Messages posted by: bigben

Brilliant - thanks Kevin - my father was there - he's on the CVA gallery Gerard Bendien

Does anyone have a copy of Castle Commando they could kindly share ?

Poem by GHJBendien

Dear Nic and Jack

Thank you for your studied comments with regards to the photo. I do recall being told by my mother that my father had become a paratrooper. It was she who insisted as told to her by my father the broadcast was to do with a food convoy he had brought in.

I very am gratified that you are able to reveal the date as having such significance - being liberation day. I had not realised before (sorry) - and that date was pre-empted by a couple of days with the first food convoys. Brilliant.

Is it possible to identify whether the place he made the broadcast was from the Dutch Broadcasting Station?

With regards to the service record - which I still have to find for you - sorry about the delay -however - it was very basic as to be almost no help - I wish I could find a more detailed record - I am almost certain it didn't have the kind of information you allude to.

Charterhouse have kindly agreed to improve the paragraph on my father's roll of honour and will await my input - they said they too found it hard to gain any information as the following excerpt from their keeper of the roll of honour Chris Williams confirms:-

I spent some time looking for more information on him, but found nothing apart from these brief references. So if you have any further information, I'd be very pleased to read it, and pass it on to 'Roll of Honour' Chris Williams/Charterhouse

As I try to research material related to my father's military career - I now realise in contrast how little I really know about military matters. Was this perhaps his greatest wish realised - that his children would never have to know?

I feel they would want to know and never forget.

My gratitude for all CVA's efforts

Ben

Dear Jack

Please find attached the picture as promised of my father Gerard Bendien broadcasting - I am told - to the Dutch people informing them that he and his commando colleagues had managed to bring in the first convoy of food into Holland since the occupation. It is dated 5th May 1945. I would appreciate your kind observations.

I will soon have further information and pictures from the Xmas magazine - I now understand a little more about it - it was a book sending greetings from and signed by Prince Bernhard, Churchill, and I think other Commander's in Chief of the allied forces to the troops and states "Compiled by G H Bendien." It is about 10 pages in all.

My brother has it and will find it and make copies for you soon.

Best wishes

Ben

Jack

First of all - thank you for your kind interest. You and your colleagues are doing an invaluable job for posterity. I have been speaking to my brother Jacques in Naples and he is sending me the information which I will pass to you most willingly.

I recall from the Green Berret (Soldatenvanoranje) website is that it was beautifully and sensitively created and if I can be of any assistance to help recreate it I have experts who can assist in that direction- if we can have the content - it would not be a problem - Kindly ask your colleagues if we can help. This site must be restored.

Best wishes
Ben

Jack

Many thanks - most helpful - amazing piece of trainee espionage

I knew that Capt Westerling visited/stayed in my parents house and my brother stayed at Capt Linzel's house whilst my mother was giving birth to my younger brother Julian.

My brother Jacques has found a Xmas card/book created by Prince Barnhard and my father for the No 2 troop. It is with him in Naples and I should be getting a digital copy and also a photo of my father talking on microphone from a broadcasting station. He is purported to have helped bring in the first convoy of food into Holland near the end of the occupation. Do you know anything about that?

Do you know if the book onder vlag der commando has been translated?

Did you managed to locate the author of the Green Berret ?

BW's Ben

Dear Pete

I am grateful for your time today in providing an introduction to the history of the No 10 (IA) 2 Troop Dutch Commando's, a very helpful understanding on the CVA and its excellent website.

We talked about the prefered role of these commando's penetrating the German lines and infecting them with misinformation which greatly diluted their efforts. I have attached a page from a book entitled "Onder der vlage der commado." Its in Dutch and I hope to have it translated - however I understand it mentions my father and further along in English "those bloody Dutchmen ...." It is I believe a reference to my father misleading the French ?

I believe Capt J. Linzel and Capt. Westerling were frequent guests at our house in Portmadog.

Best wishes

Ben

Dear Nick

Good to hear from you. I still have to tell to you the past day or so has been an exceptional experience for me.

I unexpectedly discovered CVA and its fountain of information when I spoke with a most helpful gentleman Denis Muir curator at the Achnacarry Museum just two days ago.

My first task is to collect as much information as I can about both my father my mother.

Brief Bio

Within a few days of my mother arriving in London on the kinderstransporten she met my father. They married within a few months. He then volunteered for Achnacarry then WW11 started. My mother never talked about her family - all 89 perished leaving her as the sole survivor of her line. My father died within 5 years. He was an only child and I know little or nothing about his life and absolutely nothing about mother's life or family before she left Berlin.

My father's Roll of honour at Charterhouse bears witness to this lack of recorded history. Today I have spoken with Charterhouse and have sought permission to improve the following:-

BENDIEN - Gerard Hendrick Joan
RSM. He was at Charterhouse [D] 1930 - 1934. He died on 25.11.45, aged 29.

