HEIJNINGEN – The fact that Canadian soldier Walter Veness will go down in history as the only war victim at Fort Sabina says a lot about the impregnable, centuries-old fortress on the Volkerak. On Thursday, Lori Veness, Walter’s nephew, was a guest at the fort.
Walter’s cousin had already come over from Edmonton, where she lives with her husband and many dogs and cats. That was at the unveiling of the artwork directly behind the gatehouse. In addition to the chicken wire sculpture depicting the Canadian trooper, there is an exhibition in one of the many fort rooms dedicated to the tragic event, which Lori only learned about in 2017. “My father Art was the youngest in the Veness family, Walter the oldest. At home, not a word was said about the fate of Uncle Wally. I only found out when a letter addressed to my parents surfaced.” Ambush
The letter is an eyewitness account by fellow soldier Ernie Schrot, written only in 1989. In it, Schrot tells how he and ‘Wally’ are on guard and then walk through the dense fog into an ambush of the German commandos. Veness (21) is hit by machine gun fire, according to various sources he dies on the German boat or a little later in the hospital of Dirksland.
“A surprise attack”, says Reginald van Overveld, guide at Fort Sabina and host when Lori Veness is back in the Netherlands. “The south has already been liberated when on January 21, 1945 the Germans cross the Volkerak with silent boats to take prisoners of war. Geese fly up in fright and before the guards at the fort notice it, a firefight breaks out. Two Canadians from the Manitoba Dragoons are more or less kidnapped. Walter Veness is among them, who succumbs to his injuries on the retreat.” For the guides of Fort Sabina, who are always looking for stories from the rich history of the fort, this piece of war history came to life even more when contact was made with Lori Veness. “I also served in the Canadian army myself, which creates an extra bond with the uncle, whom I never knew myself.”
Traumatic
Back home in Edmonton, she continued to dig into the family history. She discovered that her grandfather was a farmer. “Things didn’t go well between him and his eldest son Walter. I now understand why. He was sent to Europe in the First World War and returned traumatized. Not easy when your son voluntarily enters another war. My own father looked up to Walter, by the way. It’s a shame he never went to this place.”
For a new cultural education project by Meer Moerdijk, the adventures of Walter Veness will be included in a future lesson program for the Markland College. “The story we were able to record today from Lori’s mouth is valuable and moving at the same time,” says San Vermaas of Meer Moerdijk.
Badges from military service
This Friday, a visit to Walter’s grave at the Canadian cemetery in Bergen op Zoom is on the agenda. In the meantime, she is leaving a number of badges from her own military service behind for the permanent exhibition at Fort Sabina. The original letter from Ernie Schrot to her parents Art and Dorothy Veness is also being added to the collection. Reginald van Overveld is visibly pleased with it. “Another piece of fort history added.”
Source BN / De Stem
Lori Veness-Jacobs is back at Fort Sabina. The permanent exhibition dedicated to her uncle Walter is being supplemented with photos and attributes from her own service. The original letter from eyewitness Ernie Schrot is also being added to the collection. © photo Marcel Otterspeer/pix4profs