On The War Memorial Trail…Remembrance Week 2026 – Reflections and Updates

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November 10, 2026.  When we write a story on the blog, we often receive additional information about the soldiers we’ve written about, and reactions from family members of the soldiers. This Remembrance Week 2026 posting gives an update on eleven soldiers whose stories were previously told.

….The family of WWII soldier Azade Boudreau appreciated the research that went into telling his story…

WWII soldier Azade BOUDREAU from Petit Rocher Nord, New Brunswick, drowned in a canal in Ghent, Belgium on December 15, 1944, aged 22, while serving with the 4th Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery.

There is usually quite a time lag from when Pieter begins his research, family is contacted and a photo is provided, and a story is written.  Azade’s story took 2 years from the initial start of research until a story was written and published on our blog, just before last Christmas.

It meant a great deal to us when Azade’s niece, Pauline Theriault, who had provided a photo, wrote us to say “….. Words can’t express how grateful the Boudreau family is for all the time and research you have invested in telling Azade’s story.  We knew nothing about it at all.

The fact that you went to Petit Rocher and also visited his gravesite is beyond anything we could have ever hoped for.

We definitely treasure all you have done for us.  You have no way to know how much this means to us. It’s part of our history that we can now pass on to the next generation.

 Thanks very much & Happy Holidays….”

You can read Azade’s story at: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/12/15/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-petit-rocher-nord-who-accidentally-drowned-in-a-belgian-canal/

….A local Dutch researcher sent a photo of the location where WWII soldier Peter Hydichuk lost his life…

WWII soldier Peter HYDICHUK, from Theodore, Saskatchewan, lost his life in The Netherlands on March 31, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the South Saskatchewan Regiment.

Maarten Koudijs, an amateur researcher in the Gendringen area, and author of ‘Tussen Grens En Hoop’, was quoted in the story we wrote, as he’d stated that Peter was “…killed near Alofs’s house on the Tappenweg in Etten….”  (Translated from the original Dutch)

In January 2026 Maarten sent us a photo of the former farm where Peter died.

Former Alofs farm where Peter Hydichuk was killed. (Photo courtesy of Maarten Koudijs)

You can read Peter’s story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/11/15/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembrance-week-2025-the-wwii-soldier-who-was-never-forgotten-by-his-girlfriend-and-her-family/

 ….The family of WWII soldier Gerald Vincent ‘Vin’ Jorgenson shared his story with relatives…

WWII soldier Gerald Vincent ‘Vin’ JORGENSON, from Kenora, Ontario, was serving with the Fort Garry Horse – 10th Armoured Regiment when he was killed in action during the Battle of the Scheldt in The Netherlands on October 23, 1944.

Terry and Leni Ellwood, who had provided photos and a wealth of information on Leni’s uncle Vin, were very appreciative, and wrote to say that “…we loved your article. It will become a family heirloom documenting the life of Vin Jorgenson. We will share it with all of Vin’s relatives.

Thank you so much for the effort you have taken to do the research and document this very important time in history. Bravo!…”

You can read Vin’s story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2026/04/04/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-sergeant-from-kenora-killed-during-the-battle-of-the-scheldt-near-hoogerheide/

….The great-nephew of WWII soldier Garnet Joseph Gallant shared a photo of his original headstone in Groesbeek…

WWII soldier Garnet Joseph GALLANT, from Amherst, Nova Scotia, lost his life in Germany on February 18, 1945 during the Battle of Moyland Wood, while serving with the Regina Rifles Regiment.

Garnet’s great-nephew, Frank Elliott, got in touch after the story was written, explaining that “…. Garnet Gallant was my great-uncle. You had been talking with my Aunt Janet Lowerison when you wrote that great piece on Garnet. I have a box of old family pictures, which is where I found the one of Garnet that Janet shared with you. I also found this one of his first grave….” 

Original headstone for Garnet Gallant at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. (Photo courtesy of the Gallant Family)

Frank not only provided the photo, but went on to say “…I really enjoyed reading your website. Not just of Garnet but of the others as well. Thanks for doing the Memorial Trail project….”

You can read Garnet’s story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/11/21/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembrance-week-2025-the-wwii-soldier-from-amherst-whose-photo-was-sent-a-few-days-before-what-would-have-been-his-103rd-birthday/

….Frans Nijsen empathized with a family whose relative was buried far from home…

When we were in The Netherlands on our 2025 European War Memorial Tour we encountered a sign by one grave in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, that Pieter placed flags at, asking for whoever had been annually placing flowers at this grave to come forward – a mystery that was soon solved. After speaking with Saskia Peters, who had placed the sign, we learned that she had met Frans Nijsen, the man who had been placing the flowers.

WWII airman Arnold Freeman HUPMAN, from East Side of Ragged Island, Nova Scotia, lost his life during the last flight of Lancaster X KB728, which was shot down in Elden, The Netherlands in the early hours of June 17, 1944 as it was returning to England from a bombing mission in Germany.

You can read about this special story of remembrance at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2026/04/18/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-mystery-of-who-placed-flowers-at-one-airmans-grave-was-solved-in-a-story-spanning-two-continents/

After we shared the story about solving the mystery of who had been annually placing flowers, we heard back from Frans.  “…The reason I started doing this was as a thank you to Graham’s family. I knew that it was difficult for them that Arnold wasn’t buried close to them and they couldn’t visit it. For me, this was a sign, that if they can’t, I will do it for them and let them know every year that we don’t forget. Reading the article made me emotional, in between the lines I can read the pain that still exists. My family has a similar pain, but I’m also proud of what my family members did with the resistance during the war. I will continue to bring flowers every year and let Graham know that we won’t forget. That’s the least we can do…”

Flowers placed at the grave of Arnold Hupman on May 5, 2026. (Photo courtesy of Frans Nijsen)

In May 2026, Frans contacted us with photos of this year’s visit.  “…Yesterday we visited the grave of Arnold Hupman and laid flowers on the grave together with my family. We transfer our knowledge and history so that this never happens again. I wish more people did that. We do our best to keep the memories and lessons alive….”

….A two part story about 2 brothers from Prince Edward Island brought back family history memories…

Two brothers from Prince Edward Island lost their lives during WWII.  One is buried on the Island, the other in Germany….and a two part series told their stories.

WWII soldier Michael ‘Cecil’ STORDY from Brookvale, Prince Edward Island, drowned on June 14, 1945 during a swimming exercise in Nova Scotia, while training with A14 Canadian Infantry Training Centre (CITC).

WWII airman John ‘Lawrence’ STORDY from Brookvale, Prince Edward Island, was serving with the RCAF’s No. 405 Pathfinder Squadron, when he lost his life on April 27, 1943 while aboard the last flight of Halifax JB-920 when it was shot down by German flak over Germany during the Battle of the Ruhr.

After reading this two part series on the Stordy brothers, Kendra Mellish contacted us.  “….Just wanted to send you a note to say Thank-You for the work you do ’On The War Memorial Trail’.  Very interesting article on the two Stordy brothers in the military and from Brookvale/Kelly’s Cross.  My maiden name was Stordy. My grandfather William Stordy grew up in Crapaud and his father ran Stordy’s Mill also in Crapaud. William Stordy created/owned Crystal Milk Dairy in Summerside.  As a child, my father Eldon Stordy took me to Kelly’s Cross cemetery to work on family tree history….“

You can read Cecil’s story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2026/02/11/on-the-war-memorial-trailthe-stordy-brothers-part-1-the-wwii-soldier-from-brookvale-who-drowned-during-a-swimming-exercise-in-nova-scotia/

You can read Lawrence’s story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2026/02/16/on-the-war-memorial-trailthe-stordy-brothers-part-2-the-wwii-airman-from-brookvale-who-lost-his-life-on-the-last-flight-of-halifax-jb-920/

….The family of WWI soldiers Francis Edmund Graves and Charles Stuart was grateful to have their stories told…

WWI soldier Francis Edmund GRAVES, born in England, but from Winnipeg, Manitoba, was serving with the 31st Battalion when he was seriously wounded on May 3, 1917 during the Battle of Fresnoy in France. One leg was amputated and he spent 2 years in various hospitals but was able to return to civilian life in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he raised a family and worked as a clerk at the Empire Sash and Door Co. Ltd until his death on November 8, 1941.

WWI soldier Charles STUART, born in England, but from Winnipeg, Manitoba, was serving with the 8th Battalion when he was seriously wounded on August 10, 1918 during the Battle of Amiens in France. He received multiple shrapnel wounds in scalp, jaw, larynx, neck, hand, and chest, and he spent almost 2 years in various hospitals, requiring reconstructive surgery on his nose and face, but was able to return to civilian life in Winnipeg, Manitoba, where he raised a family and worked for the CNR (Canadian National Railway) until retirement, before passing away on September 23, 1977 in Winnipeg.

Brenda Graves wrote us after reading Part 2 of the two part series on her husband Stuart’s grandfathers, who both served in WWI and returned home with major injuries.  “….Amazing story! And to think about how we complain about relatively minor aches and pains. Charles and Francis were so critically injured and medical care was slow coming and without antibiotics, it was incredible that they even survived. Another great piece.  Good job seems to be so inadequate on such well researched pieces.  Thanks again. ….”

You can read Francis’ story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2026/05/18/on-the-war-memorial-trail-duty-sacrifice-resilience-part-1-the-wwi-soldier-whose-war-injuries-didnt-stop-him-from-living-his-life/

You can read Charles’ story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2026/05/24/on-the-war-memorial-trail-duty-sacrifice-resilience-part-2-the-wwi-soldier-who-was-seriously-wounded-by-an-exploding-grenade-during-the-battle-of-amiens/

….The niece of WWII soldier Albert Ahlwardt shares the same birth day as her uncle…

WWII soldier Albert Donald AHLWARDT, from Olds, Alberta, was serving with the 6th Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, when he was killed on February 26, 1945 during the Battle of Keppeln in Germany, after a shell burst near him, as Pte Harry BIZNAR and Lt Robert Joseph MARKEY were trying to him to safety in a nearby house, after he was wounded.

His niece, Betty Askeland, daughter of Albert’s sister Stella, wrote us, saying “…thank you so much for sending this article, it means so much to me.  I am his sister’s daughter Betty and we shared the same birth day June 2. This means so much to have this information…“

You can read Albert’s story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2026/07/22/on-the-war-memorial-trail-struck-by-shellfire-part-3-the-wwii-gunner-from-olds-who-lost-his-life-as-he-was-being-moved-to-safety/

….The nephew of WWII soldier James ‘Jim’ Kosowan found his story a reminder of ‘how much honour and respect we owe to so many from so long ago’.…

WWII soldier James ‘Jim’ John George KOSOWAN, born in Samburg, Saskatchewan, was serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles when he was killed in action during the Liberation of Deventer in The Netherlands on April 10, 1945.

After reading Jim’s story, his nephew, Randy Sanjenko, wrote us. “…I read the beautiful article you wrote about my uncle Jim it touched the hearts of my wife and children and the tears from me are still falling. It is not with sadness that I read it but with the knowledge that many fallen soldiers are somewhere silently thanking you for the work and sacrifice you make to keep their memories alive and the honour and respect you bring to them.

In a world with so much division and hate remembering those who fought against it is an honourable thing and I thank you from the bottom of my heart…“

You can read Jim’s story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2026/09/08/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-born-in-samburg-who-lost-his-life-during-the-liberation-of-deventer/

Thank you to Betty Askeland, Brenda Graves, Frank Elliott, Terry and Leni Ellwood, Kendra Mellish, Frans Nijsen, Maarten Koudijs, Randy Sanjenko, and Pauline Theriault. The work of remembrance of those who served continues.

If you have a story to tell, please let Pieter know. You can email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?….

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so.  Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

You are also invited to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw.

Never miss a posting!  Subscribe below to have each new story from the war memorial trail delivered to your inbox.

On The War Memorial Trail….Remembrance Week 2026 – Borden-Carleton Legion At 3 Schools For Remembrance Services

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November 7, 2026.  On Monday, November 2, 2026, members of the Borden-Carleton Legion in Prince Edward Island were present for Remembrance Services at three schools:  Somerset Consolidated in Kinkora, Kinkora Regional High School in Kinkora, and Amherst Cove Consolidated School in Borden-Carleton.

…. Remembrance Service at Somerset Consolidated School….

The day of school visits began in the morning in Kinkora, at the Somerset Consolidated School.   Each grade participated with a poem or reading and the choir sang Ed McCurdy’s ‘Last Night I Had The Strangest Dream’.

