VVAM Newsletter 22 – 1986

Editor: Drs. R.P.G.A. Voskuil
Translation: Mrs. A.G. Meeuwsen

Farewell to our British representative, Mr. A. Maynard M.B.E.
During the Annual Meeting on Saturday, March 22nd, we had to say goodbye to Mr. A. Maynard M.B.E., the British representative of our Society. His successor, as per January 1st, 1986, is Mr. Frank Young, who is also an Arnhem veteran. Unfortunately, for reasons of health, Mr. Young was unable to attend the Annual Meeting.
Mr. Maynard, who from 1959 was a member of the board of the Foundation, the Airborne Museum, has been our British representative since the foundation of the Society of Friends.
During all these years he solely and completely disinterestedly promoted and served the interests of our Society in England. He managed the administration of the British members, collected the subscriptions, took care of the correspondence and of the distribution of the English newsletter. He often came over to Holland, at his own expense, in order to attend the Annual Meetings.
In spite of his important input, he never sought to put himself forw . During the Annual Meeting the Chairman, Mr. J. Smits, thanked Mr. May all he has done for the Society, and presented him with a clock as a o en o our appreciation. . . .

“Dear Joe, on behalf of all our members, we thank you for all you aio and we hope to see you still often in our midst!”
Robert Voskuil.

Our Chairman Mr. J. Smits (r.) thanks Mr. Maynard for his work for the Society, (photo: B. de Reus)

Special Subject-day on Saturday, June 28th, 1986
On Saturday, June 28th, 1986, a special subject-day will again be organised for our members. The title of this day will be: “Corridor through Brabant, September 1944.”
The course of events during the Battle of Arnhem cannot be seen apart from the rest of Operation Market Garden. That is why this time we decided on an excursion to the Southern sector of the operation area. This excursion will be conducted by our member the historian Mr.Drs. K. Margry, author of the book “The Liberation of Eindhoven” an co-author of the book “September 1944”. Special attention will be paid to: the landing of the 101st American Airborne Division, the advance route of the 30th Army Corps from the Belgian border, and the German attempts to cut off the Corridor near Veghel.
The provisional programme is as follows:
09.00 hrs : Departure by coach from the car-park near the Museum in Oosterbeek. 09.45 hrs : Stop at Den Bosch railway station. This for participants who find
it easier to travel by train to Den Bosch. They must be in Den Bosch station at 09.45 hrs and are requested to mention this fact on their giro cheque.
10.30 hrs : Arrival at Valkenswaard : coffee-break.
10.50 hrs : Departure from Valkenswaard. Successive visits to: Lommel (“Joe’s Bridge”), the Belgian-Dutch border (breakout of the 30th Corps), Valkenswaard, Aalst (the bridge across the Tongelreep) and Son (the bridge across the Wilhelmina Canal).
13.00 hrs : Lunch in Son.
14.00 hrs : Depart from Son. Visit to Best (Joe Mann Monument). Hence via the landing areas of the 101st Airborne Division, and St.Oedenrode to Veghel (corridor breakout 107. Panzerbrigade). After this a visit to the Liberation Museum at Veghel.
From Veghel the bus will depart for Den Bosch.
17.00 hrs : Departure from Den Bosch.
17.45 hrs : Arrival in Oosterbeek.
The costs for this day will be hfl. 35,–, comprising the excursion by coach, lunch and the excursion guide, to be paid by giro, no. 4403641 of the Society. Closingdate is June 1st. Applications will be booked in order of entry. The maximum number of participants has been decided on fifty, so do not wait too long if you want to take part! You are requested to brinq vour oassnnrt as we have to cross the Belgian-Dutch border. ~’ P P as we

Statuette
In close co-operation with the Foundation, the Airborne Museum, the Society has again ordered a statuette to be made, this time in bronze-coloured plastic It represents a soldier who is about to throw a hand-grenade. The artist Mrs. Janneke Ros, has succeeded, with the technical and critical assistance of the Museum staff, in creating a very good statuette, giving an impression of the tension and the grim reality of those days in September, 1944. P The statuette will shortly be for sale in the Museum Shop, it will cost Hfl. 35,—. It can also be ordered by giro (no. 4184300 Stichtinq Ariborne Museum, Oosterbeek), it will then cost Hfl. 45.–.

