Elmer Bagnall MUTTART

“The Memory of Elmer Muttart Lives On”

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December 2, 2019.  This posting will be a guest posting by Robert O’Brien, who attended the unveiling of the memorial panel in Wons to honour Flight Sgt Elmer Muttart and the crew of the Halifax L9561.  Robert is involved with a charity, The Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy (see https://www.churchillsociety.org/home/about-us/). On Friday, November 29, at its Annual Dinner, he shared the story of his recent trip to The Netherlands with the President and CEO of Historica Canada and actor RH Thomson, and presented them both with an English brochure, excerpted from the Dutch language booklet  about the last flight of Halifax L9561 that was prepared by the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation (see On The War Memorial Trail…..The Reception In Wons).

If you live in Canada, you will have seen one of the many Heritage Moments on TV, each one a short glimpse into an aspect of Canadian history (see https://www.historicacanada.ca/heritageminutes).  R. H. Thomson (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/R._H._Thomson) is involved in The World Remembers 1914-1918 project (see https://www.everythingzoomer.com/arts-entertainment/2018/11/08/rh-thomson-the-world-remembers/).

Here is what Robert wrote in a report he entitled ‘The Memory of Elmer Muttart Lives On’:  “The significance of Flight Sergeant Elmer Bagnall Muttart and the crew of Halifax 9561 who sacrificed so much so that others might live on October 12, 1941 continues to live on and be remembered.   In Toronto on Friday November 29, 2019, at the 36th Annual Dinner of The Churchill Society, the story of Elmer Muttart and Halifax L9561 was shared again and remembered.  The Churchill Society for the Advancement of Parliamentary Democracy holds its annual black tie dinner in Toronto to celebrate Churchill’s life and legacy and to reflect on the contributions countless men and women who fought and contributed to preserving democracy in World Wars I and II.

I was part of the delegation in Holland just seven weeks ago in Holland and as a Past President and director of The Churchill Society I shared and presented the special tribute brochure about Elmer Muttart and the crew of the Halifax bomber at the Dinner, which had been sent by Pieter and Daria Valkenburg.   The brochure was presented to the keynote speaker Anthony Wilson-Smith, President and CEO of Historica Canada and noted Canadian political journalist and foreign correspondent.”

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Robert O’Brien, left, presents brochure about Halifax L9561, prepared by the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation, to Anthony Wilson Smith, President and CEO of Historica Canada at the 36th Annual Churchill Society Dinner Toronto on November 29 2019. (Photo courtesy of Robert O’Brien)

“Historica Canada has produced 98 ‘Heritage Moments’ which tell the story of important moments in Canadian history and each year reaches an audience of 27 million people.   Mr. Smith showed the 250 in attendance at the Dinner three from the collection of Heritage Moments—a special tribute to Lucy Maud Montgomery filmed in PEI narrated by Past Governor General Adrienne Clarkson, the D-Day Tribute released this past June narrated by Peter Mansbridge, and finally a sneak preview of never seen before footage of a brand new special Heritage Moment commemorating the Liberation of the Netherlands on May 8, 1945.    The video is still being edited and developed but the images the audience was able to see on November 29 were powerful—the struggle of the Dutch people, the arrest and detention of Jews and dissenters during the Occupation, the citizens gazing skyward to see Allied planes flying in the air to assist in taking back Holland, the bravery of the soldiers, the liberation of parades and presentation of tulips by grateful citizenry to the Dutch and the warm hospitality extended by the Dutch people to the Canadian soldiers.   The video will not be completed and officially released until May 2020 and will be a film to look forward to.  

Anthony, who was attending ceremonies at Hill 70 in Northern France last October when the Muttart commemoration was held, was appreciative to receive the special brochure and to hear the story of the bravery of Muttart and the crew of the Halifax L9561 bomber.

I also presented the brochure to talented and award-winning Canadian actor R H Thomson (well known for his roles as Matthew Cuthbert, Jasper Dale, and Dr Banting among many others) and the founder of a special project ‘The World Remembers 1914-1918’ whose mission for the past ten years has been to commemorate the men and women who died during World War I and to preserve their memory in Canada, throughout Europe, in schools and capitols around the world.”

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Robert O’Brien (left), Past President of The Churchill Society, presenting brochure to noted Canadian actor R H Thomson and founder of The World Remembers at the 36th Annual Churchill Society Dinner Toronto on November 29. (Photo courtesy of Robert O’Brien)

“RH Thomson wrote the following day to express how much he appreciated reading the extraordinary story of Halifax L9561 and Elmer Muttart.   

One last connection: The recipient of the annual Award for Excellence in the Cause of Parliamentary Democracy was former popular Mayor of Toronto and Member of Parliament for ten years, the Honourable David Crombie, who knew Elmer Muttart’s brother-in-law, the late Elgin Evans Coutts, also a pilot during World War II, who married Elmer’s sister Helen Muttart.”

Thank you to Robert O’Brien for sharing the story of Halifax L9561 at The Churchill Dinner and for taking the time to write the posting and send photos. It’s wonderful that one story about a name on the Cenotaph has resulted in so many remembrances.  We look forward to seeing the Heritage Minute video about the Liberation of Holland.  If you have photos or stories to share on the names on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion, please contact Pieter at dariadv@yahoo.ca or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

On The War Memorial Trail…..Media Coverage On The Memorial Panel In Wons

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November 28, 2019. On October 12, 2019, the memorial panel in The Netherlands to honour the crew of Halifax L9561 was unveiled.  (See On The War Memorial Trail…..The Memorial Panel In Wons Is Unveiled!) Two regional Dutch newspapers reported on the event in their October 16, 2019 publications: ‘Bolswarder Niewsblad’ and ‘Makkumer Belboei’.

Pieter has provided a translation of both articles:

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‘Bolswarder Niewsblad’  (See a PDF of the article in Dutch Bolswarder Nieuwsblad – 16-10-2019-1)

Unveiling of a Panel about a Plane Crash Near Wons

“Wons.  On Saturday, October 12, 2019, it was 78 years ago that a witness in the area of Wons saw the Halifax L9561, which was ‘on fire, come gliding and zigzagging though the clouds.’ The bomber, with a crew of 8, had departed one and a half hours earlier from the English airport, Middleton Saint George, for a bombing mission on the port city of Bremen, but it never reached its target. On Saturday, an information panel was unveiled at the site of the crash. 

