[TColvin]

Alex, or anyone else.

I see you visited Overloon as well as Mill.

The museum at Overloon began life as the Museum of 3 British Infantry Division (3 BID), which had thrown the Germans out of Overloon and Venraij in very bitter fighting. It is 3 BID's destroyed equipment that forms much of the outside display, and was donated by the Division. The Museum was opened by Maj-General Bolo Whistler, GOC 3 BID in, I believe, 1946, and there is still a plaque on the wall commemorating the event and presented by Whistler; at least I hope it is still there. I visited it for the first time in 1947 as a child with my father who fought in 3 BID.
At some point then and 1985 when I next visited it, the association between the Museum and 3 BID vanished. The Museum was hijacked for another cause. The question is why was it, and how was that possible? BTW; there were Dutch and Canadians serving in 3 BID. Nine Dutchmen - at least two of whom were relatives of Dr Wiegersma of Deurne - were signed on from the areas of Deurne and Helmond and went one to each battalion as Dutch-German-English translators and liaison officers. The Canadians were the 20 odd famous Canloan officers serving in every battalion, and who wore the CANADA flash. There were so many in 2 East Yorkshires that German civilians referred to the unit as Canadian.

Mill is famous as the site of 2 TAF's airfield. It was the base of 146 Wing with 193, 197 (one of the pilots was Richard Hough) and 266 squadrons flying Typhoon IB (Bombs), and 257 and 263 (Rockets). It was the last airfield built or commissioned in the area.

Mill was built to the north of the Peel marsh on heath land. Surveyed on December 10th, plans were completed by December 19th and the first sod turned on January 1st, 1945. Two feet of peat were scraped off to expose an excellent base of sandy gravel on which PSP (Pressed Steel Plate) was laid. The peat was mounded around dispersals to provide blast protection for the aircraft. A new airfield layout was adopted which found great favour with the RAF on account of its operational simplicity. There was a central flying strip with a wing located on each side. Taxi-tracks ran parallel to the strip and from these the aircraft standings (two for each squadron) led off at right angles. There was a perimeter road for motor transport.
The construction in January was undertaken in very bad weather with continuous snow, sleet and frost, and the strip became a frozen mass of sand and snow. Consolidation and grading became impossible but the deadline was insisted on and in desperation the PSP was laid on top of frozen sand and snow during January 1945. On January 30th the thaw came and the Engineers were diverted with all their materials to emergency repair of the roads for Veritable, and to converting the Goch - Uedem railroad into the main truck route to the Hochwald. The strip and half the field were completed with civilian labour by the evening of February 7th. The following day after their first sortie over the Reichswald, 146 Wing flew in and took up residence. The other side of the airfield was completed by March 7 and 35 Army Cooperation and PR Wing moved into it from Gilze Rijen.
"The end of the airfield came soon after the crossing of the Rhine, for we moved on to fields elsewhere and the RAF wings went too. I do not think it was ever used again. It was a good field and it is interesting to note that, in spite of laying the PSP on the frozen sand, the track bedded down beautifully and gave no trouble at all".
Is there a sign showing its location? If not, could that be arranged? A map or plan could be placed next to the Kangaroo with directions to the vanished airfield for those interested, and perhaps the above printed on it by way of explanation.