VVAM Newsletter 36 – 1989

SOCIETY OF FRIENDS OF THE AIRBORNE MUSEUM OOSTERBEEK
Utrechtseweg 232,6862 AZ Oosterbeek,the Netherlands
Representative in Great BritiancMr.F.Young, 6,Kildown Gardens,Cliftonville,Kent CT9 3EG
NEWSLETTER No 36 Editor:Drs.R.P.G.A.Voskuil
OCTOBER 1989 Translation:Mrs.A.Meeuwsen

From the Editor.
This year again thousands of people,among whom were hundreds of veterans,attended the commemoration of the Battle of Arnhem.The service of remembrance in the Airborne Cemetery at Oosterbeek,was,as always,the most impressive and moving high point of the week.
Although the programme was more or less similar to that of other years,there were also some special meetings,like the one at Driel where the monument to the Royal Engineers and the Royal Canadian Engineers was unveiled.
In order to give those members who could not be present.an impression of the various events.we have decided,like we did in 1984,to include with this News- letter a photo coverage of the various meetings.Because of the special character of this’45th commemoration,and also on the occasion of the forthcoming lOth anniversary of our Society,the photo’s will this time be in colour. All photo’s were taken by our own photographer,Mr.B.de Reus.
Our series of Mini-stories will be continued in our next Newsletter.

Special-Subject Afternoon on Saturday,November 25th.
A special-subject afternoon will again be held for our members on Saturday, November 25th,1989.We will meet in the ELEKTRUM at Arnhem,where we will be welcome guests for the fifth year.
The programme will be as follows:
13.30- 14.00 hrs : arrival of the members
14.00-15.00 hrs : Lecture by Mr.G.H.Maassen from Oosterbeek on the röle played by the First Independent Polish Parachutist Brigade during the Battle of Arnhem. Mr.Maassen,who is the archivist of Renkum Municipality,has for many years made a special study of this subject.His lecture will be illustrated by colour – slides,most of which have not been shown before.
This lecture coincides with the forthcoming publication of the book “De Polen van Driel” by the American author George Cholwczynsky,which describes the experiences of the Polish parachutists at Driel.Mr.Maassen will give more Information about this book.
15.00-15.30 hrs : tea-break.
15.30- 16.00 hrs : continuation of lecture by Mr.Maassen.
16.00-16.45 hrs : showing of the new video-documentary “Forever in our Memory” (More Information about this film further on in this Newsletter).This film will be for sale during the tea-break and af ter tha showing.
The ELEKTRUM is situated at the Klingelbeekseweg in Arnhem,a small distance West of the road junction Onderlangs/Bovenover. Telephone number 085-568020.

Mrs.Pamela Urquharc donates the personal pennanc belonging co her late husband to the chairroan of the Board of Trustees of the Airborne Museum, Drs.J.W.A.M.Ver 1 inden (photo: B.de Reus).

Donation to the Museum of General Urquhart’s personal pennant.
During a special meeting in the Museum on September 15th, Mrs.Pamela Urquhart handed over to the Museum the personal pennant belonging to her late husband, General R.E.Urquhart. The Chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Airborne Museum,Drs.J.W.A.M.Verlinden.accepted the pennant on behalf of the Museum.
This pennant,fastened to a lance.stood for a large period of the duration of the Battle at the back of the then Divisional Headquarters.Hartenstein House. One of the most published photographs of General Urquhart of that time shows him at the back of Hartenstein House,the pennant beside him. ,
Just before the Division’s evacuation across the Rhine,General Urquhart s batman, Corporal Hancock, hid the pennant inside his battle blouse.After his arrival at NijmegenjCorporal Hancock returned the pennant to General Urquhart,who was very pleased and surprised as he thought that it had been left behind.
Afterwards,this maroon pennant with the blue Pegasus,was framed behind glass and hung on the wall in the Urquhart family home in Scotland.Now.after 45 years.it has returned to Hartenstein,where it will be given a place of honour.

Two new life-members.
Two more persons have applied for a life-membership: Mr.Izak de Vries from Haifa, Israël, and Mr.Eric Seal from England.

Important gifts.
During the past commemoration week, our Society has received several important gifts of money.
Mr.James Swanston donated ƒ 1100,-,on behalf of the 7th (Galloway) Battalion, The King’s Own Scottish Borderers. This Battalion also donated a chair to the Museum.
Mr.J.R.Roberts donated F 350,- on behalf of the Royal Electrical and Mechanical— Engineers (REME).
The Thanet Branch ircn England donated £ 25. for the schools project,and a member of the Thanet Branch donated the same sum for this project.
The Society is very grateful to these givers for their great generosity.