The flag bearers for the colour parade carried the Canadian flag and the Borden-Carleton Branch Legion flag.

This year’s flag bearers were: Arthur Ranahan (left) and Kathy Henry (right). Lining up behind the flag bearers were Dawn Gradwell, George Palmer, Pieter Valkenburg, and Barry Bernard. Sergeant-At-Arms Mario Henry is in the background. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Following the service, a group photo was taken with the Legion members and Principal Angela Griffiths.

Somerset Consolidated School: Left to right:  Pieter Valkenburg, Barry Bernard, Kathy Henry, Sgt At Arms Mario Henry, Trish Taylor, Principal Angela Griffiths, Arthur Ranahan, Dawn Gradwell, George Palmer.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

 …. Remembrance Service at Kinkora Regional High School….

Following the service at Somerset Consolidated School, the Legion members made their way to Kinkora Regional High School, which is also in Kinkora.

Kinkora Regional High School band, with bandleader Kirk White standing at the back.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Three cadets participated in the Remembrance Service – Oscar Bulman, Maika MacLean, and Lucas Somers – all with the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets, RCSCC 85 Summerside.

Parade Line-up at Kinkora Regional High School: Flag bears Arthur Ranahan and Kathy Henry in front, Sgt At Arms Mario Henry at the right. Behind the flag bearers: Maika MacLean and Lucas Somers, Pieter Valkenburg and Oscar Bulman, George Palmer, Dawn Gradwell, Sharon Noonan. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

During the service, a short video showed students from the school writing out post-it notes about Remembrance.  The notes were put on 2 large cardboard sheets, covered in plastic, and presented to the Legion for display.

Students at the school annually offer a light lunch to the Legion members after the Remembrance Service is concluded, a gesture that is much appreciated. All the food was prepared by students.

…. Remembrance Service at Amherst Cove Consolidated School….

Sign advising of the Remembrance Service at Amherst Cove Consolidated School. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

In the afternoon, members of the Borden-Carleton Legion were present for a Remembrance Service at Amherst Cove Consolidated School in Borden-Carleton.  At this school one cadet participated in the Remembrance service: Lucas Somers from  the Royal Canadian Sea Cadets, RCSCC 85 Summerside.

Amherst Cove Consolidated School: Left to right:Pieter Valkenburg, Sgt At Arms Mario Henry, Lucas Somers, Kathy Henry, Trish Taylor, Arthur Ranahan, Danny Bernard, Dawn Gradwell, George Palmer, Sharon Noonan, Barry Bernard.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

The band at Amherst Cove Consolidated, under the director of Band Director, Gráinne Howman, was a pleasure to listen to!

Amherst Cove School Band, under the direction of Band Director Gráinne Howman standing at right. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Thank you to the officials and students at all three schools for the work they put into the Remembrance Services. May we never forget all those who served, and continue to serve!

If you have a story to tell, please let Pieter know. You can email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?….

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so.  Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

You are also invited to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw.

Never miss a posting!  Subscribe below to have each new story from the war memorial trail delivered to your inbox.

On The War Memorial Trail….The WWII Soldier From Toronto Who Lost His Life In France When Battalion Head Quarters Was Hit By Shell Fire

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Mike Johnston, left, with Pieter after the 2025 Remembrance Day service in Kinkora.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

November 4, 2026.  Following the 2025 Remembrance Day Service held outdoors on a chilly afternoon in Kinkora, Prince Edward Island, everyone was invited inside the community hall for a bowl of chile or chicken corn chowder, and a much needed cup of coffee or tea.

We were joined by our North Tryon neighbour Mike Johnston, who asked about doing a story on his great-uncle, Albert Joseph LAROSE, who lost his life on September 13, 1944, while serving with the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada.

It seems fitting, as we near another Remembrance Day, to honour Albert’s memory.

Born December 27, 1916 in Toronto, Ontario, the son of Ernest and Catherine (nee Campbell) LaRose, Albert was one of 10 children, having 5 brothers and 4 sisters.  After leaving school, he worked 6 years as a knitting machine mechanic at a textile plant, and then joined Ontario Hydro Electric Commission as a plant operator.

….Albert enlisted in 1942 under NRMA…

Albert Joseph LaRose. (Photo source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial)

On June 11, 1942, Albert enlisted under the National Resources Mobilization Act (NRMA) at No. 2 NRMA Clearing Depot in Newmarket, Ontario. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Resources_Mobilization_Act)

At the time of his enlistment, Albert had been working for 2 years at Ontario Hydro Electric Commission.  An interviewer described him as “…a good looking, attractive, bright lad – is definitely interested in radio and electricity and wants to get into Signal Platoon. Single hobby is singing – belongs to choir – healthy – should do well….”

He took his basic training at No. 23 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre in Newmarket, and then was sent to the A11 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Borden, Ontario on May 14, 1942.

On June 15, 1942, Albert was transferred to the Prince of Wales Rangers and sent to the Temporary Basic Training Centre (TBTC) ‘B’ Company at Camp Niagara, located in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario.  Albert would have undergone two months of rigorous physical conditioning, small arms training, tactical manoeuvres, and drills.

Soldiers stationed at Camp Niagara were on guard duty to protect local infrastructure, such as the nearby Welland Canal and regional hydro-electric plants, against potential enemy sabotage.

….Albert was transferred to Prince George as a member of the Prince of Wales Rangers…

With his basic training completed, Albert was sent to Prince George, British Columbia on September 23, 1942.  Still with the Prince of Wales Rangers, he was now part of Canada’s Home Defence.  The Prince of Wales Rangers were part of the 16th Infantry Brigade, which in turn was under the 8th Canadian Division, tasked with Pacific coastal defence and protecting Canada’s West Coast from potential enemy threats.

On December 15, 1942, Albert married Loretta Marie Bowyer, and received leave to do so.

Albert continued to receive additional training, and after completing a signallers course, received the qualification of Classified Regimental Signallers on June 20, 1943. This qualification meant he’d received training in military communications for the purpose of maintaining links between front-line units and headquarters.  He was next sent to Wainwright, Alberta for additional training in manoeuvres and battle courses.

….Albert was sent for a mountaineering course…

On July 8, 1943, Albert was sent on another training course – to the Little Yoho Mountaineering School run by the Alpine Club of Canada, located in Little Yoho Valley in Yoho National Park near Field, British Columbia.  He took an intensive course in climbing with equipment, rescue work in ice and snow, and using ropes under a simulated night attack.  He did so well in the course, which he completed on July 29, 1943, that he was selected to be an Assistant Instructor for the next course.  Albert was described as “…capable and conscientious…”

As Assistant Instructor for the course that ran August 8 to 30, 1943, he was assessed as “…very helpful at all times. Has capable working knowledge of basic principles involved and able to impart instruction…”

On August 1, 1943, Albert had received a promotion to Lance Corporal, but on September 14, 1943, he asked to revert to the rank of Private.  In the meantime, he had returned to the Prince of Wales Rangers as of August 31, 1943.

….Albert was an instructor at the Winter Training School in Jasper…

By November 9, 1943, he was in Port Alberni, British Columbia, and requested to attend a Mountaineering Instructors Course.  This was approved and he successfully completed the course in Terrace, British Columbia.  As of November 16, 1943, he was attached to the Winter Training School in Jasper National Park, Alberta where he was to be an instructor in a course that began in January 1944. On January 15, 1944, he was promoted to Acting Corporal.

Jasper National Park in the Canadian Rocky Mountains became a high-altitude winter and mountain warfare training centre for the British Army’s Lovat Scouts (Scottish Highlanders) and Canadian Army personnel, who trained in preparation for an Allied-led invasion of Nazi-occupied Norway and to combat Axis mountain specialist units.

In a course that ran from January 9, 1944 until the final group left on April 22, 1944, they were instructed in military skiing, snowshoeing, ice climbing, glacier travel, crevasse rescue, survival camping in temperatures down to -45°C (-49oF), and carrying full gear with rifles.

A short film by the National Film Board of Canada, ‘Ordeal By Ice’ (10:44 minutes) documents the extreme winter conditions faced by members of the Canadian Army and British Army’s Lovat Scouts who trained at the Winter Training School…..

 

….Albert joined the Active Army…

On April 8, 1944, Albert’s assignment at the Winter Training School ended. He returned to the Prince of Wales Rangers in Terrace, British Columbia….and reverted back to the rank of private.  A week later, on April 15, 1944, he enlisted in the Active Army with the Prince of Wales Rangers.

Then, on April 19, 1944, he was transferred to the 1st Battalion of the Canadian Fusiliers, which was under Pacific Command as part of the 6th Canadian Infantry Division’s Home Defence.  However, the Battalion was preparing to go the United Kingdom and become a training battalion.

Albert received 10 days of embarkation leave starting on May 5, 1944, in what turned out to be the last chance he had to see his family.  Upon returning from leave, he was transferred to No. 1 Transit Camp in Windsor, Nova Scotia.  This was a final staging, preparation, and administrative processing area before being sent overseas.

….Albert left Canada for overseas service ……

With others in the 1st Battalion, Canadian Fusiliers, Albert boarded a ship on May 25, 1944 that left the following day from Halifax, Nova Scotia, arriving in the United Kingdom on June 2, 1944.

Then, in a strange twist, instead of remaining with the Canadian Fusiliers and continuing as an Instructor, Albert was transferred to the X-4 Reinforcement List of the Black Watch of Canada (Royal Highland Regiment), part of the 21st Army Group, joining the unit in Folkestone, England.

On July 13, 1944, Albert left England for France, arriving the following day, where, due to his Classified Regimental Signallers qualification, he was assigned to the Signal Platoon, Headquarters Company of the Black Watch, joining the Regiment in Franqueville in the midst of the Battle of Caen, part of the ongoing Battle of Normandy. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_for_Caen)

From July 18 to 21, 1944, the Regiment was involved in Operation Atlantic, with the goal of clearing German forces from the southern and eastern sectors of Caen, cross the Orne River, and seize Verrières Ridge in an attempt to block enemy reinforcements.  (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Atlantic)

This was immediately followed by a disaster on July 25, 1944, with Operation Spring, when the Regiment launched an assault on Verrières Ridge to capture Fontenay-le-Marmion. Out of 325 soldiers who launched the attack, there were 307 casualties, with 118 killed in just under four hours—a near 94% casualty rate. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Spring)

In a July 29, 1944 letter to his sister Grace, Albert wrote that he was not at the front, but at Battalion Head Quarters.  “…About me being in France….I can’t say much about things here, except that I am still in the best of health and I haven’t been in action up to now and I don’t expect to be going up to the front for some time yet. It wouldn’t hurt my feelings at all if I never got up there, but I guess the war won’t end that soon….”

The letter was written over a few days. “…Incidentally, I started this letter a few days ago, but never got it finished. Right now I am on duty at the Telephone Exchange and I get a chance to write here…”

….Albert lost his life on September 13, 1944 ……

Over the next 6 weeks, the Black Watch, as part of the 5th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, advanced along the French coast, participating in operations to clear coastal areas, cross canals, and secure vital infrastructure against retreating German forces.

On Wednesday, September 13, 1944, the Regiment was positioned at Spycker in northern France near the coastal town of Bourbourg, securing the village and bridgeheads around Bourbourgville and Grand Millebrugge, and very close to the Belgian border. (See https://www.europeremembers.com/en/pois/2436/the-black-watch-at-grand-millebrugge)

Albert lost his life on that day, but the war diary entry for that day gave no information on what happened.  “…Heavy shelling on Grand Millebrugge commenced at Reveille this morning.  Battalion Head Quarters received five direct hits and the Regimental Aid Post one direct hit and two near misses. During the morning the shelling did not let up and by noon, when it began to slacken off, eight vehicles had been destroyed and six motor cycles burned….”

The war diary went on to report that there were no fatalities, and none missing or taken as prisoners of war, but this wasn’t true.  Six men were missing, and had died that day… one of them Albert, who likely was in Battalion Head Quarters when it was hit by German shellfire.

In addition to Albert, the following soldiers from the Black Watch were killed on September 13, 1944:

  • A/Cpl Alfred Alexander ANDERSON, born in Innisfeil, Alberta, aged 32
  • L/Sgt Robert BURNSIDE, from Montreal, Quebec, but born in Glasgow, Scotland, aged 33
  • Pte Michael DOBRENSKY, of Toronto, Ontario, aged 21
  • A/Cpl Gordon Edward GORMAN, of Ottawa, Ontario, aged 20
  • A/Cpl Vernon Andrew JOHNSTON, of Pine Creek, Manitoba, aged 21

Several families of the soldiers were aware that 6 of them were missing. The family of Gordon Edward GORMAN persisted in asking what happened to him, and eventually a letter in the service file indicated what may have happened to him. “…He was making his way across open field after very heavy shelling and a counter attack by the Germans. A German machine gun fired from the house on the left flank and he fell to the ground. Two German soldiers came out of the house, picked him up and took him into the house….” where he died of his wounds. “… This action took place in the small town of Spycker, east of Dunkirk, France…”

All 6 men were eventually buried in November, almost two months after their deaths. At the age of 27, Albert left his wife, parents, 5 brothers and 4 sisters to mourn his loss.

