In its short existence, Stichting Research Maritime Missing has already meant a lot to relatives who have lost their loved ones at sea. For example The Urker Fish Kotter UK58who after being missing for 58 years, was found by the foundation on the bottom of the sea.
Although relatives do not get their loved ones back, finding the fishing cutter ensures closure. “That question mark that you always had, has now become a point,” says Cees. It appears that there are many relatives in the Netherlands who have lost their loved ones somewhere at sea, because the foundation still receives requests every week.
Perish during the war
The foundation is currently busy preparing, with good weather, wreck divers are going to the sea this summer to investigate unknown wrecks. “And there are again a number of families who contacted us,” says chairman Cees Meeldijk. “For example, this year we want to look for a number of fishing vessels who sunk during the war.”
And that requires a lot of research. In old police reports, but also witness statements. In this way the foundation tries to find out step by step more about the last position of a disappeared fishing cutter. “And that can be difficult for ships that perished during the war, because there were limited means of communication at the time. You had no GPS at the time, everything had to happen on sight. That makes it difficult, but not impossible.”
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