On The War Memorial Trail….2025 Faces of Holten Exhibition Part 4: Soldiers Who Drowned During Operation Duck

September 4, 2025September 13, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

Cross of Remembrance at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

September 4, 2025. Pieter has been involved in finding photos of Canadians who are buried in all three Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands since 2014, with stories of many soldiers told on this blog.

While in The Netherlands and Belgium for the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemoration events, he placed flags at the graves of 383 soldiers in 14 cemeteries. At the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands, flags were placed at 156 graves. Our visit coincided with The 2025 Faces Of Holten Exhibition, which ran for three weeks in May.

In Part 1, the graves and photos of soldiers who were killed near Posterenk in April 1945, and are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, were featured. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/08/24/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-holten-exhibition-part-1-soldiers-killed-near-posterenk/)

In Part 2, the graves and photos of two soldiers whose names are listed on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion were featured. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/08/29/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-holten-exhibition-part-2-the-soldiers-listed-on-the-cenotaph-in-borden-carleton/)

In Part 3, the graves and photos of soldiers killed in vehicle accidents were featured. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/09/01/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-holten-exhibition-part-3-soldiers-killed-while-travelling-in-vehicles/)

Now, in Part 4, six soldiers who lost their lives in the Battle of Leer during Operation Duck, whose stories have previously been told on this blog, are featured. Four of these soldiers were in the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment, while two were with the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders.

…6 soldiers who drowned during Operation Duck are commemorated…

Grave of Joseph ‘Ambroise’ Comeau. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Joseph ‘Ambroise’ COMEAU, from Lower Saulnierville, Nova Scotia, was one of 5 soldiers from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment who drowned in a tragic accident in the Battle of Leer in Germany on April 28, 1945, aged 21. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/05/17/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-tragic-drowning-on-the-leda-river-in-germany-part-3/

After sending a photo of the grave with Ambroise’s photo to his niece, Simone Comeau, she not only thanked us, but a few days later wrote to say that “…my son, Delphis, has a pen pal in The Hague and he told him about your project and that he had a great-uncle buried in the Holten cemetery. That pen pal went to visit his tomb the week of the commemorations and he sent Delphis a photo almost identical to the one you sent me.

Afterwards he sent him another one and he had added two flowers, a red one to represent Canada and an orange one to represent Holland. Delphis was so pleased that he wanted me to tell you….” What a lovely gesture by the pen pal!

Grave of Lewis Wilkieson Marsh. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Lewis Wilkieson MARSH, from Sydney Mines, Nova Scotia, was one of 5 soldiers from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment who drowned in a tragic accident in the Battle of Leer in Germany on April 28, 1945, aged 19. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/05/18/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-tragic-drowning-on-the-leda-river-in-germany-part-4/

RCMP piper Mike Ward played a lament at the grave of Lewis Wilkieson Marsh of Nova Scotia. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

While at the cemetery in Holten, we met others who were honouring the fallen, including an RCMP pipe band from Ottawa. One of the pipers noticed Pieter placing flags nearby at Lewis’s grave, and came over to play a lament. It was so hauntingly beautiful that I had tears in my eyes.

After sending a photo of the grave with the photo of Lewis to his niece, Burnie Reynaert, she wrote back to say “…Thank you, Daria and Pieter. My heart is full of gratitude for all you do. There are no words….”

Grave of Ruel Kitchener Matheson. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Ruel Kitchener MATHESON, from Dundas, Prince Edward Island, was one of 5 soldiers from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment who drowned in a tragic accident in the Battle of Leer in Germany on April 28, 1945, aged 29. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/05/18/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-tragic-drowning-on-the-leda-river-in-germany-part-4/

Grave of Francis ‘Frank’ Eugene Munroe. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Francis ‘Frank’ Eugene MUNROE, from Halifax, Nova Scotia, was one of 19 men from with the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders who drowned during the crossing of the Ems River in Germany on April 28, 1945, at the age of 22, while participating in Operation Duck. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/03/11/on-the-war-memorial-trail-tragedy-on-the-ems-part-2-the-wwii-soldier-from-halifax-who-drowned-during-operation-duck/

Grave of Lloyd William Murray. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Lloyd William MURRAY, from Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia, was one of 5 soldiers from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment who drowned in a tragic accident in the Battle of Leer in Germany on April 28, 1945, aged 27. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/05/16/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-tragic-drowning-on-the-leda-river-in-germany-part-2/