….Albert is buried in Calais Canadian War Cemetery…

Albert LaRose was initially buried in Spycker before being reburied in the Calais Canadian War Cemetery in Leubringhen. (Map source: Google Maps)

On November 6, 1944, Albert was initially buried in a church cemetery in nearby Spycker, before being reburied in the Calais Canadian War Cemetery in Leubringhen on August 5, 1945.

Grave of Albert Joseph LaRose in the Calais Canadian War Cemetery in Leubringhen, France.  (Photo source: Find A Grave)

Leubringhen is a village in the Department of the Pas-de-Calais, halfway between Calais and Boulogne. The Calais Canadian War Cemetery is in Leubringhen, 14 kms (8.7 miles) from Calais.

Sign off of the highway exit directing us to Calais Canadian War Cemetery. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Daria writing in the Visitors Book at Calais Canadian War Cemetery during our 2017 visit. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

We’d visited this cemetery in September 2017, where we had placed flags down at the grave of James Arthur AFFLECK from Bedeque, Prince Edward Island, who died a few days after Albert.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2017/10/08/the-calais-canadian-war-cemetery/)

Thank you to Mike Johnston for sharing the letter written by his great-uncle, and to Shawn Rainville for newspaper research.

Pieter’s research efforts to find photos and families of soldiers continue. Do you have a story to tell? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so.  Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw.

Never miss a posting!  Subscribe below to have each new story from the war memorial trail delivered to your inbox.

On The War Memorial Trail….. The Airman From Langham Who Became A POW Part 2: Six Months Behind Barbed Wire

/ On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

November 1, 2026.  In Part 1 of ‘The Airman From Langham Who Became A POW’, a request by one of the volunteers with Stichting Luchtoorlog Onderzoek Drenthe (Air Research Drenthe Foundation) in The Netherlands for help in finding a photo of Henry ‘Hank’ PANKRATZ, was successful.  Born in Langham, Saskatchewan, Hank was one of four survivors of the last flight of 424 ‘Tiger’ Squadron’s Halifax NP945. The plane had been shot down in Getelo, in the vicinity of Uelzen, Germany, near the Dutch border, on the evening of December 6, 1944, while returning from a sortie to Osnabrück, Germany.

After the pilot gave the order to jump, Hank exited the plane, and sought refuge at a nearby farm for a few hours, before being taken by the farmer to the police station in Uelzen. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2026/10/30/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-airman-from-langham-who-became-a-pow-part-1-the-last-flight-of-halifax-np945/)

Now, in Part 2, Hank’s story continues as he spends the remainder of WWII as a prisoner of war….

…. Hank learned three members of his crew had survived and three had not…

In ‘Road Back Complicated’ published in the March 1983 issue of Airforce magazine, after being left at the police station in Uelzen by the farmer from the farm Hank had initially approached, he was taken by a policeman to a nearby town and placed in a cell. “…On a filthy bed in one corner I tried to sleep…” Not long afterward he “…heard someone yelling in English ‘I’m hungry’ and recognized my bombardier’s voice….”  This was Arthur Alexander Jaffray LOW, from Hamilton, Ontario.

Shouting through the thick walls to make themselves heard, they were soon told by their gaoler to keep quiet, but at least Hank had learned that “…the engineer….” Robert ATKINSON, from Barrowfield Glasgow, Scotland, “…was with the bombardier in the same cell. They had been there since the previous night, having been captured shortly after they had landed. Both had lost their flying boots, had walked five or six miles in their socks and were in agony…”

When the door to his cell was unlocked, a hungry Hank thought he might get fed. Instead, he and the other two crewmen “…were put in the back of a truck with three crude coffins…” and heavily guarded as the truck began its journey. At first they thought the coffins were for their execution, but when more coffins were picked up along the way, they realized that the coffins contained bodies.

They were taken to an airport guardhouse, joined by 5 other men, and were finally given something to eat and drink.  “...Early next evening our navigator…” Albert Melville GARNER, from Toronto, Ontario, “…was brought in. He had a badly sprained ankle and looked quite done in. The Germans told him three members of our crew had been killed – that would have been the pilot and the gunners…”

….Hank was sent to an interrogation camp in Oberursel…

Soon the prisoners of war were on the move, and after several days of travel by truck and train, arrived at Dulug Luft Oberursel in Oberursel, just north-west of Frankfurt, “…where the interrogation camp was situated. The barbed wire, armed guards, and high towers that housed machine guns and powerful searchlights offered a dismal prospect…”

They were strip-searched, then placed in “….individual cells about 5 by 10 feet….” with a bed, chair, and window.  “…There was a small electric radiator which was on only about three hours a day, and when it was on, the lice in the straw sack on my bed attacked like fighter pilots. When it was off I almost froze to death…”

Hank was photographed, finger-printed, interrogated where he provided no information at each session, and kept in solitary confinement for a week. “…Breakfast consisted of two slices of black bread with jam, and a cup of lukewarm liquid they called coffee. For lunch we got cups of soup which to my mind contained every variety of grass grown in Germany. Dinner was a repetition of breakfast except that margarine replaced the jam….”

After a week, he was interrogated again, but with a different approach.  “…A smartly dressed Luftwaffe officer ….courteously bade me sit down.  He spoke faultless English and was so polite I felt uncomfortable…”  Opening a large book, the officer seemed to know everything – or pretended to – and stated that he only wanted confirmation.

The next morning, Hank, along with 45 other prisoners, was sent to a Dulag Luft Wetzlar, a transit and rest camp for prisoners of war who had completed their initial interrogation at Oberursel. For the first time since the crash, he was able to shower, and was provided clothes and accessories from the Red Cross. “…We could eat as much as we wanted, which was ok by me…”

Postcard dated December 20, 1944 took until February 22, 1945 to arrive back home in Saskatchewan. (Postcard courtesy of Shana Pankratz)

Hank was allowed to send a postcard on December 20, 1944, advising that he was a POW, but the family never received it until February 22, 1945!

….Hank was sent to Stalag VII in Bankau…

Two rows of barbed wire fencing and guard towers prohibited escape from Stalag Luft VII. (Photo source: Wartime diary of Robert E. Toomey via John Knifton)

After 4 days, Hank and 43 other men were on their way by train to a “…permanent prison camp, a trip of three days, and each of us was issued the contents of a Red Cross parcel….”  Shortly after getting underway, the train pulled into a siding and a guard told them that they would be stuck in the train for 48 hours unless they handed over cigarettes. “….None of us was anxious to spend Christmas on wooden seats looking through the bars of a train, so we excelled ourselves and each threw two cigs in a hat…”

The bribe worked. “….Within ten minutes we were rolling and never stopped until we reached Bankau, our destination. From here we marched to Stalag Luft VII, two or three miles away, arriving around five in the afternoon on December 26…” Bankau, Silesia, Germany, is now named Bąków and in present-day Poland.

The camp held about 1,500 men and was divided into 10 barrack blocks. Each block had 18 rooms, and each room held 18 men. “…Although life in the camp was very monotonous, and the food shortage gave us concern, we managed to keep in fairly good spirits. Through secret radios we were able to follow the day-to-day progress of the war. These radios were so well hidden that the Germans never found them, despite the searches they made…”

There was a roll call every morning and at 3 pm in the afternoon, with lights out at 10 pm.  Hank noted that they were grateful for “…the fairly substantial library maintained at the camp by the Red Cross, also the musical instruments supplied by that splendid organization…”

….The 21 day march from Stalag VII in Bankau to Stalag III-A in Luckenwalde was brutal…

Map made by Airman Thomas Cloran showed the 21 day march from Bankau to Luckenwalde.  (Map source: https://www.49squadron.co.uk/pow_camps/detail/5)

Hank wasn’t destined to remain very long at Stalag Luft VII as the camp was in the direct path of the advancing Russians heading for Berlin.  “…On the afternoon of January 17, 1945, we were ordered to move off on foot within the hour….” Nothing happened, but “…that night was really grim – bombing on all sides revealed that the Russians were much closer than we had suspected…”

At 3.30 am on January 19, 1945, 1,500 prisoners of war were marched out of the camp in bitterly cold -13ºC (8oF) and into a raging blizzard. They left, with “…each man carrying what few belongings he had and enough food for one good meal…”

The prisoners were threatened that for every man falling out of the column a further five would be shot.  “…Heavily-armed guards and trained dogs galore accompanied us, the roads were in bad shape, and a blinding snow-storm pressed down on us as we trudged on…”

No further food was provided until the fifth day. “…We marched from 15 to 25 kms a day and spent our nights in the farms of the various farms we passed… A number of the boys escaped, others just died on the way, while nearly all suffered frost-bite….”

There was urgency to the march as the men had to cross a bridge over the Oder River before German sappers blew it up. “…No sooner were we on the other side of the Oder river than the Germans blew the bridge up….”

“…We had an all-day rest at a big dairy farm…” but hunger was top of mind. “…Everyone was delirious with hunger…. we drove some cattle away and ate what was left of a pile of frozen, dirty, rotten sugar beets. As a result we all got dysentery….”

The punishing march continued. “…After a hard day’s march on Jan 29 we were told that the trip would be completed by train. Sagan, our first objective, was being evacuated and no one knew where we were going. All that we knew was we were damned tired and hungry. However, after about six hours’ rest we started out again and marched to Peterwitz. There was no sign of a train, the guards were in a dangerous mood, each of us got only one sixth of a loaf of bread, and the weather was at its worst….”

On February 5, 1945, after a march of over 200 km (124 miles) and suffering from dysentery, malnutrition and frostbite, they reached the Goldberg marshalling yards (now Złotoryja, Poland). From here they were taken in cramped cattle trucks to camps deeper inside Germany to their new destination:  Stalag III-A, about 52 km (32 miles) south of Berlin near Luckenwalde, which already held 20,000 prisoners.

They arrived in Luckenwalde on February 8, 1945 and then walked the rest of the way to Stalag III-A. “…In 14 days on three pounds of food each…” during the long walk, “…. I lost about 50 pounds and was as weak as a kitten….” and “… had trouble standing up...”

A report on the forced march by D.C. Howatson, Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC), the Camp Medical Officer, to the Swiss Commission verifies the terrible conditions experienced by the prisoners of war.  See https://www.pegasusarchive.org/pow/cSL_7_History1.htm

 ….Hank spent the rest of his time as a POW at Stalag III-A in Luckenwalde…

Hank described how the men were segregated according to nationality. “…Stalag III-A held some 16,000 men made up of seven or eight nationalities which were segregated by fences within the main enclosure. The Americans were west of us, the French to our east, and across the road were the Poles, Russians, Yugoslavs and others….”

POWs washing up at a trough in Stalag III-A. (Photo source: Wartime diary of Robert E. Toomey via Leo Finegold)

Conditions were not good, but were bearable. “…At this camp we had a hot shower, my fourth in Germany, and were crowded into barracks. We slept on the bare floor rather than use the straw which was teeming with lice ready to go to work on you…”

And they did receive food on a daily basis. “…The ration consisted of one-fifth of a loaf of bread, three or four boiled potatoes, two cups of soup – pea, turnip, barley or just plain grass, which wasn’t bad considering, and one-twentieth pound of margarine....”

The long march and conditions in the camp began to take a toll. “…Our boys began dropping out like poisoned flies about this time. It seemed as if the effects of the march were just catching up with us. We lost about 200 on the march, and every day now saw more die until it got that we kept wondering who would be next….” Approximately 5,000 men in total died from disease, starvation, cold, exhaustion, and neglect at this overcrowded camp.

Hank described the reaction of the prisoners when a Red Cross parcel arrived. “…On March 8, a carload of Red Cross supplies arrived at Luckenwalde, and each man got a full parcel. Just like Christmas. Kind of grim though to see grown men break down and weep over a few pounds of food…”

….The Germans deserted Stalag III-A on April 21, 1945…

Hank and the other prisoners realized that something had changed on April 21, 1945. “…We noticed that all the gun towers were vacant and that no Jerries were in sight. They had decamped, leaving us alone. Well aware that Russian prisoners had been badly mistreated by them, they were scared stiff of their approaching eastern foe.….”