The plane had been spotted above the North Sea by the German radar station ‘Tiger’ at Terschelling.  A short time later, the experienced fighter pilot, Leopold ‘Poldi’ Fellerer, succeeded in shooting down the Halifax.  The plane crashed near the Weersterweg, just outside Wons, at 22 hours 17 minutes.

The next morning, it became clear that the 23 year old pilot, Elmer Bagnall Muttart, did not survive the crash. Later, co-pilot Norman Trayler said about Muttart that ‘He was a gallant captain and he died that we might live’.  The fact that the pilot was able to control the damaged plane long enough gave the remaining 7 crew members the chance to escape out of the burning bomber.  All survivors ended up in German prisoner of war camps and got their freedom back in 1945.

Exceptional is the story of rear gunner John Duffield of Oxford, who was hospitalized with severe injuries in the German section of the Boniface Hospital in Leeuwarden.  He was regularly visited by Poldi Fellerer and his gunner, Georg Lotze.  In 1955, 14 years after the crash of L9561, Lotze made an attempt from Germany to get in touch again with Duffield.

In his homeland, the deceased pilot Elmer Muttart has never been forgotten.  His name is mentioned on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph, a monument close to his birthplace of Cape Traverse on Prince Edward Island.  For a long time, the exact story behind Muttart’s death was not known.  In Canada, Dutchman Pieter Valkenburg, who resides there, has delved into the history of all the deceased names on the monument, and as of 2016 also researched the life of Sgt Muttart.  Very quickly, collaboration began with the Frisian Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation (SMAMF), which has done research into the aerial war above the province since the 1970s. 

The idea of Valkenburg and SMAMF to honour, in perpetuity, Muttart’s last flight with an information panel at the crash site was realized on the 12th of October, thanks to the cooperation of Dorpsbelang Wons and financial support from within and outside The Netherlands.

About 30 relatives were present, as well as Deputy Mayor Maarten Offinga. Before the unveiling there was a reception at the museum Het Hannemahuis in Harlingen, where a short presentation about the history of Halifax L9561 was given.”

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‘Makkumer Belboei’ (See a PDF of the article in Dutch Makkumer Belboei – 16-10-2019-1) by Sjoukje Steinhouden.

Information Panel on 1941 Crash Unveiled

“On the evening of the 12th of October 1941, the Canadian pilot Elmer Muttart, with 7 British crew members, was on his way in Halifax L9561 towards Bremen, Germany, to take part in an aerial attack.  However, over Harlingen, they were shot at and hit by a German nightfighter and the plane caught fire.  Muttart quickly came to the conclusion that he couldn’t save the plane, and while holding the plane level, he ordered his crew out.  Thanks to him, they survived the crash.  The plane crashed just outside Wons and the 23 year old pilot was killed by the crash.  One of his crew members later said ‘he gave his life so that we might live’.

Exactly 78 years later, there again were Canadians and British in and around Wons.  This time they were relatives of the afore-mentioned crew.  They were invited for the unveiling of an information panel on the Weersterweg that will ensure that this event will never be forgotten.  The idea for this panel was made possible by collaboration between the Frisian Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation (SMAMF, see https://www.luchtoorlogfriesland.nl/) and Pieter Valkenburg, a Dutchman residing in Canada.  Already for years he has been doing research on Canadians who were killed during the Second World War. 

Under the billowing flags of Canada, Great Britain, and The Netherlands, Councillor Offinga from Súdwest Fryslân, Mr. Elgersma from Dorpsbelang Wons, and Mr. Pieter Valkenburg unveiled the panel with information about what happened on that autumn evening in 1941.  After that, the ‘Last Post’ was played, followed by a respectful minute of silence.  Wreaths and flowers were laid by local and international organizations, such as the Canadian and British embassies in The Netherlands.  Families were then invited to be the first to view the panel.  A daughter-in-law and grandson of one of the crew members reacted with the words ‘You know the stories about what happened.  Now it’s become real.’

After everybody had taken in the information and surroundings, the group left for Wons and stopped, for a few moments, at the war memorial there.  The SMAMF had put together a nice, informative program for them.  Earlier that day, they visited Het Hannemahuis in Harlingen where, according to one guest, a great presentation was given.  Of course, they also had visited the grave of the deceased Elmer Muttart in Harlingen. According to Sietse Kuiper of the SMAMF, ‘They were honoured that we have remembered, and therefore they made the trip’.”

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Pieter (left) with CBC PEI’s Matt Rainnie at the CBC studio in Charlottetown. They are holding up a copy of the English language transcript of the “He Died That We Might Live’ booklet. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Pieter was interviewed by Jonna Brewer of CBC Moncton for the special regional Maritime Remembrance Day broadcast on November 11, 2019.  The interview about the events in Wons was suggested and organized by Matt Rainnie of CBC PEI and was done in the CBC studio in Charlottetown.  You can listen to this interview here: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ho24lfnzhfhyjxmpW4qUo00p1IjyiwJ-/view?usp=sharing

A big thank you to Pieter for taking the time to translate the articles!  Thank you also to the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation for sending us the articles, to Matt Rainnie and Jonna Brewer for featuring the Halifax L9561 story and memorial panel for the Remembrance Day broadcast, and thank you to Jane Scott for converting the MP3 file that CBC sent us into a link for this blog.  If you know of any more media stories, or have stories or photos to share about the crew or the events of October 12, 2019, please contact Pieter at dariadv@yahoo.ca or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

On The War Memorial Trail…..The Memorial Panel In Wons Is Unveiled!

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November 18, 2019. On October 12, 2019, the day of the unveiling of the memorial panel in The Netherlands to honour the crew of Halifax L9561 finally arrived, with a series of events organized by the Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation, a non-profit volunteer organization based in the province of Friesland. In the last posting about the events, we had a brief introduction to the crew members of Halifax L9561 at Het Hannemahuis Museum in Harlingen (See On The War Memorial Trail…..The Halifax L9561 Crew).

When we walked out of the Het Hannemahuis Museum in Harlingen, the dry but cloudy skies we had at the Harlingen General Cemetery had changed to rain.  Out came the umbrellas as we made the long walk to the bus for the trip to Wons.   We were keeping our fingers crossed that this was just a shower, but it wasn’t to be.  Instead it rained even harder, meaning the memorial panel was to be unveiled in the rain.  It didn’t dampen anyone’s spirits though.

