Those of you who may have been following my posts here and on the Lancaster Forum regarding the fate of HK594 and it's crew will know that Charlie Hill died along with five of his fellow crew members and is buried in Helsingborg in Sweden.
With the help of many members on these Forums I managed to trace enough information to pass on to Charlie's nephew Jim, who died before we got very far.
However, Jim's brother Annan took over which encouraged me to keep at it, and a kind invitation from Lars with an offer of assistance if we ever managed to get across to Sweden encouraged me further.
A few tentative arrangements were made at this end (Scotland) and much more detailed planning was done in a few locations in Sweden and we set off on the 18th for Copenhagen; Annan and his wife Betty and Christine and I.
Lars met us in Denmark and accompanied us into Sweden, helped get our groceries at the supermarket and made us very welcome for our first night in our rented accomnodation.
On Saturday Lars accompanied us on a visit to the crash site at Svenskop, where he had arranged for us to meet members of the FLC team; Kjell-Ake, a very nice guy who built the memorial in the woods, and Bo, who worked on the excavation of the Lancaster. (http://www.raa.se/cms/arkeologiuv/aktue ... _1944.html)
Bo took some footage of an interview with Annan and Lars, Bo and Kjell-Ake were very kind and helpful.

On Sunday Lars arranged a visit to another of the FLC team; Nicklas, who spent the afternoon showing us around his collections, and who has more information for us to include in 'Charlie's Story'. Nicks wife Malin kept the ladies busy and topped up with coffee and excellent Swedish pastries. A very nice couple.
In the evening Lars and his lovely wife Helene could not have done more for us when they invited us for dinner, and I only wish Id had more time to spend looking at Lars medal collection.

We allowed Lars a day off on Monday, but on Tuesday morning he made the trip to Palsjo Cemetery in Helsingborg with us where Annan said his farewells to his Uncle Charlie and placed a photograph beside the grave. Lars had brought along some small crosses and poppies to place beside Charlie, Sergeant Moon and Sergeant Causleys gravestones, and I think we were all very moved by the care the Swedes and the CWGC had taken in keeping the place so well.
Another arrangement by Lars meant that we could visit the FLC workshops and their fabulous collection where we met Sune and Bengt who took care of us for the afternoon.
Bengt showed Annan a piece of the fuselage of HK594 with a 30mm cannon shell hole in it, and asked Annan to accept it as a momento on behalf of the FLC team.
Ive never seen anyone so surprised, and it was very moving to see how well Annan coped with this.

On Wednesday we travelled to Ahus, where Charlie and Derrick Moons bodies had been brought ashore after being retrieved by fishermen Henry and Nils Rignell, and placed in the gravkappellet in the town. Again, it was thanks to Lars that this bit of information came into our hands when we arrived.
A few inquiries pointed us to the grave chapel nearby and arrangements by the local minister saw the workman from the graveyard open the doors to allow us in.

So, the circle was complete and Charlies last journey was traced by the last family member who knew him, his nephew Annan. We all came home on Friday much wiser, much humbler and even more in the debt of the Swedes.

Thanks to Kevin, Paul, Wayne, Jim and all who posted with information the research was a success, and with the invaluable help from Lars and all at the FLC the trip went like clockwork. I shall be forever in your debt.

Id encourage anyone who thinks that these trips are not possible to just go ahead and do it; there are enough really nice people out there who share your interest, and the reason they are happy to help?
Summed up by a remark from Kjell-Ake when I asked why he had built the memorial; It needed to be done..... and from Bo; Were sitting here today, free to drink coffee and talk, Scots and Swedes together, because these men did their duty in 1944 such a shame the price they paid