Many people may not have noticed, but during the weekend in which we commemorated the dead from the Second World War and celebrated the liberation, there were guests from the United States in Zeewolde. They had been here before, but now they were specially invited to attend a book presentation.
The book, written by Cees Steijger and entitled ‘Lenny’, is about the search for the crash sites of aircraft from the war within the current borders of Zeewolde. Cees Steijger has done extensive research into these aircraft, just as he has done research into other aircraft that crashed into the IJsselmeer at that time.
Leonard (Lenny) Werner crashed in November 1944 after his plane collided with another plane in the clouds on its way back to England. The wreckage was spread over a large area, but most of it was eventually found near the Ossenkampweg. There is now a marker post at that spot, one of many in Flevoland. However, Lenny himself was never found.
After the book presentation, which was cheered up by the Singing Ladies and an announced lunch, the group went to the kite monument. There Stein Docter introduced the “Cycling Route Crash Locations WWII”, published by Puur Zeewolde. This 40 km route passes four crash locations in Zeewolde. At each location, a QR scanner at the marking post can provide information about the crew and events of the aircraft in question.
The group then moved – by bicycle, car or train – to the crash site of Lenny’s plane on Ossenkampweg. Cees Steijger tried to straighten the marking post without success, but fortunately the QR code worked well. After a drink and a snack at the nearby Wijngoed Wilgenhorst, the group returned home.
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