The 7th international Annual Netherlands Liberation Day Challenge is ended.

Question

 

(English text below)

We zijn trots en blij om onze 7de  jaarlijkse Liberation Day Challenge aan te kondigen, die gehouden zal worden van 4 mei 20.02 uur tot 10 mei 20.02 uur Nederlandse tijd, georganiseerd door het Netherlands Project. Je kunt je nu inschrijven. Wil je meedoen plaats dan een antwoord hier onder dit bericht.

Onze challenge pagina met (later nog meer) info is HIER te vinden.

We houden altijd alle details van de challenge geheim tot aan de start om het zo eerlijk mogelijk te houden voor iedereen. Maar een tipje van de sluiter zullen we nu al oplichten:

We willen dit jaar de nationale en internationale leden van de strijdkrachten herdenken die omgekomen zijn in Nederland tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog en hier in Nederland begraven zijn en hen eren door ze een mooi profiel te geven en een stamboom.

Hoe en waar je die kan vinden hoor je kort voor de start.

Wij hebben er zin!

Colleen, Astrid en Eef.

We are proud and happy to announce our 7th annual Liberation Day Challenge, which will be held from May 4, 8:02 pm to May 10, 8:02 pm Central European Summer Time (CEST - convertor on our Liberation Day Challenge page), organized by the Netherlands Project.

Registering is now open. If you would like to join us, please post an answer below this post.

Our challenge page with (later more) info can be found HERE.

We always keep all the details of the challenge secret until the start just to keep it as fair as possible for everyone. But we will already lift a tip of the veil:

This year we want to commemorate the national and international members of the armed forces who died in the Netherlands during World War II and are buried here in the Netherlands and honor them by giving them a nice profile and a family tree.

You will hear shortly before the start how and where you can find it.

We are excited!

Colleen, Astrid and Eef

Comments

Hello everyone!

In 10 hours from now the challenge will start. Do not forget to use the tracker!!

We will open a free space page with resources and links to the graves in 6 hours so you all have time to do some research and ask questions. The  link to the page will be posted at the G2G-chat, Discord and on the Challenge Page.

Please post here at G2G on what profile you work so there will be no edit conflicts during the challenge.

During the challenge we communicate here and at Discord in the Netherlands-Annual-Liberation-Day-Challenge -Channel.

Let s make some great profiles for those that should never been forgotten!

Enjoy!

---

Yeh!! 16.00 hour in The Netherlands.

HERE

you find the search engines and resources for the 7th Liberation Day Challenge.

---

The Dutch participants are in front at this moment. No wonder as the rest of this planet is asleep. So no worries!

Just start up your machine, as The Netherlands are now almost at midnight and the Dutch participants are ready for bed.

Just do not forget to hit the tracker bar every time you add info with a source. So not only for creating one profile but for every source you add. Make sure you choose at the list on the right side what you added.

I saw already some great profiles created.

Thank you for making those that gave all for our freedom and getting such great profiles!

I love the quote, I think Coen added it to the scratch page:

"All Gave Some, Some Gave All, We will remember them all"

I also came across the "CRASH Luchtoorlog- en Verzetmuseum website" (Air war- and resistance museum) close to our home with their motto:

 "Learning not to forget and not forgetting to learn"

---

How are you all doing?

I see really wonderful profiles created. 

Chapeau!! (Dutch way to say (with a French word) well done! )

Did you check the scores? Our Eef just passed Elsa tonight! Well she is excluded for the sticker of honor anyway as she had foreknowledge of this challenge, as all coordinators. So do not worry.

Hope you all feel good by making those poor ones a nice profile, as they deserve to be honored and should never been forgotten.

These profiles you make show that people, often very young people, had tremendous courage for justice. And they even gave their lives for it. It makes us aware of the fact that if they hadn't been there.....

Freedom is not self-evident

The stories that we encouter are heartbraking and make us all aware what they sacrificed for us.

Thank  you all for making such great profiles.

Let's roll!

---

Ladies and Gentlemen,

The time is up! The challenge is closed. We are proud we had so many signing up with us. We saw beautiful profiles created for the Military that died during WW-II and are buried in The Netherlands.

