Family's visit to Holland after the war.  (Date Not Known) 

Left to right, my Uncle Wally and Douglas' older brother to whom the last letter home is addressed

  My Grandmother and Grandfather Bennett - and their Dutch hosts

Hello Ruud....

Thank you for your letter.  I'm sending a copy of this letter to my family in Canada, England and California as well as a good friend of mine, a Norbert Rosin who you may have already written too.  If not, he was with NATO's AWAC Force in the German Air Force as a Radar Tech, and who lives in Geilenkirchen

I've always considered Norbert "a true ambassador" of a modern peace loving Germany.  I say this because for the last dozen years of so, he's laid flowers in respect for our fallen family member, Douglas Gordon Bennett for who I am named after

As for giving you permission to use photographs on the DCLI website of my uncle, I grant that permission wholeheartedly and you have my blessing.  I also thank you for being considerate enough to ask for that permission and for sending the new picture of his grave

All I ask is that you send me the link to you site.  Thank you

Dear Family,

Friend Norbert,

and our new friend - Ruud Scholten,

As you already know, a website has been created to acknowledge those that are laid to rest at the War Cemetery at Brunssum, Holland

Here is the link (below), and in the days to come, Douglas' last letter home, and other known pictures of Douglas will be posted to this website to acknowledge our family's sacrafice

If Douglas was willing to risk life and limb for our freedom.... we can at least share with others, the short life of Douglas Gordon Bennett.  We owe him that much, and much more

Here's the link - http://www.deruudsite.eu/war_cemetery.htm

Norbert and I met for the first time (face to face) at the 2000 Hamilton International Airshow

I'm presenting Norbert a WO1 (Warrant Officer First Class)insignia patch (Norbert reached its equilalent in his airforce) and a squadron patch from 735 Firebird Squadron of Canada's Royal Canadian Air Cadets, "MY" old cadet unit

Hello Ruud!

If you live in Holland.... you should look up Norbert Rosin in Geilenkirchen, he's a history buff too.  A really great guy.  He's also got a multitude pictures of many graves both Allied and German.  If you two do meet, have a beer for me!  "PROSIT" I hope is the right word for "CHEERS" over there

The picture I sent was of Norbert and I at his station in his E3A aircraft, in other words a Boeing 707 with a great big mushroom (radar dome) on the roof.  I use a wheelchair as you see, and I don't belive that Norbert and his crew hauled my big butt up those stairs to enter the airplane.  It was really something special for me to see the inside, rather than just the outside

On the 19th of November, Norbert has been laying flowers on Douglas' grave.  He is in no way obligated to, but he does so just the same.  On behalf of my family, "I thank you both very much for your  generosity and your honourable deeds".  Thank you also for your picture

All the Best from Canada!

Douglas Bentley