In February I received a request from Mark Hakvoort of Hollands Kroon, in the Netherlands. Their goal is to remember the
aircraft and crews perished there during World War II. You can learn more from their website here 

Hakvoort wrote: “We are searching for the grave of the USAAF pilot and his family at the Lassen Cemetery. B.A. Pollard was killed in action on 9 April 1944 in the Wadden Sea. His aircraft crashed / ditched in the cold sea water. The body of Pollard was washed ashore near the village of Hippolytischoef. His plane was the P-51B Mustang code 43-6761 C3-R. In the war he was buried at the “Zandburen Cemetery”. After the war his body was moved to the US assembly cemetery in Margraten. And later again moved back to the USA and re-buried at the Lassen Cemetery in Susanville.”

Benjamin Pollard was one of eight children born to  Silas and Frances Pollard. The family appears to moved around a lot and Benjamin graduated from high school at Beesville, Texas. By 1941 the family had located in Lassen County. Their daughter, Thelma  graduated from Lassen Union High School in 1942. When Silas Pollard received notification of his son’s death in August 1944, the family was residing at Herlong. Silas passed away in 1955 in Susanville and the family purchased several plots at the Lassen Cemetery near the VFW Section. Buried there are Silas, Frances, their son Martin and daughter Thelma. One family member, Arabelle Lauren resided in Susanville for a number of years. If anyone has information about the family, Mark and I would like to hear from you. The foundation plans to hold a memorial for Benjamin Pollard in October.

Tim