21 April 2013  Stirling BF506   Monument    1  2  3  4  5  6  7  8  9  10                    Updated:  25 APR 2013

Artikel af Camilla Bo Krefeld fra Hedensted-spalten i Fredericia Dagblad, Vejle Amts Folkeblad og Horsens Folkeblad den 20. april 2013 fra Henning Linnet
Tak fordi I passer på ham - pdf, 3.18 MB. Interview med Diane og Brian Ramsey om deres besøg i Danmark 1998 og 2004 og især om højtideligheden her i 2013.  

Den 20. og 21. april besøgte slægtninge fra New Zealand og United Kingdom gravene i Esbjerg og deltog ved Bøgballe, 70 år efter styrtet, se 21 April 2013 med mange detaljer. Der er en artikel, manuskripter til taler og en række fotos. Der var reception i Uldum. Vi besøgte Aale og Skanderborg Bunkerne. Se Google Map April 2013.

On 20 and 21 April 2013 relatives from New Zealand and the United Kingdom visited the graves in Esbjerg and attended the ceremony near Bøgballe 70 years after
the crash, see
21 April 2013 with many details. There are an article, manuscripts for speeches and a number of photos. There was a reception in Uldum. We visited
Aale and Skanderborg Bunkerne. See
Google Map April 2013.

An article by Camilla Bo Krefeld from the Hedensted column in Fredericia Dagblad, Vejle Amts Folkeblad and Horsens Folkeblad on 20 April 2013 from Henning Linnet Thank you for taking care of him - interview with Diane and Brian Ramsey about their visits to Denmark in 1998 and 2004 and particularly about the ceremony
in 2013. See the pdf-file with photos in the Danish part of this page. See also photo of Diane and Brian Ramsey and others at the wreathlaying ceremony.

Thank you for taking care of him  ( Tak fordi I passer på ham )
by Camilla Bo Krefeld cb@hsfo.htm

Captions for the photos:
(The memorial stone and the plaque with names) Diane Ramsey never got to know her uncle when he was alive, but she has visited his grave and memorial stone
in Denmark a number of times. 70 years ago tomorrow he crashed with an Allied plane in a field near Bøgballe, and on that occasion Diane has come back to
commemorate him.
(The stone with the plaque with names) The names of the 7 fallen airmen have been engraved on the stone erected by the Hedensted Company of the Danish Home Guard. The Company and The Municipality of Hedensted have arranged the memorial ceremony tomorrow at 11 a.m. where everyone is welcome on Fælledvej in
Bøgballe.
(The crew photo) Brian Ramsey managed to provide an old photo of the 7 fallen airmen from 75 Squadron who fought for freedom but lost their lives in the battle.
From top left: Town, Salt, Tolley, Ellis, Cobb and Upton (Diane's uncle). Earl is kneeling in front.
(Diane kneeling) "I see the memorial stone and think: What a waste of lives. Not only for my uncle and the Allied, but also for the Germans on the other side who
just did what they were ordered to do." Diane Ramsey, the niece of a fallen soldier.
(Brian and Diane at the memorial) Brian and Diane Ramsey have taken a traditional symbol from New Zealand to the memorial - a badge with a red poppy to pay
respect to fallen soldiers. They have brought 7 poppies - one for each of the 3 British and 4 New Zealand soldiers who died in a field in a foreign country far away
from their families.

The married couple Ramsey have come all the way from New Zealand to commemorate Diane's uncle who crashed with an Allied plane
70 years ago.


BØGBALLE - Diane Ramsey has never known her uncle. When she was born in a town in New Zealand 61 years ago he had already been dead for a number of years. Nevertheless it was an emotional day when she visited his grave in Denmark for the first time in 1982.

Now she has returned to the country with her husband Brian Ramsey to commemorate the uncle she never got to know but only heard about. The story of a brave
young New Zealand soldier who lost his life in a field near Bøgballe on a cold night in April 1943 when his plane crashed.

Even if I never got to know him his story has become a part of my story. I am proud of him, and I think that it is extremely sad that he lost his life just as it was about to begin, Diane Ramsey states.

Grateful
Air Bomber Frank Wakefield Upton was one of the 7 airmen killed in the air crash 70 years ago. He lost his life together with 3 New Zealand and 3 British comrades.
All of them were buried in Esbjerg.

A memorial stone has been erected near Bøgballe where the plane was shot down, and tomorrow on the 70th commemoration day of the tragic event there will be a remembrance ceremony at the site. That is why Diane and Brian Ramsey have come.

- In New Zealand we do not honour the killed soldiers from past wars in the same way. That is why I am extremely grateful that a grave is tended in Denmark and a memorial stone has been erected to my uncle. When you live in a country so far away from here it is nice to know that somebody takes care of him, Diane Ramsey states.

Father's wish
Her uncle was one of 4 brothers and 2 of them fought on the Allied side during World War II. Frank Upton had taken part in minelaying operations over France and 8 bombing raids on Germany before he took off on the fatal mission on 20 April that became his last.

- It was very hard to my Grandmother who had lost a brother during World War I and now lost a son during World War II. My father, the youngest of the 4 brothers,
all of his life a wish had to go to Denmark to see the place where his big brother was killed. However, he never got there, partly because he became ill. That is why
I have always felt that I ought to do it instead, so that one in the family could lay flowers on his grave and on the spot where he crashed, Diane Ramsey states.

One big family
Now it is the third time that she and Brian Ramsey have returned to her uncle's grave in Denmark, but when the remembrance ceremony takes place tomorrow they expect it to be an extraordinary experience.

For the latest couple of years Brian Ramsey has carried out a great investigation to find relatives of the other killed airmen. All but one will be represented at the
ceremony tomorrow.

- Altogether there will be 25 relatives from England, New Zealand and Australia, most of them nephews or nieces of the fallen. They were very young when they lost
their lives, so only one of them had founded a family - the English Navigator Ellis. His daughter was 3 years old when he died, and tomorrow she will come and see
the memorial stone to her father, Diane Ramsey states.

Both he and Diane expect an emotional affair.
- An extremely sad situation, an incredible loss of lives have brought us together, but tomorrow in some way we will be like a big family, they state.