A 1940 U.S. Census infographic

The quality and attractiveness of the infographics I see lately, is getting better all the time. Take for instance the one designed by archives.com on occasion of the "publication" of the 1940 U.S. Census. (The earlier ones are available already for a long time.) The big day is Monday next, April 2. So if you want to look up ancestors who lived in the States in 1940, this infographic may be useful. And otherwise it is nice to look at.



If you need essential information about Enumeration District Numbers etc. consulting Randy Seaver's blog Genea-Musings is a good idea. Now, let's wait and see whether all relevant servers will hold next Monday! The interest in these records seems to be overwhelming. And if you want to start early on April 2 and you live here, please keep in mind there is a time differene between here (Europe) and there (U.S.A.).


Update April 3, 2012 23.12 GMT Within 12 hours from the time the census became available NARA scored some 37 million (!) hits. Response times of half an hour were no exception and there was a lot of grumbling on twitter (#1940census).


Update April 5, 2012 Archives.com released yet another infographic about the #1940census. A very impressive project!

Translating Dutch into English

Hidden behind the 'table of contents' - button at the top of this blog, you may find my recommendation to use Google Translate, in case you wish to translate one of the posts written in Dutch.  But of course there are more translation tools. One of them is the Bing Translator. It is likely that readers using the translation facilities, will be better judges of the quality of both translation products than I am. Therefore, I selected a fragment of an earlier post about the city of Dordrecht and had these translated by both tools. The result is shown below.

Google Translate

Bing Translator

A visit to one of the oldest cities in Holland, Dordrecht (1220), stood for a long time on the program. Is also a well-known city, because it is one of the first stack of places in Holland and certainly also because of the Synod of Dort (1618-1619) which we translated into Dutch Bible owe, called the KJV. In addition, the User murdered in 1672. De Witt was born there. In those times is the basis for the old town as it can still be admired. However, my reason to go to Dordrecht, was widely advertised given that on the first Sunday of the month many antique shops in the old Dordt have opened their doors. A good number would be sorted in Leerdam Glass. Well, my interest piqued. So yesterday, a somewhat drizzly gray day, with H & R raised to Dordt. The car parked in Zwijndrecht and the OV-kaart/Watertaxi the Old Meuse-crossed. Our first stop, the big church, you see beautiful lie.

A visit to one of the oldest Dutch cities, Dordrecht (1220), has long stood on the program. Also a well known city, because it is one of the first stack places in Holland was and certainly also because of the Synod of dort (1618/19) which we owe in the Dutch translated Bible translation, the so-called States. In addition, the murdered in 1672 gebr. De Witt born there. In those times is the basis for the old city centre as it is to admire even now. However, my reason for going to Dordt, it was widely advertised on every first Sunday of the month given that many antique shops have opened their doors in the old Dordt. Some would be good sorted in Leerdam glas. Well, then my interest. So yesterday, a dreary gray day, what with H & R to Dordt raised there. Parked the car in Zwijndrecht and the OV-card/Water taxi on the Oude Maas-stung. Our first stop, the big Church, you see then beautiful lie.

As far as I can see neither is perfect, to say the least. It comes close to improved pidgin English but it is certainly better than nothing. The choice is yours. It is good to know that both Google and Bing can produce a translation based on any given URL. For this blog you should then use the permalink available at the bottom of each post.

The Translate picture comes from Zdnet.nl.

The time gap within a generation

When looking at our youngest grandson, it ocurred to me that the little guy is the "product" of not only his parents. Many generations have contributed to his DNA, to his character, to his brainpower, to the way he looks etc. If you go back far enough, say seven generations, usually there are 2⁷ persons equalling 128 men and women who have unknowingly helped our grandson to become what he is and what he will be.
If I try to envisage what a generation looks like, I see a small number of people of about the same age, e.g. my four grandparents. They have all been born within 12 years of eachother. 
It seems obvious that the further you go back, that time span will increase. But I had no idea what that figure would be. 
So I consulted my genealogical data and selected all persons being part of that particular seventh generation. Of those I eliminated (sorry ancestors) all those of which the year of birth and death are unknown to me. Also I still have to look up 32 persons being the ancestors of my daughter-in-law's father. So they are not in as well. Taking all this into account, 57 ancestors remain. They are shown below.