Pieter by the grave of James Edward Sullivan. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

James Edward SULLIVAN, from Rexton, New Brunswick, one of 19 men serving with the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders who drowned during the crossing of the Ems River in Germany on April 28, 1945, at the age of 25, while participating in Operation Duck. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/03/05/on-the-war-memorial-trail-tragedy-on-the-ems-part-1-the-wwii-soldier-from-rexton-who-drowned-during-operation-duck/

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

All of the flags placed at graves were donated. Our thanks go to:

Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian flags.
Matt MacFarlane, MLA for District 19, Borden-Kinkora, for the Prince Edward Island flag.
Armel ‘Mel’ Lanteigne, President of the Caraquet Legion in New Brunswick for the New Brunswick flag.
Kyle Graham, Research Officer, Military Relations, Nova Scotia Intergovernmental Affairs, on behalf of Premier Tim Houston, Province of Nova Scotia, for the Nova Scotia flags.
La Société acadienne de Clare at the request of Simone Comeau for the Acadian flag.

Thank you to Simone Comeau and Burnie Reynaert for their kind words. In Part 5, the graves and photos of Indigenous soldiers killed will be featured as we continue with our 2025 European War Memorial Tour.

Pieter encourages readers with photos to come forward so that eventually all the known graves of Canadians buried in Holten will have a photo displayed by their grave. Email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com.

© 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….2025 Faces of Holten Exhibition Part 3: Soldiers Killed While Travelling In Vehicles

September 1, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

Pieter at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands with the Cross of Remembrance in the background. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

September 1, 2025. Pieter has been involved in finding photos of Canadians who are buried in The Netherlands since 2014, and we’ve tried to tell as many of their stories as we can on this blog.

While in Europe for the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemoration events, he placed flags at the graves of 383 soldiers in 14 cemeteries. At the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands, flags were placed at 156 graves.

Our visit coincided with The 2025 Faces Of Holten Exhibition, which ran for three weeks in May. It was slow going to place flags as people continually came up to talk to us, curious about the various flags, and were thrilled when they discovered they didn’t have to practice their English as Pieter could talk to them in Dutch.

In Part 2, the graves and photos of two soldiers listed on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion, were featured. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/08/29/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-holten-exhibition-part-2-the-soldiers-listed-on-the-cenotaph-in-borden-carleton/)

Now, in Part 3, the graves and photos of four soldiers who lost their lives while travelling in military vehicles, and whose stories have previously been told, are featured.

…4 soldiers killed while travelling in military vehicles are commemorated…

Grave of Francis ‘Frank’ Ivan Dougan. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Francis ‘Frank’ Ivan DOUGAN from Donaldston was killed in The Netherlands, at the age of 26, on May 16, 1946, while serving with the 48th Canadian General Transport Company of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (RCASC), part of the Canadian Army Occupation Force (CAOF) in Germany. He died in a hospital in Nijmegen following a road accident, in which he was a passenger in a military vehicle, during very bad weather in Nijmegen, while he was on his way from Grave, The Netherlands to Oldenburg, Germany, where he was based. Mechanical failure in the steering mechanism led to the accident. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/07/13/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-donaldston-who-died-in-a-vehicle-accident-in-the-netherlands/

Pieter by the grave of Maurice James Hughes. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Maurice ‘Maw’ James HUGHES, from Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, was serving with the Royal Canadian Corps of Signals (RCCS) when the jeep in which he was riding in hit a mine in Germany on May 2, 1945, killing him, aged 25. Germany had signed an unconditional surrender, ending the war in Europe, on May 8, 1945, just a few days after Maurice lost his life. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/05/29/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-signalman-from-charlottetown-whose-jeep-ran-over-a-mine-6-days-before-the-war-ended/

Grave of James Gordon King. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

James Gordon KING, from Woodstock, New Brunswick, was serving with the Royal Canadian Artillery when he died in a road accident on August 5, 1945 in Germany, aged 34. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/01/16/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-3/

Grave of John Rusnak. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

John RUSNAK, from Portage La Prairie, Manitoba, was attached to No. 4 Canadian Public Relations Group, Canadian Army Occupation Force (CAOF) as a despatch motorcycle rider. He lost his life, at the age of 21, when his Harley Davidson motorcycle accidentally collided with a horse drawn wagon in Germany on November 22, 1945. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/08/28/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-despatch-rider-from-portage-la-prairie-who-lost-his-life-in-an-accident-in-germany/

While at the cemetery, we met Jane Kondakova, a Ukrainian refugee from the Kyiv region, currently living in the village of Holten with her two young children. She was placing flags at the graves of soldiers of Ukrainian descent, including John Rusnak. This was her third year of placing flags, for the soldiers buried in the cemetery and for her husband, who is in the Ukrainian military.

