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I just wanted to say that I was moved deeply by the article in the Evening Echo about your Uncle, James, and his twin brother, Reginald.
As the mother of twin daughters (16) (plus four sons!) I cannot begin to imagine how it would have felt for the boys to meet when 17 years old for the first time since their birth. It is a tragedy that they only had four years together before the death of your Uncle James on Easter Monday 1940.
My mother and all her siblings, were brought up in Barking and would have gone to the old Ilford Baths as they were all good swimmers. Sadly I cannot ask my mum as we lost her to Alzheimer's last year.
I would like to send my best wishes for the approaching Grand Ceremony for James and the Crew Members - Hero's all
I just visited the website. On the photo on the website you see a piece of a house in the background. That’s the house I lived in the first eighteen years of my life. What a coincidence.
Dear Mr. J Shuttleworth,
Yesterday I read an article in the local Arnhem Newspaper about James Shuttleworth. Always already interested in the local war history I reacted to Harrie van der Ploeg and he gave me your mailadress.
My name is Giel Heintzbergen and since I have retired from work I do research to the 37 airmen, who are buried on Moscowa. It’s out of respect that I want to know their stories. My father fought against the Germans, 19 years old, in 1940 in the Dutch army. In the last 2 years my parents past away and they are buried only 100 metres from James. When I visit their graves, I always visit the Wargraves to and think of the brave men lying there. Through my research in the meantime I know a lot about the allied airmen, but I am still looking for information. Maybe you will help.
Graham-Hogg/Proctor/Shuttleworth flew in the Bristol Blenheim. I read about the plane: while great heroism was displayed by the aircrews, tremendous losses were sustained, because the German BF-109 was superior. I have read all about the airfight on the German-Dutch border and the funeral from the Gemeenteziekenhuis to Moscowa(I grew up in that neighbourhood).
What I read in the article about Reginald(I think that’s your father?) is tragic. He had a heavy life. Kindly regards