VVAM Newsletter 26 – 1987

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

Portraits of Airborne-Commanders
Last year the artist Christien de Haan from Heelsum made some pen-en-inkt drawings of Airborne-Commanders who took part in the Battle of Arnhem.
At the initiative of the Society, five of these drawings have now been made as postcards and can be bought in the Museum. This first series consists of: Major-General R.E.Urquart, Major-General S.Sosabowski, and the Brigadier- Generals P.H.W.Hicks, G.W.Lathbury and J.W.Hackett.
The original portraits have been donated to the Museum by the Society. In the future we hope to be able to edit more series, for instance of men who received the Victoria Cross after the battle.
The first series of five cards can be bought for f 5,-.

Christien de Haan’s pen-and-inkt drawings of five commanders of the Battle of Arnhem.

Membership-card
The individual members of our Society will this year receive a membership-card of which the left hand top-corner is missing! This indicates that bearers of this card have the right of free entree to the Museum for one person only. We had to do this as it was noticed that some members put the letter “G” in the left hand top-corner of their individual card, in order to obtain free entrance for their whole family.
The easiest way to prevent this mis-use was to cut away the corner. It is also cheaper than having to issue cards of different colours.

Special Subject-day on Saturday, May 30th.
A Special Subject-day will be organised for our members on.Saturday, May 30th,198?. The title of the day is: Market Garden in the “Rijk van Nijmegen .
This time special attention will be paid to the middle sector of Operation Market Garden: the operational area of the American 82nd Airborne Division. This is een logical sequence to our last excursion, which covered the Brabant Corridor.
Attention will be paid to: the airlandings near Grave and Groesbeek, the capture of the bridges across the river Maas and the Maas-Waal Canal, and the actions around the Waal-bridges near Nijmegen. Visits will also be paid to the Liberation Museum 191*1*” in its new location at Groesbeek, and to the Canadian War-Cemetery. There will be time to take photographs of all locations to be visited.
This excursion will again be guided by Karel Margry, and be organised by Mr. Voskuil.
The tentative programme is as follows:
9.00 hrs: departure by coach from the car-park near the Museum.
9.15 hrs: Grave – dropping zone E/501* Para Regt.
– “link-up” with the British 30th Army Corps from Brabant.
– capture of the important bridge across the river Maas.
10.30 hrs: Overasselt -dropping zones 501* Para Regt.
10.15 hrs: Heumen – lock bridge across the Maas-Waal Canal
– Molenhoek – former Cemetery 82nd Airborne Division.
11.15 hrs: Mook
11.30 hrs: Groesbeek – Knapheide/Klein Amerika: dropping zone 505 Para Regt.
– Bredeweg: landing zone 1st British Airborne Corps (General Browning)
12.30 – 13.30 hrs: LUNCH
11.15 – 15-15 hrs: visit Canadian Cemetery.
– Wylerbaan: droppingzone 508 Para Regt.
15-30 hrs: Berg en Dal – Duivelsberg
15-15 hrs: Hotel Sionshof: short stop for visiting the monument on the side facade of the building.
16.00 hrs: Nijmegen – Waelstate/Valkhof: actions around the Waal bridge. 16.15 hrs: Oosterhout: crossing of the river Waal by 501th Para Regt. 17.00 hrs: end of excursion.
17-30 hrs: return in Oosterbeek.
The costs for this day will be f 35,- per person. This amount comprises the costs for the coach, the lunch and the excursion-guide. The money can be paid via giro 1*1*0361*1 of the Society, mention “Themadag”. The money should be paid before May 15th. The maximum number of people that can take part has been put at 50. Booking will be handled in order of receipt of receipt of payment so don’t wait too- long!

Roll of Honour.
One of our members has very kindly undertaken to compile an alphabetical index for the Roll of Honour. At the same time some complimentary pages for the book have been completed. These pages, together with the index, can be ordered by paying f 3.50 on giro 1*1*0361*1, mention “Index”.
The first edition of the Roll of Honour, 750 copies, is almost sold out. A second edition is now being prepared.

