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. |