Sorry to hear of his passing, we met and had a great time in Normandy together when a passing hello ended in Hans getting his tools and spanners out to show and help me with a few things. I will never forget your White Polar Bears, finding out why they were so special to him. Glad we stayed up a little late at the bar one night.
This is news you never want to hear but inevitable in the end.
I met him first time on a bus trip to Stafford organised by the Dutch BSA club many years ago.
We sat beside each other where he told me lots about Triumphs and I had some info on Nortons.
When I told my main interest was the military Norton he started telling about his personal experience of the liberation of Amsterdam.
In the end he had tears in his eyes indicating the enormous impact those events had on a little boy.
Something we cannot really imagine ourselfs not having been there.
I do not know (anymore?) if he was present on "de Dam" square when the shooting started on may 7th, killing 30 civilians through German machine gun fire. My aunt (a nurse then) was and she was equally impressed.
Polar Bears liberated my home town (Utrecht) but at that time there was not much fighting.
Hans, you are one of the persons I will never forget,
Just saw a reply on a Facebook group that Hans had passed, came here to check.
Had a couple of great conversations with him last year, sad news.
RIP sir.
Phill.