NAME	YEAR
	BORN	DIED
Fredericus Muwis	1760	1834
Jacoba Betger		1833
Jan Hoksteen	1774	1812
Maria van Deudekom	1774	1842
Pieter van Oosten	1775	1852
Alida van Oosten	1779	1840
Leendert Barmond	1761	1816
Maria Plokhaar	1771
Korstiaan Kok		1844
Huigje Dirks Russel	1774	1821
Jan de Langen	1792
Maria Hendrika Carstens	1795	1867
Jacob Doelman	1804	1894
Maria van Berkel	1804	1848
Adam Barendregt	1794	1864
Jakoba Kleijwegt	1805
Lodewijk Orie	1807	1867
Dirkje Langeveld	1808	1853
Willemina Sprinkhuizen	1849	1905
Syger Reitses Visser	1789
Reintje Goitzes Zijlstra	1783
Francis van Asten	1802
Johanna van de Langeweg	1805
Nicolaas van Leeuwen	1811
Mietje Kans	1814
Willem Voortman	1802	1879
Adriana Kampert	1806
Rutgert Berends Venema	1811	1885
Jantie Hommes Klein	1802	1875
Geert Heikes Knip	1823
Jantje Hindriks Lemain	1820	1884
Doede Heines Klopstra	1788	1863
Hendrikje Mattheus van Halen	1797	1861
Jan Hendriks Schokker	1803	1876
Grietje Gerrits Duiker	1811	1859
Johannes Walles Veldhuis	1809
Sibbeltje Pieters Boomsma	1813
Pieter Hendrik Verburg	1807
Anna Sanderina Meulenberg	1809
Thomas Maat	1798	1862
Pieternella Verburg	1807	1880
Marcus Marcusse	1810	1880
Maria de Waal	1819	1878
Jan Breas	1792
Leintje Tazelaar	1804	1872
Gerard Adriaan Israel	1799
Maria Belleman	1799	1833
Cornelis Boot	1811
Lena van der Maas	1810
Jacob van Leeuwen	1773	1833
Pieternella van der Maas	1785	1855
Hendrik ter Burg	1806
Antje Trap	1802	1839
Jan van der Kemp	1801
Elisabeth Jansen	1801
Jan Weij	1814
Guurtje Veter	1821

As you can see, the time frame of all births is between 1760-1849 (89 years). Deaths took place between 1812-1905 (93 years). So these ancestors lived anytime between 1760 and 1905 which to me is an amazing 145 years! All in the same generation. The question of course is where all these big numbers come from.
I can think of two reasons. 
Certainly during the 18th, 19th and also during the first part of the 20th century, married couples in this part of Europe had many children. 10 or more was not uncommon. If for whatever reason the mother died (e.g. in childbirth), the father generally remarried fairly soon. He had to for practical reasons. Who else could run the household and take care of all the young ones? So in many cases there was a considerable age difference between the partners.
Another factor that will increase the time gap within a generation, may be caused by a marriage between an oldest child in one family and the youngest child in another family.
Both occurrences will certainly amplify each other. And if such events took place in subsequent generations, the time gap within a single generation will increase even further.


It is a funny idea that if all these contemporaries would have lived in the same area, they might have known each other without realizing they would be "joined" a few centuries later. The proof of the pudding is in the eating so I had a look at where those 57 ancestors were born. But even in a small country like The Netherlands they often lived more than 100 miles apart. And since travelling in those days was quite an enterprise, there is little chance they actually ever met, spouses excluded...

Distribution of ancestor places of birth in The Netherlands
and Belgium. The maximum distance between any two places
is a little over 200 miles.

Any (deviating) views on the above will be appreciated. And if you have calculated time gaps as well, I'll be interested to know.

Saved from the dustbin (4)

Back in the old days, everything was different. Sometimes people say this when they are in a nostalgic mood. And of course, they are right, things have changed! Also in air transport methods were used that we hardly remember. Below, you'll find a few examples. I hope they make you smile.

Just envisage the giant catering trucks necessary to provide food for 400 passengers on a non stop flight from London to Singapore. Not so in the old days. A couple of baskets were brought to the aircraft by someone who looked like the local grocer. Then the chief steward took his pick. Please note his uniform which seems to be copied from his colleagues on the high seas.

"Today I can recommend the paté."

These days, privacy is a big thing. But there was a time when your luggage was inspected en plein publique. I am not certain both these gentlemen are customs inspectors but they sure radiate curiosity.

"Honest, I bought this for my wife-to-be!"

