide reluctantly to go and have a look. And…. there march the Tommies along the street, well camou­ flaged. They are young blokes. The locals are mad with joy. Suddenly we hear a short, sharp order, after which all the soldiers duck behind a small tank [Bren Gun Carrier] and begin to fire with machine guns. We decide to go back to our shelter.
As evening approaches, we go back upstairs to the street. Now large groups of soldiers are passing and sometimes a number of jeeps full of military men. Some jeeps are pulling a gun. The paratroops wear light brown uniforms with lots of pockets, which con­ tain amongst others, all sorts of food, such as choco­ late and rations. Some men have yellow scarves round their necks and others carry an orange flower on their helmet. We stay the whole evening with the soldiers. We get cigarettes and we give them water.
Later in the evening, we sit with Mrs Cherkowski in the lounge, that is lit by one candle. In the neighbourhood we still hear shooting. We go to sleep upstairs and during the night now and then we hear artillery fire and constant footsteps of the English soldiers. When occasionally we look out of the window, we see above Arnhem a yellow glow of burning buildings.

Monday 18 September 1944
We are early wakened next morning by the sound of all artillery batteries firing in the neighbourhood. Also there is machine gun fire. The Tommies walk through the gardens of the houses. In the City is bitter fighting.
In spite of the firing, many people go to collect coal in the Oolgaardhuis 41, where Germans had sat. Also people are walking towards the City. In the afternoon the German artillery fire becomes constantly worse.
In more and more places fires are burning. Also the beautiful villa ‘Hulkestein’ stands in flames 51_ It is an impressive sight and seems so close by, that sometimes we have the feeling that our own house is ablaze. In the air above us hangs brown smoke and fluttering burnt paper. In the afternoon, begins very intense shooting and we stay most of the time in the shelter. In the evening, we go outside again, where still Tommies are passing by. Round about 9.00 we go to sleep in the shelter. Upstairs in the house it is too dan­ gerous. We lay mattresses and some blankets on the floor, but not much sleep occurs, because in the close by area, there is much shooting. The Tommies sleep in the house or walk round. At S, nine people sleep in the cellar, while two keep watch.

Tuesday 19 September 1944
In the morning there is little to see, but there is again lots of shooting. Suddenly the streets run full of sol­ diers, jeeps, guns, motorbikes and ordinary bicycles and a pair of Bren Gun Carriers.
Everything is coming from the direction of the City.
The small square at the Hulkesteinseweg, is crowded with war vehicles and is totally jammed to a standstill. But the soldiers seem quite relaxed. One officer with a cigarette in his mouth gives his orders, briefly and calmly. The soldiers load their rifles and Sten Guns. They get fresh ammunition and some go again slowly via the Hulkesteinseweg towards the Oude Tol.
In front of our house a large gun is installed, with the barrel facing the Utrechtseweg. Many troops and material proceeded further along the Klingelbeek 71.
Everywhere the well camouflaged troops walk through the gardens and enter the houses. Father asks if they were retreating. They answer “No, no” or “Yes we are”. At the Denkers family home, dozens of them enter the house. Behind the hedge, they set up a heavy machine gun. One of the troops points to our house and then a group of soldiers walk into our home. They are every­ where, also in our front garden where they lie behind
some bushes. Two of them come to us in the kitchen where they have a good wash and shave. We give them a glass of lemonade. One of them cleans his Sten gun and reloads it. At that moment, the lady neighbour opens the door when he jumps cautiously forward with a loaded pistol in his hand. When he sees it is safe, he begins to laugh. The other, an attractive, dark chap, tells that two of his friends had died and that he nearly lost all his equipment. We ask if the main force is co­ ming. They answer “In two or three days and they have tanks. My Father asks them: “Is the situation bad?”.
They answer: “No, just a little”. My sister asks one of them if fighting was about to start and he answers: “Yes, yes”, after which he calmly walks up the stairs. Windows are smashed to allow machine guns to be installed. Causing lots of noise, they use furniture to build barricades My Father calls an officer to come downstairs and asks if the cellar below the house is a good shelter. The man looks round and answers: “No, no this is not safe. You have to go into the garden!” We look for pro­ tection in the air raid shelter, behind the greenhouse and suddenly all hell breaks loose. It was an afternoon you will never forget. Heavy fighting breaks out in our neighbourhood. The Germans sit amongst others,
in the grounds of the KEMA, on the north side of the Utrechtseweg. Tommies run through the garden. They shout: “Tower. Germans!”. It appears to be about the top of the prison dome, where they suspect a German observation post is installed. A little later; this is spray­ ed with bullets and shells. Shortly after, the guns in the meadow of W in front of our house begin to bark. The noise is so bad that you seem to lose all sense of hearing and sight. German weapons fire constantly at our area. We hear terrifying noise of the shellfire and the explosions in the surrounding houses. Mrs S is rapidly scared out of her mind. With every gun shot or explosion of a shell, you feel the air pressure in your ears. The noise of guns, machine gun fire and explosi­ ons is deafening. To make matters worse, the British put a machine gun on the roof of our air raid shelter, from where they fire constantly.
Nevertheless, we survive the afternoon unharmed. To­ wards 5.00pm, we hear the drone of aircraft. A Tommy comes in and sits with us at the stairs and gives us a lovely cigarette. He looks at the aircraft and says: ‘Typhoons·. The aircraft, certainly forty of them, circle round and come steadily lower. Then we see a cross on the wings.’Germans’ says the Tommy, disappointed and we too are disappointed.
Towards the end of the afternoon, we hear a heavy drone and suddenly the firing becomes heavier. Then we see something that I shall never forget for the rest of my life. Three heavy transport aircraft with four en­ gines come flying very slowly and at low level over the land. To the west of us, they begin to drop paratroops. Then follow more aircraft. Every plane drops at least thirty men. The parachutes open immediately and we see hundreds of dollies dangling and coming down BJ. They attract a lot of gunfire. We are so glad that this reinforcement has arrived.
A little later a couple of prisoners from the Koepel prison come walking along the Wilhelminastraat. Apparently they have been released. Then we hear the heavy drone of vehicles on the Utrechtseweg. My Father says that they are all German vehicles. It seems that we are G erman again! How terribly disappoin­ ting!!. We are struck dumb! Everywhere on the street we see SS soldiers, also Dutch SS. At our place in a trench, a couple of Tommies still sit, one of whom is badly wounded. They are taken away by the SS.

