Oosterbeek, The Netherlands – An ugly discovery this morning at the Airborne Museum. Shocked, employees saw how not only Jits Bakker’s bronze parachutist had disappeared from its pedestal, also the bronze eagle from the RAF monument was gone.
(click on the pictures to enlarge)
The RAF memorial was unveiled in 2006 at the initiative of Alan Hartley, RAF aircraft mechanic. This is how he wanted to commemorate his comrades who had died in the Second Worldwar. Hartley himself was not there during Market Garden but lost many of his comrades with whom he flew, here in the Netherlands. Frans Ammerlaan of the Market Garden Foundation put a lot of effort into the realisation at the time.
It was quite an undertaking to get the monument here in Oosterbeek. Hartley collected more than half of the required amount, officers of the RAF held a sponsored tour through the Netherlands and Germany, after which Frans was able to ensure that the monument was placed behind the museum.
He is bewildered. In his hand is a small replica of the bronze eagle, the pride of the RAF. “I sometimes find them on a second-hand market or something. I always take them with me.” The small eagle falls away on the bronze ball with claws that has been left behind on the relatively cheap column. “They left the cheapest part. If they melt down the eagle, it might be worth 200 euros. To replace it… it costed 30,000 euros!”
Immeasurable
In 2006, that is. But the real value of the eagle cannot be measured. Every year, a ceremony is held here around the airborne memorial weeks in September. In memory of the many brave RAF personnel who lost their lives here and rest at the Airborne cemetery in Oosterbeek. Of whom is often, perhaps daily, still thought about.
The RAF had a short response to Frans’ message today: Shameless. Maybe more words shouldn’t be wasted on it.
Foodprints and a broken tile
Visitors to the Airborne Museum walk past the two empty pedestals in amazement. Wasn’t there something here? When Frans tells them that both statues were stolen last night, they stand still perplexed and come closer. But how? Who steals a monument!?
There are footprints around the base of the Parachutist. Surely the police would have seen that too? This morning director Ronnie Weijers immediately filed a report and a forensic investigation followed. The footsteps will certainly not be missed.
Behind the pedestal where the eagle stood, a tile is broken and a piece is missing. Was this already so? Did they drop the eagle? “The eagle could hardly be lifted by two men.” Frans remembers. So yes, they might have dropped it.
Little seen and already impressed, the visitors walk inside the museum shaking their heads.
Another statue of Jits stolen…
It is not the first time that a statue of the deceased artist Jits Bakker has been stolen. With this robbery added, the sad state of the most robbed artist in the Netherlands remains (over 30 pieces stolen!). In 2018, the statue of ‘The Resurrection’ was stolen from his mother’s grave in Arnhem. This is even the second time that The Parachutist has been stolen! The statue was special for Jits, who experienced the war and Operation Market Garden as a little boy.
The thieves were prepared. The cameras present were sabotaged and therefore there are no images of the theft. Hopefully everyone who lives around the Airborne Museum will check their camera images and perhaps find something there that may help the police.
There is a great fear that the statues have already melted down or are halfway through Europe. “It is being checked whether the molds are still there.” says Frans “Then maybe they will come back”. You can hear him thinking about all the costs.
But an Airborne Museum without a parachutist and RAF eagle, that’s not possible either…