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Waiting for the unveiling of the memorial plaque in Wons. You can see the flags of the United Kingdom, The Netherlands, and Canada flying. (Photo credit: Sikko Drijver)

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The memorial panel was hidden from view by the flag of Wons when we first arrived. (Photo credit: Sikko Drijver)

The memorial panel is located along a bicycle path and overlooking a field on the Politiek farm where Halifax L9561 came down.  In addition to our Canadian and British group and volunteers from the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation, we were joined by dignitaries and citizens from the village of Wons and nearby communities.

One of the dignitaries was Colonel Timothy Young, Canadian Defence Attaché to The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, based at the Canadian Embassy in The Hague, who attended the day’s events with his wife Michelle.

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Three proud Canadians… Pieter Valkenburg, Colonel Timothy Young, Elmer MacDonald. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Finally the moment to unveil the memorial panel arrived, and the unveilers represented organizations that had provided funding towards the memorial panel.  The unveilers were:

  • Knilles Elgersma, on behalf of Dorpsbelang Wons
  • Maarten Offinga, on behalf of the municipality of Súdwest Fryslân (Southwest Friesland)
  • Pieter Valkenburg, on behalf of the Tryon & Area Historical Society
  • Hans Groeneweg, on behalf of the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation
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Unveiling of the memorial panel. Left to right: Maarten Offinga, Knilles Elgersma, Hans Groeneweg, Pieter Valkenburg. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

The memorial panel was highly anticipated and didn’t disappoint.  The title was a quote from Halifax L9561 Co-Pilot Norman Frank Trayler “He died that we might live”.  The story of Flight Halifax L9561 on October 12, 1941 was briefly told, from when it left Middleton St. George airbase, how it was attacked by a German nightfighter, the burial of Elmer Muttart in Harlingen General Cemetery on October 16, 1941, the fate of the rest of the crew in POW camps in Germany, and ends with the unveiling of the memorial panel in Wons on October 12, 2019.  At the bottom of the panel are photos of each crew member.

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The memorial panel in Wons, overlooking the field on the Politiek farm where Halifax L9561 came down. The title translates to “He died that we might live…”, a quote from co-pilot Norman Frank Trayler. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

The memorial panel unveiled, the remembrance ceremony began, with the playing of the Last Post by Sgt Major Piet Bergsma of the Dutch Air Force, followed by a minute of silence and then the playing of the Reveille.  Next came the laying of wreaths by:

  • Maarten Offinga, on behalf of the municipality of Súdwest Fryslân (Southwest Friesland).
  • Cor Politiek, grandson of eyewitness to the crash Cor Politiek, on behalf of Dorpsbelang Wons.
  • Colonel Timothy Young, Canadian Defence Attaché to The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg, on behalf of the Government of Canada. He was accompanied by Elmer MacDonald.
  • Shane Aldridge, grandson of Halifax L9561 crew member David Cotsell, on behalf of the Embassy of Great Britain.
  • Fred Jackson, on behalf of the Middleton Saint George Memorial Association.
  • Douwe Drijver and Alexander Tuinhout, on behalf of the Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation.
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Wreath laid by Colonel Timothy Young, Canadian Defence Attaché to The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg. (Photo credit: François Breugelmans)

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Colonel Timothy Young, left, who laid the wreath on behalf of the Government of Canada. On the right, Shane Aldridge, grandson of David Cotsell, laid a wreath on behalf of the Embassy of Great Britain. (Photo credit: Sikko Drijver)

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Some of the wreaths and flags laid by the memorial panel in Wons. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

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Card with the wreath placed by the Middleton Saint George Memorial Association. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

After the official ceremony was finished, family members were invited to get a closer look at the memorial panel.

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Pam Alexander, daughter of Halifax L9561 Navigator Reg Alexander, at the memorial panel. (Photo credit: François Breugelmans)

The Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation volunteers are commended for the wonderful job they did in designing the memorial panel.

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Members of the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation by the memorial panel in Wons. Left to right: Hans Groeneweg, Douwe Drijver, Alexander Tuinhout, Sietse Kuiper. (Photo credit: Sikko Drijver)

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A remembrance project that has come full circle for Pieter with the permanent recognition given to the crew of Halifax L9561. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Once everyone had a chance to see the memorial panel, we were invited to the community hall in Wons for a small reception.  Back on the bus we went!

Thank you to François Breugelmans and Sikko Drijver for sharing their photos.  If you have stories or photos to share about the crew or the events of October 12, 2019, please contact Pieter at dariadv@yahoo.ca or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

The Importance Of Remembrance

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November 10, 2019. On this Remembrance Sunday, we’d like to pause briefly in telling the story of the Halifax L9561 commemoration events of October 12, 2019 to acknowledge acts of remembrance made this weekend regarding unrelated stories.

Yesterday, friends Jacqueline and Graham Hocking of England visited Brookwood Military Cemetery in Surrey, England.  They’d read about two names from the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion that are buried there, and knew we had not yet been able to visit this cemetery in England.  In an act of kindness and remembrance, they took photos of the graves of WW1 soldier John Goodwill HOWATT (See The Archive Photo That Put A Face To A Name) and WW2 soldier Austin Harry BOULTER (See The WW2 Soldier Who Drove On The Wrong Side Of The Road).

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Canada House at Brookwood Military Cemetery. (Photo credit: Jacqueline & Graham Hocking)

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Brookwood Military Cemetery exit, with pine trees on either side of the road. (Photo credit: Jacqueline & Graham Hocking)

Jacqueline Hocking by grave of John Goodwill Howatt.  (Photo credit: Graham Hocking)

Graham Hocking by grave of Austin Harry Boulter.  (Photo credit: Jacqueline Hocking)

Pam Alexander, daughter of Halifax L9561 Navigator Reg ALEXANDER, who had attended the commemoration events in The Netherlands on October 12, 2019, sent the following message:  “Thinking of Elmer Muttart, his family and all the crew and their families today as we watch the Cenotaph ceremony and observe the two minute silence for all who have fallen in wars and conflicts for the UK and our Allies.”  (See On The War Memorial Trail…..The Halifax L9561 Crew)

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Grave of Elmer Muttart at Harlingen General Cemetery on October 12, 2019. (Photo credit: Pam Alexander)

Robert O’Brien, who also attended the commemorative events for Halifax L9561, wrote a brief summary of the events in the November 8 & 15, 2019 issue of Rotary Voice from the Rotary Club of Toronto.  (To read his article, see voice-nov-8-2019)

Thank you to Jacqueline and Graham Hocking, and to Pam Alexander and Robert O’Brien for these moments of remembrance. If you have stories or photos to share about the names on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion, please contact Pieter at dariadv@yahoo.ca or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

 

On The War Memorial Trail…..The Halifax L9561 Crew

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November 9, 2019. On October 12, 2019, the day of the unveiling of the memorial panel Netherlands to honour WW2 pilot Flight Sgt Elmer Bagnall MUTTART and the crew of Halifax L9561 arrived, with a series of events organized by the Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation, a non-profit volunteer organization based in the province of Friesland. (See Unveiling of the Memorial Panel for Downed WW2 Plane Halifax L9561 in Wons) In the last posting, our group visited the Het Hannemahuis museum for lunch and presentations. (See On The War Memorial Trail…..The Presentations At Het Hannemahuis in Harlingen)

An excellent presentation by Alexander Tuinhout and Douwe Drijver of the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation gave everyone an idea of the events that led up to the crash on October 12, 1941 and what happened to the surviving crew members.

