Flower Children from 1945 wanted for 75th Memorial Service in Oosterbeek

For the 75th time the memorial service on the Airborne cemetery in Oosterbeek in the Netherlands is held at Sunday September 22th 2019. On that day, also for the 75th time, school children will lay flowers.

To mark this 75th laying of wreaths and flowers the municipality of Renkum in consultation with the Airborne Forces Security Fund, are looking for twenty 'flower children' of 1945, to lay flowers together with the children from school today.

If by any chance more than twenty Flower Children will sign up, mayor of Renkum, Agnes Schaap will choose who gets an invitation.

It was September 1945 when the battle of Arnhem was commemorated for the first time. During the memorial service on the Airborne cemetery in Oosterbeek on Tuesday the 25th of September, about 1200 school children laid flowers on the graves of the fallen soldiers during that battle.

The flower laying has become a tradition and is for families and inhabitants the emotional highlight of the commemoration.

Veterans of the battle of Arnhem, gave the children the honour name 'Flower Children'. This is expressed by the 'Arnhem 1944 Veterans Club' in a monument on the left side of the entrance to the cemetery.