War Memorial Zwaluwhaven
The swallow harbour depicts the story of the young pilots that flew to Bremen on 4 and 5 September 1942 to bomb aircraft factories there. 251 aircraft left England, but not everyone made the crossing back home during this last flight. The aircraft are represented in the design by 251 nesting holes in a semi-circular stone wall in which swallows can breed. Of these nesting holes, 12 remain closed, which symbolise the number of aircraft that did not return. Sand martins are ‘weather forecasters’ and ‘bringers home’.
Some interesting details. The monument is constructed from English bricks, which fits perfectly into the natural environment of the Alde Feanen National Park. The nest holes are filled with metal capsules with a message. And the material of the capsules consists of the melted down parts of the excavated aircraft. Even the size of the English Lancaster was an inspiration for Nynke Rixt Jukema. The 32-meter wide swallow harbour has the same wingspan as the crashed bomber.
War Memorial Zwaluwhaven
The swallow harbour depicts the story of the young pilots that flew to Bremen on 4 and 5 September 1942 to bomb aircraft factories there. 251 aircraft left England, but not everyone made the crossing back home during this last flight. The aircraft are represented in the design by 251 nesting holes in a semi-circular stone wall in which swallows can breed. Of these nesting holes, 12 remain closed, which symbolise the number of aircraft that did not return. Sand martins are ‘weather forecasters’ and ‘bringers home’.
Some interesting details. The monument is constructed from English bricks, which fits perfectly into the natural environment of the Alde Feanen National Park. The nest holes are filled with metal capsules with a message. And the material of the capsules consists of the melted down parts of the excavated aircraft. Even the size of the English Lancaster was an inspiration for Nynke Rixt Jukema. The 32-meter wide swallow harbour has the same wingspan as the crashed bomber.