In the presentation, Alexander Tuinhout explained that “The story of this Halifax begins at the aerodrome of Middleton Saint George, which is about 3 miles east of Darlington in the county of Durham.  The airbase was the most northern of Bomber Command during the Second World War….”

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Middleton Saint George Aerodrome. (Photo courtesy of Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation)

“Middleton became the home base of 78 Squadron, flying with twin-engine Whitley bombers in April 1941 and three months later, in June, 76 Squadron also commenced flying operations from Middleton Saint George. It was no coincidence that 76 Squadron became stationed at the airfield as the Squadron was the second in the RAF flying with the new Handley Page Halifax bombers.  These modern planes were so heavy that they required long and paved runways for their takeoffs, runways that were present at Middleton. ”

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Elmer Bagnall Muttart (Photo from Canadian Virtual War Memorial at http://www.veterans.gc.ca)

One of the pilots who switched from flying Whitleys to Halifax bombers and from 78 Squadron to 76 Squadron was Elmer Muttart, who received a promotion from Sgt to Flight Sgt in October 1941, shortly before his last flight on October 12, 1941.  Muttart’s story has been extensively covered in this blog as he was one of the names on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion.  (See The Elmer Bagnall Muttart Story)

Of the crew members who were on the Halifax L9561, only Sgt Reg ALEXANDER had flown with Muttart before, as his navigator.  Tuinhout explained further that “Sergeant Reg Alexander, an Observer who had already flown 12 missions with Elmer Muttart, also switched from 78 to 76 Squadron.  Alexander had volunteered for the Royal Air Force in the spring of 1939.  He was born in 1919 in Finchley, near London, but the family moved to Belfast, Northern Ireland before the war.”

Reg Alexander

Sgt Reg Alexander. (Photo courtesy of Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation)

The October 12, 1941 crew of Halifax L9561 was composed of:

  • Pilot Flight Sgt Elmer Bagnall MUTTART
  • Co-Pilot Flight Sgt Norman Frank TRAYLER
  • Flight Engineer Sgt David COTSELL
  • Flight Engineer Sgt Leslie Albert ROBERTS
  • Navigator Sgt Reg ALEXANDER
  • Wireless Operator Sgt William Herbert HUNT
  • Gunner Sgt George Henry PATTERSON
  • Gunner Sgt John William DUFFIELD.

Tuinhout continued his report on the Halifax L9561 crew… “Sitting in the seat next to Muttart was the 21 year old Co-pilot Norman Frank TRAYLER, a married man from Basingstoke.  He was an accountancy clerk before the war but volunteered, like so many young men in those days, for the Royal Air Force in July 1940.”  Trayler’s son Robert had been in touch with us last year, and shared information about his father, which was summarized in a blog posting.  (See Family of Crew Member of WWII Pilot Elmer Muttart’s Final Flight Found)

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Flight Sergeant Norman Frank Trayler. (Photo courtesy of Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation)

The roll call of crew members continued in Tuinhout’s presentation…. “Bill HUNT, the plane’s first Wireless Operator and Air Gunner, had enlisted in January 1940.  He was born in Dublin in 1919, but lived in Mitcham, Surrey when he entered the service...”

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Sergeant William “Bill” Herbert Hunt. (Photo courtesy of Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation)

Tuinhout’s presentation continued…. “Hunt’s backup was George Henry PATTERSON from Doncaster, the second Wireless Operator and Air Gunner.  Patterson had worked as a gas and electricity repairman before he entered the RAF in November 1939, shortly after the outbreak of war….”

George Henry Patterson

Sergeant George Henry Patterson. (Photo courtesy of Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation)

Next, Tuinhout mentioned the two Flight Engineers….  “Both of the Flight Engineers of L9561 had long careers in the Royal Air Force.  Sergeant Leslie Albert ROBERTS from Romford, Essex, became an apprentice in 1931, at the age of 15.  The second Flight Engineer, David COTSELL from Chatham, Kent, was also the same age when he joined in 1935.”

Leslie Roberts

Sergeant Leslie Albert Roberts. (Photo courtesy of Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation)

David Cotsell

Sergeant David Cotsell. (Photo courtesy of Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation)

Tuinhout then discussed the last crew member…  “The last man on board Halifax L9561 was 20 year old John William DUFFIELD from Oxford, who manned the tail guns.” Like Trayler, family of Duffield had been in contact with Pieter, and several letters about the events that happened on October 12 were shared.  (See On the War Memorial Trail ….. At The Politiek Farm In Wons and On the War Memorial Trail ….. At Harlingen General Cemetery) Duffield had written that the plane had three extra people – himself, Roberts, and Hunt – to help with the flight as the Wireless Operator, Engineer, and Rear Gunner were inexperienced.  He also noted that, unfortunately, a key position was left unmanned – a gunner in the front turret – and he always wondered if events would have turned out differently had this position been filled.

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John William Duffield. (Photo courtesy of Lesley Newland)

Tuinhout then related details of the flight of Halifax L9561 on October 12, 1941…. “Shortly after 7 o’clock on the evening of the 12th of October, five of 76 Squadron Halifax bombers set course to the east.  Four planes flew to Nuremburg and took part in an air raid against the Siemens factory.  L9561 left the runway of Middleton Saint George just after half past seven and was the only plane of the Squadron that flew a more northerly route towards Bremen.”

map of route taken by Halifax L9561

Map of route taken by Halifax L9561. (Map courtesy of Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation)

Unfortunately, that evening RAF planes were observed by a night fighter base in Leeuwarden.  Halifax L9561 was one of 4 bombers that were shot down.  Tuinhout explained that “Two Wellingtons crashed near Blankenham and Westergeest and a Hampden was lost over the IJsselmeer.”  The fourth plane was Halifax L9561.

