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  1. #1
    Newcomer to Brit-Gen
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
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    Oud-Beijerland Netherlands
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    2

    Default Adopting graveyard Zwartewaal the Netherlands

    Hello

    My name is Ronald Jellema from the Netherlands. I am a menber of a foundation called Stichting Heeren van Heenvliet which main purpose is to make remember trips too battlefields from WOI and WOII. Also the foundation gives education lessons on primary schools about the both wars. Nearby Heenvliet is the village Zwartewaal with a graveyard wich contains 6 common wealth war graves. https://www.cwgc.org/find/find-war-d...RAL%20CEMETERY
    We want to adopt these graves and will take the responsibility further on to mantain these graves in good order. I have found the service records of all the six man but we want very much to give these graves a face. So I am in search of a photograph from each of the soldiers in these graves. On the site Forces War Graves I have found of each soldier his service record and some information about his home town but I am stucked in further searching. Please help us further. We will make a digital story of each soldier on this graveyard and hopefully contribute this way at a permanent remembrance of the sacrifice these lads have given for the freedom of our country.

  2. #2

    Default

    It might be worth contacting the Royal Artillery regimental association. They may have information on their casualties. Some regiments have “memorial pages”.


    WW2 graves are a little more difficult than WW1 because the Ministry of Defence has not yet released service records after 1921 for publication.

    I’ll have a look.

  3. #3

    Default

    Hello

    You can't adopt these graves, they are maintained by the CWGC but you might be able to help maintain them.

    There is a phone number for the Netherlands on their Contact Us page.

    For the RAF record, No18 Sqn is still operational at RAF Oldiham and contact with their media office might help for the record of the pilot.

  4. #4

    Default

    Here's a first little bit of info. According to the 1940 Verliesregister published by Defensie (wonderful publication), Flt Lieut Worthington-Wilmer crashed into the North Sea (by Oostvoorne-Veepolder) at 12:15 on 4 July 1940. The plane was a Blenheim IV register L8866 of 18 Sqdn. Sadly, they only list senior pilots, but the Blenheim IV normally carried a crew of 3 - pilot, navigator/bombardier & radio operator/rear gunner. In July 1940, 18 Sqdn was flying out of RAF West Raynham, mostly on anti-shipping duties.

    The webpage for 18Sqdn is HERE.

    There's a report on the crash HERE. It has a couple of photos. (Note that they refer to "Lost Bombers" - a site that no longer exists)

    Sgt George Edwin Maydon (radio operator) is buried in Oostvoorne Protestant Cemetery.
    Sgt Jesse George Stanley (navigator) was not found and is recorded on the Runneymede Memorial.

  5. #5
    Newcomer to Brit-Gen
    Join Date
    Jun 2020
    Location
    Oud-Beijerland Netherlands
    Posts
    2

    Default

    Thank you for the advice. I have send a email to the Royal Artillery regiment association with the request for more information about the gunners. With regards

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