For the sake of my children and grandchildren - actually we are now family with my two brothers which extends to 32 and still growing - this as a result of my father and mother meeting under incredibly difficult circumstances - it is my ambition to record and to celebrate my father's and mother's lives - surely and example of serendipity at its best.

I now know CVA will greatly assist in that mission for which I am deeply grateful.

Today for the first time in my entire life I now understand why we were moved from London, to Torquay, to Wolverhampton, to Portmadog and to Eastbourne. I was able to learn the reasons from the CVA website. Remarkable!

I will write some more soon

Best wishes

Ben

Dear Jack

I'll look for my father's service record and send you a copy. I fear it is in storage. A lot of my hardcopy is in storage becuase I came to Swansea for month on a research project 2 years ago and am still here.

I guess the secretive nature of commando work meant very little evidence by default is available for posterity. However - certainly I feel I am no longer on my own now that I am connected with you and your brilliantly knowledgeable colleagues on the CVA I am hopeful we shall be able to add a little more meat on the bone.

Yesterday - David Muir - curator of the Achnacarry Museum sent me a list of commando books which I have attached JIC you dont have it. Also I spoke with my brother Jacques
and he has a book in Dutch on the commandos which has pictures or reference which I'll pass to you.

Now I recall there exists a photo of my father talking into a microphone - my mother told us he was on the Dutch National Radio telling people that the first convoy of food had arrived with the help of the commandos. Is this a something you might know about?

Thanks very much for the information and documents you sent.

Best wishes

Ben

John

This day - since we first communicated just a few hours ago - has been as if a light has at last been turned on. Words cannot express sufficiently my thanks.

All your and the forum member's efforts are as noble and compassionate as it gets

Best wishes

Ben

Jack - I am most grateful - regards the site and the other information. Ben

Pete and Nick - please excuse the cramptness of this letter. Regards Charterhouse - thank you. Yes in fact I sent my son Gerard to the school and he was in the Davies house where my father once was.

Re The Book - Commandos in Exile - we were evacuated/moved 4 times during the war - Torquay,Wolverhapton,Portmadog and Eastbourne. Can I assume one of the three bodyguards was my father?

Regards Capt Liddell Hart - I should mention my full name is Johann Liddell Joan Bendien ( at the local state school in Eastbourne) they preferred to call me Ben and it stuck. The Liddell does indeed connect with Liddell Hart and many thanks for finding this - I did obtain copies just in the past 8 years of the the letters between them. However my fathers' relationship with Hart was as a sudent of warfare and to promote the art of surprise and he apparently lectured on this with Hart and a French General (sorry cant recall his name) Now the Joan is pure conjecture but may well have been by his association with C Day Lewis who I believe knew George Orwell and Cecil Beaton. All were connected by their prep school St Cyprians Eastbourne and with WH Auden. They were men of letters, had interests in military journalism and in particular the Spanish Civil War wherein my father was a volunteer. Joan Miro was an activist against Franco and I could easily imagine my father adopting Miro's first name and thereafter calling himself Joan-Bendien just as he so honoured his relationship with Capt. Liddell-Hart and my middle name.

My Father spoke 6 languages fluently and I was told these skills were employed behind enemy lines. Some of my fathers school books reveal a strong interest in journalism.

On his gravestone in Zeist is recorded action in France,Burma, Belgium and Holland. When he died he was buried with full military honours and gun salute and attended by government officials. My brother also has a Dutch book which mentions him in India. BTW I have attached an exerpt from C Day Lewis's poetry ref Bendien

Somehow I am still hoping there maybe more to know and with all your incredibly kind and compassionate help I hope to piece by piece create something more comprehensive than the two pages I have yet to date. I have asked Charterhouse School if I may add to the one line about him on Charterhouse's roll of honour. I am sure he would have shunned recognition in life but we wish him to be recognised and honoured as an amazing role model for his 32 progeny.

Again my heartfelt thanks. Please lets stay in touch.

Best wishes
Ben Bendien

Dear Jack

Many thanks for your most helpful email. Yes I did recieve the form and obtained his service records. However - forgive me but I do not recall recieving any information attached as you mention.

My apologies for thinking that the gentleman was Prince Bernhard.

The link showing my father teaching the use of a sten gun - and teaching unarmed combat - they are precious to me and my children, granchildren - and this week I expect a great granchild :>
Yes the Site was the Green Beret - I thought it was excellent - Jack I read that you feel it is lost - Do you have the details of the author of the site for me to contact directly JIC something can be salvaged. Also was there a copy of the music - was it Lovat's Lament - do you recall?
I am grateful and overwhelmed - I will write some more later - many thanks Ben Bendien
Jack I very much appreciate your studied reponse and am always hopeful more information will write more soon