Tuinhout quoted a description made by Co-pilot Norman Trayler, about “what happened shortly after the aircraft passed the Dutch coast.  He said that ‘We were unfortunate enough to bump into a couple of night fighters.  They immediately opened up at us with all they had, and I can say their aim was good – too good for my liking.’ Muttart’s plane was intercepted at an altitude of 3200 metres and attacked twice.”  (For more on the night fighter attack see Halifax L9561 Flight Mentioned In ‘The Night Hunter’s Prey’ and On the War Memorial Trail ….. At Harlingen General Cemetery)

Muttart gave the order for the crew to evacuate and all were able to parachute out, except for Muttart himself.  During a meet and greet on October 11, 2019, family members of some of the British crew members explained that the order to leave the plane struck the crew with terror as they had never jumped out of a plane before, let alone one that was on fire, under enemy attack, and in the dark in an unknown country!  Their only practice had been to jump from the roof of a building in England.

Tuinhout explained that “As befits a good Captain, Elmer Muttart stayed at the controls of the crippled Halifax.  Norman Trayler said ‘Elmer was still at the controls when the last chap went through the hatch. He must have tried a crash landing then…The machine must have been well on fire by this time and Elmer was either burned to death or killed when the machine blew up.  He was a gallant captain and he died that we might live. It was only his efforts that kept the disabled machine from crashing with all of us inside.’ At about 10:15 pm, local people witnessed a bright red glow in the cloudy sky.  The Halifax approached the village of Wons sliding and zigzagging when bombs came down in a meadow.  The plane lost a wing and eventually crashed about 100 metres past the farm of Johannes Politiek and his family….”  (For an eyewitness account from the 9 year old son of Johannes Politiek, see On the War Memorial Trail ….. At The Politiek Farm In Wons)

All of the surviving crew members spent the rest of the war years, in difficult conditions, in prisoner of war camps before returning to Great Britain to pick up their interrupted lives.  Tuinhout explained that on October 13, 1941, Elmer Muttart’s “body was brought to the nearby town of Harlingen, where a German physician could easily identify him, because his Royal Canadian Air Force identity papers were still in his pocket.  Muttart was laid to rest, with military honours, in the Harlingen General Cemetery on Thursday, the 16th of October.”

Present at these commemoration events were family members of British crew members Reg Alexander, David Cotsell, Bill Hunt, and Leslie Roberts.  With an introduction to all crew members, we next made our way to Wons, for the unveiling of the memorial panel.

If you have stories or photos to share about the crew or the events of October 12, 2019, please contact Pieter at dariadv@yahoo.ca or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

On The War Memorial Trail…..The Presentations At Het Hannemahuis in Harlingen

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October 17, 2019. On October 12, 2019, the day of the unveiling of the memorial panel Netherlands to honour WW2 pilot Flight Sgt Elmer Bagnall MUTTART and the crew of Halifax L9561 finally arrived, with a series of events organized by the Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation, a non-profit volunteer organization based in the province of Friesland. (See Unveiling of the Memorial Panel for Downed WW2 Plane Halifax L9561 in Wons) In the last posting, our group visited the Harlingen General Cemetery where Muttart is buried. (See On The War Memorial Trail…..The Visit To Harlingen General Cemetery)

From the cemetery, we were invited for lunch and presentations at Het Hannemahuis, a museum in Harlingen.  Our bus was too big to navigate the narrow streets of this maritime city, and we had to walk across the canal to the other side of the canal where the museum is located in the centre of the city, and reached through a very narrow street.

IMG_2702 Oct 12 2019 Harlingen

Boats line the canal in Harlingen. (Photo credit: Annie Lee MacDonald)

IMG_2703 Oct 12 2019 Harlingen

We cross the canal and walk through a narrow street towards Het Hannemahuis in Harlingen. (Photo credit: Annie Lee MacDonald)

We were treated to a much appreciated warm cup of coffee or tea, cookies and sandwiches for lunch, and had a chance to meet and visit with the Dutch guests invited for the official commemoration events.

CIMG3470 Oct 12 2019 Harlingen Hannemahuis

Harlingen Mayor Roel Sluiter (right) chats with Elmer MacDonald. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

CIMG3468 Oct 12 2019 Harlingen Hannemahuis

Museum volunteer Bauke Posthuma, who researched the men buried in the Commonwealth War Graves section of Harlingen General Cemetery, including Elmer Bagnall Muttart, chats with Pieter and gives an update on the publication of his book. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Everyone had a chance to see a model of the type of Halifax plane flown on the night of October 12, 1941, made by Lex Bosma.

IMG_0266 Replica of Halifax plane made by Lex Bosma

Model of Halifax plane made by Lex Bosma. (Photo credit: Ralph & Valerie Muttart)

The master of ceremonies for the presentations was Hans Groeneweg, President of the Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation, who introduced the speakers.

CIMG3472 Oct 12 2019 Harlingen Hannemahuis

Harlingen Mayor Roel Sluiter gives a greeting. On the right, Douwe Drijver manages the slide presentation. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Mayor of Harlingen, His Worship Roel Sluiter, gave a warm welcome to all of us:

“Welcome in Harlingen!  Very nice to have you here on this occasion on which you can look with mixed feelings.

On the one hand: we are celebrating our liberation, 75 years ago, every day now, since the liberation of our country started in the south of the Netherlands in early September 1944.

On the other hand: we remember these days also all the sacrifices that were made and all the losses we suffered, before our liberation was a fact. Mixed emotions; joy, gratitude and also sadness by the ancestors of the liberators that were killed in action.

Our attention this afternoon is concentrated on the tragic adventure of the Halifax L9561 that was attacked by a German fighter plane and crashed near the village of Wons in October 1941.

Seven crewmembers of the Halifax rescued themselves by parachute, the pilot, Elmer Muttart, however, did not survive. You just visited his grave, here in Harlingen.

That we are here today in remembrance of the events of that dark night of 12 October 1941 is also to be seen as a great “thank you” for all the efforts that were needed to eventually liberate our country! I hope you will have a very pleasant afternoon!”

The main event was an excellent presentation by Alexander Tuinhout and Douwe Drijver, who gave a summary of the events that led to the crash on the night of October 12, 1941 and what happened to the crew members in the aftermath.  The quote “He died that we might live….” had been made by co-pilot Norman Frank TRAYLER.

