info: oberfähnrich gerhard rohde; WW II memorial, Schaijk, Holland

[adri ekstijn]

My name is adri ekstijn. I am a member of an initiative group to erect a memorial in remembrance of all who lost their lives during the second world war in the community of schaijk, holland. We like to honour civilians as well as militaries of all nations.
(will be: 6 civilians, 10 allied bomber crew members, 1 german pilot and 1 dutch volunteer/frontarbeiter.)

In order to reflect the correct personel data’s there is one we need further to explore:
Oberfähnrich Gerhard Rohde from the II./kg(j).51
Flown in a messerschmitt 262a-2a(werk.n:170199).
Gerhard rohde presumed to be shot on the 21 february 1945 about 17.30 hours above airstrip ‘volkel’-b80, Holland and the shot down is claimed by 2834 squadron raf regiment. The crash is sighted and registered by 2819 squadron, laa-raf regiment,based on airstrip ‘heesch’-b88, Holland. The crash-place was visited and located the next day by 2834 squadron. The plane and the pilot were totally smashed. The pilot was buried, as far as possible, in a fieldgrave(excluding the head) nearby the crash.
This information is according the historical administration of the documentationcentre of the airbase of volkel, Holland( their roots are ‘combat diaries’)

In march or September 1949 a fieldgrave , nearby the prescribed crash, was dug out and the remains of an ‘unknown’ german officer was transferred to the german cemetery of ysselsteyn(venray), Holland.
This person is buried as ‘unknown’-soldier in the grave block CI, reihe 12, grab 300.

We assume the ‘unknown’ and Gerhard rohde are the same person. Unfortunately we have not the correct data’s to proof this fact. Hopefully you can hand us the missing information.
It is unique for Holland to memorate all victims of war, the suffered, the liberators and the agressors, on one memorial. It’s the only way to ‘not’ inherete the hate in our hearts and build for eternal peace.

With many thanks and greetings, adri ekstijn, scheperstraat 13, 5374hj, schaijk, Holland,
e-mail: a.h.m.ekstijn@hetnet.nl tel: 0031(0)486462496