With two emotional interviews, Sander Jongsma, Margriet Dekkers and Jan Braakman in Canada started the interview project for the Canadian Cemetery Information Center in mid-September.

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Rita Charlebois-Fraser, the 92-year-old sister of Alcide Charlebois, buried in Holten, said that her brother simply ran away from home when he was about 19 years old. Father Charlebois suspected that Alcide was planning to join the army and tried to prevent his son from signing for the army. After all, it was not without reason that he had bought a farm, where Alcide's future seemed assured. Things turned out differently, said Rita Charlebois-Fraser.

Rita was discovered by Margriet Dekkers, who now works for the University of Twente. Margriet lived and worked in Canada for a while. Through her connections in Quebec, she tracked down Alcide Charlebois's family. She inspired the ICB research committee to see if there are any more candidates to interview.

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One of the other people interviewed is Montreal veteran Wolf Solkin of the Algonquin Regiment whose friend Bill O'Donnell is buried in Holten. Wolf told interviewer Jan Braakman a very moving story about his friendship with Bill; about the tragic way in which Bill lost his life. It took him decades to fulfill a promise to his friend.

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The complete stories by Rita Charlebois and Wolf Solkin are part of an extensive documentary compiled by Sander Jongsma of RTV Oost. For the historic document, Jongsma and Braakman will do eight more interviews in the provinces of Saskatchewan, Alberta, and Ontario this week.

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The interview project continues to provide new suggestions for interview candidates, including from Canada. Dozens of names were suggested via websites, email or personal contacts in Canada. The selection was initially limited to people who themselves still knew the boys buried in Holten. Furthermore, for logistical reasons, a strict selection of people to be interviewed had to be made.

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The documentary will be broadcast later this year and will also be shown in the renewed information center. The project is supported by a grant from the municipality of Rijssen-Holten.

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Also check out the article that RTV Oost dedicated to this story: https://www.rtvoost.nl/nieuws/318738/75-jaar-bevrijding-RTV-Oost-spreekt-in-Canada-met-nabestaanden-gesneuvelde-militairen-WOII

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