I hope you all felt that it is just great to give those heroes a nice profile, as a little thank you, for they paid the highest price for our freedom. Thank you all for that and we hope we meet again soon or next year on the 4th of May.

In a few hours we will announce the winner.

---

YEH!! We have a Winner!!!!

The winner of the Annual Dutch Liberation Day Challenge 2022

 is:

The one with the most profiles created of military that are buried in The Netherlands is:

ELSA VAN DER VELDEN!!!!

Congratulations Elsa! After a hard start you managed to create the most profiles to honor and to commemorate those heroes and also the most profiles of all! On the edge you run over Eef!

As we also like to encourage participants to make beautiful and complete challenge profiles.

And it is a pleasure to announce that

JOAN HOLLANDER!!!!

is the winner of the most beautiful profile(s). All profiles she created contain multiple images but also several stickers.

But most important is, she had 8 Military profiles created in a special way. Besides these men died and are buried in her birth town they belonged together as crew members of a shot airplane. They all have a profile now and are linked together.

Congratulations Joan!

You brought the crew together and added 8 beautiful profiles to WT.

Thank you all again for your participation and make WT a better and more beautiful tree!

We hope to see you all back soon.

Colleen, Astrid and Eef

4 en 5 mei Vrijheid vier je samen.

---

Thank you so much for your kind words Astrid.

It was again an honour to participate in this challenge and to work on these profiles. It gave me some additional local history lessons, things I didn't knew before. And it was wonderful to see these profiles "come alive" with each piece of information I found (with the help of dear Jan and others). And I'm not even done yet, there is more to add to a few of them.

Answer 1

Whoop whoop, sign me up please Astrid. 

I love this challenge! I actually love all of them, but this one is extra special, as it is from "our" project and a really dear subject. Let's remember the fallen ones, the ones that fought and died for our Freedom 

Comments

Ha Joan! Happy you are with us as always.

Yes, this is our favorite Netherlands Project Challenge.

We should not forget.

Answer 2

I am looking forward to this challenge!

Comments

Yeh!!!!

 I can not do without you Colleen!

Answer 3

I will take part

Note: For those New Zealand genealogist, see this post

Comments

Fantastic Coen!

Maybe some of your country died here during WW-II and are buried here. They need to be remembered and honored.

We love this challenge so much as it reminds us that freedom is not self-evident and that subject is very current now.

Those that died for our freedom need to/must be honored.

First the Thon. Then take some rest for a few days to get your fingers flexible again and to get in form for the Liberation Day Challenge!

It will be fun again.

---

Added you to the participant list.

---

Hmm, that depends as to what you define as "your country", the place I was born, my ancestry origins, or the place where I live.

Chances are fairly low on my country of birth (Suriname), most of my ancestry is Dutch, and I live in New Zealand.

For NZ from New Zealand Foreign Affairs and Trade

"While New Zealand ground troops were not on Dutch soil during World War II, the link between the two countries is significant and remains relevant today. Thousands of young New Zealanders flew with the British Royal Air Force in World War II and in separately designated New Zealand squadrons. 256 New Zealand airmen killed in World War II lie buried in the Netherlands, in 85 different cemeteries."

---

Coen and Astrid - recently the remains of the plane of a NZ airman was discovered in the sea off the Netherlands and the discovery was reported in the NZ papers on ANZAC Day. I added the news article to his profile and have just been contacted by someone in Australia about his profile. Such a coincidence!

---

Wow Fiona, that much be faith. Thank you for sharing!

About 6000 airplanes crashed in WW-II in the Netherlands.NZ military were among them

It would be great if we could honor and commemorate many of them.

Answer 4

What a great idea! Not sure I'll have time to help, but I'll drop some resources here instead in case any fellow Canadians want to help create some profiles:

List of cemeteries where most of Canada's Netherlands war dead are buried: here

You can then search the Canadian Virtual memorial here and select one of those cemeteries to search on; e.g. for Bergen-Op-Zoom Canadian War Cemetery, the list of dead is here:

https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/results?surname=&forenames=&initials=&keyword=&submit=Search&regiment=&cemetery=2061700&war=100&book=100&fmonth_of_death=&fday_of_death=&fyear_of_death=&umonth_of_death=&uday_of_death=&uyear_of_death=

You can then click on the name of the soldier to get some basic info; then you can search for their full service file here:

https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/military-heritage/second-world-war/second-world-war-dead-1939-1947/Pages/search.aspx

Which could be good info to get a profile started.

