Een impressie van de sobere Airborne herdenking op het Nassauplein in Arnhem West

De eerste 50 nieuwsbrieven van de vereniging zijn online geplaatst.
Vorige maand is de heer Van der Hoef begonnen aan deze omvangrijke en lastige klus. Deze week konden we de eerste 50 nieuwsbrieven al in ontvangst nemen. Inmiddels staan ze op de website waar ze onder het kopje ‘VVAM-Archief’ te vinden zijn in de categorie Nieuwsbrieven.

Door de nieuwsbrieven te digitaliseren en online te plaatsen is informatie sneller te vinden binnen de website en kunnen zoekmachines zoals Google de inhoud doorzoeken en resultaten aanbieden.

Link naar de Airborne Krant editie Arnhem

De Nieuwsbrieven en Ministories die in de afgelopen veertig jaar zijn gepubliceerd bevatten een schat aan informatie. Recent heeft het museum de nieuwsbrieven uit het archief van vereniging ontvangen om informatie over museale objecten te verzamelen en vast te leggen.

Dat verzoek bracht ons op het idee om naast de gedigitaliseerde Ministories ook de Nieuwsbrieven te digitaliseren en publiek te ontsluiten via onze media op het internet. De heer Rick van der Hoef heeft deze klus op zich genomen en heeft recent de eerste documenten opgeleverd. Hij zal voorlopig nog veel werk hebben aan het digitaliseren van alle brieven en verwacht het geheel voor het eind van het jaar op te leveren.

Door het digitaliseren is het mogelijk om de inhoud op het web te publiceren. Als vb is nummer 56 van november 1994 gepubliceerd. Het is de bedoeling dat komend jaar alle Nieuwsbrieven gepubliceerd zijn op het internet en dat de inhoud door zoekmachines doorzocht kan worden. Heeft u tijd en bezit u de vaardigheid om de digitale documenten in pdf /Word om te zetten in een WordPress artikel, dan horen we dat graag want vele handen….

De expositie van de oorlogsfoto’s van Jan Massink is tot eind oktober geopend. De unieke foto’s van de Doetinchemse amateurfotograaf zijn te aanschouwen in dertien voormalige gevangeniscellen van De Kruisberg.

De expositie is samengesteld door Erfgoedcentrum Achterhoek en Liemers en Stichting Doetinchem Herdenkt.

Tevens zijn er foto’s te zien van diverse Doetinchemse oorlogsonderwerpen. Daaronder enkele grote luchtfoto’s. Daarnaast zijn er foto’s te zien en verhalen te lezen van de vele verzetsmensen die er gevangen zaten.

De dagen waarop de expositie is geopend, zijn:

Zondag 23 augustus van 10 tot16 uur
Zaterdag 29 augustus van 13 tot 16 uur
Zondag 30 augustus van 10 tot 13 uur
Zondag 6 september van 10 tot 13 uur
Zondag 13 september van 10 tot 17 uur, Open Monumentendag
Zondag 20 september van 10 tot 16 uur
Zondag 27 september van 13 tot-16 uur
Zondag 4 oktober van 10 tot 13 uur
Zondag 11 oktober van 13 tot 16 uur
Zondag 18 oktober van 10 tot 16 uur
Zondag 25 oktober van 10 tot 16 uur

 

Meer informatie is te lezen op  https://doetinchemherdenkt.nl/activiteiten/exposities

 

De entree bedraagt 2 euro voor bezoekers van 16 jaar en ouder. Kinderen tm 15 jaar hebben gratis toegang.

 

WOII-Informatie- en Documentatiecentrum: Loolaan 33 Doetinchem

SDH-gevangeniscellen De Kruisberg: Klootsemastraat 1 Doetinchem

Postadres: p/a Hof van Florence 44 7007 KB Doetinchem  □  Mailadres: info@doetinchemherdenkt.nl

Kamer van Koophandel: 71129618  □  Rabobank NL 04 RABO 0328 947 644

Website: www.doetinchemherdenkt.nl  □  Facebookpagina: Doetinchem in oorlogstijd

Vanmiddag is Wil Rieken ter aarde besteld. Een lid van de vereniging stuurde enkele foto’s:

Aanstaande vrijdag 31 juli 2020 zal Wil Rieken na een besloten kerkdienst worden  begraven in Oosterbeek.