Security measures Museum.
The other day the security system of the Museum was extended by a close-circuit TV A couple of TV-cam.eras has been placed in a number of rooms, which can be moni¬tored, so that control of these rooms has been made easier. In addition the TV- installation has been provided with a special alarm systeem

Mr. Peelen handing over to Major W.Duyts the set of medals belonging to Reg Bagguley. In the middle: Mr .Groeneweg. (Photo: B. de Reus)

Donation to the Museum of Reg Bagguley’s medal set.
On Wednesday, March 4th, Mr. Th.Peelen from Rheden donated the set of medals belonging to Reg Bagguley, to Messrs Duyts and Groeneweg, members of the Board of the Museum.
Reg was serving with the 3rd mortar platoon of the South Staffordshire Battalion and as such took part in the Battle of Arnhem. On September 20th, 1944, he was severely wounded near the Old Church in the Benedendorp at Oosterbeek. He was provisionally treated in the house of the Ter Horst family. From there he was transported to the emergency hospital in the King William III barracks in Apeldoorn. Some time afterwards he was taken to the Julianahospital, where his right leg was amputated. On January 1st, 1945, he was sent to the prisoner-of- war camp Fallingbostel and afterwards to a camp near Neuremberg. There he was liberated by American troops in April, 1945.
Thirty years after the Battle of Arnhem, Reg Bagguley was chosen to represent the British soldiers who had taken part in that battle. On September 21th, 1974, he was presented with the Medal of Honour of Renkum municipality.
Mr. Peelen knew Reg very well. In his book “Gliding to death” (1976), mr. Peelen writes about Reg’s experiences during the battle.
Reg Bagguley died on November 15th, 1986. Some years before he had given his set of medals to Mr. Peelen. Mr. Peelen decided to donate this set of medals to the Museum. The Museum possesses a special show-case in which sets of medals belonging to veterans have been given an honourable resting-place. This collection is still growing and is a lasting remembrance of the soldiers who fought for the liberation of our country.

Request of the treasurer.
Members who have not yet paid their subscription for the year 1987, are kindly requested to do so as soon as possible.

Memento for the schoolchildren
The Society has taken the initiative to give to those schoolchildren who are actively involved in the commemorations of the Battle of Arnhem, a memento of this event. Thanks to the enthousiastic co-operation of the Spitman Firm, a very old Oosterbeek firm with strong ties to the other villages in the municipality, it has become possible to present the children with a beautiful brooch with the Pegasus emblem.
All 1300 children who took part in 1986, will receive this brooch. Their schools will issue them with a ticket which can be exchanged at the Museum for a brooch. This ticket will also provide them with a cheap entrance-ticket for the Museum. In 1987 the children concerned will receive a booklet which will be issued by the Society. It is the authentic diary of a schoolgirl about her experiences during the days of September 19^1*. It contains many photographs, most of which have not been published before. Thanks to the help of the Silver Cross Health Insurance Company, publication of this booklet was made possible.
A very small number of these booklets may perhaps be for sale at the Museum in September 198?.
Major-General R.E. Urquart and the Mayor of Renkum, Drs J.W.A.M. Verlinden, will write the introduction and the preface.
Thus the Society hopes to be able to keep alive the younger generation’s interest and involvement in the events which took place in 19UU. (Chr.v.R. )

The schools project.
The educational project is one aspect of our philosophy that we must enable our children to get aquainted with our Museum. Many schools make use of our educational project: we expect to welcome the 3000th pupil in the middle of April.
The Board of the Museum and the Society will take a special interest in this event. The same applies to the management of the Oosterbeek Post-office.
In our next newsletter we hope to be able to give you more information. (Chr.v.R.)

The chair project.
The table and chairs which are at the moment in use in the Museum for meetings, etc. , do not belong to the Museum, but are lent to us by the Society for Regional Geography and History. However, this Society has now moved to its new location in Doorwerth castle, and our table and chairs have to move with it!
Therefore, the Society has started a new project: the chair project.
Friends of the Society, both Netherlands and British, both as individuals and as groups are invited to donate a chair. It is a simple, sturdy, straight-backed chair. On the chair a small plaque will be put, bearing the inscription and name of the giver.
The iniative to donate a chair for the Museum came from the British, when, during the commemorations in September 1986, the first chair was donated by friends and family of a veteran who had lately died. Afterwards, Captain R. Bingley donated two chairs on behalf of his Battalion. The inscription reads: Presented by 2 Commando, 11th S.A.S., 1st Parachute Battalion, The Parachute Regiment (19^+0-19^5) •
The costs of one chair is about f 370,- . We hope to be able in this way to obtain ten chairs and a table: they will form another symbol of the existing bond between the Airborne Museum and her British and Dutch friends.

Aquisitions for the Museum.
The other day, the Museum received again a number of special weapons, thanks to brigadier Ros of the municipal police.
The Museum also regularly receives objects from the explosives disposal unit of the Army. The other day, for instance, it received a set of package material for mortar shells.

Special aquisition.
From Mrs. Kolkman of Wageningen, the Museum received part of the hour-hand of the clock of the church tower in Driel. This clock was destroyed by shell fire in 19HU.

Download nieuwsbrief