The Russian Army arrived on April 22, 1945.  “…The following morning the Red Army rolled into camp on tanks, trucks, motorcycles, guys on horseback, even bicycles….”

The prisoners thought they would be liberated, but it turned out they were now held hostage by the Russians.  “….Time dragged on, with the Russians refusing to let us go home. When the Red Cross parcels gave out, our diet consisted of bean soup and black bread….

 …One day a large convoy of American trucks came along and offered to take us into their zone, then fly us back to England. However, the Russians vetoed that. They blocked all roads and posted machine guns at intersections, threatening to open fire if the loaded trucks moved. The trucks went back empty….

…According to the Russians they were to receive certain repatriations from the British government for every man they released….”

….Hank was freed on May 20, 1945…

Almost a month after the Russians came into the camp, Hank and the other men were finally freed.  “…Finally, on May 20, a convoy of Russian trucks drove us to the American Zone. At Halle that same evening we were accorded a wonderful reception…

…On May 25 we were flown from Halle to a Canadian ex-POW camp near Brussels, and the following evening from there to Ford, England. Never was a landing more welcome! From Ford we drove in trucks to Bournemouth on the south coast of England, arriving about midnight. The next day (May 27) this kid took it easy, and 48 hours later was on a bang-up two-weeks’ holiday…”

…. Hank returned to Canada in July 1945…

SS Île de France during WWII. (Source: Naval History and Heritage Command)

On July 8, 1945, Hank boarded the SS Île de France in Greenock, Scotland for his return to Canada, and arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia on July 14, 1945.  The war was over for Hank, but he would return to Germany several years later.

His daughter Shana explained that after his discharge, Hank “…joined the RCMP, and was posted to Camrose, Alberta, where he met my mother, Audrey Carruthers.  She was 17, and they married in 1948, when she was 18…”

Hank Pankratz in Germany with the RCAF. (Photo courtesy of Shana Pankratz. Photo restoration by Pieter Valkenburg)

After leaving the RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police), Hank rejoined the RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force), this time as a military police officer. He was sent to Goose Bay in Labrador, and then to Edmonton, Alberta, where Shana was born. From 1953 to 1955, Hank served at 4(F) Wing in Baden, Germany. He was also stationed in Rivers, Manitoba, and was a Flight Sergeant with 447 Squadron at the Bomarc base in La Macaza, Quebec.

In ‘447 SAM Squadron some early memories’ author  Bob Merrick explained that “…the RCAF entered the missile age in 1962, when it acquired two half-squadrons of Boeing’s Michigan Air Research Centre (Bomarc) missiles. The missiles guarded Canadian and American industrial centres – and American ICBM sites – from attacks by the nuclear-equipped Soviet long-range air force. 446 Surface-to-Air Missile (SAM) Squadron, based near North Bay, Ontario, began its training first, followed by 447 SAM Squadron, based at RCAF Station La Macaza, Quebec. 447 became the world’s only self-sufficient Bomarc squadron, as all the others were adjuncts of various USAF or RCAF bases….”

He went on note that “…Security played an important role in squadron operations…FS Hank Pankratz oversaw security operations, and no one ever succeeded in stealing a Bomarc…..” (See https://www.candemuseum.org/sites/default/files/archives/Pinetreeline/misc/bomarc/bomarc2d.html)

From Quebec he was stationed in Ottawa, Ontario. After retiring from the RCAF, he continued working.  “…He was at General Motor Acceptance Corporation, then Ontario Hydro…”

Shana recalled that her father “…loved soup.  He would prep the veggies, and my mother would make soup after her breakfast….”

Hank died of leukemia, aged 72, in Oshawa, Ontario on August 4, 1996.  “….After the funeral service in the chapel at Thornton Cemetery in Oshawa, he was cremated and his ashes spread in the Niagara region. Dad had been fascinated with Niagara Falls since he first went to Ontario back in the early 1940s, and Mom and I took him there 5 times before he went into hospital just before he passed away…”

Shana Pankratz and partner Doug Hutton.  (Photo courtesy of Shana Pankratz)

Hank’s brother Bill returned safely from the war, as did his three crewmates.  Albert Garner died in 1994, and Arthur Low in 2008.  Both had been in Stalag Luft I near Barth, Germany. Robert Atkinson was the only crewmember who was in both Bankau and Luckenwalde with Hank.

Thank you to Shana Pankratz for providing information about her father, to Judie Klassen for her help in the search for Hank’s post-war career, and to Shawn Rainville for newspaper searches.

Pieter’s research efforts to find photos and families of soldiers continue. Do you have a story to tell? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so.  Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw.

Never miss a posting!  Subscribe below to have each new story from the war memorial trail delivered to your inbox.

On The War Memorial Trail…..The Airman From Langham Who Became A POW Part 1: The Last Flight Of Halifax NP945

/ On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

October 30, 2026.  Occasionally, one story leads to more.  In February 2023, we posted on this blog the story about Jack ‘Douglas’ MACKENZIE, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, the pilot of Halifax DT630 that was shot down by a night fighter over the province of Drenthe in The Netherlands on February 3, 1943. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/02/19/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-pilot-killed-at-the-controls-of-his-halifax-bomber/)

A few months later, we were contacted by Yannic Wethly, one of the volunteers with Stichting Luchtoorlog Onderzoek Drenthe (Air Research Drenthe Foundation) in The Netherlands. This non-profit organization researches WWII air crashes in the province and places information panels near the crash sites.

Yannic asked if we would help in finding photos and families of other Canadian airmen that were on his photo wish list.  Of course we said yes, and then we were delighted to have a chance to meet him in April 2025, when we were in The Netherlands on our 2025 European War Memorial Tour.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/06/15/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-visit-to-sleen-general-cemetery/)

In January 2026, a memorial panel honouring the crew of Halifax DT630, was unveiled, closing the loop on the story about that flight’s pilot.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2026/03/18/on-the-war-memorial-panela-memorial-panel-honours-the-crew-on-the-last-flight-of-halifax-dt630/)

….The search for a photo of Hank Pankratz began…

On Yannic’s photo wish list was Henry ‘Hank’ PANKRATZ, one of four survivors of the last flight of 424 ‘Tiger’ Squadron’s Halifax NP945, which was shot down in Germany, near the Dutch border, on December 6, 1944, while on its return from a sortie to Osnabrück, Germany.  Hank ended up in a POW camp, and it was this that led to a photo being found.

During the search for a photo and family, with the help of Judie Klassen, she came across a reference to Hank in a book, ‘The Long Road: Trials and Tribulations of Airmen Prisoners from Stalag Luft VII (Bankau) to Berlin, June 1944 – May 1945‘, written by  Oliver Clutton-Brock, a British writer who had included a photo in his book.

Henry ‘Hank’ Pankratz. (Photo source: Henry Pankratz)

An email for the author came back as no longer in use, but there was a phone number, which hopefully still was in service.  I emailed British friends Jacqueline and Graham Hocking and asked if they would be willing to try and phone the author, and let him know about the photo search request.  Jacqueline did and we did receive a photo!

When I asked Oliver how he wanted the photo attributed, he said it should be Henry Pankratz himself.  “…He contacted my co-author, Ray Crompton (sadly deceased), back in the late 1980s / early 90s and sent him the photo….”

When told about the planned memorial panel by the Air Research Drenthe Foundation, Oliver went on to say that “…I am delighted to hear that the photo will be used for such a worthy cause. I have nothing but the highest praise and admiration for the way in which the Dutch historians and ordinary people go about remembering the fallen of so long ago. Well done to all of you….“

We had a photo, but the search for family continued, and many months later, Hank’s daughter Shana contacted us, providing more photos and information about her father.

…. Hank enlisted in 1942…

Red marker identifies the location near Langham, Saskatchewan where Henry Pankratz was born. (Map source: Sask Interactive Mapping, Saskatchewan Ministry of Environment)

Born February 22, 1924 on a farm near Langham, Saskatchewan, Hank was the son of Wilhelm Heinrich (‘William Henry’) and Maria (nee Buhr) Pankratz. One of 5 children born into a Mennonite family that had immigrated to Canada from Eastern Europe, he had two sisters and two brothers.

“…The family’s origins were in Holland…” Shana explained “…and the surname was originally Van Kratz.  They went farming to Ukraine and the surname was changed to Pankratz by the Russians….”

Hank was interested in planes as a child, even writing a letter in the August 27, 1932 edition of the Star-Phoenix newspaper, about the first plane he saw. “…The first airplane I saw close by was on July 1, 1929, at Davidson, Saskatchewan, where we lived at the time.  It was a two-passenger open plane from Saskatoon to take people for rides….The pilot said he had flown about 120 miles an hour from Saskatoon….

The reason I am interested in aviation is because of the speed, the greater the speed, the better I like it, and the cool clean air one goes in.  If you are a farmer you do not get this kind of air…”

On September 6, 1942, at the age of 18, Hank enlisted with the RCAF (Royal Canadian Air Force) as a wireless operator/air gunner in Galt, Ontario. His brother Bill also joined the RCAF. Judie Klassen, who helped in the search for family and a photo, understood what “…must have been a difficult decision for them to join, as the pacifist beliefs of the Mennonite community may have caused conflict with family, neighbors, or within their conscience….”

The Pankratz brothers weren’t the only Mennonites to enlist in WWII.  In the October 13, 2013 issue of Canadian Mennonite, the article ‘Let nobody judge them’ by Ross W. Muir, stated that “…as many as 4,500 Canadian Mennonites enlisted in this country’s military forces between 1939 and 1945….”

Henry ‘Hank’ Pankratz with his parents.  (Photo courtesy of Shana Pankratz.  Photo restoration by Pieter Valkenburg)

Hank received his Leading Aircraftman designation (LAC) in Guelph, Ontario on February 22, 1943, his 19th birthday.  On September 20, 1943, he received the rank of Sergeant after graduating as a wireless operator/air gunner at the No. 2 Bombing and Gunnery School in Mossbank, Saskatchewan.

He was soon sent to the United Kingdom. A photo of himself in a flight suit included a comment on the back of the photo.  “…Don’t let this picture fool you. I’m not a fighter pilot yet, but I can dream, can’t I?  Ha Ha….”

Henry ‘Hank’ Pankratz in a flight suit. (Photo courtesy of Shana Pankratz)

…. The last flight of Halifax NP945…

Map shows the plane’s path from England to Osnabrück.  On it’s return to England, it was shot down by German flak and crashed near Getelo, Germany near the border with The Netherlands.  (Map prepared by Wendy Nattress)

On December 6, 1944, Hank, now with the Royal Canadian Air Force’s 424 ‘Tiger’ Squadron, part of No. 6 Bomber Group, was aboard Halifax NP945, nicknamed ‘Der Fuehrers Fate’, as it and 435 Halifax and Lancaster bombers, plus 18 Mosquitos, were sent on a bombing mission for a night attack over Osnabrück, Germany.  The plane departed at 4:43 pm from  ​RAF Skipton-on-Swale in the UK, located 4 miles west of Thirsk in North Yorkshire, England.

Per the ‘The Bomber Command War Diaries: An Operational Reference Book, 1939–1945’ by Martin Middlebrook and Chris Everitt, “…this was the first major raid on Osnabrück since August 1942. The raid was only a partial success. The railway yards were only slightly damaged but 4 factories were hit, including the Teuto-Metallwerke munitions factory, and 203 houses were, destroyed, and 39 people were killed….”

As the plane began the return flight to England, it was shot down near Getelo, in the vicinity of Uelzen, located in Lower Saxony, Germany, right along the border with​ The Netherlands. ​

In ‘Road Back Complicated’ published in the March 1983 issue of Airforce magazine, Hank explained that “…Our machine caught fire and the pilot gave the order to jump.  I was the third to go out into space and rain. My parachute opened inside the plane which was badly out of control by then but luckily it didn’t get tangled.…”

…. The crew aboard the last flight of Halifax NP945…

7 airmen were aboard Halifax NP945.  3 died and are now buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery in Kleve, Germany.  4 airmen, including Hank, survived the crash and ended up prisoners of war (POWs).