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

All of the flags placed at graves were donated. Our thanks go to:

Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian flags.
Matt MacFarlane, MLA for District 19, Borden-Kinkora, for the Prince Edward Island flags.
Armel ‘Mel’ Lanteigne, President of the Caraquet Legion in New Brunswick for the New Brunswick and Acadian flags.
Brad Robertson, Chief of Protocol, Government of Manitoba, on behalf of Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba, for the Manitoba flag.

In Part 4, the graves of soldiers killed during Operation Duck will be featured as we continue with our 2025 European War Memorial Tour. Pieter encourages blog readers with photos to come forward so that eventually all the known graves of Canadians buried in Holten will have a photo displayed by their grave. 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/

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….2025 Faces of Holten Exhibition Part 1: Soldiers Killed Near Posterenk

August 24, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

August 24, 2025. Readers of this blog are aware that Pieter has been involved in finding photos of Canadians who are buried in The Netherlands since 2014.

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.

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

….Flags placed at the graves of soldiers from all 10 provinces and 1 Territory…

Over the next few postings, soldiers whose stories were previously told, and who are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, the second largest Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands, will be featured. There are 1,394 burials here, of which 1,355 are Canadian. Flags were placed by Pieter at 156 graves at this cemetery. This was the final tally for the 156 graves:

38 were from Nova Scotia
46 from New Brunswick
21 from Prince Edward Island
3 from British Columbia
5 from Saskatchewan
20 from Manitoba
2 from Alberta
16 from Ontario
3 from Quebec
1 from Newfoundland
1 from Yukon Territory

22 of the graves also received an Acadian flag, and 2 received Indigenous flags – one from the Mi’kmaq Nation, and one from the Wolastoqey Nation. All of the graves received a Canadian flag. Provincial flags were placed at all graves, with the exception of the soldiers from British Columbia, Saskatchewan, and Yukon Territory, for which, unfortunately, we did not receive flags.

All of the flags placed on our war memorial tour had been donated, as mentioned in an earlier posting. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/06/04/on-the-war-memorial-trail-flags-and-pins-received-for-our-2025-european-war-memorial-tour/)

This year, for the 80th Anniversary, with photos having been found for 80% of the soldiers buried there, photos were placed at graves for the first time. The 2025 Faces Of Holten Exhibition ran for three weeks in May. Photos were printed onto an aluminum backing, making them impervious to rain, and reusable. Each placard also had a QR code, allowing visitors with cell phones to scan the code and read a brief biography of the soldier.

…7 soldiers who died near Posterenk are commemorated…

In this posting, the graves and photos of seven WWII soldiers whose stories have previously been told are featured. All were serving in the Carleton & York Regiment at the time of their death and died near Posterenk, The Netherlands.

Grave of François ‘Frank’ Gallant. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

François ‘Frank’ GALLANT, from Mount Carmel, Prince Edward Island, was killed during the Liberation of Posterenk in The Netherlands on April 13, 1945, aged 30. He was one of 6 soldiers initially buried along the main road to Posterenk, a village near Zutphen. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/06/30/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-mount-carmel-killed-during-the-liberation-of-posterenk/

Pieter at the grave of Daniel ‘Dan’ Peter MacKenzie. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Daniel ‘Dan’ Peter MACKENZIE, from Victoria Cross, Prince Edward Island, died from wounds received on April 13, 1945 during the Liberation of Posterenk in The Netherlands, part of Operation Cannonshot. He had been taken to a Canadian hospital in Lochem, where he died that evening, aged 26, despite heroic efforts to save him. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/06/29/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-victoria-cross-fatally-wounded-during-the-liberation-of-posterenk/

Grave of James ‘Frank’ Mossey. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