CIMG3474 Oct 12 2019 Harlingen Hannemahuis

A presentation about the crew of Halifax L9561 was made by Alexander Tuinhout and Douwe Drijver at Het Hannemahuis. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Following the presentation, Elmer MacDonald and Donald Coutts were invited to give remarks about Flight Sgt Elmer Muttart.

CIMG3476 Oct 12 2019 Harlingen Hannemahuis

Elmer MacDonald gave heartfelt remarks about Flight Sgt Elmer Muttart. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

“Your Worship, the mayor of Harlingen; Colonel Timothy Young, Canadian Defence Attaché to The Netherlands, Belgium, and Luxembourg; Mr. Shane Aldridge, representative of the British Embassy and a grandson, I understand, of one of Muttart’s crew; distinguished guests, including the families of Muttart’s crew aboard  the Halifax L9561 on that fateful day; members of the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation who organized this event and Mr. Pieter Valkenburg of the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph Research Project of Prince Edward Island, Canada.

My name is Roderick Elmer MacDonald. I have come from Prince Edward Island, Canada for this very special occasion. We owe a debt of gratitude to Mr. Pieter Valkenburg, who took a special interest in Elmer Bagnall Muttart’s name that was inscribed on the War Memorial outside the Borden-Carleton Legion in Prince Edward Island. He researched his role in World War Two. He learned and shared the events that unfolded in this area that led to him sacrificing his life for the sake of a village.  Only through Pieter did we learn the details and only now can we truly appreciate his sacrifice. We are most appreciative, also, to the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation for their work in providing us with this opportunity.

It is especially meaningful for me to be here today because I have a special connection. You see the Muttarts and the MacDonalds on Prince Edward Island were close family friends. On March 20,1940, when my parents were married,  Elmer was Best Man for my father. On October 12,1941, the Halifax L9561 plane was shot down and the only fatality was the pilot Elmer Muttart. This news was devastating to the families. In 1943 I was born and I was named after him in his memory. I always treasured the fact I was called after him but only through Pieter’s research did I come to realize the sacrifice he made and to learn what an extraordinary Canadian he was.

 I want to introduce you now to Elmer Bagnall Muttart’s close relative, who is here today, his only sister Helen’s son, Mr. Don Coutts from North Bay, Ontario, Canada.”

CIMG3479 Oct 12 2019 Harlingen Hannemahuis

Don Coutts, nephew of Elmer Muttart, addresses the audience. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

“Your Worship, the Mayor of Harlingen, distinguished dignitaries and guests, including the families of Elmer Bagnall Muttart’s crew aboard the HALIFAX L9561, members of the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation who has organized today’s ceremonies and activities…my name is Don Coutts.

On behalf of my mother, Helen Muttart Coutts, my late father Elgin Coutts who died just over two (2) months ago who knew that I would be coming to Holland for these ceremonies, my brother Peter, and our families, we thank you for being here and for today’s ceremonies.

The Coutts, the Muttart families, and relatives would like to thank Mr. Pieter Valkenburg for taking the interest in the names on the Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island Cenotaph. We are indebted to him for his research into Elmer Muttart and his crew on that fateful day—–October12th, 1941. A special thanks to Daria, Pieter’s wife for her assistance in this project.

As mentioned, my Mother is Helen Muttart Coutts.  Her brother was the late Elmer Bagnall Muttart. Their parents were Annie Bagnall and Louis Muttart of Cape Traverse, Prince Edward Island, Canada. Mom and Elmer’s father, Louis was a farmer in Cape Traverse, Prince Edward Island.

Elmer was named after his uncle Elmer Bagnall who had looked after the Bagnall Farm in Hazelgrove, Prince Edward Island during WORLD WAR 1 and died quite suddenly in August 1917 at a very young age. Elmer Bagnall Muttart was born on March 14TH, 1918—–just seven (7) months after his uncle had died.

Elmer had three (3) uncles who fought in WORLD WAR 1. They were Gordon Bagnall, Harold Bagnall, and Fred Bagnall who was wounded at Sanctuary Wood, in France.

Elmer graduated from Acadia University in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, Canada with a Bachelor’s Degree in Science (Engineering) in 1939. Elmer had enlisted in the Royal Canadian Air Force in June 1940. He had started the process to enlist in the RCAF in the fall of 1939 but it took some time for the paperwork to be completed.

Shortly after Elmer had been shot down, my grandparents had received a cablegram that he was missing in action. On New Year’s Eve, December 31st, 1941 my grandparents received a cablegram that Elmer had been buried in the Harlingen General Cemetery on October 16TH, 1941. My Family has visited Elmer’s grave on two (2) previous occasions.

I never met my Uncle as I was not born until October 1950, some nine (9) years after he died. My grandparents always had a framed picture of Elmer in his pilot’s uniform in their house in Cape Traverse, in their house in Bedeque, Prince Edward Island where they moved to in 1949, and in Toronto, Ontario, Canada where they moved to in 1965 to be closer to my Mother and our family.

My mother has a framed picture of Elmer in her Retirement Residence in Toronto, and previously it was displayed in our homes in Toronto.

Once again, thank you for today’s ceremonies.”

Thank you to Het Hannemahuis for hosting us.  Enormous thanks to Alexander Tuinhout and Douwe Drijver for their presentation.  An overview of the crew of Halifax L9561 will be the subject of the next blog posting before we move on to the unveiling of the memorial panel in Wons.  If you have stories or photos to share about the crew or the events of October 12, 2019, please contact Pieter at dariadv@yahoo.ca or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

 

On The War Memorial Trail…..The Visit To Harlingen General Cemetery

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October 15, 2019. Over the past few years, plans for a memorial panel outside the village of Wons in The Netherlands to honour WW2 pilot Flight Sgt Elmer Bagnall MUTTART and the crew of Halifax L9561 have been underway.  On October 12, 2019, the day of the unveiling of the memorial panel finally arrived, with a series of events organized by the Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation, a non-profit volunteer organization based in the province of Friesland!  (See Unveiling of the Memorial Panel for Downed WW2 Plane Halifax L9561 in Wons)

Before the unveiling of the memorial panel in Wons, however, we went to Harlingen, with the first stop at the Harlingen General Cemetery where Muttart is buried.

CIMG3433 Oct 12 2019 the bus

We travelled in comfort on this tour bus, which picked everyone up at the Oranje Hotel in Leeuwarden. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

CIMG3436 Oct 12 2019 On the bus Photo by Douwe

On the bus. We were very happy that we weren’t responsible for navigating the narrow streets! (Photo credit: Douwe Drijver)

The weather was very inclement, but luckily the rain held off while we were at the cemetery.  Two members of the Royal Canadian Legion in The Netherlands were present to lay a wreath.

