But Meeldijk is willing to do it all. Because he also has a tragic story. “I know from my own family how important it is. My uncle Paul Meeldijk was on the WR157, which was wrecked in 1982. All three boys were able to find them, so I know from my own family how nice it is that those who have no ignorance.”
Closure
And that is why Cees and the other volunteers lovingly invest all their free time in these special quests. “These families don’t have that piece of closure, and I want to give that to them,” he emphasizes.
This year the search for the Texel fishing cutter TX26 was central, because Meeldijk was followed for a documentary. It shows how the TX26 was found on the bottom of the North Sea after almost 54 years. The documentary premiered last week, and many relatives of the crew members were present. “These people really liked it, and so did I.”