James ‘Frank’ MOSSEY, from Souris, Prince Edward Island, was killed in action on April 14, 1945 near Posterenk, The Netherlands, aged 25. He was one of 6 soldiers initially buried along the main road to Posterenk, a village near Zutphen. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/08/09/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-souris-killed-during-the-liberation-of-posterenk/

Pieter by the grave of Goldwin ‘Goldy’ Marven Pollick. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Goldwin ‘Goldy’ Marven POLLICK, from Minto, New Brunswick, lost his life on April 13, 1945 in Wilp-Achterhoek, near Posterenk, aged 24. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/01/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-1/

Grave of Samuel Glazier Porter. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Samuel Glazier PORTER, from Dow Flat, Victoria County, New Brunswick, lost his life, at the age of 26, on April 15, 1945 as his Regiment advanced to the Apeldoorn Canal in The Netherlands. He was one of 6 soldiers initially buried along the main road to Posterenk, a village near Zutphen. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/11/28/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-11/

Pieter by the grave of Harold Gordon Sabean. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Harold Gordon SABEAN, from Port Lorne, Nova Scotia, was killed on April 15, 1945, as his Regiment advanced to the Apeldoorn Canal in The Netherlands, aged 27. He was one of 6 soldiers initially buried along the main road to Posterenk, a village near Zutphen. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/10/08/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-port-lorne-who-lost-his-life-during-the-advance-to-the-apeldoorn-canal/

Grave of Frederick Joseph Tait. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Frederick Joseph TAIT, from Grand Falls, New Brunswick, was killed on April 15, 1945, as his Regiment advanced to the Apeldoorn Canal in The Netherlands, aged 23. He was one of 6 soldiers initially buried along the main road to Posterenk, a village near Zutphen. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/03/16/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-8/

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

All of the flags placed at graves were donated. Our thanks go to:

Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian flags.
Matt MacFarlane, MLA for District 19, Borden-Kinkora, for the flags from Prince Edward Island.
Armel ‘Mel’ Lanteigne, President of the Caraquet Legion in New Brunswick for the New Brunswick flags and Acadian flags.
Kyle Graham, Research Officer, Military Relations, Nova Scotia Intergovernmental Affairs, on behalf of Premier Tim Houston, Province of Nova Scotia, for the Nova Scotia flags

The Dutch continue to stress the importance of remembrance to the next generation so they can continue to remember those who lost their lives in WWII. ‘Opdat wij niet vergeten’ (Lest We Forget)

In Part 2, graves of soldiers from Prince Edward Island who are listed on the Cenotaph in Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island, and are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, will be featured.

Pieter encourages readers with photos to come forward so that eventually all of the known graves of Canadians buried in Holten will have a photo displayed by their grave. Email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com.

© 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/

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….2025 Faces of Groesbeek Exhibition Part 4: The Soldiers From New Brunswick

June 30, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 2 Comments

June 30, 2025. The 2025 Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition, which ran from April 26 to May 18, 2025 at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, 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. They also organized the Liberation Day commemoration events.

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.

…Placing flags at graves was a labour of love and respect…

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. Yes, Pieter was on his hands and knees 383 times, placing flags at these graves, as you can see below….

Pieter placing flags at the grave of Gilles Lanteigne of Caraquet, New Brunswick. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Gilles LANTEIGNE, of Caraquet, New Brunswick, was serving with Le Regiment de Maisonneuve in Germany, when he died of severe wounds on March 9, 1945, just a few weeks before his 21^st birthday. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/07/11/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-10/

Grave of Gilles Lanteigne after Pieter had placed New Brunswick, Canadian, and Acadian flags. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

120 of the graves visited were in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek alone, including the graves of 36 soldiers from New Brunswick.

…3 Soldiers From New Brunswick Commemorated…

In Part 1, an overview of our day of flag placing at 120 graves was provided. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/06/23/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-groesbeek-exhibition-part-1-flags-placed-at-120-graves/)

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/)

In Part 3, the graves and photos of 3 soldiers, from the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, whose stories have previously been told, were featured. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/06/28/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-groesbeek-exhibition-part-3-the-soldiers-from-alberta-manitoba-and-quebec/)

Now, in Part 4, the graves and photos of 3 soldiers from New Brunswick, whose stories have previously been told, are featured.

