WAR TIME CRASH IN HOLLAND

Press, Volume XCIX, Issue 29130, 16 February 1960, Page 5

WAR TIME CRASH IN HOLLAND

Dutchman’s Mission In N.Z.

(New Zeaiana Press Association) WELLINGTON, Feb. 15. The story of a war-time act of courageous kindness to the relatives of the crew of a Wellington bomber who were killed when their plane crashed in Holland has reached its last chapter with the visit of Mr F, Van Hoogstraten to Wellington. He was Mayor of the small town of Hengelo, in Gelderland, when the plane crashed on August 8, 1942. One member of its crew was a New Zealander, the others Australians. Holland was occupied, and though investigation of crashes was forbidden by the Germans, Mr Van Hoogstraten was first on the scene. All five of the crew were dead, but he found their identification tags and took a note of them. Later, when Canadians liberated his village, Mr Van Hoogstraten had ready for them a full report of the crash, with copies for the relatives of the dead. The reports were sent to the relatives, and four of the five replied, the other not being found until later. Each year, on the anniversary of the crash, Mr Van Hoogstraten, on behalf of the 6000 people of his village, laid flowers on the graves. Once the Germans repremanded him, but he quoted their own chaplain, who had said at the burial that the dead were no longer enemies. On his way to New Zealand, Mr Van Hoogstraten met the relatives of the dead Australians. In New Zealand he will visit the mother of the New Zealander, Mrs Jarvis, of Waitara, Taranaki. Mr Van Hoogstraten is visiting his son, who has been living in New Zealand for the last ten years.