Even today weight is an important element in determining whether an aircraft can safely take off (or land for that matter). But admittedly, the weight factor is just a little less important than it was. Today, a passengers' weight is assumed. Loadsheets are calculated based on average numbers. And with the thrust provided by the current jet engines, a pound more or less is not that important any more. But even until after WWII, the weight of every individual passenger had to be recorded and taken into account when calculating the take off weight of the aircraft.

Weighing a passenger at Schiphol Airport in 1945

For the experts in air cargo transportation, this may come as a surprise. You may have thought that nose loading is an invention of Boeing or Antonov. But the aircraft shown below, probably a Fokker F.III, already features this facility around 1925.

Air cargo in the twenties: a shipment of strawberries being nose loaded.

If for whatever reason mechanical power cannot be provided or does not do the trick, you just round up all the guys in the hangar. But although there seem to be a lot of 'volunteers', moving an aircraft with an empty weight of nearly 20 metric tons, still makes this a weighty job.

"OK folks, let's get this thing moving!"
The 'thing' being the KLM DC4 PH-TAT Twenthe

Thanks to my former colleagues Bert Besseling and Aris Zwart, the above pictures, and many more, have been saved from destruction. One way or another they all relate to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. You may read the details of this find in 'dustbin #1'. 
To enlarge a picture please click on it.

Saved from the dustbin (3)

Thanks to my former colleagues Bert Besseling and Aris Zwart, a large number of old pictures have been saved from destruction. One way or another they all relate to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. You may read the details of this find in 'dustbin #1'. To enlarge a picture please click on it.

Obviously KLM carried its share of celebrities. Some arrived at what was then known as the Municipal Airport of Amsterdam, Schiphol. The gentleman pictured below is Henry Ford II. Presumably, and also based on the presence of a KLM official I happen to have know, this picture is possibly taken on June 29, 1954 when Mr. Ford arrived in the KLM Dakota C-47A PH-DAT. At the time he was touring the European Ford factories.

Henry Ford II descending the Dakota stairs at Schiphol Airport.
The second man from the right is D.J.M. (Dick) Koek, a KLM Cargo Executive.
(My thanks to Hans Kindl for also identifying our colleague.)

Another celebrity was famous English science fiction author H.G. Wells (1866-1946). One of his more well known novels was/is The war of the worlds. In 2005 Steven Spielberg used this book as the basis for a movie with the same title.

H.G. Wells boarding a KLM aircraft in Calcutta.
The plane is either a pre war DC2 or DC3*.

Seeing giant aircraft, such as the Boeing 747-400 and the Airbus A380, taking off from 10,000 ft long runways, is an impressive sight. In comparison the picture below looks like it has been taken on Hollands' miniature city airport Madurodam in The Hague. The aircraft, a Lockheed Constellation, looks like a toy plane on a runway which was considerably shorter  than 10,000 feet. 

KLM Lockheed Constellation 749A, the PH-TDI 'Enschede'
on Schiphol runway 14-32 (SE-NW) probably in 1949.

 The Schiphol runway system developed from a prewar simple grass strip to a more sophisticated multi runway operation in the years shortly after the second world war. The picture below must have been taken in the early fifties. In any case it cannot be shot earlier as the Fokker aircraft factory is already visible. The factory moved to Schiphol from the northern part of Amsterdam in 1951.

Schiphol (East) Airport in the early fifties seen from the south east.
The dark line below is the Ringvaart (Circular Canal); the Fokker factory
is the building with 'Fokker' written on the roof. On the top right hand of
the picture, the village of Badhoevedorp is visible.

Update June 3, 2016: According to Dick Weber of the Crash 40-45 Museum, the above picture has not been taken in the early fifties. He says it is pre war and the Fokker building does not belong to the factory. Instead it is a shed belonging to Flight Services. Whose deed!
_____________________

Since those days the development of Schiphol didn't stop. The picture below was taken from the ISS space station by Dutch astronaut André Kuipers on March 12, 2012.

The Schiphol runways (r) seen from an altitude of approx. 220 miles.
The Port of Amsterdam is on the left. Enlarging the picture clearly reveals
the Ringvaart and the old location now called Schiphol East.
The current airport is situated at Schiphol Center.
Foto ex Flickr, courtesy ESA/NASA.

Like ships aircraft are being baptized as well, usually also with champaign. Aircraft names can be anything. In KLM celebrities, geographical names and birds have served in the past to also identify aircraft. There are always certain ceremonial festivities involved. 

