Woman born on day RAF uncle died unveils memorial
Linda McLean travels to the Netherlands to honour an RAF pilot killed on the day she was born.
A woman born on the very day her RAF pilot uncle perished during World War Two has, over eight decades later, unveiled a memorial in his honor.
Linda McLean, 83, from Horsham in West Sussex, journeyed to Neerkant village in the Netherlands to pay tribute to Flight Sergeant Arthur Burgess. He died in June 1943 when his bomber was shot down.
Arthur was 23 years old when he was killed on June 22, 1943. This date coincided with the birth of Linda to his twin sister, Dorothy.
Linda joined other relatives of the crew, representatives from the RAF, and local community members at a ceremony to dedicate a permanent memorial to Arthur and the four crewmen who died with him.
"I actually don't like to travel anymore, but I am glad I came," Linda stated. "It is so beautiful and overwhelming, and now I also know who my uncle's fellow crew members were."
The unveiling ceremony, held on June 21, was attended by relatives and local residents. It brought together 22 family members of the crew and featured music, poems composed by local schoolchildren, and the laying of wreaths.
Arthur served with No. 166 Squadron of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. He was piloting a Vickers Wellington bomber when it was downed near Neerkant.
Accompanying Arthur were navigator George Roland Wright, 35; rear gunner Eric Jeffs, 21; wireless operator James Karl Somers, 29; and bomb aimer William Francis Payne, 23.
Four of the crew were interred at Jonkerbos War Cemetery in Nijmegen. However, William's remains were never recovered.
Wreaths and flowers were placed during the unveiling ceremony.
The memorial initiative was spearheaded by Dutch researcher Jürgen Beekers. He has been researching soldiers buried in the cemetery and dedicated years to investigating the crash and tracing the stories of the crew members.
Beekers and a team of military enthusiasts collaborated with Fraser & Fraser, a London probate research firm known for the TV program "Heir Hunters," to locate Arthur's relatives in the UK.
Andy Loakes, a case manager who assisted in reconstructing Arthur's family tree, commented, "These are not just names on records. They are people, and they have families who still carry them."
The research brought to light details of Arthur's service that his family had not previously known.
Linda's daughter, Kirsty Shurety, remarked, "I had not realised that he was a pilot. I'm questioning everything I thought I knew, but it made him real. He wasn't just someone who lived two generations ago."
The memorial features five stainless steel panels, each bearing the name and image of a crew member.