July 19, 2025. Every year we receive an invitation to attend the annual commemoration ceremony in May at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. For the first time, however, we were able to accept the invitation as we would be in Europe.
Pieter made sure that flags had been placed ahead of the May 2, 2025 ceremony at all of the 120 graves on our research list at the cemetery, and we were very happy to see them all still in place. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/06/23/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-groesbeek-exhibition-part-1-flags-placed-at-120-graves/)
….A beautiful ceremony…
On May 2, 2025, we were picked up by Henk Vincent, a volunteer at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, which was near where we were staying. Henk had offered us a ride, for which we were grateful as traffic was heavy and a 2 hour drive each way was not one we had been looking forward to.
Pieter and I had assigned seating in the ‘Canadian contingent’ and were placed in the first row. I was next to a woman from Calgary, who was seated with her brother, a retired Assistant Commissioner of the RCMP. She said there were 9 of them travelling together, all present to honour a soldier named MacDonald….and all were originally from Amaranth, Manitoba, which is near Lake Manitoba and not far from Riding Mountain National Park. They were amazed to learn that I was also from Manitoba! Pieter just shook his head. He said I manage to meet someone from Manitoba everywhere I go.
The Canadian Forces Band marched past us as the ceremony began. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)
The ceremony itself was beautiful, but it was very hot and sunny. At 30oC, sitting outside for hours, with the hot sun beating down on everyone, was very uncomfortable. I ended up covering my head and shoulders with my sweater or I would have gotten heatstroke.
I wasn’t alone. There were a number of elderly WWII veterans – the oldest 101 – who had initially been placed in the front, but had to be moved into a shaded area.
Alice van Bekkum, Chair of Faces To Graves Groesbeek Foundation at the podium, near the Cross of Remembrance, during the ceremony at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)
….Caught on TV with a pink sweater on my head…
That evening, when we got back to the cottage we’d rented, there was an email from Don Coutts, saying that he had seen us briefly on CTV… and he sent the link. Yes…. we were caught on camera…….me with a sweater on my head, and Pieter in a red polo shirt.
CTV National News: ‘You are not forgotten’: Canadians honoured on 80th anniversary of Netherlands liberation- —–Friday, May 2, 2025. Stop the video at the 1 minute 5 second mark and see if you can spot us: https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/you-are-not-forgotten-canadians-honoured-on-80th-anniversary-of-netherlands-liberation/
….Pieter noticed a grave without a photo…
Grave of Donald Montgomery. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)
Where we were seated, and while waiting for the ceremony to start, Pieter noticed that there was a grave in the row that didn’t have a photo beside it. Always ready to do research, he took a photo of the grave and later looked up the soldier and found a photo. Donald MONTGOMERY of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, son of Malcolm and Catherine Montgomery, was serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry when he lost his life on March 2, 1945, aged 23.
In a subsequent email to Alice van Bekkum, Chair of Faces To Graves Groesbeek Foundation, he explained what happened. “….During the ceremony on May 2nd I was near the gravestone of a soldier without a photo, while in the same row most graves had a photo.
This intrigued me and so I took a photo of the gravestone. It is Donald Montgomery, he is buried in: XXIV. A. 15.
I found the accompanying photo on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. So now he has a face….”
Donald Montgomery. (Photo courtesy of Canadian Virtual War Memorial)
In 2027, during the next Faces of Groesbeek Exhibition, Donald Montgomery will have a photo by his grave!
….A tobacco pouch was placed at the grave of John Henry Lavigne…
Grave of John Henry Lavigne, who was serving with 9 Field Ambulance of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps when he died on August 21, 1945, aged 21. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)
Nova Wolf, Knowledge Keeper Musqueam First Nation, who was from Vancouver, was one of the first performers at the Commemoration Ceremony in Groesbeek. He spoke about his grandfather, and he sang and danced.
In his presentation, he mentioned how the Musqueam had fought the Haida First Nation in the past. Afterwards we spoke with him briefly, mentioning we had researched the story of Stanley Owen JONES, a WWII soldier and Haida Nation member of the Massett Band in British Columbia, who is buried in Holten. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/09/05/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembering-wwii-soldier-stanley-owen-jones/)
He asked about Indigenous soldiers in the cemetery in Groesbeek, and we said there were several, including a soldier from Restigouche, Quebec, John Henry LAVIGNE, at whose grave we had placed a Lnu (Mi’kmaw) flag. “…Where is the grave?…” he asked. We took him to it, and were very touched when he placed a tobacco pouch at his grave. What a thoughtful and kind young man!
Nova Wolf holds a tobacco pouch that he placed at the grave of John Henry Lavigne. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)
Thank you to the Faces To Graves Groesbeek Foundation for inviting us to attend the ceremony, and to Don Coutts for sending the CTV video clip. Thank you also to Della Maguire who had provided Lnu (Mi’kmaw) flag on behalf of the Toney/Smith Family in memory of Pte Leo Francis TONEY (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mi’kmaq and https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/05/22/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembering-ww2-soldier-leo-francis-toney/)
Over the next postings, we’ll continue to share the highlights of our adventures on the 2025 European War Memorial Trail on our journey of remembrance.
The research work continues for Pieter. If you have photos or information to share about soldiers buried in The Netherlands or Belgium, please email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.
© Daria Valkenburg
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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 Research Project........ with Pieter and Daria Valkenburg 