For the first time in decades, five soldiers will receive a military funeral in Bergen op Zoom at the same time. They are buried in the British military plot. It concerns the five Czech crew members of a bomber that crashed in 1941 in Nieuwe Niedorp in North Holland.
“I don’t think I’ll keep it dry. I will probably have to shed a tear”, says Ingrid Sijtzel. She was involved in the recovery of the British bomber on behalf of the municipality of Hollands Kroon for more than three years. The device was recovered in June of last year.
The salvage work in the North Holland polder had to be carried out very carefully as there were still remains present. The work was preceded by a long period of preparation. The final salvage was completed in four weeks. Then the bodies could be identified. It turned out to be five young boys: Jan Hejna (26), Karel Valach (23), Leonard Smrcek (26), Vilem Konstacky (27) and Alois Rozum (27).
“I am grateful that we can give them an honorable burial.”
The Vickers Wellington bomber was returning from a bombing raid on Bremen on the night of 22-23 June 1941 when a German fighter shot down the aircraft. Five soldiers were killed, only the captain survived the crash. He was taken prisoner of war and died in 1967.
Because the Czech crew was employed by the English Air Force (RAF), the soldiers now have their final resting place at the British military plot of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in Bergen op Zoom.
The five soldiers are buried in one coffin. Ingrid Sijtzel: “I am extremely grateful that we can give them an honorable burial. They have become a bit ‘own’ to me. It will be quite an emotional moment but also a wonderful ending.”
The ceremony with military honors is attended by, among others, Karel Valach’s grandson and a number of great-nephews of the other crew members. Also present are the Czech Minister of Defense and Minister Hanke Bruins Slot of the Interior. A Spitfire aircraft makes a flypast during the ceremony.