  • Pilot: RCAF Flight Officer David Louis Caskey MCCULLOUGH, from Red Deer, Alberta, aged 22, KIA
  • Navigator: RCAF Flight Officer Albert Melville GARNER, from Toronto, Ontario, aged 23, POW
  • Bomb Aimer: RCAF Flight Officer Arthur Alexander Jaffray LOW, from Hamilton, Ontario, POW
  • Flight Engineer: RAF Sgt Robert ATKINSON, from Barrowfield Glasgow, Scotland, POW
  • Wireless Operator: RCAF Pilot Officer Henry ‘Hank’ PANKRATZ, from Langham, Saskatchewan, POW
  • Midupper Gunner: RCAF Pilot Officer John Robert ‘Jack’ LEE, from Caledonia, Ontario, aged 20, KIA
  • Rear gunner: RCAF Pilot Officer John Lightfoot KEOWN, from Fairfax, Manitoba, aged 25, KIA

…. Hank sought refuge at a nearby farm…

As Hank exited the plane he noticed that “…falling not far away from me was a big ball of fire.  It was the aircraft I had just vacated, and a moment later it blew up and went hurtling to the ground.…”  At this point, he had no idea where the other crew members were, and he found himself alone.

After freeing himself from the parachute harness, Hank “…sought shelter in a nearby clump of trees…” where he remained until dawn. He noticed “…a farmhouse a quarter of a mile away…” and walked over.  “…The house and barn were all one building.  The barn door was locked, so I sat down to wait…”

A few hours later, the farm couple found him, and took him inside the house to get warm. As Hank could speak German, he was able to communicate, and learned that he was “...near the town of Uelzen, about 10 miles from the Dutch border…”  He was there for 2 hours, during which time the farm family considered hiding him, but were worried what would happen if they were caught.

“…They made me their prisoner and decided to hand me over to the authorities…It was all done in a friendly manner and I was assured that the prisoners were well treated in German prison camps…”  This turned out to be not exactly true, as Hank would find out.

The farmer took him to Uelzen, and everyone they passed enroute to the police station “…came up and had something to say.  The farmer told them he had captured me this morning and that I couldn’t understand a word of German….” Not letting on that Hank could understand and speak German was a wise move.

Hank had survived the crash, and found temporary refuge at a nearby farm, but he now faced another ordeal, as a prisoner of war.  Hank’s story concludes in Part 2 as he found that life in a German POW camp was “…humdrum, unpredictable, and unbearable…” with many more challenges to face before finally being liberated, several weeks after WWII ended in Europe.

Shana Pankratz.  (Photo courtesy of Shana Pankratz)

Thank you to Shana Pankratz for providing information about her father, to Judie Klassen for her help in the search for a photo and finding family, to author Oliver Clutton-Brock, who included a photo of Henry in his book ‘The Long Road: Trials and Tribulations of Airmen Prisoners from Stalag Luft VII (Bankau) to Berlin, June 1944 – May 1945‘, to Shawn Rainville for newspaper searches, to Yannic Wethly for providing information on what happened on the night of December 6, 1944, and to Wendy Nattress for preparing the map showing the flight path for Halifax NP945. Thank you also to Jacqueline and Graham Hocking for telephoning Oliver Clutton-Brock and telling him about the photo search request.

Pieter’s research efforts to find photos and families of soldiers continue. Do you have a story to tell? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so.  Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw.

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On The War Memorial Trail…..The Search For A Photo Of WWI Soldier James Lymon Cameron Is Over

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October 28, 2026.  Whenever Pieter visits the grave of a soldier he has researched, he always hopes to have a photo that puts a face to a name.  Sometimes, that’s not possible, as was the case when we visited Chester Farm Military Cemetery in 2017, located 5 km (3 miles) south of Ypres in Belgium, where WWI soldier James Lymon CAMERON is buried. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2017/10/23/a-visit-to-chester-farm-military-cemetery/ and https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/02/27/the-search-for-a-photo-of-james-lymon-cameron-moves-to-youtube/)

Pieter by the grave of James Lymon Cameron at Chester Farm Military Cemetery in 2017. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

One of the undertakings for our On The War Memorial Trail research project began when Pieter first started researching the 48 names on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion in Prince Edward Island in 2015.  His goal?  To put a face and story to each name.  Over the years we’ve told the story of each one on this blog and in the County Line Courier newspaper, plus shared our visits made to their graves or memorials.

The Cenotaph Wall of Remembrance in the Borden-Carleton Legion displays photos of the men listed on the Cenotaph, with empty frames for those photos still waiting to be found. 

…A photo of James Lymon Cameron found in a Vancouver newspaper…

James Lymon Cameron. (Photo source: The Province newspaper. Photo restoration: Pieter Valkenburg)

We’d almost given up on finding a family member for James Lymon Cameron when a photo was found in the Saturday, August 5, 1916 edition of The Province, a newspaper from Vancouver, British Columbia, along with a notification of his death.

Then, in a remarkable serendipitous moment, the following day we were in contact with Robert John Gilbert, a great-nephew whose grandmother was the soldier’s sister, Ethel Laura (Louise) Gilbert!  Robert, who served with the Royal Canadian Engineers for 34 years until his retirement, had the same photo.

Edward and Susan (nee Harrington) Cameron.  (Photo courtesy of Robert Gilbert)

Born December 30, 1892 in Victoria-By-The-Sea, Prince Edward Island, John Lymon was the son of Edward Holland Cameron, a carpenter, and Susan Estelle (nee Harrington) of Hampton, Prince Edward Island.

…James Lymon left Canada for overseas service…

The family moved around due to Edward’s work as a shipwright, and when James Lymon, known as ‘Jim’ or by the nickname ‘Otto’, enlisted on March 18, 1915, he was living in Vancouver and working as a marine oilman for Puget Sound Machinery Depot in Seattle, Washington.  Robert explained that his great-uncle “…specialized in building heavy large engines for large ships….” and worked there from “…1910 to 1915…”

James Lymon went overseas with the second draft of the 47th Canadian Infantry Battalion, arriving in the United Kingdom on October 10, 1915. On February 3, 1916 he was sent to France with the 7th Canadian Infantry Battalion.

Sadly, while serving with the 7th Canadian Infantry Battalion, he was killed by enemy shell fire on July 24, 1916, aged 24, at ‘The Bluff’ at Ypres Salient during the Battle of The Bluff near St. Eloi.  The Bluff is a mound near St Eloi, south-east of Ypres, which was created from a spoil heap during the digging of the Ypres–Comines Canal before the war.

…A tribute to James Lymon by the editor of The Maple Leaf…

A tribute to James Lymon was made by the editor of The Maple Leaf, a monthly magazine established by former Summerside, Prince Edward Island residents (Mr McInnis and Mr Harrington) who had relocated to Oakland, California. The magazine ran from 1907 to 1941, focusing on the news, genealogies, and lives of the ‘Sons and Daughters of the Maritime Provinces’.

Robert shared a 1916 article, ‘Another Island Boy Killed In Action’ which provided a brief obituary. “…The editor of The Maple Leaf knew ‘Jim’ personally and well, knew him as a brave and fearless young man, with a pure heart and mind, and when we heard of his death in defence of his country’s flag, after seven long months of privation and suffering in the trenches, we were not surprised…”

…The photo of James Lymon is now on the Cenotaph Wall of Remembrance…

The empty frame that awaited a photo of James Lymon Cameron about to be filled! (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

The 11 year photo search has been successfully concluded!  The photo of James Lymon Cameron is now on the Legion’s Cenotaph Wall of Remembrance.

James Lymon Cameron (top left) is now on the Legion’s Cenotaph Wall of Remembrance. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

…5 photos still being sought for the Cenotaph Wall of Remembrance…

Pieter hopes that more of the empty frames will one day be filled. “…Unfortunately, photos for 4 from WWI and 1 from WWII have yet to be found….” he said.  Can YOU help with this photo wish list?

Names still without faces from WWI

  • Leigh Hunt CAMERON, born in Albany
  • Bazil CORMIER, born in Tignish
  • Charles LOWTHER, born in North Carleton
  • Arthur Clinton ROBINSON, born in Tryon

 Names still without faces from WWII

  • Ernest Ramey GALLANT, born in Borden

Robert Gilbert, great-nephew of James Lymon Cameron.  (Photo courtesy of Robert Gilbert)

Thank you to Robert Gilbert for sharing information about his great-uncle, to Judie Klassen for extensive research into finding family and a photo, and to Shawn Rainville for newspaper research.

If you can help with the photo search request for the 5 soldiers mentioned above whose photos are still being sought, or have a story to tell, Pieter encourages you to email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

…Want to follow our research?…

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following the blog, you are welcome to do so.  Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/.

4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

You are also invited to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw.

Never miss a posting!  Subscribe below to have each new story from the war memorial trail delivered to your inbox.

On The War Memorial Trail….Borden-Carleton Legion Honours Veterans By Placing Flags At Their Graves

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Pieter was well bundled up on a sunny but cold Saturday as he prepared to go out and lay flags at the graves of veterans. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

October 25, 2026. In preparation for Remembrance Day, Pieter, Mario Henry, and George Palmer, all three veterans from Borden-Carleton Legion Branch #10, visited cemeteries and cenotaphs in the area on a cold but sunny day on October 24, 2026.

George Palmer and Mario Henry at the entrance to Central Bedeque United Baptist Church Cemetery. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

They ensured that veterans buried at 9 cemeteries, and whose names are listed on 4 cenotaphs, received a Canadian flag in 2026.

Pieter and Mario Henry at the entrance to Central Bedeque United Baptist Church Cemetery. (Photo credit:  George Palmer)

….Two additional veteran stories told in 2026….

Over the years, we’ve told stories about several of the veterans buried in cemeteries in the area served by the Borden-Carleton Legion, and this year two more stories were told.

….Cemeteries and cenotaphs in the area served by the Borden-Carleton Legion Branch….

The cemeteries covered by the area served by the Borden-Carleton Legion Branch are:

  • Cape Traverse – Cape Traverse Community Cemetery
  • Cape Traverse – Cape Traverse United Church Cemetery
  • Central Bedeque – Central Bedeque United Baptist Church Cemetery
  • Kinkora – St. Malachy’s Roman Catholic Cemetery
  • Lower Bedeque – Bedeque Cemetery (also called Lower Bedeque Cemetery)
  • North Tryon – North Tryon Presbyterian Cemetery
  • Searletown – Searletown United Cemetery
  • Seven Mile Bay – St. Peter’s Roman Catholic Cemetery
  • Tryon – Tryon People’s Cemetery

Flags were also placed at these Cenotaphs:

  • Augustine Cove Cenotaph
  • Borden-Carleton Cenotaph
  • Searletown United Cemetery Cenotaph
  • Tryon Cenotaph

The placing of flags at graves and cenotaphs has been done annually for well over 25 years. If you see Canadian flags by graves, please do not disturb them. They are a mark of respect for a veteran’s service to Canada, and will be picked up about a week after November 11.

Mario Henry asks that if a veteran’s grave was missed, or if a veteran has recently passed away, please contact the Legion, so that flags can be placed for next year. The Legion can be contacted by phone at 902-855-2660 (after 4 pm) or on its Facebook page. You can also contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?….

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so.  Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

You are also invited to subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw.

Never miss a posting!  Subscribe below to have each new story from the war memorial trail delivered to your inbox.

On The War Memorial Trail…..The WWII Soldier From Piusville Who Was Seriously Wounded Twice But Survived The War

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September 26, 2026. We love it when a story about one soldier leads to a story about a family member! A few months ago, Brenda Graves of North Tryon, Prince Edward Island, had told us about her grandfather, Cyrus Joseph GALLANT, of Piusville, Prince Edward Island, who served in both WWI and WWII before his death from pancreatic cancer on October 31, 1942.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2026/06/20/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwi-soldier-from-piusville-who-enlisted-in-the-veterans-guard-of-canada-in-wwii/)

While researching Cyrus’s story, Brenda explained that his son, Everett John GALLANT, had served in WWII and survived the war, in spite of being wounded twice. Would we be willing to research her uncle’s service? Of course, we said, and that led to Brenda and me subsequently meeting with Everett’s daughter Elaine Gallant, who provided photos and information on her father’s post-WWII life.

Born August 19, 1923 in Piusville, Prince Edward Island, Everett was the son of Cyrus Joseph and Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ Marie (nee Gallant) Gallant.

….Everett enlisted in 1943….

Everett John Gallant. (Photo courtesy of the Gallant Family)

When he enlisted on March 11, 1943 at No. 6 District Depot in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Everett had several years already of work experience, as he’d left school after completing Grade 8.  He’d been employed as a stevedore in Halifax, Nova Scotia for Cunard Steamships, Ltd since 1942. Before that, he’d worked as a farm labourer, with seasonal work in woods as a chopper.  It was noted that he was fluent in English, and could speak French.