Pieter at the grave of Donald Roy Carter. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Donald Roy CARTER from Central Blissville, New Brunswick, who was killed in action during the Attack on the Goch-Calcar Road in Germany on February 20, 1945. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/06/09/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-central-blissville-killed-along-the-goch-calcar-road/

Grave of Edgar M. Guitard. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Edgar M. GUITARD from Belledune, New Brunswick, who was killed by German mortar fire in The Netherlands on January 15, 1945. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/06/24/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-lumberjack-from-belledune-killed-by-stray-mortar-fire-in-the-nijmegen-salient/

Pieter at the grave of Ange Aimé LeClair. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Ange Aimé LECLAIR from Shannonvale (now part of Eel River Crossing), New Brunswick, was killed by artillery fire in Germany during the Battle of Hochwald Gap on March 2, 1945. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/11/27/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-acadian-soldier-serving-with-le-regiment-de-maisonneuve-who-made-the-ultimate-sacrifice-in-the-hochwald-forest/

….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 New Brunswick, our thanks go to:

Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian flags.
New Brunswick and Acadian flags were provided by Jean-Claude D’Amours, MLA for Edmundston-Madawaska Centre, Minister responsible for Military Affairs, with the help of Cécile LePage, Province of New Brunswick, AND by Armel ‘Mel’ Lanteigne, President of the Caraquet Legion in New Brunswick

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 5, the graves and photos of soldiers from Nova Scotia, 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/

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….2025 Faces of Groesbeek Exhibition Part 3: The Soldiers From Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec

June 28, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 2 Comments

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.

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.

Pieter at the grave of Thomas ‘Tom’ Alfred Brown. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

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/

Pieter at the grave of Norman Victor Holgate Buchanan. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

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/

Grave of Joseph ‘Albert Noel’ Lamontagne. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

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.

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

….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/

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….2025 Faces of Groesbeek Exhibition Part 2: The Soldiers From Prince Edward Island

June 26, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

June 26, 2025. The 2025 Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition, which ran from April 26 to May 18, 2025 at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, 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.

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.

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 17 soldiers from Prince Edward Island. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/06/23/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-groesbeek-exhibition-part-1-flags-placed-at-120-graves/)

…5 Soldiers From Prince Edward Island Commemorated…

In Part 1, an overview of our day of flag placing at 120 graves was provided. Now, in Part 2, the graves and photos of five soldiers from Prince Edward Island, whose stories have previously been told, are featured.

Pieter by the grave of Lawrence William Bulger. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Lawrence William BULGER from Portage was serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders when he was killed during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945. He was one of several stretcher bearers who lost their lives that day, killed by machine gun fire while attending to the wounded on the battlefield. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/08/19/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-bulger-brothers-part-2-the-wwii-stretcher-bearer-from-foxley-river-killed-during-the-battle-of-bienen/

Grave of John ‘Weston’ Campbell. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

John ‘Weston’ CAMPBELL from Clermont was killed while in command of ‘B’ Company of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders during Operation Veritable in Germany on February 14, 1945. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/09/30/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-clermont-killed-during-operation-veritable/

Pieter by the grave of Arthur Gaudet. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Arthur GAUDET from 5 Pointe, near Mount Carmel, was wounded during Operation Blockbuster in Germany on February 26, 1945, while serving with Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal, and died later that day. He was two days short of his 21st birthday! You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/02/12/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-prince-edward-island-who-lost-his-life-in-germany-two-days-before-his-21st-birthday/

Grave of Edward Gabriel Perry. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Edward Gabriel PERRY from St Nicholas lost his life after being fatally wounded during the Battle of Hochwald Gap in Germany on March 1, 1945, while serving with the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders (Princess Louise’s). He was rushed to hospital but died in the early morning of March 2, 1945. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/07/06/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-st-nicholas-who-lost-his-life-during-the-battle-of-hochwald-gap/

Pieter by the grave of Ralph Kenneth Silliker. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Ralph Kenneth SILLIKER from O’Leary was killed in action during Operation Churchill in Germany on March 2, 1945, while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment (Motor). He was killed as his Kangaroo (armoured personnel carrier) tried to lunge across an enemy trench. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/04/18/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-oleary-who-lost-his-life-during-operation-churchill/

….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 Islanders, our thanks go to: Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian flags. PEI flags were provided by Matt MacFarlane, MLA for District 19, Borden-Kinkora. La Société acadienne de Clare in Nova Scotia donated Acadian flags.

