DOZENS of Lincolnshire towns and villages have been enjoying the cultural riches twinning brings for many years.
Now, plans are afoot to twin a small Dutch town built on land reclaimed from the sea with Lincolnshire as a whole.
The foundations of Dronten, in Flevoland, were laid in 1960 following partial drainage of the Zuiderzee after the Second World War.
During the work, scores of ditched Lancaster and Halifax bombers were discovered in the silt, many of which had flown from Lincolnshire.
And in reverence to the Allied bomber crews who hit back at the occupying Germans, a memorial was created using a damaged propeller from one of the crashed planes, an aircraft from Wickenby.
The tribute also recognises the Operation Manna food drops to the starving Dutch towards the end of the war from Lincolnshire bases, including Wickenby.
Since the 1970s, veterans from the Air Gunners' Association have taken part in cultural exchanges every year with the citizens of Dronten, but their numbers have dwindled.
The Mayor of Dronten, the 4th of May (Dutch Remembrance Day) Foundation and the town's people have been worried about losing the link with the British.
So a small contingent of town twinners from Lincolnshire is to visit the Netherlands early next month in the hope of cementing the friendship for generations to come. The Dutch will then visit here between May 15 to 19 to tour the county's famous air bases and attend a City of Lincoln Council reception and the 70th anniversary Dambusters raid service at Lincoln Cathedral.
The chairman of the county's town twinning federation Michael Cutler said: "The twinning of a town with a whole county is unique and a wonderful idea.
"The people of Dronten are warm-hearted people and much pleasure has been had in the past by the air gunners who have taken part in exchanges.
"At one time there were as many as 350 taking part but sadly, due to the age of these heroes, very few are left.
"Dronten people are now appealing to those in Lincolnshire to set up a twinning arrangement whereby exchange visits are made between interested British families in Lincolnshire and the residents of Dronten. They want to keep the links alive and ongoing.
"Future exchanges could involve younger people and Lincolnshire schools and sports teams.
"The Dutch are keen to get involved in the rest of what Lincolnshire has to offer, particularly the Fens that are linked to the Dutch, way back."
Dutchman Dr Jay Pinto, an East Yorkshire GP, is liaising between officials in Dronten and the town twinning federation.
"It is heartbreaking that there are fewer and fewer veterans who come over each year – they are treated like heroes," he said.
"The airmen who did the food drops were British, Poles and Americans and did not just throw bombs at Germany.
"A lot of them had the chance to drop food over Holland and millions of Dutch people were saved.
"There needs to be a link with Britain still kept.
"Lincolnshire is still Bomber County number one, so it makes a good choice as a place to twin with."