New souvenirs for sale.
During the past month,several new articles have been purchased.Mr.Ch.van Roekel, who is responsible for the buying and selling of souvenirs,together with Mrs.M. de Langen and Mr.W.T.B.de Ruyter.has compiled a special information leaflet which you will find with this Newsletter.
Memorial Booklet.
During the reception on September 22nd on the occasion of the 40th anniversary of the Airborne Museum and the Society for Geography and History of Renkum Municipality, a memorial booklet was presented, called “In Heerlijckheit en Hoofd¬kwartier 1949-1989”. (For more information about this booklet,see Newsletters No 33 and No 35.)
This booklet,which is only in the Dutch language.was written by Messrs Dr H J Leloux and W.J.M.Duyts.It contains about 45 photographs,most of which daté from the period that the Airborne Museum was still housed in a wooden shed and afterwards in part of the stables of Doorwerth Castle.
This booklet can be bought at the Museum and costs F. 10,-.
Polish Badges of Honour.
Among those who received the Polish Badge of Honour from this year’s leader of the Polish Pilgrims.Mr.Gasowski.were two members of the staff of the Museum- the director.Mr.C.Wilhelm and the curator.Mr.B.de Reus.
The Polish Government conferred a high Polish order on our member Mrs. C. Baltussen

Mrs.Pamela Urquharc donates the personal pennanc belonging co her late husband to the chairroan of the Board of Trustees of the Airborne Museum, Drs.J.W.A.M.Ver 1 inden (photo: B.de Reus).

Donation of set of medals.
While visiting Oosterbeek on the occasion of the commemoration of the Battle of Arnhem,Mr.Eric Seal from England has donated his medals to the Airborne Museum. During the Battle,Mr.Seal belonged to the First Para Battalion.
This set will also be given a place in the special show-case in the Museum.
Unveiling of the Engineers Monument.
This unveiling took place in the afternoon of Friday.September 15th. The monument is dedicated to the Royal Engineers and the Royal Canadian Engineers. The 260 and 553 Field Company RE and the 20 and 23 Field Company RCE were responsible for the evacuation across the river Rhine of the survivors of the First British Airborne Division.This evacuation,which took place in the night of September 25th/26th,1944,was executed under heavy German artillery-fire.
The idea to erect this monument was born after a lecture on the subject by Mr.H.Duinhoven in November 1988. (Information about the ensuing activities can be found in Newsletter No. 34.)
The monument was designed by our member.Mr.H.van de Brand. It was unvelled by Colonel Holburn.who.as a young corporal of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, was himself evacuated across the Rhine by the Engineers in September 1944.
New Commemoration envelope.
In the series of commemoration envelopes,the twelfth was issued by the Museum last September. This time it shows an enlarged picture of the commemoration medal which was presented to all veterans during their visit to Arnhem and 0os~ terbeek. The envelopes are numbered and provided with a special postmark,dated September 17th,1989. The price is ƒ 5,-.

“Forever in our Memory”, a gripping documentary.
On September 7th of this year.the first showing took place of the video film “Blijvend in Herinnering”. This documentary aims to give an answer to the question why we keep on remembering the Battle of Arnhem till to day.
The village of Oosterbeek,the place where the British troops kept on fighting till the last minute.plays the central part in this story.
In the first part of the film we hear the stories of a number of veterans and civilians about their experiences during the Battle. One of them is sergeant Gordon Walker,a camera man who filmed the actions of the British air landing troops.He tells his story with the help of fragments of his own films.
Other participants are General Urquhart, Father Dijken,who worked in the Tafel¬berg field hospital,and Mr.Bal,who watched at close range the landings of the gliders and the parachutists. Their stories are also illustrated by unique professional and amateur film fragments.
The second part of the film describes the origin of the commemorations directly after the war. The then acting burgomaster of Renkum Municipality,Mr. J.ter Horst,took the initiative,together with General Urquhart,to organize a remembrance service in the Airborne Cemetery at Oosterbeek. We are shown pictures of that first service and of the laying of the foundation stone for the Airborne Monument.
Inhabitants of Oosterbeek who,as a schoolchild,were the first to lay flowers on the graves during the commemoration service,teil their story:Mrs. H.de Jongh- Langevoort and Messrs. H.Kardol and J.Hartgers.
The film ends with pictures of subsequent commemorations.
The duration of this film is 40 minutes,there is also an English version,titled: “Forever in our Memory”. It can be obtained from the Museum and from Bal Video Produktie,Rozensteeg 1, 6862 DH,Oosterbeek, tel. 085-340719.
The price is ƒ 55,-. Apart from the VHS-system ,there are also other systems in supply.
Second photo book about”Arnhem in 1945 “.
In April 1985,a book was published called “Arnhem voorjaar 1945,Wandelen door een verlaten stad” (“Arnhem^pring 1945,walking through a deserted city”.) This book,illustrated with photo’s by the Arnhem photographer Nico Kramer,gives an impression of Arnhem as it looked in 1945.The interest in this book was so large that the compilers,Wim Verhoef and Paul Vroemen,decided that a second book was called for. The first book contained about 200 photo’s, but Nico Kramer had taken more than 800 pictures in 1945. It was therefore not difficult to make a choice for a second book.
This second book has now appeared.One cannot but be impressed by the way Kramer managed to picture so sharply and clearly the enormous devastation and scenes of desolation which made up Arnhem in that time.
Kramer systematically photographed streets and houses in every part of the town. Much of what he photographed can no longer be recognized as such.new buildings have taken the place of the ruined ones.Many other houses,however,could be restored.and are still recognisable.
The compilers have given each photo a short note and indication of its place, so it is very well possible to walk through the town with the book as one’s guide and see for oneself how the town has risen again from its ruins.
The book also contains a Street plan.
Part of Nico Kramer’s diary has been incorporated with the text which is both in Dutch and in English.The same applies to the notes with the photo’s.
The book costs ƒ 49,50 and is obtainable from booksellers in Arnhem and from Kramer’s photoshop,Looyerstraat,also in Arnhem