Wednesday 20 September 1 944
The battle seems to have moved in the direction of Oosterbeek. That morning early, Charles wanted to feed the rabbits. Suddenly we hear screaming noise. ” Halt, heraus, stehen bleiben, halt!” SS soldiers walk through the garden and out of the air raid shelter come a couple of British soldiers. One gets a blow from a German with the butt of his rifle. Charles must remain standing until his father comes. With their hands up in the air, they have to go with the SS.
Mr Cherkowski arrives with another Red Cross man who carries a flag to collect us. We have to leave the Klingelbeek – we must flee. We quickly pack a few things, such as clothing, a couple of blankets and a little food. We walk through the garden. Everywhere lie large shell fragments, ammunition and empty cartridge cases. It is an enormous mess. The houses have been heavily damaged. In our house a shell has exploded. The windows are all split and have fallen outwards. Through a shell explosion, part of the house of the Groeneveld family has been blown down. Eve­ rywhere we see shell holes in the walls of houses. A lamppost lies snapped off on the street. There also lie the wrecks of two anti-tankguns and a number of cars lie smouldering. Along the edge of the road stand our neighbours. ‘Where are you all going to?” they ask. We call back: ‘We must flee!” Quickly various other local residents join our column, that gradually gets longer. On the Utrechtseweg German SS soldiers are moving. We must look carefully where we walk because of the ammunition that lies everywhere. Large shell cases of nearly ¾ metre length lie spread out over the street.
Also we see the bodies of dead British soldiers lying, covered in blood. They lie on their front with an arm under their head. The street lies strewn with branches shot from the trees. Parts of metal fences also lie higgledy-piggledy over the street. The column of refu­ gees makes a lot of noise because we constantly must walk over all the broken glass that lies on the road.
The Oranjestraat stands full of German tanks. Meanw­ hile we hear that in Oosterbeek and at the KEMA heavy fighting is still occurring.
We walk towards the Hoogkamp, an Arnhem suburb, north of the railway line. As we arrive there, hundreds

A British 6-pounder anli-tank gun stands at the corner ofKlingelbeek­ seweg and Utrechtseweg. The gun stands aimed in a westerly direction and thus covers the Utrechtseweg by the KEMA.
[Photo Lt. P.McFarlane -Airborne Museum collection)

of citizens stand waiting for some help. Some have taken essential things with them, others were unable to take anything. The Hoogkamp was lucky to have avoided the terrible storm of war. Only the roar of gun fire in the south and the activity of the Red C ross
personnel, remind us that we sit in the middle of a war zone. We are lucky that we obtain accommodation with lovely people in a corner house opposite a church 9)_ The church is being used, amongst others, as a col­ lection/storage point for food, which is intended for the refugees. The following days, we see the continuous efforts made by the men of the Red C ross and the Fire Brigade, to deliver food and linen goods for the eva­ cuees. There are amazing efforts to care for everyone. Streams of people arrive from the City suburbs near the Rhine. It is tragic sight to see all the evacuees pass by. Pensioners, who cannot walk with haste, stumble over the street. Other older people are carried in a wheelbarrow or moved on a handcart. People who could not save anything, pass by in floods of tears. The helpers do what they can. Men with white helmets, carrying a Red C ross on it and nurses help the whole day long to provide the evacuees with food and to try and arrange accommodation.