After successfully completing his basic training at No. 62 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre in Charlottetown, Everett was transferred to A14 Canadian Infantry Training Centre (CITC) at Camp Aldershot in Nova Scotia on April 2, 1943. Here he would have been given for more intensive combat training in tactical firearm use and field exercises.

On July 17, 1943, he was given 6 days of special leave, the last chance he had to see his family before being posted overseas.

….Everett left Canada for overseas service ……

On August 27, 1943, Everett left Canada aboard a troopship in Halifax, and arrived in the United Kingdom on September 1, 1943.  Upon arrival, he was placed with No. 7 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU), a training and holding base for infantry reinforcements located in Airedale, Castleford in West Yorkshire.

The North Nova Scotia Highlanders were based in Fort Brockhurst in December 1943.  (Map source: Google Maps)

On December 10, 1943, Everett was transferred to the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, joining them at their winter base in Fort Brockhurst in Gosport, near Portsmouth.  The Regiment was carrying out combined operations and tactical exercises in preparation for Operation Overlord – the landing on Juno Beach in Normandy on June 6, 1944 – in what we know today at D-Day.

He would have trained with John ‘Weston’ CAMPBELL from Clermont, Prince Edward Island.   In ‘No Retreating Footsteps’, author Will Bird recorded that among “…the officers selected to land in France on D Day with the North Novas….” was Lt. J.W. Campbell who would be leading an anti-tank platoon. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/09/30/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-clermont-killed-during-operation-veritable/)

…Everett survived D-Day….

D-Day invasion map. The Canadians landed on Juno Beach in Normandy, France. (Map source: https://www.ddaylepe.org.uk/index.php/overlord-neptune/)

In April 1943, the Regiment moved to a marshalling area south of Southampton and continued training….and waiting….

The North Nova Scotia Highlanders, as part of the 21st Army Group’s Allied Expeditionary Force, left England for Normandy, France on June 6, 1944, after waiting in place in the English Channel on landing craft earlier.   The war diary for Sunday, June 4, 1944 noted that “…we are tied up with two other landing craft tank.   The Padre is on one, so he had a church service at 10:30 hours on the quarter deck of the middle craft…”

On June 5, 1944 the war diary recorded that “…at 14:00 hours the flotilla moved out to the open sea and formed up with the other craft taking part in the invasion…”

After landing on the beaches of Normandy on June 6, 1944, as part of the 9th Infantry Brigade, 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, 21st Army Group, the war diary noted that the Regiment had 10 casualties that day– 4 killed, 6 wounded. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/06/01/on-the-war-memorial-trail-commemorating-the-80th-anniversary-of-d-day/)

Everett had survived D-Day but his luck ran out a month later, as the Regiment moved through France towards Caen.

…Everett was wounded during Operation Charnwood….

On July 8, 1944, the war diary recorded that “….at 0600 hours this morning, operation ‘Charnwood’ commenced with a heavy aerial bombardment…” prior to the participation a few hours later by the Regiment.   Operation Charnwood was an Anglo-Canadian offensive that took place from July 8-9, 1944, during the Battle for Caen, part of the larger Operation Overlord. The objective of Operation Charnwood was to clear Caen up to the Orne river and, if possible, to secure bridgeheads in southern Caen. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Charnwood)

The Regiment’s task, once two towns were captured by other troops, was to “…capture Authie, exploiting forward to Franqueville….This phase of the battle began at 0900 hours…. At approximately 1045 hours, when the two villages were considered held, we pushed forward to the forming up point which was just south of Buron…Very heavy casualties were inflicted on us by mortar and 88 mm shell fire…”

Everett was one of the casualties, with a gunshot wound in his right leg.  He was evacuated to England, and then taken by train to No. 4 Canadian General Hospital in Aldershot on July 10, 1944.   He was moved to No. 13 Canadian General Hospital on July 16, 1944, remaining there until September 5, 1944, when he was sent for a few days to No. 1 Canadian Special Hospital in Hellingly, East Sussex.

The Canadian Red Cross Overseas Headquarters received a request for a welfare check on Everett by his family on September 18, 1944, and the Matron in Charge at No. 1 Canadian Special Hospital was duly notified and requested for information.

By this point, however, Everett had been transferred to the 4th Canadian Convalescent Depot (CCD) in Farnborough, Hampshire on September 8, 1944. This was a military facility where recovering Canadian soldiers stayed to regain strength and physical fitness before returning to active duty or reinforcement units.  This was Everett’s home until he was discharged on December 22, 1944, and placed with No. 3 Canadian Infantry Training Regiment (CITR) for additional physical conditioning before being sent back to active duty.

….Everett returned to his Regiment in March 1945….

Everett returned to active duty, rejoining the North Nova Scotia Highlanders on March 5, 1945. By this time, the Regiment was in Germany, part of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, preparing to capture Xanten, near the end of Operation Blockbuster, in a battle that took place between March 8 and 11, 1945.   (See https://legionmagazine.com/the-taking-of-xanten/)

By March 20, 1945, Allied troops were on the banks of the Rhine River for Operation Plunder, a military operation to cross the Rhine on the night of March 23, 1945. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Plunder)

On March 25, 1945, the North Nova Scotia Highlanders were in Bienen, Germany for the climax of 9 Canadian Infantry Brigade’s role in Operation Plunder.

A few years ago, Alice van Bekkum, Chair of the Groesbeek Cemetery Faces To Graves Foundation, had sent Pieter a list of 39 soldiers from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment who were killed during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945. Although there were more casualties from this battle, the list was of North Nova Scotia Highlanders buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands.

The date of the battle was very meaningful.  “…They died on my birthday! I was just one year old!…” Pieter had exclaimed.  This resulted in a series of stories about several of the fatalities, and a visit to Bienen during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour.

….Everett was wounded a second time during the Battle of Bienen….

Map shows position of North Novies on March 25, 1945, near Bienen.  (Map source: Project ’44)

Stolpi on WW2Talk provided background on the leadup to the battle.  “… As night fell on D-Day, 24 March, only on the extreme left of the forces involved in the 21st Army Group’s Rhine Crossing was the situation sketchy indeed. There, in the 30 Corps’ sector at Rees, twelve British and Canadian battalions, supported by 44 DD tanks had crossed the river and formed a small bridgehead. The 51st Highland Division had reached the edge of Bienen, penetrated into Speldrop and were in, though not yet master of, Rees.

A further expansion of the bridgehead was canalized by the old river beds. Only two openings were available through which led the main roads to the north and northwest. One was on the left at Bienen, a narrow land bridge formed by the old river arm of the Alter Rhein and the Millinger Meer, through which passed the main road to Emmerich; the other was at Empel formed by the Millinger and Empeler Meer, here ran the main road to Isselburg. Both offered great advantages to the enemy defense: they were easy to block and he only could be dislodged by frontal assault.

Early on March 25th, it was decided to step up the 30 Corps’ operation to enlarge the bridgehead, by inserting the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade,commanded by Brigadier J.M. Rockingham, on the left. The 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade was to relieve the 154 Brigade and continue the attack on Bienen.

All through the 25th the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade made strenuous efforts to seize Bienen and open up a passage towards the north and northwest, in the direction of Millingen and Emmerich. The assignment went to the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, which was the last of the battalions of the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade to arrive in the bridgehead….”

March 25, 1945 was Palm Sunday – one week before Easter. The battle began in the morning and didn’t end until late that evening.  Right from the start, troops were pinned down, “…suffering heavy casualties…” per the Regiment’s war diary for that day.  Worse, in terms of communications, “….contact between platoons was next to impossible because of the murderous fire and heavy mortaring….”

The one day battle proved devastating in terms of casualties, both dead and wounded, as they fought in a deadly battle on open ground.  Less than 3 weeks after returning to active duty, Everett was in the midst of his second battle.  Around 3 pm, he received serious wounds that ended his active war service: gunshot wound with shrapnel in his chest and shrapnel wounds in his right upper arm.  A bazooka bomb that had exploded near him during the battle resulted in permanent hearing loss. He was one of 68 men wounded, but unlike so many of the soldiers, he survived.

He was initially taken to the nearby No. 3 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station. On March 30, 1945, he was transferred to No. 6 Canadian General Hospital in Sint-Michielsgestel, The Netherlands, before being evacuated to No. 19 Canadian General Hospital in Basingstoke, England on April 17, 1945.

Everett was still in hospital recovering from wounds received during the Battle of Bienen when WWII ended in Europe.  On May 22, 1945, Everett was sent to Roman Way Convalescent Hospital in Colchester, Essex, for physical rehabilitation and recovery, remaining there until June 25, 1945.

NOTE: For an idea of some of the places that the Regiment travelled through in Germany, and our visit to Bienen during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2026/02/06/on-the-war-memorial-trail-we-follow-the-route-taken-into-germany-by-canadian-troops-in-1945/

….Everett returned to Prince Edward Island after being demobilized….

After leaving hospital, Everett remained on light duty in England until January 27, 1946, when he was repatriated back to Canada, and posted to No. 6 District Depot in Halifax, until he was demobilized from the Canadian Army on April 17, 1946.

Edna and Everett Gallant on their wedding day.  (Photo courtesy of the Gallant Family.  Photo restoration by Pieter Valkenburg)

Everett married Edna Mary Gallant at St. Anthony’s Church in Bloomfield, Prince Edward Island, on August 6, 1947, and they raised 9 children.  “…My parents both grew up in Piusville and were neighbours….”  Elaine said.

Gallant’s Scrap Iron & Metal in Summerside is run by the Gallant family.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Everett worked for 14 years for the Department of Defence at the Canadian Forces Base in Summerside, before starting a scrap metal business in 1966. Gallant’s Scrap Iron & Metal is still run by the Gallant family.

A few years before his death, Everett was interviewed for a ‘Memories of D-Day’ article, published on July 27, 2001 in the Journal Pioneer newspaper. “….One of those serving was a 20 year old from Piusville, Everett J. Gallant.  For Gallant, now 77 and living in Summerside, the memories of D-Day have been left behind with time. 

Gallant says the more he talks about it, the more memories come back. He was a member of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders then and a young private in the army.  About a month after the landing he was wounded in France when a piece of shrapnel went into his right leg.  His first cousin ‘Johnny’ Gallant dressed his wound.

After spending some time in an English hospital he went out again to serve and was later wounded in Germany.  He still has a piece of shrapnel in his chest, but he says it doesn’t bother him a bit.

Once back in Canada, Gallant married a former classmate, Edna, and later became involved in the Miscouche Legion, of which he is past president...”

Elaine noted that it wasn’t until just a few years before Everett died that he learned that it was his cousin ‘Johnny’ Gallant, who also survived the war, who had dressed his wound so long ago in France!

….Everett is buried in Summerside….

Everett passed away, aged 82, at Prince County Hospital in Summerside, Prince Edward Island, on September 24, 2005, and is buried in Saint Paul’s Roman Catholic Cemetery in Summerside.

Elaine Gallant by the grave of her parents.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Elaine, Brenda, and I visited Everett’s grave one sunny morning in August.  Asked to describe her father as we left the cemetery, Elaine reflected that he “…was a gentle man who loved his family, was devoted to Mom, loved his animals.  He was a hard working man who would give the shirt off of his back to anyone who needed it…”

Both Elaine and Brenda explained that Everett never spoke about the war, except to express his “…profound sadness at the loss of all the young men who died, including his friends...”

Elaine Gallant with photos of her parents.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Thank you to Elaine Gallant and Brenda Graves for providing photos and information, and Stolpi on WW2Talk for background on the leadup to the Battle of Bienen.  Pieter’s research efforts to find photos and families of soldiers continue. Do you have a story to tell? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Previous stories about North Novies killed during the Battle of Bienen and buried in Groesbeek….

….Want to follow our research?…

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so.  Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw.

Never miss a posting!  Subscribe below to have each new story from the war memorial trail delivered to your inbox.

On The War Memorial Trail….. The WWII Soldier Born In Samburg Who Lost His Life During The Liberation Of Deventer

/ On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 2 Comments

Kalyna berries and leaves. (Photo source: Wikipedia, by Lestat (Jan Mehlich) – Own work)

September 8, 2026. Sometimes Pieter asks me to select a soldier for him to research from one of the photo wish lists that he receives from the Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands.  Occasionally a name is picked because of the date of death and the Regiment, other times because of a surname or place of residence.

 …Jim Kosowan was of Ukrainian heritage….