In Part 3, the graves and photos of soldiers from Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, whose stories have previously been told, will be featured.

….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/

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 Inclusion Of Acadian Flags On The 2025 European War Memorial Tour Received Publicity

June 8, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

June 8, 2025. In planning for the 2025 European War Memorial Tour, we were very grateful for help we received in getting flags and pins to take with us. The many donors were identified and thanked in the previous posting. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/06/04/on-the-war-memorial-trail-flags-and-pins-received-for-our-2025-european-war-memorial-tour/)

Simone Comeau, of Nova Scotia, is the niece of Pte Joseph ‘Ambroise’ COMEAU, an Acadian soldier, whose story was told several years ago on this blog. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/05/17/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-tragic-drowning-on-the-leda-river-in-germany-part-3/) She ensured that we received Acadian flags from La Société acadienne de Clare when she learned about the planned tour!

When she told us that French language media in Nova Scotia was interested in interviewing her about sending us Acadian flags and in learning more about her uncle, we asked if the media could include the names of 4 Acadian soldiers from Nova Scotia whose photos Pieter has yet to find.

Simone was subsequently interviewed this past winter on the radio by Colette Deveau of Radio-Canada’s La Mouvée, and in ‘Le Courier’ newspaper by Richard Landry. Both interviews included the names of the 4 soldiers for which photos are still missing.

….Simone Comeau was interviewed by Richard Landry for the ‘Le Courier’ newspaper…

The following is a translation into English (by me) of an article in French by Richard Landry published in the February 21, 2025 edition of ‘Le Courier’: https://lecourrier.com/nos-communautes/nos-communautes-clare/2025/02/21/ambroise-comeau-parmi-55-soldats-acadiens-honores-avec-un-drapeau-acadien-aux-pays-bas/. The article includes the backstory of how we met Simone, while researching her uncle’s story, as well as the donation of Acadian flags for the 2025 European War Memorial Tour.

“…Ambroise Comeau among 55 Acadian soldiers honoured with an Acadian flag in the Netherlands

Simone proudly shows off a photo of her uncle Ambroise Comeau’s grave in the Netherlands. Credit: Richard Landry

SAULNIERVILLE – Simone Comeau of Meteghan, niece of Ambroise Comeau (born in Saulnierville), who lost his life defending Holland during the Second World War, has just paid a special tribute to her uncle. For the first time, Acadian soldiers from the Maritimes buried in Holten, Netherlands, will have an Acadian flag placed on their graves, thanks to Simone’s efforts. (NOTE: Acadian soldiers buried in Groesbeek, Bergen Op Zoom, and Adegem (Belgium) also received flags.)

Pieter Valkenburg, originally from Holland, lives in Prince Edward Island with his Canadian wife, Daria. He became Canadian and is a former Dutch diplomat. The couple has been working for some time on a research project called On The War Memorial Trail, which aims to find information about Maritime soldiers who served in the liberation of Holland during the Second World War. (NOTE: The research project also features soldiers from other Canadian provinces.)

Private Ambroise Comeau died during World War II in Germany. Credit: Photo from the Simone Comeau collection

Among all the soldiers killed there, they discovered 55 Acadian soldiers from the region who died there during this war, including Ambroise Comeau from Saulnierville, who died during the war in Germany at the age of 21 in 1945.

Ambroise’s niece, Simone Comeau, of Meteghan, a retired teacher and school principal, conducted extensive research on her uncle after discovering that the Valkenburgs were looking for information. It all began four years ago. She has since accumulated a large file on her uncle.

The Valkenburgs regularly visit the graves of Maritime soldiers in Holland. This year, on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War, they will return there in April. In the past, they have placed Canadian and provincial flags on the graves of all Maritime soldiers. This year, for the first time, they will also place an Acadian flag on the 55 graves of Acadian soldiers.

Pieter asked Simone to find small Acadian flags to place on the graves of these Acadian soldiers. This will be the first time that the Acadian flag will be placed alongside the provincial and Canadian flags on the graves of Acadians who gave their lives defending Holland.

