This
is a very special story about Ernie.
Years ago (1998) I received a telefoon-call
from the Tester family who live in Canada.
The reason from this phone-call
was, that a Mrs. Tester found some very old letters from war-time (1945/1946).
These letters were from a Dutch family named La-Seur. Mrs. Tester told
me that all these letters were for trooper Ernie Tester. But Trooper Ernie
Tester was killed in the Reichswald, Germany, March 5th. 1945. He had been
with the Dutch Family La Seur at Sint Philipsland.
At the end of 1944 Ernie Tester
one of the liberators of Sint Philipsland (eight miles from Roosendaal).
During his short time with the La-Seurs, the young trooper and this family
had a great time together. Just after the war, Mrs. La-Seur sent a lot
of Ernie's letters to his parents from trooper Ernie Tester but never received
a reply. For 54 years Mrs. La Seur thought that Ernie was still alive.
Mrs. Tester asked me to find out
something about these old letters, and I found Mrs. La-Seur for Mrs. Tester
after 54 years. I told Mrs. La-Seur that trooper Ernie Tester was killed
at Reichswald, Germany on March 5th., just after he had left their family.
She was very sad to hear this news
after 54 years. It was also a great shock for her when I told her that
Ernie Tester was buried a few miles from the town in which Mrs. La-Seur
was living. After hearing this sad news, Mrs. La-Seur went directly to
trooper Ernie Tester's grave in the Canadian war Cemetery at Groesbeek,
where she lay flowers on his grave.
.
.
Mrs. La-Seur visiting
Trooper Ernie Tester's grave
So you see, after 54 years I have
brought the families together. I feel that this reunion and mystery solved
after 54 years is a very special story. I am still hoping to find more
about Ernie Tester, including the squadron in which Ernie served.