CIMG3448 Oct 12 2019 Harlingen General Cemetery

Left to right: Legion president Martin Reelick, retired RAF member Ian Aldridge, Legion vice-president Wim Poppenk, retired RAF member Mark Aldridge. Ian and Mark Aldridge were present to honour crew member David Cotsell, flight engineer. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

In addition to the wreath placed by the Royal Canadian Legion, flowers had been placed earlier on behalf of Pam Alexander and her sister Carolyn Moncur, whose father Reg Alexander was the navigator on Halifax L9561.  The family of David Cotsell, flight engineer on Halifax L9561, placed a small cross. Flower bouquets were also placed by Pieter and Daria Valkenburg, Annie Lee and Elmer MacDonald, and Don Coutts, nephew of Elmer Muttart, on behalf of the Coutts family.

CIMG3431Oct 12 2019 Pieter Annie Lee Don Oranje Hotel Leeuwarden

Left to right: Pieter Valkenburg, Annie Lee MacDonald, Don Coutts with flower bouquets for the visit to Elmer Muttart’s grave. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Don Coutts, nephew of Elmer Muttart, placed small flags of Canada and Prince Edward Island by his uncle’s grave. In memory of Elmer Muttart’s birthplace of Cape Traverse and his ancestor Lewis Muttart, who was the owner and captain of the Cape Traverse ice boat, Lori Eggert brought a T-shirt saying ‘Cape Traverse Ice Boat Crew’.

CIMG3447 Oct 12 2019 Harlingen General Cemetery Lori Eggert with Cape Traverse Tshirt

Lori Eggert with T-shirt saying ‘Cape Traverse Ice Boat Crew’. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

In addition to the families of the British crew members, ten Canadians made the trip to The Netherlands.  The Canadian contingent gathered behind the grave of Elmer Muttart for a group photo.  Flying proudly behind Elmer Muttart’s grave were the flags of Canada and Prince Edward Island.

CIMG3446 Oct 12 2019 Harlingen General Cemetery Cdn contingent

Canadian contingent by Elmer Muttart’s grave. Left to right: Pieter Valkenburg, Annie Lee MacDonald, Daria Valkenburg, Don Coutts, Elmer MacDonald, Robert O’Brien, Valerie Muttart, Ralph Muttart, Heidi Eggert, Lori Eggert. (Photo credit: Pam Alexander)

CIMG3444 Oct 12 2019 Harlingen General Cemetery wreath & flowers

Grave of Elmer Muttart at Harlingen General Cemetery. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Flight Sgt Elmer Muttart is not the only Canadian buried in Harlingen General Cemetery.  There are 9 more known servicemen, and two unidentified servicemen.  While we were there, Pieter, with the help of Alexander Tuinhout and Sietse Kuiper of the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation, placed a Canadian flag at the graves of the two unknown Canadians and at each of these graves:

  • William Raymond James BROWN, died September 29, 1941
  • Donald Edward CAMPBELL, died June 26, 1943
  • Francis Arthur DAVIEAUX, died July 14, 1945
  • James MCDOWELL, died May 16, 1943
  • Murray Hudley NESBITT, died May 13, 1943
  • John Beverley PLEASENCE, died July 22, 1942
  • William Maurice POPPLESTONE, died March 26, 1942
  • Thomas ‘Tommy’ Clayton REID, died July 22, 1945
  • Robert WISHART, died July 22, 1942

The ceremonies at the Harlingen General Cemetery over, we next went to the museum for lunch and presentations.

A big thank you goes to the caretakers at Harlingen General Cemetery for arranging the flags for this special memorial visit.  Thank you also to the Office of Senator for Prince Edward Island Mike Duffy for providing the flag of Canada, and to Borden-Kinkora MLA Jamie Fox, Minister of Fisheries and Communities, for providing the flag of Prince Edward Island.

If you have information to share about the Canadian soldiers buried in Harlingen General Cemetery, please contact Pieter at dariadv@yahoo.ca or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

Unveiling of the Memorial Panel for Downed WWII Plane Halifax L9561 in Wons

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October 6, 2019.  Next week, the long journey to providing a memorial panel to honour Flight Sgt Elmer Bagnall MUTTART and the crew of Halifax L9561 will end with its unveiling in Wons on October 12.  (See Update For Those Intending To Go To The Netherlands For The Memorial Panel Unveiling In Wons To Honour the Crew of Halifax L9561)

This project, initiated by Pieter in 2017 after researching what happened to Muttart, one of the names on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion, became possible with the help and support of the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation, the Tryon & Area Historical Society that coordinated donations, and the many people who generously donated towards the preparation and installation of a memorial panel.  This project was given ongoing media coverage by the County Line Courier newspaper and CBC PEI, making it possible to tell the story of Elmer Muttart to Islanders.

Recently we met with the organizers from the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation in Leeuwarden, who gave us a few hints about what to expect on October 12.

CIMG3185 Sep 30 2019 Leeuwarden with Pieter Daria Douwe Alexander

We get a few hints on what to expect on October 12! Left to right: Alexander Tuinhout, Pieter Valkenburg, Daria Valkenburg, Douwe Drijver.

Family of the crew of Halifax L9561 will meet in Leeuwarden before going to commemorative events in Harlingen and Wons. Representatives from the Dutch municipal government, the Canadian and British embassies, the Royal Canadian Legion in The Netherlands and Canada, the citizens of Wons, and the many researchers who worked so hard on this project will attend these special events that have been organized by the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation, a non-profit organization of volunteers in Friesland dedicated to remembering the Allied flights that crashed in the province.

As so many Canadians are not aware of the efforts of the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation, we invited them to explain a bit about their organization in a video clip about the story behind this upcoming event:

Excerpted translation of an article from the press release from the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation:

On Saturday, October 12, 2019, it will be 78 years ago that an eyewitness in the Wons area saw Halifax L9561 “burning, sliding and zigzagging through the cloud cover”. The bomber with a crew of eight people left the English airport in Middleton Saint George an hour and a half earlier for a bombing of the port city of Bremen, but it never reached its target.

Above the North Sea the aircraft was already noticed by the German radar station “Tiger” on the island of Terschelling. Experienced fighter pilot Leopold “Poldi” Fellerer succeeded in shooting the Halifax shortly afterwards. The plane crashed just outside Wons at 10:17 p.m.

