In September 1945, I received a letter from Rik Craeghs, who had been one of the group who helped us near Hunsel. Rik wrote to wish me well and to tell me that had enlisted in the 1st Belgian Parachute Regiment. His return address was a military one, so I had no idea where he lived.
I had exchanged greetings every Christmas with my Helpers, and I had begun corresponding with several of their daughters, who were fluent in English. In 1993,1 asked Mary Scheepers-Mooren and Gertrudis Brouvers, if they could help me track down Rik. To my surprise and delight, within a matter of weeks, they both sent me his address.
I immediately wrote to Rik and we corresponded back and forth recalling our wartime activities. The Royal Air Forces Escaping Society, Canadian Branch, invites four or five Helpers to Canada every year for a two week period. The Helpers and spouses tour about and are honoured guests at our annual banquet. I promptly submitted Rik' s name and he and his wife, Adele, came to Canada in September 1993. During which time they were taken on tour to Toronto, Ottawa, Quebec City and Montreal, and finally to our annual banquet, held in Brockville, Ont. While they were in the Montreal area, they stayed with us.
After 49 years, we were together again.
Because of the heavy rainfall, haw is stored under these unique movable roofs. We were hidden under one of these.