Dutchman looking for relatives of RAF pilot on Salt Spring Island

By MARCIA JANSEN DRIFTWOOD CONTRIBUTOR Rigo Kruyzen from the Netherlands is looking for relatives of RAF squadron leader William Geoffrey Wishart on Salt Spring Island. Kruyzen, who lives in Helmond in the southern part of the Netherlands, adopted two war graves at the Mierlo War Cemetery. This cemetery contains 664 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War. On Feb. 21, 1945, two Royal Air Force aircraft were taken down close to the airfield of De Rips in the Netherlands: a Short Stirling of the 196 Squadron and an AVRO Lancaster MK 111 of the 83 Squadron. Kruyzen adopted in 2025 the graves of John Robert Gordon and William Geoffrey Wishart, who were both killed that day. Now he is hoping to find relatives of William Geoffrey Wishart, who might still live on Salt Spring Island. William Wishart was born on Feb. 8,1923, in Sevilla, Spain and completed his navigation training in Canada.

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