Engelandvaarder 2011 expedition
A large crowd that included a special royal guest were on hand
on Wednesday, 25 August 2011 at Sizewell beach ready to greet six
people who commemorated the 70th anniversary of the bravery of two
brothers from the Netherlands who fled their Nazi-occupied country
by rowing across the North Sea.
Olly Hicks, Ben Stoel and Chiel van Bakel all completed the
gruelling journey of around 130 miles, while three others who set
off, Alec Greenwell, Harry Franks and Ed Cooper, had to pull out
during the last night due to exhaustion. All four English men are
from the Suffolk Coastal district, and Prince Harry was among those
waiting for their arrival.
The story of the original Engelandvaarders
Between 1940 and 1945 more than 1,700 Dutch people, including 50
women, escaped to England in order to join the allied forces. Most
of these Engelandvaarders, or 'England voyagers', took a long,
dangerous route over land through Spain and Portugal. A smaller
group reached England via Scandinavia.
32 young Dutchmen tried to escape to England by kayak - eight of
them reached the English coast but only three survived the
War. The story of these original Engelandvaarders was an almost
forgotten one until a statue marking these extraordinary efforts
was unveiled at Sizewell beach two years ago.
The route used by the Engelandvaarder 2011 expedition followed
that of Henri and William Peteri, who departed from Katwijk, north
of The Hague, 70 years earlier in 1941 and landed on the beach at
Sizewell 56 hours later.
Betty Peteri-Peet, the widow of Henri Peteri who died in 2007,
officially unveiled the sculpture in June 2009, and her son Niels
was present to greet the successful rowers. The unique sculpture
was commissioned by Henri, and the three bronze paddles mark the
heroic efforts of the Engelandvaarders, with the broken paddle
being a poignant symbol of all those who failed.
This latest crossing, and also the monument, was sponsored by
Quooker UK Ltd., a subsidiary of the company started by Henri
Peteri, which turned his invention - the Quooker boiling-water tap
- into a resounding success.
You can find more about the original Engelandvaarders and the
story of the Peteri brothers on the
Engelandvaarder 2011 expedition website (new
window).
Raising money for charity
The Engelandvaarder 2011 expedition is raising money for two
charities, both of which do great things for people in need. The
Suffolk Foundation supports charities and voluntary groups across
the county, while Combat Stress looks after those suffering from
psychological conditions resulting from their Service career
including depression, anxiety, a phobia or post traumatic stress
disorder.
Follow this link to donate to the
Engelandvaarder 2011 expedition (new
window).