Bart van der Sterren – Study Group Board
Board member Study Group Missing Soldier
His interest in World War II started as a little boy. Bart van der Sterren remembers clearly that his father had 3 huge books about WWII standing on the bookshelf and he has looked into them a lot. Besides that, Bart had the privilege to read his aunts diary in which she described her war years in Venlo and her journey to her hiding place in Bolsward. The diary contained original war related documents which he found very interesting.
Margraten and adoption
During his youth Bart visited the World War II U.S. Margraten American Cemetery and Memorial several times with his parents. In 2008 there was an article in the local newspaper about adopting WWII graves at Margraten American Cemetery and Memorial. He did not hesitate and decided to adopt the grave of Private First Class Hans Bergmayr. Later it was learned that it was also possible to adopt names from the Tablets of the Missing. Bart adopted the name of Technical Sergeant Cliffe Hamilton Wolfe. From both soldiers he was eager to learn more; who were these boys, where were the killed or went missing and is there any family traceable?
Huertgen forest
After receiving some documents from the U.S., it seemed that TSGT Wolfe went missing during the battle of Huertgenwald. The documents contained a drawing made by TSGT Wolfe’s superior officer and he had drawn the exact place where he was Killed in Action (KIA) and where they buried him.
Due to the fact that Bart lives in Zuid Limburg (Netherlands) makes Huertgenforest approximately a one hour drive. This is how his search for TSGT Wolfe started and along this search he met the Dutch Study Group Missing Soldier (former Stichting Missing In Action (MIA)).
Bart van der Sterren was born in 1966 and has two sons. Every time he visits Margraten he lays down flowers on the grave of Hans Bergmayr and in front of Cliffes name at the Tablets of the Missing. It reminds him that these boys fought for our freedom over seventy years ago and gave their lives for it. All those boys and girls killed and/or still unaccounted for may never be forgotten!!
Bart van der Sterren as a Official DPAA volunteer
Since April 2018 Bart van der Sterren is an official United States Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) volunteer.