Bijiage bij Nieuwsbrief No. 36.
Appendix to Newsletter No. 36.
45ste HERDENKING VAN DE SLAG OM ARNHEM
45th COMMEMORATION OF THE BATTLE OF ARNHEM
1944 – 1989

Zondag 17 september. Als speciale gasten waren dit jaar op de Airborne Begraafplaats aanwezig HKH Prinses Margriet en haar echtgenoot de heer Pieter van Vollenhoven. Rechts: Generaal Frost, leider van de Pilgrimage.
Sunday 17 September. Special guests at the Airborne Cemetery this year were HRH Princess Margriet and her husband Mr. Pieter van Vollenhoven.
On the right: Major-General Frost, the leader of the Pilgrimage.

Schoolkinderen leggen tijdens de herdenkingsdienst bloemen op de graven van de gesneuvelden.
Schoolchildren laying flowers on the graves.

The Reverend E.L. Philips tijdens zijn preek voor de duizenden aanwezigen op de Airborne Begraafplaats. Links Pastor A. Wissink en dominee H.J. Ponsteen.
The Reverend E.L. Philips during his sermon to the thousands present at the Airborne Cemetery. On the left Pastor A. Wissink and the Reverend H.J. Ponsteen.

Donderdag 14 september. Veteraan Ray Duke (in rolstoel) en mevrouw Hanny Berendsen van de stichting “Lest We Forget” leggen bloemen bij de plaquette in de muur van de Koning Willem III kazerne in Apeldoorn, waar na de Slag om Arnhem veel Britse en Poolse gewonden werden verpleegd. Thursday 14 September. Veteran Ray Duke (in wheelchair) and Mrs. Hanny Berendsen of the Lest We Forget Foundation laying flowers at the plaquette on the Wall of the Koning Willem III barracks where many British and Polish wounded were nursed after the battle.

Zaterdag 16 september. Drie veteranen salueren nadat zij een krans hebben gelegd bij het monument bij de Rijnbrug in Arnhem. Saturday 16 September. Three veterans saluting after having laid a wreath at the monument at the John Frost Bridge at Arnhem.

Zaterdag 16 september. Generaal Frost legt een krans bij het monument voor de Eerste Onafhankelijke Poolse Parachutisten Brigade in Driel. Saturday 16 September. Major General Frost laying a wreath at the monument for the First Independent Polish Parachute Brigade at Driel.

Vrijdag 15 september. Onthulling van het monument voor de Royal Engineers en de Royal Canadian Engineers op de Rijndijk in Driel. Friday 15 September. Unveiling of the monument for the Royal Engineers and the Royal Canadian Engineers on the Rhine dyke at Driel.

Zondag 17 september. Oude legervoertuigen van de vereniging “Keep Them Rolling” rijden in een lange kolonne Oosterbeek binnen. Sunday 17 September. Old army vehicles of the “Keep Them Rolling” club entering Oosterbeek in a long column. Foto’s/Photographs: B. de Reus, Airborne Museum, Oosterbeek.

Foto’s/Photographs: B. de Reus, Airborne Museum, Oosterbeek.

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