June 28, 2025. The 2025 Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition, which ran from April 26 to May 18, 2025 at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands, featured photos of soldiers that were placed by their graves. Photos are printed onto an aluminum backing, making them impervious to rain, and reusable. This year, 80% of the graves had a photo of the soldier.

The many volunteers from Faces To Graves Foundation Groesbeek, of which Alice van Bekkum is the Chair, worked tirelessly to make this exhibition possible.  You can watch a short video on the preparations that were involved in putting the photo exhibition together:

Pieter has been involved in finding photos of Canadians who are buried in all three Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands since 2014, with many of their stories told on this blog. 

This was the third Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition, with the first in 2021 and the second in 2023. Many of the graves with photos of soldiers, whose stories have been told in time for those Exhibitions, have been previously featured on this blog.

We were in The Netherlands and Belgium for the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemoration events, and placed flags at the graves of 383 soldiers in 14 cemeteries.

120 of the graves visited were in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek alone, including the graves of 3 soldiers from Alberta, 7 from Manitoba, and 3 from Quebec. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/06/23/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-groesbeek-exhibition-part-1-flags-placed-at-120-graves/)

…3 Soldiers From 3 Provinces Commemorated…

In Part 1, an overview of our day of flag placing at 120 graves was provided.  In Part 2, five soldiers from Prince Edward Island, whose stories have previously been told, were featured. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/06/26/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-groesbeek-exhibition-part-2-the-soldiers-from-prince-edward-island/)

Now, in Part 3, the graves and photos of 3 soldiers from the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, whose stories have previously been told, are featured. Two of the men, both serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, died within a day of each other during the Battle of Moyland Wood. 

Thomas ‘Tom’ Alfred BROWN from Altario, Alberta, was killed in action during the Battle of Moyland Wood in Germany on February 17, 1945, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/01/25/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-successful-search-for-a-photo-of-wwii-soldier-thomas-alfred-brown-left-us-with-a-mystery/

Norman Victor Holgate BUCHANAN, from Miami, Manitoba, lost his life in Germany on February 16, 1945, during the Battle of Moyland Wood, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.  You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/11/08/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-monument-in-st-claude-led-to-a-photo-of-a-wwii-soldier/

Joseph ‘Albert Noel’ LAMONTAGNE from Saint-Basile, Quebec, was killed in action during the advance towards Xanten in Germany on March 3, 1945, while serving with Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/02/05/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-saint-basile-who-lost-his-life-during-the-advance-towards-xanten/

….All of the flags placed at graves were donated…

All of the flags placed at graves were donated.  For the flags placed at the graves of soldiers from Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, our thanks go to: 

• Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian flags.
• Alberta flags were provided by Marie Renaud, MLA St Albert, Alberta at the request of Roman Berezowsky.
• Manitoba flags were provided by Brad Robertson, Chief of Protocol, Government of Manitoba, on behalf of Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba.
• Quebec flags were provided by Mario Henry and his brother Etienne Henry.

May we never forget the sacrifices made by these soldiers.  Perhaps all of the known graves of Canadians buried in Groesbeek will have a photo displayed by their grave at the next Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition in 2027.

In Part 4, the graves and photos of soldiers from New Brunswick, whose stories have previously been told, will be featured.

If you have a photo of a soldier buried at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek or one of the other cemeteries in The Netherlands, Pieter encourages you to email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

….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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