VVAM Newsletter 43 – 1991

SOCIETY OF FRIENDS OF THE AIRBORNE MUSEUM
Utrechtseweg 232, 6862 AZ OOSTERBEEK, the Netherlands
Representative in Great Britain: Mr. E.E.Shaw, 1 Willow Close,Stilton,Peterborough, Cambs, PE7 3RZ England, tel.: 0733-245420.
Editor: Drs.R.P.G.A.Voskuil, Translation:Mrs.A.Meeuwsen

Excursion: interest is enormous!
In our last Newsletter we announced our plans for an excursion to the Northern sector of the battle-zone of September 1944.This excursion,which will make use of historic military vehicles,will takc place on August J!4th.Messrs.R.Sigmond and R.Voskuil will lead the excursion.The interest in this excursion is enormous, the number of people wanting to take part largely exceeds the number that can be admitted. Although we managed to raise the number of participants from 75 to 110,we will still not be able to admit everyone who has subscribed.We hope for an opportunity to repeat this excursion at a later date.
Everybody will be notified personally by the treasurer,Mr.Fennema.Now that the group of participants has become so large,it has been decided to split the group into two parts which will follow the route from different starting-points.
All participants will be informed to which group they will belong,and will be told the time when they are expected at the Museum.You are kindly requested to be on time}
At the Museum you will be given coffee, a luncheon-voucher and the excursion – guide.Please remember to wear clothes which will be suitable for the transport in (open) army vehicles!
Mr.Fennema will be happy to answer any further questions,telephone Oosterbeek: 085-333406. We are looking forward to seeing you on August 24th.
“Who was who during the Battle of Arnhem.”
Work with regard to the publication of the Order of Battle of the 1st Airborne Division and the 1st Independent Polish Parachutist Brigade is going well. Much help has been received from Friends in Holland and in England. Thanks to our computer we have been able to alphabetize all names. Several sections have been sent to veterans in England to be checked.
The booklet will also contain 40 photographs,part portraits,part action-pictures. Preference will be given to pictures of officers who are not known from other publications. We hope to be able to present the booklet during the General Annual Meeting in March,1992.1 hope to be able to inform you about the price and printing in the next Newsletter. ( C.v.Roekel)
Our new representative in Great Britain.
As we told you in our last Newsletter,we have a new representative in Great
Britain: Mr. E.E. (Ted) Shaw. . R r1__rv
Before the Second World War,Mr.Shaw was a Gunner/Signaller in the 368 Battery Royal Artillery.From September 1939 till June 1940 he was with the British Expeditionary Force in France.In June 1940 he was evacuated from Dunkirk.
In 1942 he became an officer in the 1st Airlanding Anti-Tank Battery,Royal Artillery, taking part in battles in Italy and in the Battle of Arnhem,for which he received the Military Cross.
He was taken prisoner-of-war by the SS in Oosterbeek on September 26th,1944.
He was liberated in April 1945 and returned to England.
The Society is very happy that somebody with such a remarkable record of service has expressed his willingness to become its representative in Great Britain.
10.000th pupil for the School-project.
Thursday,June 6th was a very happy day for those who assist in the School-project of the Museum.Since the start of the Project in 1984,we have been able to stimulate 10.000 pupils of primary and secondary schools in the region to make a study of the history of the Second World War and especially of the Battle of Arnhem, as shown in the Museum.
The lucky 10.000th pupil was fourteen-year-old Meinke Okma of the Jan Light¬hart School in Oosterbeek.She was welcomed by the Mayor of Renkum Municipality in his function of chairman of the Board of Trustees of the Museum,together with members of the Board and members of the Society of Friends.She was given some small presents and was asked to sign the visitor’s book “between generals and other VIP’s”.Meinke and her group of pupils were then treated to some refreshments. It is remarkable that the School-project now attracts schools from all parts of the country. Contacts are also being made with English,Belgian and German education authorities,giving rise to the hope that their pupils will also make use of this project in the future. (C.van Roekel)
Magazine about the Battle of Arnhem.
Staff members of the National Institute for War Documentation are currently working on a series of magazines called “Documentaries about the Netherlands and the Second World War’.’Now a special issue has appeared concerning the Battle of Arnhem.
The magazine contains a large number of well-known and lesser known pictures and documents;it can be bought at the Museum and costs f 6,95.
Appearance of unknown photograph.
Although we might think that all pictures taken during would be known by now,time after time we are shown that this is not the case. To illustrate this,a short time ago the Museum received from a British veteran a photo showing a six-pounder gun with its crew,situated on tne corner of Utrechtseweg and Klingelbeekseweg near Arnhem.This picture which is shown this Newsletter,was taken by Mr.M.McFarlane on September 18th or 19th . The Airborne museum is momentarily making further inquiries into date,unit and circumstances. Of course now the question arises anew: are there any more veterans and/or civilians who possess photographs of that period which are not known by the Museum? Any picture, even if you do not think it important, is very welcome!