Comments

Thank you so much Matthew.

I hope some Canadian WT-ers will join!

Can I add you to the participants list? Or maybe later?

We would like to have many new participants!

---

Sure.

---

Wonderful! Welcome aboard Matthew.

Answer 5

Sign me up, please!

Looking forward to commemorate those that gave their lifes fighting for our freedom.

Comments

Great Jan.

It was your idea. And we like it lots.

I add  you to the participants list.

---

I will focus on planes crashed in the province Flevoland.

Resources:

• https://stichtingongeland.nl/
• https://www.flevolanderfgoed.nl/home/erfgoed.html
• http://www.teunispats.nl/fr-sglo.htm

---

Wonderful Jan!

Answer 6

I may help a little bit. It sounds interesting.  I had an uncle that dropped into Arnhem with the British Airborne Division in the Second World War. Luckily he came back home, but many didn't. 

Comments

Wonderful Joan!

Happy to have you. Yes I think many WT-ers might have familiy over here.

And they should not be forgotten. They fought for our freedom!

Answer 7

Ik doe graag weer mee, dit vind ik de beste challenge, om mensen te eren die voor ons hebben gevochten tijdens de de laatste wereldoorlog.

I would like to participate again, I think this is the best challenge, to honor people who fought for us during the last world war

Comments

Fijn Enoch dat je weer van de partij bent om hen te eren die gevochten hebben voor onze vrijheid.

Gezien de actualiteit worden we er weer aan herrinnerd dat vrijheid niet vanzelfsprekend is he?

Answer 8

Ik ben ook van de partij

Comments

Lieve Joop! Tante Alie helemaal gelukkig dat je er ook bij bent.

Ik zet je op de deelnemerslijst hoor.

---

Wordt als vanouds weer gezellig 

---

Zeker met jou erbij Jopie.

Dikke dank dat je erbij bent. Lief je!

Answer 9

I’m happy to add some New Zealand profiles. My dad was a Scot, later a member of the NZ Army who fought in the Netherlands during WW2, and may well have been there on Liberation Day.

Comments

Dear Fiona,

Welcome aboard!!!  Thank you for joining us!

We just hope, with our challenge, to commemorated an honor those highly, that fought for us and gave their lives to give us our freedom. Gave us liberty.

We are proud you join us! We will supply links to all graves and search pages shortly before the challenge starts.

Besides we will have fun and making new friends on WT.

Adding you to our participation lists.

---

Love Coen.

Just saw he made a call at the NZ WT members.

Again thank you for joining. I hope more NZ members will follow. We will start to share our challenge at Discord after the Thon. Everyone is busy for that one.

As said we will provide links etc. where to search. Google and FamilySearch will need to do the rest.

Just enjoy!

Answer 10

Hi Astrid,

Count me in on this challenge, I can't wait to honor the people that helped setting us 'free'.

Comments

Wonderful Margreet. I add you to the participants list.

It will be a great challenge again with the goal to honor those heroes.

Answer 11

I will do what I can, I have an interest in the  WW2 escape and evasion reports so will see if I can add some of the people that evaded or escaped after Arnhem and Oosterbeek. Also my father flew Operation Manna drops during WW2 and he was always very fond of Holland where we had frequent holidays.
Ah just noticed that you want profiles of those who died in Holland. I’ll see what I can find in Airforce losses as I used to do a lot of WW2 Airforce research. I know where to find the info as I used to be in frequent contact with a Dutch researcher who sadly died some years ago but his information lives on!
Regards,

Ann

Comments

Oh Ann that is wonderful! Thank you for joining. You are very welcome. I add you to the participants list on our Challenge page. I hope you will like it as much as we do. I think it is the most favorite challenge of most members of the Netherlands Project. Dedicating time to those that gave their lives for our freedom.