When I came across the name James ‘Jim’ John George KOSOWAN, listed as being from Kalyna, Saskatchewan, I asked Pieter to choose that soldier.  Why him? he asked.  It’s a Ukrainian surname, I replied, and Kalyna, which we know in English as a viburnum shrub (Viburnum opulus, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Viburnum_opulus) with red berries, is an ethnic and national symbol of Ukraine that symbolizes resilience, strength, and the fight for freedom.

Samburg, Saskatchewan is near the larger town of Prince Albert.  (Map source: Google Maps)

Ok, Pieter said, but when he began his research, he learned that the soldier was born on December 18, 1920 in Samburg, Saskatchewan, near the town of Prince Albert, the son of George and Maria (nee Pusta) Kosowan, who had both immigrated to Canada in the late 1800s from Eastern Europe. The Kalyna reference in his service file came from where his family was living at the time of his enlistment.

…Jim’s nephew contributed a photo…

Jim had 4 sisters and 6 brothers, and it was the family of Jim’s sister Rose Sanjenko that Pieter quickly got in contact with once he began his research. When we asked Jim’s nephew, Randy Sanjenko, how the photos he submitted should be attributed, his response was heartfelt.  “….Please just say they are from family who love and miss him….Thank you for keeping the story of all those brave young men alive because l am a believer in never forget….”

….Jim enlisted in 1942 under NRMA…

James ‘Jim’ John George Kosowan.  (Photo courtesy of the Kosowan Family)

On March 12, 1942, Jim enlisted under the National Resources Mobilization Act (NRMA) at No. 2 NRMA Clearing Depot in Newmarket, Ontario. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Resources_Mobilization_Act)

At the time of his enlistment, Jim stated he was an auto mechanic, had experience working on his family’s wheat farm near Kalyna, Saskatchewan, and was working as a packer at O’Keefe Breweries in Toronto for the past 18 months. In addition to English, he could speak Russian and Ukrainian. His brother Johnny was in the Royal Canadian Artillery.

He took his basic training at No. 23 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre in Newmarket, and then was sent to the A11 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Borden, Ontario on May 14, 1942.

On September 15, 1942, Jim was sent to No. 4 Aerodrome Defence Platoon, a specialized mobile defensive unit tasked with safeguarding critical military airports, airfields, and Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) installations against ground assaults, sabotage, and enemy paratrooper attacks. A few days later, on September 19, 1942, Jim was temporarily attached to the 1st Battalion, Saint John Fusiliers (Machine Gun) in Sydney, Nova Scotia.

The Battalion was stationed in Canada on home defence duty as part of the 18th Infantry Brigade, 6th Canadian Division.  With the Battle of the Atlantic underway off of the Canadian coast, and German U-boats actively targeting shipping vessels in the Gulf of St. Lawrence and near Cape Breton, the Battalion was tasked with key security duties.  The men were on guard detail to protect vital infrastructure around the strategic industrial hub of Sydney and its heavily used wartime shipping harbour. As well, coastal defence support was provided in assisting nearby coastal batteries to deter potential enemy beach landings or sabotage. (See https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/battle-of-the-atlantic)

Military training also continued for the men.  Jim qualified as a Driver i/c Track Class III on March 3, 1943.  (The term ‘Driver i/c’ refers to ‘Driver, internal combustion’. Track Class III meant he was qualified to drive heavy trucks and armoured cars.)

….Jim enlisted in the Active Army in 1943…

James ‘Jim’ John George Kosowan playing a guitar.  (Photo courtesy of the Kosowan Family.  Photo restoration by Pieter Valkenburg)

On October 1, 1943, Jim transferred to the Active Army, enlisting in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, but remained with No. 4 Aerodrome Defence Platoon.  He was sent to No. 2 Transit Camp in Debert, Nova Scotia, where his training continued.

He qualified as a Driver i/c Class III (Wheeled) on October 19, 1943.  (The term ‘Driver i/c’ refers to ‘Driver, internal combustion’. Class III (Wheeled) meant he was qualified to drive heavy trucks and armoured cars, but not tanks.)

On July 5, 1944, Jim was given 9 days of special leave, in what turned out to be the last chance he had to see his family.  Upon returning from leave, he was transferred to No. 1 Transit Camp in Windsor, Nova Scotia.  This was a final staging, preparation, and administrative processing area before being sent overseas.

….Jim left Canada for overseas service ……

On September 1, 1944, Jim travelled by train directly from Windsor to the Halifax docks to board a troopship, which left Halifax on September 2, 1944, and arrived in the United Kingdom on September 6, 1944. Upon arrival, he was placed with No. 3 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU).

He didn’t remain long in the United Kingdom, as on October 7, 1944, he was transferred to the X-4 Reinforcement List of the 21st Army Group, and sent to France on October 8, 1944, arriving a day later.

Red coloured soldier marks location of Royal Winnipeg Rifles on October 14, 1944. (Map source: Project 44)

On October 14, 1944, he was transferred to the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, joining them in Maldegem, Belgium, near the border with The Netherlands.  The Royal Winnipeg Rifles War Diary for that day noted that “…a few reinforcements arrived and were immediately posted to their companys….”

The reinforcements were needed as on October 6, 1944, Operation Switchback, the second main operation of the Battle of the Scheldt had begun, with the goal of clearing the ‘Breskens Pocket’ – the German defences around Breskens in The Netherlands. (See https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/breskenspocket.htm)

….Jim was wounded during Operation Switchback…

Blue arrow indicates Zuidzande where Jim Kosowan was wounded.  Blue circle shows location of Maldegem, where he joined the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. (Map source: Google Maps)

On October 28, 1944, during the final phase of Operation Switchback, part of the larger Battle of the Scheldt, the Regiment was clearing German strongholds and capturing prisoners of war in the area of Zuidzande, The Netherlands, near the Belgian-Dutch border.  As part of the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade in the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, they faced heavy resistance, artillery fire, and minefields, as they tried to clear the Scheldt Estuary and open the shipping route to Antwerp, Belgium.

Jim was wounded by shrapnel from an exploding grenade and spent over a month in hospital. Three members of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles died that day and are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem, Belgium….

  • Elmond Joseph CHOQUETTE, born in Mariapolis (Glenora), Manitoba, aged 26
  • Richard Francis GYLES, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, aged 20
  • Leonard Andrew HEEKS, of Edmonton, Alberta, aged 20

…. Jim returned to duty in December 1944….

Jim returned to duty on December 12, 1944, rejoining the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, now stationed in the Nijmegen area of the Netherlands, near the German border, where they remained over the winter.  While based in a relatively safe area, they still were busy, conducting defence operations and sentry duties near the German border, reconnaissance patrols to monitor enemy positions.

They also tackled infrastructure tasks, such as clearing ice on the Waal River and doing road maintenance.  On the day Jim returned to the Regiment, 7 men drowned in a tragic accident when the vehicle they were in lost control on a dike, slid down the embankment and into the water.  The war diary explained that they “…were pinned down under the carrier and were drowned….” They were part of a group of 13 men sent to repair a road running from a local railway bridge back to regimental headquarters.

…. Jim was involved in the liberation of North-West Europe….

By January 1945 the Royal Winnipeg Rifles were still in The Netherlands, and spent the New Year in ‘s-Hertogenbosch.

On February 1, 1945, the war diary recorded that the Regiment was informed of the part that the men “…would play in Operation Veritable…” This would take them into Germany. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Veritable)  The Regiment arrived in Millingen, Germany on February 9, 1945.

By February 16, 1945, the Regiment was based in Essen, Germany, as they cleared German positions in flooded areas of the Rhine flood plain and the Reichswald forest, which is close to the Dutch-German border.

On March 11, 1945, the Regiment began moving back towards ‘s-Hertogenbosch, The Netherlands and the greater battle towards liberating the country.

….The Liberation of Deventer involved crossing the Schipbeek ….

Movement of Canadian troops towards Deventer.  Note that all first had to cross the Schipbeek.  (Map provided by Edwin van der Wolf)

On April 7, 1945, the Royal Winnipeg Rifles were ordered to cross the Schipbeek and establish a bridgehead as preparation for an assault on the city of Deventer by the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade.

Crossing the Schipbeek was vital to the success of the bridge operation, not an easy feat as the Bridge was strongly defended by the Germans, but the Regiment was able to meet its objective.

NOTE: For an account of our visit to Schipbeek and Bathmen during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/10/26/on-the-war-memorial-trail-visit-to-bathmen-and-the-schipbeek-canal/

….Jim lost his life during the Liberation of Deventer…

On April 10, 1945, the Regiment was involved in the liberation of Deventer, a town lying on the right bank of the IJssel River.  With the approaches protected by a maze of waterways, it was necessary to attack from the east. (See https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/deventer.htm)

In ‘Little Black Devils: A History Of The Royal Winnipeg Rifles’ authors Bruce Tascona and Eric Wells noted that Deventer “…was a town of 50,000, which the Germans had fortified with an anti-tank ditch.  The battle began with a night attack at 0100 by the Canadian Scottish on the enemy’s right flank, and the Rifles struck their left flank at 0700.

Over the next 10 hours, the Rifles were continuously engaged, first in pushing back the enemy’s outer positions on the open ground before the big ditch.  Casualties were heavy….”

Deventer was liberated by 5 pm, but Jim unfortunately didn’t see this outcome, as he lost his life at some point during the fight.

On our 2017 European War Memorial Tour, we’d visited Deventer and the surrounding area with Edwin van der Wolf, one of the research volunteers at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands, so we were familiar with the area where Jim and Clive Elbert Steele GEROW,  whose story was previously told, lost their lives. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/10/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-burks-falls-killed-during-the-liberation-of-deventer/)

Pieter and Edwin van der Wolf (right) walked along the route near Schalkhaar that Canadian troops took before  they liberated Deventer in April 1945.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

….Jim is buried in Holten…

Along with 45 other soldiers, Jim was initially buried beside an estate in Oxe before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands on December 17, 1945.

Pieter at the entrance to the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

During our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, Pieter placed a Canadian flag by his grave.  Unfortunately, on this trip, we did not have any Saskatchewan flags.

Pieter at the grave of James ‘Jim’ John George Kosowan after placing a Canadian flag. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

…The Colmschate Memorial commemorates 46 Canadians….

On April 8, 2015, a memorial had been placed in Colmschate to commemorate the 46 Canadians who had been temporarily buried on the Oxe estate.

Memorial in Colmschate, commemorating 46 Canadians, including James Kosowan. (Photo courtesy of Edwin van der Wolf)

Text of Memorial in Colmschate, commemorating 46 Canadians, including Philip Laforte.  (Photo courtesy of Edwin van der Wolf)

Translation of the Dutch text was prepared by Pieter Valkenburg:

They Gave Their Lives

The liberation of Colmschate

During their advance from the Achterhoek, the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, the Regina Rifle Regiment, and the Canadian Scottish Regiment, led by Brigadier General T G Gibson reached the neighborhood of Oxe on Friday April 6, 1945. Next to the house on the Oxe estate (Oxerhof), the liberators discovered the bodies of ten Dutchmen who had been murdered in cold blood by the occupiers the day before. The Canadians passed the Schipbeek via a quickly struck bailey bridge, which replaced the destroyed Swormertoren Bridge.

Despite heavy German resistance, they continued north. Many farms went up in flames and houses were badly damaged. Many families sought refuge in the already liberated Oxe. Some residents lost their lives.

On April 8, 1945, the liberators captured (a small part of) the Snippeling, Colmschate, and the Bannink. Via the Vijfhoek they reached the Crödden Bridge over the Overijssels Canal. Schalkhaar and Deventer were then liberated and with the help of the Queen’s Own Rifles the remaining part of the Snippeling.

Many Canadians lost their lives in the battle in this area. In April 1945, the bodies of 46 fallen Canadians were buried in a temporary resting place opposite the Oxerhof house. In January 1946 they were transferred to the Canadian Cemetery in Holten (Plot I and II).

Two other soldiers whose stories were previously told are listed on this monument:

….Kosowan Lake is named after Jim…

Kosowan Lake is in northern Saskatchewan. (Map source: Google Maps)

In 1952, Kosowan Lake in northern Saskatchewan, near the border with North West Territories, was named after Jim as part of the GeoMemorial Commemorative Naming Program.

Kosowan Lake is located at the coordinates 59°25′39″N 106°28′17″W.  (Map source: https://geonames.nrcan.gc.ca)

Thank you to Randy Sanjenko, Jim’s nephew, for submitting photos and memories, to Bonnie Sanjenko for contacting her brother-in-law Randy, and to Shawn Rainville for newspaper research.

The Canadian flag placed at Jim’s grave during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour was donated.  Our thanks go to Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque.

