Memorial to WWII hero airman unveiled

Oct 28 2009 by Judith Tonner, Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser

A MEMORIAL honouring a World War Two serviceman from Coatbridge and his fallen comrades has been unveiled in Holland.

The brick statue and commemorative plaque is in the town of Weert, just 300 metres from where the bomber plane carrying Sergeant Alistair Campbell and his crew was shot down 65 years ago.

Pipers led a military procession and played Amazing Grace at an emotional dedication ceremony featuring international guests.

The entire project was the work of Dutch teenager Wesley Haex, who researched the airmen’s stories and campaigned for the memorial after finding their graves in his town’s military cemetery.

Sergeant Campbell, who was fondly known as Jock, was a wireless operator with 78 Squadron and was aged just 20 when his Halifax Mark III, with a seven-man crew was shot down on September 22, 1944.

They had been flying in a raid on the German town of Neuss.

The Coatbridge man is now buried in the Catholic cemetery in Weert, alongside flying officer John Swanson and air gunner William Grew.

Wesley said: “The unveiling was incredible. We toured through the town in World War Two vehicles and flags were hanging out, people waved – it was Liberation Day for the second time in Weert.”

The monument was formally unveiled by 91-year-old Lawrence Taylor, the last surviving member of 78 Squadron.

He was accompanied to Holland by fellow veterans Tom Wingham, 85, and Bob Draper, 88, plus RAF Association representatives Philip Southern and Alan Dickinson.

After the military procession through Weert, the dignitaries and special guests arrived at the monument site where a crowd of around 300 had gathered.

Those in attendance included Weert mayor Jacques Niederer whose council donated the land for the monument; Colonels Jerry Heal and Jeffrey Stimson, respectively from the British and American embassies; Commodore Albert Schnitger of the Royal Dutch Air Force; chaplain Johnny Wylie from Rammstein air base in Germany and John Bright of the Eindhoven branch of the Royal British Legion.

With British and Dutch flags flying at half-mast, Harvard aircraft performed a fly-past seven times, once for each crew member.

There followed a series of speeches and then veteran Lawrence unveiled the monument, pulling away a parachute which had been covering the brick structure.

He also read the Act of Remembrance and laid the first flowers and wreath alongside Bob Draper, while the military ceremony was completed with a minute’s silence and the Last Post.

Wesley said: “It was beautiful – the pipers played Amazing Grace during the unveiling and people began crying.

“The flowers and wreaths were placed, and it was amazing to see all these flowers, and of course the poppies; and I also arranged an honorary guard dressed in British WWII uniforms.

“I gave a speech about what happened on that evening 65 years ago and why the monument had been built, and our city band played the national anthems of the UK and the Netherlands.

“The whole event was conducted with military protocol, and I had a great master of ceremonies, Adjutant Leo Wijntjes.

“I thanked everyone for attending and Lawrence thanked the people for never forgetting them.

“It was very emotional for me and those attending.”