Peter, Thank you so much for all the information about the "Queen City" glider # 42-79151. What amazes me the most is that the jeep was used again by the Germans. That would be something if the jeep was found out today. Peter, where is your village exactly. I was over in Holland four years ago and if I ever get to Holland again I would like to visit your village. Next year is the 65th anniversity of Operation Market-Garden and a company out in California plans on landing a newly built Waco as part of the celebration. I hope to be on that glider in tribute to my Dad, all the glidermen and all the veterans   of that war.

Doug,oisterwijk is near the town of tilburg and eindhoven.
You could find it with google earth.
Its also relativly close to the landingzone's near son,about a 20 min drive.

Peter, I was very pleased to read that your village adopted my Dad's dead brothers from the 326th AEB and F/O McCann. You know all three men of the 326th can be found on page 58 on this website. Carson was just one man over from my Dad. After World War II all of the Americans buried in your country was adopted by your citizens. What a fine tribute that is to our dead from that war. My Dad was greatly affected by the war and every day he wondered why he survived while others died. It just never goes away.

doug wilber

Doug, I will see what I can do with my digital and old pictures.
Because you did not mention them I assume they did not reach you.
I think the best way to do it is to collect them en get them over to you by  mail.
But I have to go to the photographer and let him make copy’s of them.

Peter.

Peter, I got your e mail with the attached pictures. Where in Normandy was that picture taken?

doug wilber

Hey doug, I only just read your post because I was on a short holyday for the weekend.
I am very glad to hear  that the pictures came true to your address , only I don’t know if the email was received at your address?? Can you please tell me how??  I hope you can read the registration number and if it will match because according to the story over here it should be the reg.number of the willy’s jeep that survived the crash in oisterwijk
The photo of me was taken at . Batterie de Longues  in normandie france at goldbeach.
Its at a german observation bunker as seen in the movie d-day.
We call it “pluskats”bunker named after the leading officer of it  that at d-day morning got the first look of the great armada and phoned with erwin rommel.
I made a trip to normandie in 2006 and 2007 with my best friend also a ww2 enthusiast.
We visited all the museums over there in the coastal area. and also a numerous off sightseeing spots like for instants brecour manor seen in band of brothers in “silencing the guns”
I also have many  pictures  off  collections seen in museums I visited over the last few years.      
So if you have any questions about any museum in either Holland, Belgium, Luxemburg and normandie I  likely will be able to answer  it.

peter
        

Peter, Yes I got your e mail at my address. This jeep aboard the "Queen City" really has my interest. It is
amazing that it survived. Listening and reading people that observed its downing you would think it was
impossible that a jeep could run after that crash. But the more you think of  it the men inside most of cushioned the jeep from serious damage. That picture on Gold Beach is great. My brother Dave and I visited Omaha and Utah, and due to time only saw Pegasus Bridge. There is alot more to see. How did you ever get interested in World War II?

doug wilber  

Hey doug, my interest in ww2 began when as a young boy my grandmother told me story’s of the liberation of Tilburg by the Scottish troops.
How one time shrapnel of a nearby explosion damaged my mothers elderly home.
How my grandfather was arrested by the Germans because of steeling potatoes due of food shortage and was send to jail.
How a young German soldier was housed in my mothers home during the occupation and was later send to Russia to fight and could stop crying because he was so scared of never returning home.
How after the liberation my mother asked to the liberators for “swinggum” because she couldn’t pronounce chewing gum.
Also a German airfield was nearby  cold gilze rijen  and was bombed frequently during the liberation.
And also at school we learned a lot about “the war” ,the Dutch resistance, and for instance the “marshal plan” the allied support to rebuilt Holland after the war, so on so on.
Not even to speak of liberation day over here ,the movies of ww2,the german bunkers that are still visible in Holland ,the museums and lots lots more.
And when after all this your best friend seems to shares the same interest trips and visits to museums are soon made.
But what about our jeep, I think when after checking the reg number at your end  I can go out to search for it.
Maybe through my neighbors, I can check on their story  the told me.
They have told me they know the man who one time owned it and supposedly sold it to an unknown buyer.
And search for the owner of the red painted willy’s  jeep.
I also could place some kind of ad in the local paper.
It would be great to find this jeep because of next years 65 celebration.
I also will send you some pictures of the plaque located in a little chapel dedicated to the holy Mary near our village.

