Photo from Aase Kjems
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Aase Kjems unveiled the memorial stone to the British soldiers who died in an
air crash at Fløjdiget near Sprækvej on 21 April 1943. On the left Kjeld Andreasen
who has also been involved in the work with the memorial stone coming into
existence. (Photo from Aase Kjems)

British soldiers commemorated in Vester Vedsted

Last Saturday Aase Kjems unveiled the memorial stone to
the soldiers who died on 21 April 1943 when the Germans
shot down their plane.

By Helle Møller Larsen  helle@ugeavisen-ribe.dk

Vester Vedsted - She saw it happen and she will never forget.
Ninetytwo-year-old Aase Kjems clearly remembers 21 April 1943 at 00.02 hours.
Here a Britisth Lancaster plane with 7 men on board was shot down by the
Germans when the plane was heading for North Germany.

- I shall never forget that night, the ninetytwo-year-old woman stated. She was newly married at that time 69 years ago.

And that is why the memorial stone has now been erected on her initiative at Fløjdiget near Sprækvej. About 100 people attended the unveiling last Saturday. Before
that they listened to Aase Kjems.

- These young people gave their lives so that we could live in freedom. That must never be forgotten, Aase Kjems relates at the unveiling of the memorial stone.

Aase Kjems and Verner Sørensen have had the memorial stone erected together. Verner Sørensen has sponsored the stone and he also decided the inscription at
the bottom of it. Furthermore Forsberg-Ribe Stenhuggeri has been extremely favourably disposed towards the project. Jan Kruse from that company has designed
and carved the inscription.

The soldier will never be forgotten

Among the attendants was seventysix-year-old Martin Lorenzen from Egebæk. As a little boy the horrors of war came very close to him when as one of very few
people he had the opportunity to see the soldier who survived the air crash and was taken to Ribe Hospital where he died shortly after.

- I was hospitalized there to have my polypi and tonsils removed. One of the nurses showed me the soldier. He was nearly blown to pieces. I will never forget it,
Martin Lorenzen recalls.

And World War II and its horrors are not to be forgotten, the originator of the memorial stone states.

- I have an idea. For many years candles were placed in the windows in the evening of 4 May when Danes received the message of the liberation, but that tradition
has faded away a bit. I think that is has to be resumed, Aase Kjems urges.

There was a cheerful gathering in the youth high school (Ungdomshøjskolen ved Ribe in Vester Vedsted) after the unveiling of the memorial stone.