The KLM Douglas DC4 PH-TCF was baptized 'Friesland'.
Very appropriately a Frisian folk dance group was invited for the
celebrations at Leeuwarden Airport on August 23, 1946.

If you recognize members of this group, please let me know by making a remark via 'reacties' below. I may be wrong but I think the man with the grey coat (l) is Mr. Albert Plesman, KLM's founder.

Update March 18, 2012 The Frisian Historical Centre 'Tresoar' pointed out to me that the 'Friesland' was baptized at the airport of Leeuwarden, not at Schiphol. So that has been corrected. Also, they suppose that the folk dance group is the skotsplouch either from Leeuwarden or Bolsward.

*Update Oct. 28, 2014 I received a comment from Mr. Joop Witbaard. Mr. Witbaard is a former radio operator later combining this with being a navigator as well. He worked for KLM and is now 85 years old. He can therefore be called an old hand in this business.
There was some doubt about the type of aircraft H.G. Wells was boarding. Mr. Witbaard tells me the aircraft is a DC3 and more in particular the PH-ALT Torenvalk (kestrel). The pre-war DC3 was fitted with the passenger entrance on the right-hand side as opposed to the DC2 where it was on the left.
Thank you, Mr. Witbaard!

Update Aug. 1, 2024 I learned that the a.m. Mr. Joop Witbaard passed away on July 18, 2024. Mr. Witbaard reached the age of 94 years. He must have been the last KLM radio operator alive. May he rest in peace.

Onze vliegtuigen (8)

Misschien goed om nog eens te zeggen dat met 'onze vliegtuigen' alle vliegtuigtypes worden bedoeld waarin mijn betere wederhelft en/of ik ooit gevlogen hebben. U moet 'onze' dan ook niet in letterlijke zin als een bezittelijk voornaamwoord beschouwen. Wel is het zo dat veruit de meeste reizen z.g. dienstreizen waren en dan was het, zeker in het begin, geen gewoonte dat de dames meegingen.

21-1-1979, DC9-15, KL319 SPL/GVA, 424/212.940 mijl
Foto ex www.dutch-aviation.nl by Ger Buskermolen

10-11-1980, Airbus A300, LH084 FRA/SPL, 228/254.224 mijl
Foto ex www.widebodyaircraft.nl

13-8-1987. Airbus A310, KL??? SPL/LHR, 230/292.343 mijl
Foto ex forum.scramble.nl

De oplettende lezer zal gezien hebben dat ik in de 7 jaren tussen 1980 en 1987 nog niet eens 40.000 mijl heb gevlogen. Dat is niet veel maar een enthousiaste dienstreiziger was ik nooit. In die periode ben ik van Vrachtmarketing op het Amstelveense hoofdkantoor, verhuisd naar de Vrachtafdeling op Schiphol-Centrum (1982). Daar eerst naar Planning & projectontwikeling, toen hoofd Bedrijfsbureau van de Vrachtafhandeling, daarna wnd. hoofd Vrachtafhandeling en vervolgens hoofd Speciaal vervoer, later ook nog Cargo Service Center en Blue Crown. Met name die laatste functie veranderde nogal eens van naam en plaats in de organisatie maar was wel een van de mooiste jobs die ik gehad heb. Een fraaie mengeling van operationeel en commercieel met een mooie ploeg mensen! 
Rest nog te melden dat ik op terugreis van New York naar Schiphol op 12-7-1978 in een toestel van Finnair de 200.000 mijl ben gepasseerd. Bijna precies 10 jaar later op 27-7-1988, op weg van Atlanta naar Schiphol, werd de 300.000 mijl vol gemaakt. (In Atlanta zat een grote klant van ons: Ampex, producent van tape voor tv-stations. "Ja, start de ampex maar!")

13-4-1989, Fokker F50, HN381 SPL/BRU, 98/316.486 mijl
Foto ex nl.wikipedia.org

BRU = Brussel
FRA = Frankfurt
GVA = Geneva
HN = NLM later KLM Cityhopper
LHR = London Heathrow
SPL = Schiphol


De teksten onder de foto's geven resp. de datum van mijn/onze eerste vlucht met dat vliegtuigtype, het vliegtuigtype, het vluchtnummer, de herkomst/ bestemming, de afstand in mijlen tussen die twee en het totaal aantal mijlen dat ik t/m die vlucht heb afgelegd. 