peter

Peter, Thanks for all the images you sent. You have done alot of work. Yes it would be nice to find the jeep from the "Queen City". As you know next year is the 65th Anniversity of Operation Market-Garden. Part of the celebration is to land a Waco glider that is now being built out in California. I hope to be on that glider. I have asked on Don Burgett's forum along with other places on which jeep was on the "Queen City". It looks like an impossible task but you never know. One thing I thought about this glider was it did
kill four Americans, but the jeep that was later used by the Doctor may have saved lifes.
Hopefully their deaths brought life to others.
Doug Wilber

Doug,
Indeed its good to think of the possibility that the jeep may have saved lives.
I will do my very best trying to find answers to two of my questions regarding the queen city
That is to find the exact spot of the queen city’s crashsite and to find the owner of the jeep.
First I will visit the owner of the jeep that bought it from the dokter and I wil see from there.
Also I will visit the “heemkundekring” (historical society) in our village and ask if they know something about the story.
I will keep you up to date of my findings and will keep visiting your forum on a regular base.

peter

Peter, I got a few things going on to confirm the jeep registraion #. How are things going on your end? I am thinking that the jeep must of survived the crash because the
four Americans must of cushioned the jeep from serious damage. Have you talked to    the eyewitness to the crash site. Do you know what kind of battery the Germans had to down the "Queen City"?

doug wilber

Doug,

I also got a few things going on regarding the jeep and the whole story regarding the queen city.
I know several new things that concern the queen city.
I have made up an appointment at the historical society in oisterwijk on Friday to verify this.
Its about the crash site and german battery location.
I know now that the jeep was named “Charley” and had written “Charley” on it when it was discovered and the german battery was probably flak (flug or fliegerabwehrkanone) but what kind of i don't know yet it  was installed near a farmhouse on kerkhove in oisterwijk.
The glider appearently struck a tree before crashing into the ground cruching the nose of the fuselage.
Also I am going to meet the former owner of the jeep as I already told you in my last email.
Also I have spoken to several members of Keep Them rolling, a society of vehicle owners of ww2 in Holland
The are willing to help me find the jeep when I have a  picture of it with the numbers on the hood or the old Dutch  number plate beginning with the letter M and numbers (M stands for the province Brabant.
Brabant is the province of Oisterwijk.
They have told me to visit the archives of Oisterwijk from those day that are kept in Tilburg at the city hall.
Also both the oisterwijk historical society and KTM are interested in publishing the story a soon as the story is complete.
This will be then around July-august ,Also I will visit  our library next week to check out some books on the story.
Also the relatives of dr desain  could be approached if there are any left in oisterwijk.
My best friend Jeroen is also helping along searching the internet for the story.
As you see I am really busy on it but unfortunately my 2 daughters are having their birthday this week  Beau becoming 5 and Renee becoming 7 and that’s also is taking up some time.
Also my wife had here birthday last weekend so busy busy times.

Peter.

Peter, Thanks for the update. Looks like you are keeping busy. I know what it
is like with family and all as I have two daughters also, but both are adults now.
I really enjoyed see them grow up.

Take care,
Doug

Doug,

It was possible to visit  the eyewitness after the glider had chrashed earlier than expected.
He knows the exact crash spot of the glider and was owner off a willys jeep who he says belonged to dr desain.
He told me his story and I will let you know later of my findings.
First I want to check out my visit to the historical society and match those story’s.
I am still not sure about his jeep because I have still no verification of his jeep being our jeep, the registration plate showed in the book and the whereabouts of the jeep today.
Don’t you agree that we have to have absolute proof ore something close to it.
I would like your opinion on this.
But the story of the eyewitness is correct and also the crash site I have now appears to be correct.
I will send you a photocopy of the dr desain jeep and crash site as soon as possible.
I think tomorrow.

peter

Peter, You are right about confirming the jeep as the one aboard the "Queen City" I just send out
two e mails, one to Ft. Campbell, Kentucky, the home of the 101st Airborne Division and another
to the people building the Waco glider, asking if there is a manifast somewhere revealing what #
of the jeep aboard the downed glider. I hope this turns up something.

doug wilber