Friday 22 September 1944
New refugees arrive, now also coming from the suburb of Arnhem south of the Rhine. Huge transport aircraft drop parachutes. They are heavily fired upon by the German artillery. In the immediate vicinity, for the whole day, one hears the roar of gun fire. We see Bri­ tish jeeps with Germans in them. Sometimes there lie German or British wounded on the back of the jeeps. They drive to the hospital. At night we sleep on sacks of straw. Before we go to sleep we look quickly to the fire in the distance. Behind us in the woods, stand heavy German artillery. They fire over our heads. We hear the discharge, the whistle of the shell and then the explosion far away.

Saturday 23 September 1944
In the morning, all the people stand in a queue for bread. If it is quiet, some people try to return home to recover some more possessions. Sadly, it appears that on a massive scale, the German troops plunder the City and even some Dutch civilians join this criminal behaviour: Especially shops suffer from this crime. My Father and Mr S. also return to the Klingelbeek. Just as they arrive in our house, an air attack started, that gave Father a bad shock. Fortunately they both ma­ naged to return safely to the Hoogkamp, loaded with lots of stuff, especially clothing.
During the evening, suddenly alarming notices arrive. We must all leave Arnhem. Lots of rumours started and everywhere people stand chatting in groups. It was said that all residents of Arnhem, south of the railway line, must leave the City before tomorrow evening.
Everyone is nervous. Where must we go to??

Sunday 24 September 1944
The official notice about the evacuation has been made public by a number of adhesive posters. All persons who find themselves in Arnhem, between the Rhine and the railway line, must leave immediately and the rest of the citizens in remaining areas must leave the City before 8.00pm on Monday evening. Eventually, we depart on the morning of Tuesday 26 September.

Noten
1) Naming the Fratershuis, possibly meant the Huize Klingelbeek. On a map from 1943, this building is mar­ ked as the Klingelbeek Cloister [ Klooster Klingelbeek].
2) The ‘Gummifabriek” [rubber factory] was in fact a wool factory and it stood a half kilometre to the west along Klingelbeekseweg.
3) Evidently, people were not aware that British air­ borne troops had landed at Wolfheze.
4) This [since developed] villa, stands at the junction of the Klingelbeekseweg and the Hulkesteinseweg
5) Villa Hulkenstein stood on the southern edge of the Hulkesteinsweg, a few hundred metres from the Mens family home.
6) These must be the troops from the four British bat­ talions who, after the failed advance via Bovenover and Onderlangs, in the morning of 19 September 1944, retreated in the direction of Oosterbeek.
7) Meant to be the Klingelbeekseweg in a westerly direction. BJ Because they stood so far away, the citizens thought the parachutes dropping containers and baskets were actually dropping paratroops.
9) The reference to the Church, is probably meant to be the Roman Catholic church on the Bakenbergseweg. See also Ministory 117.

PROGRAMME 2014 SOCIETY OF FRIENDS OF THE AIRBORNE MUSEUM

Saturday 13 September: Battlefield Tour “70 year after the event, in the footsteps of the 1st British Airborne Division.
09.30 – 17.00hrs: Bus tour with walking tour past the most important locations of the Battle of Arnhem

Friday 3 – Sunday 5 October: Battlefield Tour ‘Liberation of Zeeland 1944’
Three day bus tour to Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and Walcheren. For further details, see www.vriendenairbornemuseum.nl
Saturday 15 November : Afternoon theme ‘ From House and Home’ (‘Van Huis en Haard’)
The programme is based on the same named exhibition in the Airborne Museum. See further information in this issue. The afternoon starts at 14.00hr and will be in the Concert Hall in Oosterbeek.
Entry for members is free – non members €2,50 For changes and additions to the programme see: www.vriendenairbornemuseum.nl

For the programme of the Airborne Commemorations 20 14, see amongst others the following:­
. www.airborneherdenkingen.nl ; www.airbornefeelings.nl ; www.liberationroute.com ; www.driel-polen.nl

The heavily damaged Walburgis Church in Arnhem. Photographed by Paul Mutsaerts
{Photo collection Airborne Museum]

COLOPHON

The Airborne Magazine is a publication of the Society of Friends of the Airborne Museum Oosterbeek [SFAM) and appears three times per year. The objective is to promote the Airborne Museum, the SFAM and the history of the Battle of Arnhem.

Editors: Ors. Robert P.G.A. Voskuil, Wybo Boersma MBE Tessa Janssen [Marketing @ Sales Airborne Museum) Marieke Helsen, Curator of the Airborne Museum.
Archiving and distribution of back numbers of the magazine: Wybo Boersma, Ede, w.boersma@wxs.nl
Translation: Peter Burton
Design: Michal Kuscielek Artefakt Design, Nuenen
Print: Wedding Proson, Harderwijk
E-mail address SFAM: info@vriendenairbornemuseum.nl Telephone: 0318 639633
Postal address: SFAM, lvar Goedings, P.O. Box. 8047, 6710 M, Ede,The Netherlands
Discount action Especially for members of the SFAM: A maroon coloured T-shirt with the logo of the Airborne Museum for only €10,00!

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