A’n unknown photograph of Tzhe Battle~of Arnhem,-taken-by Mr McFarlane on September 18th or 19th,1944.Location:corner of Utrechtseweg.Klingelbeekseweg.The houses in the background stand along the Klingelbeekseweg.The 6-pounder gun has been trained on the Utrechtseweg and the area behind,”Den Brink”,now the KEMA.

Donation of equipment.
Mr.Heerema de Vos of Leeuwarden has donated to the Museum two large cases containing pieces of equipment used during the Battle of Arnhem.The collection consists of British para-helmets (amongst these is one very rare helmet,dating from the beginning of the war) a German Luftwaffe helmet,a beret,webbing material,gasmasks,a life-jacket,gascapes,etc.
These pieces of equipment will be used in the diorama’s in the basement of the Museum.
New cash-register in Museum.
The cash-register in the Museum has recently been replaced by an automatized one. This means that all cash handlings are registered so that the administrator can be kept up-to-date with the state of the stock on hand.All personnel working in the Museum have been made familiar with the new system.The visitor receives a receipt for both entrance fees and articles bought and all handlings can now be evaluated.
Gift of money from England.
Captain T H Hughes MBE has sent us £ 100 .donated by the Arnhem Veterans Club. This money will be used for a project in which stories told by veterans will be recorded on tape :”0ral History .

New book about the 1st Battalion The Border Regiment.
In 1948,Philip J.Shears produced the book “The Story of the Border Regiment 1939- 1945”, The activities of the 1st Batallion take up only one chapter in this book.In September 1948 and March 1949,The Border Magazine devoted 7j pages to two articles by Major,later Brigadier General C.F.O.Breese,who gave more detailed information about the experiences of the Battalion during the Battle of Arnhemm. “Tried and Valiant” by Sutherland did gather some information from the above mentioned publications,but did not add much to it.
Canon Alan Green,former commander of the 20th platoon “D” Company,which defended the Western flank along the Van Borsselenweg near Hoog Oorsprong,has now written a book which does justice to a battalion which managed to defend the Western flank of the perimeter till the last day,without retreating one metre. The only exception is the occupation of the Westerbouwing,but that again is another chapter.
The book has been written in a very lively and readable manner and the author has interviewed many veterans.He has managed very well to interweave these stories with his own experiences and information from the “War Diary .
This Newsletter is not the place for an extensive review;! must,however,point out that the captions with the photo’s on pages 7 and 8 are wrongzneither on September 18th,nor on September 19th did units of the Battalion move along the Utrechtseweg near the Sonnenberg.The pictures show the South Staffords who were ordered by Brigadier General Hicks to reinforce the troops near the bridge at Arnhem early in the morning of September 18th.
Finally: the book does not contain an alphabetical index,but does have a list of personnel killed in action,personnel wounded and of those who returned home. My conclusion is that I can recommend this book to every reader who is seriously interested in the matter as it is,after John Fairley’s “Remenber Arnhem”, the first objectively written book dedicated to a relatively small unit taking part in the Battle of Arnhem.
Next to the Glider Pilot Regiment,the number of personnel killed in action belonging to the Border Regiment,was the highest of all units taking part.I leave it to the reader to draw their own conclusions.
The book “1st Battalion The Border Regiment,Arnhem 17th September-26th September 1944”, is written by Alan T.Green and published by “The Museum of the Border Regiment and The King’s Own Royal Border Regiment” at Carlisle.
It contains 103 pages and can be bought at the Airborne Museum,price f 42,50.
(A.G.)
“Remember Arnhem”
The book “Remember Arnhem” by John Fairley,about the history of the 1st Airborne Reconnaissance Squadron during the Battle of Arnhem, can be bought again at the Museum.The copies have been signed by the author and cost f 49,50.
“Roll of Honour”.
A small number of copies of the Roll of Honour can again be obtained from the Museum. The price is f 25,- plus an extra sum of f 6,- if sent by post inside the country.
Rectification.
The caption under photo no.l in Ministory XXX “Two stories around one church – tower” should read :”ruined buildings along the Eusebiusbinnensingel” instead of “Eusebiusbuitensingel” as stated.
Old Church :conducted tours.
The Old Church in the Benedendorp at Oosterbeek will be open to the public during the months of June,July,August and September,on Wednesdays.Thursdays and Sundays from 14.00 till 17.00 hrs.
The church,which played an important part in the Battle of Arnhem contains several objects to remind one of that period: the baptismal font,several plaques,etc.

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