Part of the exhibition “Photography during the Battle of Arnhem”, (photo: B. de Reus)

Exhibition “Photography during the Battle of Arnhem”
On Friday, March 21st, Mrs. N. van den Broek-Laman Trip, deputy of the Province of Gelderland, opened the exhibition “Photography during the Battle of Arnhem” in the Museum. This exhibition has been compiled by Messrs. B. de Reus and R.P.G.A. Voskuil, and shows the activities of people who, either professionally or as amateurs, made photographs and films in September, 1944. Three men of the “Army Film and Photographic Unit” worked as official photographers and cameramen; on the part of the Germans the battle was recorded by members of the Propaganda Kompanien”. Photo’s and cameras from both groups are being shown. Apart from these an important place has been given to material that was recorded by the civilians. There were also British and German soldiers who secretly took photographs, something which had been strictly forbidden on both sides. After more than forthy years these snapshots can now be seen in the Museum.
On the occasion of this exhibition, a brochure has been issued in limited numbers, called “Photography during the Battle of Arnhem”. Among other things it shows a number of recently acquired photographs of the Battle of Arnhem. It costs Hf1. 2,50 and can also be obtained by post: giro 4403641, Vereniging van Vrienden van het Airborne Museum, mention “brochure fotograferen”. The exhibition can be seen till May 18th.
11 Roll of Honour” of British and Polish soldiers killed during the Battle of Arnhem Our member Mr. J. Hey from Hengelo has spent several years in compiling a survey of British and Polish personnel who were killed in action or who died afterwards of their injuries.
This “Roll of Honour” contains: the names of the fallen, the unit they belonged to the place where they now lie buried, and, if known, the place of their field graves. This “Roll of Honour” will be published by the Society and will be obtainable in the Museum. Further information will follow in the next News-Letter.

In Memoriam A.J. Baltussen
Our member Mr. Albertus Johannes Baltussen died suddenly on March 9th, 1986. He was 68 years old. Mr.Baltussen was born and bred in Driel. For him the airlandings in September 1944 meant the end of the menace of being betrayed and arrested by the Germans. Shortly before he had helped members of the Resistance to disappear after an attack on the Arnhem-Nijmegen railway. However, his presence in that area at that time had been noticed by someone who wanted to betray him to the Germans. Fortunately, this traitor had been rushed to hospital for an emergency operation. Still, Baltussen knew that very soon he would have to go into hiding. Operation Market Garden changed all that.
During the Battle of Arnhem Baltussen helped British soldiers who had been dropped South of the River Rhine, to reach Oosterbeek via the Drielse Veer. After the landings of the Polish Para’s he devoted himself to helping and nursing the wounded military and civilians. In the midst of the danger and the1suffering a strong bond of relationship grew between him and the Polish soldiers, which was even more strengthened by their common faith. After the war he gave expression to his feelings of friendship and gratitude to the 1 iterators by planting red and white begonias on the graves of the re-buried Polish Parachutists on the Airborne Cemetry. Together with his sister, Mrs. Cora Baltussen, he took care of the annual Commemoration and reunion of the Polish veterans in Driel. Albertus Baltussen was a devoted Roman-Catholic, who, also because of his faith, did not live solely for himself. He was prepared to serve others, before, during and after the Battle of Arnhem. He was resolute, kind and not seeking the limelight. The Polish veterans especially had won his heart and he done much for them.
We consider it a privilege to have known this remarkable man. He leaves many behind who will remember him with love and gratitude.
J. Smits

Action for BLESMA : a great success
It has been heart-warming to find that many of our members did answer our summons to help severely handicapped veterans by way of a monetary donation. Even during the Annual Meeting we received donations by telephone! During the Annual Meeting our chairman could hand the sum of more than Hf1. 1 .300,– to Captain Richard Bingley, the BLESMA representative.
We received a very symphathetic reaction from the Health Insurance Company “Het Zilveren Kruis”. Apart from a very substantial sum of money, this company also gave a number of material items, thus enabling some very severely handicapped veterans to come and attend the September Commemoration.

Airborne Museum receives gift of Captain Richard Bingley’s medals
During the Annual Meeting, Captain Richard Bingley, our first “member for life”, donated his set of medals to the Airborne Museum. In his word of thanks, Mr. W.J.M. Duyts, Secretary of the Museum, said that in doing so Richard Bingley is surely putting an important part of his life into the hands of the Museum, as these medals do not only cover the period of the Second World War, but also the period during which he saw active service in Korea. The fact that he decided to part with these outward signs of his bravery, underlines how closely Richard Bingley still feels himself to be involved in the events around Arnhem in September 1944. Mr. Duyts ended his speech as follows: “We will always cherish these medals in our Museum with reverence and love”. The set is a very special one and consists of: the 1939-1945 Star, the Italy Star, the France and Germany Star, the Defence Medal, the War Medal, the Korea Medal with bronze oak-leaf for bravery, the U.N. Korea Medal, the Territorial Efficiency Medal, the Dunkirk 1940 Medal the King Albert I Cross of Belgium and the Cross of the Confederation Europeene des Ancies Combattants.

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