Adoption Wargraves
The Nederlandse Oorlogsgraven Stichting (Dutch Wargraves Foundation) was officially established on September 13, 1946 with the purpose to maintain all WW2-Wargraves in The Netherlands and the Dutch Wargraves abroad and to preserve them forever.
This foundation is the Dutch sister-foundation of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), who is coordinting the maintance of all Commonwealth Wargraves all over the world.
Shortly after the beginning of the First World War, the CWGC started her activities under the care of the Red Cross.
The Nederlandse Oorlogsgraven Stichting offered local citizens the opportunity to adopt a wargrave.
Undermentioned archive-records shows a great interest of Markelo-people:
25 July 1946: grave no. 10 of Sgt. H. Pierpoint to Miss Gerritje Roosdom
27 July 1946: all third row graves, no. 11 up to and including no. 17 of the Stirlingbomber-crew to Miss M. Voorderman, as leader of the Girls-Scouting
Unknown date: grave no. 17 of Sgt. Wilcockson to M.J. Voorderman
Unknown date: grave no. 13 of Sgt. Burbidge to K. Snijder
7 May 1947: grave no. 16 of Flight Sgt. Martin to Miss D. ten Haghuis
27 May 1947: grave no. 12 of Sgt. Shaw to Miss A. Kistemaker
10 June 1947: grave no. 14 of Flight Sgt. McEwin to Miss J. Pellewever
From the above mentioned adoptants only Mrs. Gerry Sligman-Roosdom is still alive nowadays and continues to have contact with relatives of Sgt. Pierpoint.
After the death of Miss Voorderman in 1995 her housekeepster Mrs. Dineke Scholman and her husband Freek, continued corresponding with relatives of the Stirling crew.
At every Christmas Eve they place candles at all 17 allied Wargraves.
In 1985 the national project Adopt a Monument was founded and the children of class 7 and/or 8 of the elementary schools could adopt a local monument with the following target and intention: By the adoption, school children lose themselves in WW2-history, understand why the monument was established and actively attend commemoration for “their“ monument. It strengthens their involvement to peace, freedom and democracy. The project rises above philosophies of life, religions and cultures. Also, the schools are funded to visit national moments annually, such as Camp Westerbork, Camp Vught and the Anne Frank House.
By this project about 700 monuments are adopted by more than a 1000 schools and in total more than half a million pupils have learned about the horrors of the war, the victims and the people from the resistance. In connection with this project all elementary schools of Markelo adopted the Municipal Resistance Monument in the centre as well as the War Graves at the General Cemetery. Anually at Liberation day flowers are layed by approximately 100 children of group 8 at both monuments.
See the pictures at Commemmorations
Rev. 12 September 2012