In een eerder deze week verschenen bericht, werd melding gemaakt van een korte herdenkingsplechtigheid bij de ingang van de Airborne-begraafplaats. Deze plechtigheid kan ten gevolge van de geldende maatregelen voortvloeiend uit de Noodverordening Coronaregels van de Veiligheidsregio Midden-Gelderland niet plaatsvinden. Ook een alternatief voorstel voor een erehaag is niet mogelijk. Dit omdat gezien de te verwachten grote belangstelling, niet kan worden gegarandeerd dat het maximum aantal toegestane bezoekers van honderd personen, wordt overschreden.

De uitnodiging van de familie om rond 11.45 uur op het terrein voor de Airborne-begraafplaats aanwezig te zijn, komt hierdoor tot onze spijt te vervallen.

Medals awarded to Met policeman who snared London gang on day of 1966 World Cup final saved for the nation

Medals awarded to an “exceptional” policeman famed for capturing a notorious London gang on the day of England’s 1966 World Cup victory have been saved for the nation.

Laurie Scott with his daughter Jan and George Medal at Buckingham Palace

World War Two veteran Det Sgt Laurie Scott’s eight medals were bought for the Met’s museum by former officers who raised more than £11,000 to buy them at auction.

They included a George Medal from the Queen for “exceptional” bravery in catching an armed fugitive and medals for service with the Parachute Regiment.

Mr Scott’s daughter Jan said she thought she would never see the medals again when she sold them in 2015 to an auction house after his death aged 90 and donated the proceeds to the Parachute Regiment and Airborne Forces Museum.

Two retired Met officers launched an online fundraiser to buy them when they spotted them for sale.

Mr Scott, from Barnet, fought in the Battle of Arnhem. In the Met, his cases included the arrest of 16 members of the Richardson “torture” gang, adversaries of the Krays, on World Cup final day in 1966.

He was given his George Medal in 1967 for catching a gunman.

Bron: Evening Standard 29 juli 2020

Dominic Winters Auction 30 july

An ‘Arnhem’ group of six attributed to Private R.S. Edwards, 21 Platoon, 2nd Bn, South Staffordshire Regiment 1939-1945 Star, Africa Star, Italy Star, France & Germany Star, Defence and War Medals, extremely fine, presented in a frame with medal enclosure inscribed to the  recipient, Parachute regiment badge with king’s crown, South Staffordshire Regiment cap badge, various related insignia and Airborne march medal and enamelled badges, framed and glazed, frame size 31.5 x 55cm, together with a pocket diary kept by Edwards for 1944, inscribed in pencil with entries on the repeated cancellation of Operation Market Garden, for example 15 September ‘Operations!!! flew to Arnhem Holland shot up on landing platoon commander wounded, two killed’, 20 September ‘mortars all around us like rain, wounded in right leg’, 21 September ‘lose bridges, retreat from Arnhem to Oosterbeek, very heavy losses have only pistol 8 four rounds left, house to house fighting’, 24 September ‘am taken prisoner, feel very humiliated, a glorious scrap and it had to end like this, try to get away but am nearly shot’, also included copied photographs of the recipient and family, two books, A Bridge too Far by Cornelius Ryan which features Edwards on p337, 338, 351, 443, 444, By Land, Sea and Air, Illustrated History of the 2nd Battalion, The South Staffordshire Regiment 1940 1945 by Alexander Junier and Bart Smulders with Jaap Korsloot, Edwards is mentioned numerous times in this book with illustrations 5118991 Private Robert C.S. Edwards was born in Birmingham in 1923, he served during WWII with 21 Platoon “D” Company, 2nd Battalion, South Staffordshire Regiment. On 10 October 1941 the 2nd Bn became part of the newly formed 1st Airlanding Brigade as part of the 1st Airborne Division. After completing training the embarked for North Africa and became part of the Attacking Force, under American control that planned to land on Sicily on 6 July 1943. The glider towing aircraft piloted by the Americans had no experience of night flying, so the Force became widespread and as they neared Sicily the enemy opened fire, which unnerved the Americans who released the gliders prematurely over the sea. Private Edwards glider ditched into the sea and he was rescued some hours later. Of the 48 Officers and 768 men of the 2nd Bn who set out in gliders only 19 Officers and 269 returned.