Simone enlisted the help of Nathalie Robichaud, executive director of the Société acadienne de Clare, to find the 55 flags. Nathalie managed to locate them and donated them to the cause. Coincidentally, Natalie is Ambroise’s great-niece.

There are photos of 51 of the 55 Acadian soldiers from the Maritimes in the small museums located at the entrance to the cemeteries with details available on each deceased soldier. We are looking for information and especially photos of the four missing persons. They are: Herbert A. BOUDREAU of Ward’s Brook (died October 28, 1944 while serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry and buried in the cemetery at Bergen Op Zoom, Netherlands), Theodore J. GALLANT of Sydney Mines (died October 20, 1944 while serving with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and buried in the cemetery at Bergen Op Zoom), Sherman William BOUTILIER of Sheet Harbour (died February 19, 1945 while serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders and buried in the cemetery at Groesbeek, Netherlands) and Albert G. LERUE of Halifax (died March 7, 1945 while serving with the Algonquin Regiment and buried in the cemetery at Groesbeek).

Anyone who can offer photos or information about them is asked to email to memorialtrail@gmail.com.

As for Ambroise Comeau, he was a carpenter during his short career. A funeral service was held in early June 1945 at Sacré-Cœur Church in Saulnierville. He was the son of the late Gus and Jessie Comeau. A military parade took place from his parents’ home to the church before the mass celebrated by Father Castonguay.

The grave of Ambroise Comeau with the cemetery caretaker in Holten, the Netherlands, and Pieter Valkenburg, right. Credit: Photo from the Simone Comeau collection (Note: The man in the photo with Pieter isn’t the cemetery caretaker but Edwin van der Wolf, one of the researchers for Holten.)

His grave in Holten reads: F.602531, J.A. Comeau, The North Nova Scotia Highlanders, April 28, 1945 (in French). “Actually, there are two graves for Ambroise. The other is in Germany, where he fell. Soldiers were buried where they fell during the war. The Dutch didn’t want these soldiers buried in an enemy country, so they brought Ambroise and the others to Holten after the armistice. They are buried in Holland, where they can be given the honour they deserve,” Simone added. (Note: the original grave in Germany is no longer there, since Ambroise was disinterred and reburied in Holten.)….”

….Simone Comeau was interviewed by Colette Deveau of Radio-Canad’s La Mouvée…

During an interview this past winter with Colette Deveau of Radio-Canada’s La Mouvée, Simone presented her research on her uncle. She explained that through Ambroise’s sister’s daughter, Pieter had contacted Simone, who agreed to conduct the research. (Note: You can listen to the interview, which is in French, here: https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/la-mouvee/segments/rattrapage/1984976/apercu-simone-comeau and https://ici.radio-canada.ca/ohdio/premiere/emissions/la-mouvee/segments/rattrapage/1985381/reconnaissance-soldats-acadiens-decedes-durant-seconde-guerre-mondiale)

“…The Dutch are quite, quite grateful to the Canadians for helping to liberate their country because they suffered so much during the Second World War. The Acadian flags that will be placed on the graves come from Clare…” Simone said proudly.

“….My sister Jacqueline had gone to Holland with her eldest son’s school band. Because they were going to schools, they also visited the Holten cemetery. There was a girl with the band who saw Comeau’s name and told Jacqueline. It was Ambroise’s grave. We knew because we had his regimental number…

…Ambroise, born into a family of six children, was called to war a year before the end of World War II and lost his life there….”

….Can you help with finding photos of 4 Acadian soldiers from Nova Scotia?…

Up to now, Pieter has not found photos of the 4 Acadian soldiers mentioned in Simone’s interviews, who are all buried in The Netherlands….and who all received Canadian, Nova Scotia, and Acadian flags during our visit to their graves. The soldiers are:

Herbert Andrew BOUDREAU of Ward’s Brook, who died October 28, 1944, aged 23, while serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry and is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom
Theodore Joseph GALLANT of Sydney Mines, who died October 20, 1944, aged 30, while serving with the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders and is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom
Sherman William BOUTILIER of Sheet Harbour, who died February 19, 1945, aged 26, while serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders and is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek
Albert George LERUE of Halifax, who died March 7, 1945, aged 24, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment and is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek

Thank you to Simone Comeau for publicizing that Acadian flags would be included in the flags we took to Europe, in addition to the Canadian and provincial flags. