Peter Korbee

Peter Korbee, for years our main janitor, recognised nationwide as an air force expert, and Member of the Order of Oranje Nassau, sadly departed on February 23, 2023, just one day short of his 78^th birthday. Not only was Peter one of the most well-known faces at the Rijnlands, he also had been active from 1980 as a promotor of the Marine Air Service.

He built up an impressive collection of documentation, photographs, and paraphernalia, wrote books on the marine air force as well as the Valkenburg Marine Airport, and published air force calendars for 25 years. After the closure of the airfield in 2006, those in charge of the state’s real estate asked him to pinpoint objects of which he felt they should be kept for posterity. In this way, he prevented the engine of a Neptune plane and a few airfield staircases from being dumped. He also cooperated in the making of a documentary series for National Geographic on ‘100 years of military air service in the Netherlands’. Since 1985 he had officially been part of the defence staff as a volunteer.

Peter wished to keep the memory of the airfield alive; not only for those who had served there, but also for those who lived around the base, the future inhabitants of the area where the airfield had been, as well as the next generations. This led to the birth of the Historic Valkenburg Airfield Foundation in February 2016 and the setting up of a museum. Naturally, he became the first president of this club. In 2021 he decided to take a step back, but as an honorary president he remained just as active as before.

A few years after taking retirement, after the sudden demise of Rob Bouwman in January 2013, he ran the photocopy department at the Rijnlands for a number of weeks. Later, he would be seen at school on a weekly basis, delivering the latest issue of the Oegstgeester Courant. The Christmas lunch would not be complete without his presence.

We will continue to remember Peter Korbee as one of the most dedicated Rijnlanders. We would also like to draw your attention to the piece he wrote about his activities after leaving the school; you can find this under ‘Whatever happened to’ on this site.