In principe toont de foto een machine van de maatschappij waarmee ik die eerste vlucht heb gemaakt.


Wordt vervolgd

Combi-namen (8)

Deze aflevering van 'combi-namen' heeft als verbindende factor dat er een spreekwoord, een zegswijze of een ander bekend riedeltje aan de combinatie kan worden gekoppeld. 

Een 'Bot-Visscher' is iemand die
bot vangt.

Kinderen komen zoals bekend uit de
'van Rooijen & Kool'.

'Schaap-Wolff' doet een wolf in
schaapskleren vermoeden.

Leentje leerde Lotje lopen langs de lange
'van der Linde-van der Laan'.

de Boer-Ploegh
En de boer, hij ploegde voort.

van der Kreeft-van Rooijen
Als een kreeft zo rood zien.

Vandaag ... (4)

Vandaag zou mijn schoonmoeder, Trijntje Sibbeltje Orie-Venema, 92 jaar geworden zijn. Dat heeft ze helaas niet gehaald. Op een paar weken na, is ze 87 geworden.
Truus, want zo werd zij genoemd sinds de familie in Den Haag woonde, was de vierde dochter en het vijfde kind van Ietje Klopstra (1892-1983) en Homme Venema (1889-1965). Ze is geboren op 5 maart 1920 in het Groningse Onstwedde. Het tragische was dat voor haar geboorte al vier kinderen overleden waren en wel in 1914, 1917, 1918 en 1919. Het kind dat in 1918 overleed, ook Trijntje Sibbeltje geheten, overleed als gevolg van de 'Spaansche' ziekte/griep. Die ziekte, die als pandemie de geschiedenis is ingegaan, heeft vanaf ongeveer augustus 1918 in Oost-Groningen ongeveer 10% van de bevolking het leven gekost! 
In totaal zijn er drie kinderen geweest met de namen Trijntje Sibbeltje. Trijntje was een vernoeming naar grootmoeder van vaders kant, Trijntje Knip (ca. 1868-1936). Sibbeltje was afkomstig van haar grootmoeder van moeders kant, Sibbeldina Schokker (1864-1895).

Trijntje, ong. 3 jaar oud

Waarschijnlijk kort na de geboorte van haar jongste broertje Mattheus Rutgert op 17 februari 1922, verhuisde het gezin van Onstwedde naar de Brugkade op Stadskanaal. 

Het gezin Venema-Klopstra woonde in het eerste huis rechts.
Het staat er nog steeds, het water is inmiddels gedempt.

De vader van Trijntje werkte als metaalarbeider om de hoek bij scheepswerf Holtman aan de Hoofdkade. Het bedrijf bestaat nog en is nu een jachtwerf.
Goed een jaar voor het vertrek naar Den Haag, veroorzaakt door de slechte arbeidsomstandigheden in Oost-Groningen, werd onderstaande foto van het gezin Venema-Klopstra gemaakt.

De foto is gemaakt op 8-10-1933. V.l.n.r. Vader Homme,
 zoon Mattheus, Trijntje en  moeder Ietje. In die tijd was het
inkleuren van foto's gebruikelijk.

Rond december 1934 verhuisde men naar Den Haag, naar de Cillierstraat in de Paul Krugerbuurt. Dat moet een cultuurschok zijn geweest, van het platteland van Oost-Groningen naar een volksbuurt in Den Haag. Daar kon Homme komen werken bij zijn zwager, Henderikus Klopstra (1890-1968) die een koperslagerij had. (De familienaam Klopstra was dus zeer toepasselijk :-) Maar in ernst, namen die eindigen op -stra zijn vaak terug te voeren op aardrijkskundige namen of topografische begrippen.)
In de jaren kort voor de 2e wereldoorlog ontmoette Truus haar Henk. Onderstaande foto is genomen in hun verkeringstijd. Het is helaas geen kleurenfoto anders zou haar opvallende rode haar nog beter tot z'n recht gekomen zijn. 

Truus Venema en Henk Orie tijdens hun
verkeringstijd in een Haags park, ca. 1939.

