'STORM BOAT KINGS'
23rd Field Company, Royal Canadian Engineers

Donald Somerville (right) with daughter Darlene

On Saturday May 8, 2010 me and the wife, Corry, headed for city of Harderwijk, for an informal meeting with some Canadian veterans in the hall where Mario did his restorations on the vehicles. We were not the first to arrive, the hall was already loaded with Canadian veterans, and music from the 1940's filled the air. We were welcomed by Goossen and Mario and his lovely wife, Hermien. While I was scanning the hall, and noticed the Sherman and DUKW covered partially in Dutch flags, we found a seat with 'Ome' (Uncle) Jan Foppen and his wife. Jan was a buddy of Mario who helped him out as a volunteer.

The Colchester Legion Pipes & Drums enter the hall

And then the ceremonies started. The big doors of the hall opened, and in came the Colchester Legion Pipes & Drums blowing their bagpipes. What a sight and sound in their red uniforms. After their performance, the next band entered the hall, the 33 Halifax Pipes & Drums (soon afterwards they had a name change to 36 Halifax, Nova Scotia). They were at least just as sensational, as the Colchesters, in their blue kilts.

The name revealed on the DUKW by Donald Somerville and Goossen Foppen

After the bagpipes and their wailing sound had died out, Donald Somerville and daughter Darlene were placed center front (see picture on top), and Mario took to the microphone. Mario told the listeners about Donald his exploits during the war and the extraordinary rescue of the paratroopers in Oosterbeek. He asked Donald to step towards the DUKW and to remove the Dutch flag, with help from Goossen… and there it was,… the DUKW was from now on called ‘Donald’. A bottle of champagne was offered to the bow break where Donald and the 23rd Fd Coy were remembered.

The bow break of the DUKW drained in champagne

Had Donald revealed the port side with his name on the DUKW, daughter Darlene was asked by Mario the reveal 'Donald' on the starboard side of the amphibian. Afterwards, Mario gave a big bear hug to Darlene (me thinks, that was the purpose of the whole ceremony,... ;-).

Darlene gets a bear hug from Mario

After that, it became personal for your ‘reporter’, when Mario took the microphone once more, and asked a couple of men who had helped him with the restoration of the M4A1(76)W Sherman tank. For everyone he had kind words, and then he called out my name. With some nice remarks towards me, he told the public, that he had asked me to think of a name for the tank. I had made some suggestions, but never thought he would use one of them. The father of Goossen, with help from the son of Goossen, Aart, removed a Dutch flag, and there it was,… Fortune Cookie’, a name I had suggested. I thanked Mario with a firm handshake and a wack on his shoulder,…

The Sherman tank her name ('Fortune Cookie') revealed by the father of Goossen

The ceremonies behind us, the War songs filled once again the hall. Within moments some ‘old’ veterans were dancing on the music by Glenn Miller and Vera Lynn. I reached into my bag, and handed Mario and Goossen a picture of the Sherman in the streets of Harderwijk, the week before, and a bottle for the invitation. Then I went around the tables with a book on the Canadians who had helped Europe during the Great War and the Second World War, to score some signatures from veterans. First one was off course Donald Somerville. I thanked Donald for his part to liberate Holland and the rest of Europe. And because of such men, we, in Holland, could be born, raised and live in freedom and have the opportunity to remember the fallen for our freedom.

Donald Somerville is signing a book, on Canadian liberators, for your reporter

Drinks and food in plenty, I went from table to table, and even asked the members of the Legion to scribble their name in the book. They wondered why they had to ‘smudge’ the page, I told them that they did a tremendous job, and to be there for the veterans. They belong beside these men as they are essential for the recognition of these fine men who brought freedom to the world,…

With some signatures scored,... on top, Donald Somerville

And so the evening came to an end. The next day, the Canadian veterans were in the city of Apeldoorn. The whole tour was live on the Dutch television. Interviews with the public and veterans showed the Dutch people for the television, old and young, how grateful we still were to these men. The ceremonies came to an end, and the next, a big one, would be in 2014, to remember the landings in Normandy, on June 6, 1944 and Operation ‘Market-Garden’. And Donald promised Mario that he would be present in 2014. And Donald held his word,…

Donald in 'his' DUKW in the streets of Apeldoorn (behind Donald, Darlene)

On the next page, a photo collage of Donald his return
to Holland in 2014,... and his 'Legion of Honour'