It is our goal every year, after the two minutes of silence on our Commemorate Day (May 4, from 20:00 PM till 20:02 PM our country is silent to honor all that died during wars), followed by our Liberation Day on the 5th of May, to organize this challenge to commemorate as many people as we can. Those that fought for our freedom and died (mostly young) for our freedom. They should not be forgotten, right? It is just such a pleasure to add them here and give them a great profile.

As it was so great, last year, to choose an European resistance group of heroes of WW-II, and members of other projects joined us. Good reason for us to choose for an even broader international group of heroes to honor. Hoping many WT members of other countries will join.

There are so many Americans, Canadians, British and many more from other countries that are buried here in The Netherlands. They deserve a profile at WT, so they will not be forgotten.

I see you know where to find info. That is great. But do not worry too much. We will publish a list of sources (where to find graves and more info) short before the start.

FamilySearch and Google need to do the rest. And sometimes it is just great to help each other and build out a family tree.

I am sure you will find new sources in The Netherlands about WW-II!

You can be so proud of your father! Great story. Operation Manna!

I am sorry about the loss of the Dutch researcher. Most people remembering WW-II are fading........

You are a great add Ann! Are you on Discord? After the Thon we will post our challenge there hoping more people from other countries/projects will join. But I am sure they will need time first to relax!

---

I see now you re also a member of the WW-II Project!

Please let the members know all are so welcome here!

---

Yes I am on discord.

Thanks,

Ann

Answer 12

Ik doe graag weer mee.

Comments

Ha Elsa,

Geweldig dat je weer van de partij bent! Ik zet je op de lijst hoor.

Answer 13

I will take part!

Comments

Yeh, B.W.J.! Thank you too for joining! 

I'll add you to the participants list.

Answer 14

of course I'm in!!!

Comments

Whoop-whoop!

It will be great again Eef!

Answer 15

I hope to participate!

Comments

Hi Herman!

I will add you to the participants list. Happy to have you again!

Answer 16

Hi. It's been a while. I'd really love to see if I can help out a little bit again.

Comments

Hi Francis!

How nice to see you here. Happy you join us.

I will add you to the participants list.

---

Nice to see you again, Astrid. I hope you're well.

---

Thank you Francis. And you? We should talk up soon!

---

I'm well. We really should talk.

Answer 17

I would like to join the Dutch project

Comments

Hi Cherylee,

Welcome to our challenge and thank you for joining.

Many Americans fought for our freedom in WW-II.

You might have Belgian roots.

Just to be sure as you posted you like to join the Project. This is just for the Liberation Challenge but you are very welcome to join the Netherlands Project as well. Just let me know and I send you a link.

I add you to the participants list on our challenge page.

Answer 18

I know many Dutch Canadians who settled here after WWII - I am interested in this project. Their story are compelling.

Comments

Hi Peter,

Thank you for joining us. Great to have you at our challenge.

I will add you to our participants list on our challenge page Peter!

Answer 19

I would like to join this challenge, I have been working on WWII related profiles now and then.

I have been using [[Category:Dutch Resistance, Worldwar II]] for categorizing. Are there any other categories that can be used? Is there a category for civilian victims?

Cheers, Klaas.

Comments

Hi Klaas,

Happy to see you joining! I added you to the list of participants.

In general the Dutch are not very dedicated to setting up and maintaining categories other than maintenance ones, so I cannot offer much in that respect. But you might do some category searching in WikiTree+, like this query.

---

Thank you Jan,

I noticed the Dutch are not too keen on categorizing, which I think myself is a pitty. It can be very usefull. Like a category for civilian victims. There were so many, the bombing of Rotterdam, Middelburg, Westkapelle. A dedicated category could be usefull.

Regards, Klaas

Answer 20

Hi All,

We are thrilled you all participate!

We will open links tomorrow to resources and to Military graves in The Netherlands.

I am sure everyone likes to work on certain nationalities.

As they are sortable on nationality we have links ready (visible tomorrow) for American, Australian, Belgian, Canadian, Dutch, French, Indian, New Zealand, Polish, Russian, South African and United Kingdom military casualties.

To make sure there will be no conflict working on the same profile at the same time please add during the challenge who you are working on here at G2G.

Thank you!

For those not familiar with the tracker:

After editing and saving a profile, you will see the green tracker bar at the top of the edit page. Click on it and choose (v) the right challenge.

Enjoy!