Eyewitness Account II

Eyewitness Mr Verhoeven

He was 13 years of age when I got permission to go to the crash site with my 4 brothers. He lived in a farmhouse in the Kerkhovense street. He saw 2 wheels against a farmhouse (Joost Verhoeven)and a plane near the ditch just where now is a the house of Frank Boogaert. Also he talked about people taking souvenirs and farmer van Eindhoven (his farm is gone nowadays)had taken a piece of the rope that hung in a tree. There were no Germans. He said that the planes nose was crushed but the back part was intact. He saw the jeep and the painted white star. He remembers soldiers in the jeep when it was still in the airplane. It took awhile before the Germans came and when they did he and his brothers were send back. He remembers dr Desain at the crash site. He remembers that the Germans left after a while and the were able to get near the glider. He also remembers taking a big piece of the jeep with his brothers after the Germans left. He and his older brother don’t remember what it was, but it was a piece of the jeep that they took while the jeep was still in the plane but the bodies were gone. Apparently it was important because after one day dr Desain or his employees (he didn’t remember clearly)came to their farm to take it in their possession. after the first day of the crash the Germans came back stayed and the jeep was removed, but after they left the crash site the plane was still there. I don’t remember what happened with the airplane after the Germans left. He also remembers the canon beside a farmhouse in the kerkhovense street on the leather factory’s area. It was a canon with 1 barrel I still remember the camouflage on it when I went by it. After this interview with mr verhoeven he showed me the crash spot.