While we were at the cemetery placing flags, we met Jane Kondakova, a Ukrainian refugee from the Kyiv region, who was living in the village of Holten with her two young children.  She was placing flags at the graves of soldiers of Ukrainian descent, including James Kosowan, to honour them and her husband, who is in the Ukrainian military.

Pieter’s research efforts to find photos and families of soldiers continue. Do you have a story to tell? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so.  Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

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On The War Memorial Trail…..The WWII Sapper From Rogersville Killed In A Vehicle Accident Shortly After V-E Day

/ On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

August 31, 2026. A few months ago, when I visited our local library, the library technician, Elsie Hovey, asked if I’d like to meet a woman who had just taken out ‘Holten Heroes: Stories from a Canadian Field of Honour’, a compilation of stories about many of the 1,394 Canadians buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands.

Written by Dutch journalist Jan Braakman, the book was translated by us from the original Dutch language book ‘Holtense Canadezen’, and a copy of the book was added to the Prince Edward Island Library Catalogue in the fall of 2025.  (For more information on the book, see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/11/01/new-book-about-soldiers-buried-in-the-canadian-war-cemetery-in-holten-the-netherlands/)

Laurie Ann McCardle with the Holten Heroes book. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Of course, I said yes, which is how we met Laurie Ann McCardle of Lady Fane, a community not far from where we live. She explained that her great-uncle, Edgar BLAQUIERE, was buried in Holten, and his name was listed in the book’s index on page 124.   

Although Edgar was from New Brunswick, his father had been born in Rustico, Prince Edward Island.  Laurie Ann and her family are not only Islanders, but it turned out there was a rich history of military service.

“…My Mom, Shirley Gauthier, lives in Summerside, and is 90 years old.  Dad was Ron Gauthier, nephew of Edgar Blaquiere, whose mother Dorina was Edgar’s sister. Dad died 22 years ago….”  Laurie Ann explained.

“…Both of my parents were in the military.  Dad was a radar operator in the RCAF.  Mom was a plotter in the RCAF but had to leave the service when she got pregnant. Mom’s dad, George Emmerson Gallant, came from Bloomfield.  He was in the North Novies and survived the war….”

….Edgar enlisted at the age of 19…

Located about 90 km from Moncton, Rogersville, New Brunswick became part of the village of Nouvelle-Arcadie in 2022. (Map source: Google Maps)

Born July 25, 1921 in Rogersville, Northumberland County, New Brunswick, Edgar was the son of Jonas and Anna (nee LeBlanc) Blaquiere.  One of 6 children, he had one brother Edward ‘Eddie’, who also served in WWII, and four sisters: Doris, Elva, Dorina, Viola.

Edgar left school at the age of 14, and was employed as a miner and driller at NB Coal, a coal mining company in Minto, New Brunswick for two years when he enlisted at the Carleton & York Regimental Depot in Woodstock, New Brunswick on May 31, 1940.  Before that he had worked at Sturgeon River Gold Mines in Sturgeon River, Ontario, and was a member of the United Mine Workers of America.

Fluent in both English and French orally and in written English, he stated that he enjoyed playing team sports – baseball, softball, and soccer.  Edgar explained in an interview that he supported his mother and younger sister Viola, as his mother “…has throat trouble and loss of speech…” His father, a cobbler who had been paralyzed for many years, died in 1932, when Edgar was only 11 years old.

After completing his basic training, Edgar was transferred to the A14 Canadian Infantry Training Centre (CITC) in Camp Aldershot, Nova Scotia on July 17, 1940 for more intensive combat training in tactical firearm use and field exercises.

He remained at Camp Aldershot until March 28, 1941, when he was transferred to the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment in Sussex, New Brunswick, which was preparing for overseas duty.

Edgar Blaquiere. (Photo courtesy of the Gauthier Family)

On July 4, 1941, Edgar was given 3 days of embarkation leave, the last chance he had to see his family.

….Edgar left Canada for overseas service ……

Edgar left Canada aboard the Duchess of York troopship.  (Photo source: Wikipedia re New York Public Library digital gallery)

After returning from leave, Edgar, along with other members of the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, travelled by train from Bathurst, New Brunswick to Halifax, Nova Scotia, and boarded the troopship Duchess of York, which sailed for Great Britain on July 18, 1941. Part of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division, the soldiers disembarked in Liverpool, England on July 30, 1941, and began intensive physical and amphibious assault training.

On October 16, 1941, Edgar was posted to the 3rd Division’s Reinforcement Infantry Holding Unit, before being transferred to the No. 1 Canadian Engineers Holding Unit, Royal Canadian Engineers, in Hawley, Hampshire, as a sapper on December 3, 1941.

In a December 10, 1941 interview, Edgar expressed a wish to join a tunnelling company.  He subsequently passed the technical tests, and qualified as a Miner Group ‘C’ and a Driver Group ‘B’.  (A Group ‘B’ driver was qualified to drive non-combat transport trucks. A Miner Group ‘C’ Group ‘C’ qualification was focused on fundamental hard-rock mining, hand tools, and field safety.)

On March 6, 1942, Edgar was transferred to 1st Mechanical Equipment Company, a specialized unit of the Royal Canadian Engineers, whose role was to operate heavy engineering and mechanical equipment in support of large-scale construction, fortification, and infrastructure projects.

….Edgar was transferred to No. 1 Canadian Tunnelling Company ……

Edgar’s wish to join a tunnelling company within the Royal Canadian Engineers became a reality on October 19, 1942, when he was transferred to No. 1 Canadian Tunnelling Company, which was involved in airfield demolition, mining and power plant construction in the British Isles.

He was injured in his right knee on February 16, 1943 and hospitalized until March 19, 1943, after an accident while working on a military bridge.  According to the accident report, Edgar “….was part of a transom party.  He was carrying the end of a transom when he slipped in the mud. The end of the transom slipped down and hit him on the knee…”  Transoms of timber were used as support beams for military bridging or heavy tunneling equipment.

….Edgar was in the Italian Campaign ……

The Italian Campaign followed Operation Husky in Sicily. (Map source: Juno Beach Centre)

On August 16, 1943, as a member of a special detachment of No. 1 Canadian Tunnelling Company, Royal Canadian Engineers, Edgar boarded a ship, which left the United Kingdom on August 17, 1943, and arrived in Sicily on August 24, 1943, part of the Central Mediterranean Force, just as Operation Husky (the invasion of Sicily) was ending and the Italian Campaign beginning. (See https://project44.ca/storymaps/southern-italy/)

Other units in No. 1 Canadian Tunnelling Company had been involved in Operation Husky since it began in July 1943.  From Sicily, the Company crossed over to the Italian mainland across the Strait of Messina via amphibious transport and landing craft as part of the Allied invasion forces, following in the general path of the British Eighth Army, in September 1943.

In the Italian Campaign, hard-rock miners and engineers immediately needed to begin blasting mountain passes, clearing high-altitude routes, and repairing demolished infrastructure obstructed by retreating Axis (German and Italian) forces.  The unit supported the British Eighth Army in harsh winter conditions, cutting roads into sheer rock cliffs, clearing mountain blockages, and maintaining vital supply routes.

….Edgar was hospitalized on Boxing Day 1943……

On December 26, 1943, the No. 1 Canadian Tunnelling Company was on the front lines of the Italian Campaign as Allied forces pushed through the rugged terrain of mainland Italy, in the immediate aftermath of the Battle of Ortona (which saw its fiercest fighting from December 20–28, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Ortona).  While not in a direct combat role, the unit was clearing high-altitude routes, blasting obstructed mountain passes, and removing German demolitions so that British, Canadian, and American combat groups could advance.

61.8 km (38 miles) separate Torino di Sangro and Termoli in Italy. (Map source: Google Maps)

At some point during the day, Edgar was admitted to 216th Field Ambulance of the British Royal Army Medical Corps (RAMC), which was located in Torino di Sangro, Italy during the Moro River Campaign and the Battle of Ortona.  Later that day, Edgar was taken to the British Army’s 19 Casualty Clearing Station (CCS), located inside the San Antonio de Padua Seminary in the coastal town of Termoli.

The distance between Termoli and Bari is 213 km (132 miles). (Map source: Google Maps)

The following day, Edgar was moved 213 km (132 miles) down the coast to the 98th British General Hospital in Bari, Italy.  It wouldn’t have been an easy journey in war-time conditions.

The circumstance of why Edgar was hospitalized was not documented in his service file, but as no mention was made of combat injuries from blasting work, enemy shellfire, or falling rock, he may have been hospitalized due to a winter-related illness, such as cold or flu, trench foot from being in wet and cold conditions, or exhaustion.

Edgar remained in hospital until January 14, 1944, when he returned to duty.

….Edgar served in Italy until April 1945…

In March 1944, No. 1 Canadian Tunnelling Company was renamed No. 1 Canadian Drilling Company to better reflect its updated technical role and changing military technology, but the unit remained in Italy, undertaking critical infrastructure, demolition, and engineering tasks, until April 1945, long after other Canadian forces had left for North-West Europe.

Edgar qualified as a Driver i/c Wheeled on September 5, 1944.  (The term ‘Driver i/c’ refers to ‘Driver, internal combustion’. Wheeled meant he was qualified to drive heavy trucks and armoured cars.)

On April 17, 1945, Edgar left Italy as part of Operation Goldflake, arriving in Marseilles, France the following day.  Operation Goldflake was the codename for moving troops from Italy to North-West Europe.  (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Goldflake)  While the main body of the 1st Canadian Corps had moved earlier in February and March 1945, specialized engineer units like No. 1 Canadian Drilling Company completed their final transfers out of Italy in April.

After arriving in France, and now serving under the 1st Canadian Army Group Royal Engineers, the unit moved to temporary transit camps set up around Marseilles, where they processed administrative paperwork, underwent equipment checks, and prepared their heavily specialized diamond-drilling and tunneling gear for northern transit.  Travelling by convoy trucks and trains, they went north through the Rhone Valley towards Belgium and The Netherlands.

Arriving in North-West Europe shortly before Victory in Europe (V-E) Day on May 8, 1945, the unit was tasked with supporting structural engineering tasks.  After the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division captured the city of Oldenburg, Germany on May 2, 1945, the unit was one of the engineering and drilling units tasked with securing infrastructure and clearing pathways.

….Edgar died in a vehicle accident…

Edgar had survived to see V-E Day, but he was not fated to return home to Canada.  On May 14, 1945, while filling in as a despatch rider while the regular despatch rider was on leave, 24 year old Edgar died in a vehicle accident in Germany.

In a statement during the Court of Inquiry following the accident, Sgt F. M. GRONERT, Acting Platoon Commander for No. 2 Drilling Platoon, stated that at 1 pm on the afternoon of May 14, Edgar had been sent “…to pick up situation reports from other platoons and deliver them to Headquarters…”

Red circle shows Oldenburg where Edgar was based.  He was travelling on the 21 km (13 miles) route from Papenburg towards Leer when the accident happened. (Map source: Michelin Maps)

One of the witnesses, Bombardier J. P. REID of 58 Battery, 4th Canadian Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, testified that “…on the road between Papenburg and Leer there was a despatch rider going in front of our vehicle at about 25 miles per hour. There was a Polish convoy coming from the other direction. There was a bump in the road…”  Edgar was going towards Leer, the Polish convoy was coming from Leer.

Trying to avoid the bump, Edgar “…swung to the centre of the road… and lost control….” Unfortunately, he crashed his motorcycle “…into the first vehicle of the Polish Convoy….”

In trying to avoid the motorcycle, the Polish driver “…pulled over to the left of the road and crashed into our lorry. When the vehicles finally came to rest, the motorcycle was between the two lorries and the despatch rider was under the right wheel of the Polish vehicle…”

The soldiers tried to help free him from the wreckage and “…a Canadian padre took him to a hospital towards Leer…” but his injuries were fatal.

….Edgar is buried in Holten…

Edgar was initially buried, on May 16, 1945, in a temporary cemetery just south-west of Winschoten, before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten on April 12, 1946.

Shirley Gauthier with her daughters Michele Vander Kooi (left) and Laurie Ann McCardle (right) visited the grave of Edgar Blaquiere on September 10, 2012.  (Photo courtesy of Laurie Ann McCardle)

Thank you to Laurie Ann McCardle for providing photos and information.  Thank you also to Etienne Gaudet for clarifying terminology in French language documents. Pieter’s research efforts to find photos and families of soldiers continue. Do you have a story to tell? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following our research, you are welcome to do so.  Our blog address: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/

4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

Subscribe to our YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw.

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