Elmer Bagnall Muttart (2)

Elmer Bagnall Muttart (Photo from Canadian Virtual War Memorial at http://www.veterans.gc.ca)

The next morning it became clear that 23-year-old Canadian pilot Elmer Bagnall Muttart did not survive the crash. “He was a gallant Captain and he died that we might live …” co-pilot Norman Trayler would later say about Muttart. The fact that the pilot was able to keep the damaged aircraft under control for a long time gave the remaining seven crew members the chance to escape from the burning bomber. All survivors fell into German captivity and only got their freedom back in 1945.

John Duffield from Oxford, a tail gunner, was admitted with serious injuries in the German section of Leeuwarden’s Boniface Hospital. He received regular visits to his sickbed from Poldi Fellerer and from Fellerer’s gunner Georg Lotze. In 1955 – fourteen years after the crash of the L9561 – Lotze, from Germany, even made an attempt to come into contact with Duffield again.

In his home country of Canada, fallen pilot Elmer Muttart has never been forgotten. His name is on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph, a monument near his birthplace of Cape Traverse on Prince Edward Island. For a long time, the exact story behind Muttart’s death was unknown.  Dutch born Canadian Pieter Valkenburg, who lives on Prince Edward Island, delved into the history of all fallen soldiers on the Cenotaph and, as of 2016, delved into the life of Muttart. He soon joined forces with the Frisian based Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation (SMAMF), which has been investigating the air war over the province since the 1970s.

The initiative of Valkenburg and the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation to permanently remember Elmer Muttart’s last flight with a memorial panel at the crash location becomes a reality on 12 October.“

Halifax No. 76 Squadron

Halifax Bomber used by No. 76 Squadron. (Photo courtesy of Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation)

For those who wish to read the original Dutch, please see ( Onthulling informatiepaneel vliegtuigcrash Halifax L9561 in Wons )

Thank you to the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation for sharing this article from their press release and allowing it to be translated into English.  An enormous thank you goes to Wendy Nattress, who graciously volunteered to do the post-production work on the short video explaining how the effort to place a memorial panel began. If anyone has more information to share on the Halifax L9561 crew, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

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CBC Radio Interview With Pieter Valkenburg & Elmer MacDonald

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September 20, 2019. Regular readers of this blog are aware of the project to put up a memorial panel in Wons, The Netherlands, to honour WW2 pilot from Cape Traverse, Elmer Bagnall MUTTART, and the crew of Halifax L9561.  (See The Elmer Bagnall Muttart Story and On the War Memorial Trail ….. At Harlingen General Cemetery and On the War Memorial Trail ….. At The Politiek Farm In Wons)

This special commemoration event will occur on October 12 of this year. A radio interview with Pieter and Elmer MacDonald, one of the Islanders who will be travelling to The Netherlands and whose parents were close friends of Elmer Muttart, recently ran on CBC Radio’s Mainstreet PEI with interviewer Matt Rainnie.

CIMG3145 Sep 12 2019 Matt Elmer Pieter

At the CBC PEI studio in Charlottetown. Left to right: Interviewer Matt Rainnie, Elmer MacDonald, Pieter Valkenburg. Pieter is holding the invitation issued by the Stichting Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

From the CBC Mainstreet PEI website:

“Two Islanders are travelling to the Netherlands next month for the unveiling of a memorial panel in honour of World War 2 Flight Sergeant Elmer Muttart of Cape Traverse. The memorial came about because of Pieter Valkenburg’s extensive research and Elmer MacDonald i Muttart’s namesake.“

https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-130-mainstreet-pei/clip/15737113-war-memorial

Thank you to CBC PEI for forwarding the link to this broadcast so that it can be shared.  If you have a story to share about a WW2 soldier buried in The Netherlands, please contact Pieter at dariadv@yahoo.ca or comment on the blog.

 © Daria Valkenburg

In Memoriam

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In_memoriam

August 14, 2019.  Over the past years, the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph Research Project has been telling the stories of the soldiers listed on the cenotaph.  Along the way, we’ve also introduced you to the families who have contributed photos and stories of these men.

Sadly this summer, three participants in the project have passed away.  We’d like to acknowledge their help and support by honouring their memories.

Harry Norton & Pieter

Harry Norton, left, with Pieter Valkenburg. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

On May 18, 2019, Harry Norton, brother of WW2 soldier Ernest Murray NORTON, passed away in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. (See link to obituary: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/obituaries/harry-hv-norton-24050/) The poignant story of Ernest Murray Norton, who was killed in Italy, was told in the blog posting The Last Valentine From A WWII Soldier.

CIMG9470 Oct 24 2017 Follet home in Ajax Terry Greta Pieter

Terry and Greta Follett with Pieter. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

On July 17, 2019, Greta Follett, daughter of WW2 soldier  Everett Samuel FRANCIS, passed away in British Columbia.  The story of how her father, on his way to meet baby Greta for the first time, lost his life when his ship, the SS Caribou, was torpedoed off the coast of Newfoundland, was one of the first that Pieter researched.  (See The Cenotaph Research Project Begins)  At the time of that first article, we didn’t have a photo of Everett Samuel Francis. That changed once Greta learned about the project, and later we were able to visit and meet her and husband Terry.  (See The Face of Everett Samuel Francis)

CIMG9481 Oct 25 2017 Pieter with Helen Elgin & Don Coutts in Toronto

Pieter (standing left) with Elgin Coutts (seated), Elgin’s wife Helen (centre) and son Donald (standing right) during a visit in 2017. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

On August 7, 2019, Elgin Coutts, brother-in-law of WW2 pilot Elmer Bagnall MUTTART, passed away in Toronto, Ontario. (See link to obituary: https://www.theguardian.pe.ca/obituaries/elgin-coutts-24809/) The story of Elmer Bagnall Muttart, who died after his plane was shot down over The Netherlands, has unfolded over the years, and began with this posting: The Elmer Bagnall Muttart Story.  This October, a memorial panel to honour Muttart and his crew will be placed near the crash site in Wons, The Netherlands.  (See Update For Those Intending To Go To The Netherlands For The Memorial Panel Unveiling In Wons To Honour the Crew of Halifax L9561)

We extend our condolences to the families of Harry Norton, Greta Follett, and Elgin Coutts, and thank them for their participation in and contributions to the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph Research Project.  If you have information and photos to share on the names on the Cenotaph, please contact Pieter at dariadv@yahoo.ca or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg