June, 11th 2008
During a beautiful ceremony the new gravestone was unveiled by Michael and John Lewis, sons of Lancaster W4960 Wireless Operator Reginald Lewis. They lost their father at the age of 7 and 5.
Click here to open a slideshow with 160 pictures.
Michael and John Lewis just after the ceremony.
The new gravestone
The beautifully created new gravestone at the graveyard in Sluipwijk, The Netherlands.
Ceremony
At 07.30 PM the ceremony started in the
church. Representatives of the Australian and British Ambassee, and many more distinghuished guests were present, together with relatives of the W4960 crew and people from Reeuwijk and Sluipwijk. A very special guest was Lancaster crew member of 460 sqn Warrant Officer Lawrence (Laurie) William Woods (DFC).
After the service the gravestone was unveiled in the graveyard by Michael and John Lewis. The whole ceremony was filled with dignity, emotion, memories, etc. Exactly as it should have been. We will never forget the fine young men that sacrified their lives for us.
Location of the graveyard in sluipwijk
Below a "Google maps" picture with the location of Sluipwijk. The big orange arrow is pointing to the church.
The graveyard is located on the south side of the church. The gravestone is placed on the north-east side of the graveyard.
Click here to go to a google maps page of Sluipwijk. The page is in the Dutch language. The map that appears show The Netherlands and (on the left hand side) the eastern part of England. A part of Germany is visible on the right hand side.
On the right top part of the map you will find three buttons. "Kaart-Satelliet-Beide". The translation of these words:"Map-Satelite-Both". You can choose what you would like to see. On the picture below "Beide (Both)" had been selected.
On the far left top part of the map the bomber base Binbrook was located (near Grimsby, that is just not visible on the map. You can move the map with your mouse.). Lancaster W4960 was based at Binbrook.
Düsseldorf, the target of their last mission, is located just of the center on the right bottom part of the map. Using this map you can draw an imaginary line of the routing of the last mission.
While zooming in, the lake area appears. On the top right part you will see a the roads named "Lecksdijk" and Gravekoopsedijk", the location where the Lancaster W4960 crashed at 02.05 AM in the night of 11th/12th June 1943..
May, 12th 2008
The picture below is, for the time being, the last picture of the new gravestone. After the rededication of the gravestone on June 11th at Reeuwijk new pictures will be added.
Still a lot of work to be done.
The original gravestone.
John and Michael Lewis, sons of Wireless Operator R.L. Lewis
April, 14th 2008
The beginning of a new gravestone...
The end of April 2008
There's still a lot of work to be done, but the shape reveals the new gravestone.
The original gravestone
A picture of the original gravestone at the cemetery in Reeuwijk. Notice the wooden crosses behind the gravestone.
Click here for a bigger picture so you can see more detail.
Men of Easy Company
Men of Easy Company
Stonemasons Rijtink has a special relation with the second World war. In the last few years Johan Rijtink and his team made several monuments for the Easy Company (known from Band of Brother television series) of 101 US Airborne Division. This year on June 6th, Rijtink will erect a monument on the Normandië Beaches.
Click here to to to the website of "Men of Easy Company"