On 7th September 1944 the 1st Airborne took part in Operation Market Garden with the American 82nd and 101st Airborne Divisions. The Americans would drop around Eidoven and secure the roads near Nijemgen and the 1st Airborne would capture the Bridge at Arnhem (64 miles behind enemy lines). Once the bridges over the Rhine were secured the ground troops would have a pathway into Germany. The 2nd Bn South Staffordshire Regiment were engaged by the enemy almost as soon as the gliders landed and had nine casualties. They regrouped and proceeded to Arnhem / Oosterbeek coming under heavy machine gun fire and grenades all the way to Arnhem.
On 19 September 1944 a meeting was held at the South Staffordshire Bn Field HQ and orders were given for the South Staffords to withdraw (if they weren’t already dead). It was thought that the men were still on the bridge and orders were given to either reinforce or relieve the trapped Paratroopers at all costs. “D” Company advanced with 11th Para on their flank to give them covering fire. Edwards states “Orders were to get through, on no account be held up until we had joined 2 Para on the Bridge”, “When we came near the St. Elizabeth Hospital all hell broke loose, we were in the open and like targets in a shooting gallery. Capt Wyss ran up and down shouting ‘On On On’ like a harrier, stumbling over the dead and dying, slithering in pools of blood, until I reached partial shelter by some buildings”. The Germans shelled the houses and set fire to them so protection was continually diminished. Then German tanks appeared and they started using Anti-Aircraft Artillery to make it even worse. The 3rd and 1st Paras suffered heavy losses and had to withdraw leaving the Staffords on their own and exposed on all sides. Edwards states “Opposition was terrific now, we were subject to the heaviest shelling and mortaring imaginable, also
Tanks attacked us, we had no officer left so a Sergeant, his boots squelching blood, have the order to get out and join the first organised Unit we came to”.
When the Staffords pulled back they had to leave the wounded in the cellars to be taken prisoner by the Germans later. The troops were now being blown out of the ground by point blank range of 88mm fire from German Tanks. A German vehicle with loudspeaker came up “Come out you South Staffords, you are surrounded and there is no way out, come to the door with your hands up above your heads”. The South Staffords carried on, some were captured some escaped and fell back to Oosterbeek. 375 men were left of the 2nd Bn, every morning Germans put up an intense mortar barrage.
At Oosterbeek the Brigade HQ had moved to a laundry building, and on 22 September it was bombed and a store of ammunition exploded. Ammunition was now practically non-existent and soldiers were using German small arms picked up from dead Germans.
On 25 September another heavy Artillery barrage by the Germans and this time Tiger Tanks were used, The South Staffords were overrun and many surrendered. Orders were issued to pull back the remnants over the Rhine during the night. Boats were sent to pick them up under heavy machine gun fire and several were sunk. Some of the men stripped and tried to swim across the river but were taken prisoner.
Edwards was taken prisoner in Oosterbeek towards the end of the battle and interned in Stalag Xib. Private Edwards was interviewed by Cornelius Ryan for his book A Bridge too Far (copy of the book is included in the lot).

https://dominicwinter.blob.core.windows.net/catalogue-pdf/DW30July20_HR.pdf – voor een bod:  £1,000 – £1,500