Truus en Henk trouwden op 28-10-1942 in Den Haag en kregen twee kinderen, Jeanne nog tijdens de oorlog en Homme ruim een jaar daarna. Terwijl Henk lange tijd letterlijk dag en nacht werkte bestierde Truus het gezin en het huishouden. Haar gastvrijheid was welhaast spreekwoordelijk, iedereen kon altijd blijven eten. In die tijd was het nog niet zo gebruikelijk om uitgebreid met vakantie te gaan maar dagjes uit, dat werd wel gedaan. Op de foto hieronder staat Truus met kinderen en ouders op weg naar Madurodam.

Op weg naar het in juni 1952 geopende Madurodam.
Op de achtergrond het toenmalige en inmiddels afgebouwde KLM-hoofdkantoor aan de Haagse Plesmanweg.

Hoewel ik dat natuurlijk nog niet wist, maakte ik in 1958 kennis met mijn a.s. schoonmoeder. Van het begin af aan hebben we het goed met elkaar kunnen vinden. Klassieke moppen over schoonmoeders zijn aan mij niet besteed. (Wat is het voordeel van een Japanse echtgenote? Dan woont je schoonmoeder in Tokyo. Huhu, wat een humor.) Als je niet beter wist dat ze uit Groningen kwam, dan zou je haar voor een Bourgondische verslijten. Gezelligheid, zorgzaamheid, alles voor een ander over hebben, het stond allemaal hoog bij haar in het vaandel. Kortom, een vrouw die ik in mijn hart draag, nu en voor altijd!

Truus Orie-Venema 1920-2007

Alle hiervoor genoemde personen staan gerangschikt in onderstaand geneagram.

Saved from the dustbin (2)

Under this title, a number of pre-1966 photographs have been and will be published in this blog. One way or the other, all are related to KLM Royal Dutch Airlines. When possible, relevant details will be added. The origin of these pictures has been explained in 'dustbin #1'.


The KLM headoffice in The Hague has been designed by Dirk Roosenburg (1887-1962), an architect born and bred in The Hague. He knew KLM "founder" Albert Plesman since his youth and in 1936 Mr. Plesman asked him to make the office design. Much earlier, in 1919, the architect had been asked to make a design for the first KLM logo, which he did.
The first wing of the new headoffice was made available to KLM in 1940. During the war all building activities came to a stop but in 1946 building continued. At that time the picture below was taken. Today the building is owned by the Ministry of Traffic and Waterways.

The first wing of the KLM HQ in The Hague in 1946.
Further extensions have been built to the left.
The concrete structures alongside the road, are remains
from the war viz. anti tank obstacles.

As of August 1, 1947 KLM had a subsidiary in the former Dutch East Indies named the KLM Interinsulair Bedrijf (KLM-IIB). It operated domestic routes, between the many islands in the archipelago. Most of them were without any airport facilities.  Therefore, the use of Catalina Flyboats does not come as a surprise. KLM-IIB was in fact the predecessor of Garuda Indonesian Airways. Garuda came into being in 1949.

Unloading baggage from the PK-CTD, a Consolidated Catalina.
Note the KLM logo on the aircraft's nose.

In the years after WWII, a lot of Dutchmen emigrated to other continents with Australia, New Zealand, Canada and the USA being the most popular destinations. Usually they expected that in those countries there were more opportunities for a better future. Among them the Van der Dussen family from Rotterdam. The family consisted of Daddy, Mummy and eleven children which, even by Dutch standards then, was considered to be a small crowd. They went to California. The fact they travelled to New York by air probably drew a lot of media attention. In those days most emigrants travelled by ship to their new homeland. 

Newspaper article from the Utrechts
Nieuwsblad April 23, 1947

The Van der Dussen family boarding the KLM Lockheed Constellation
PH-TAU "Venlo" at Schiphol Airport on April 24, 1947.
Note the KLM stewardesses carrying the cradles in which the baby twin was "seated". 

Almost all models manufactured by Douglas have been operated by KLM. That included the DC-2. The picture below must have been taken before December 9, 1936 as on that date the DC-2 named "Lijster" (thrush) with registration PH-AKL crashed near Croydon, UK. The second aircraft, the PH-AKT "Toekan" (toucan) was confiscated by the Germans on May 16, 1940 and transferred to Lufthansa. I am unable to identify the third DC-2.

Douglas DC-2 line up and boarding passengers at Schiphol Airport

Update March 9, 2012 After publishing the above post about the emigration of the Van der Dussen family from Rotterdam to California back in 1947, I successfully tried to make contact with family members there. Please click 'reacties' below for excerpts from emails written by Marianne Carter Vander Dussen.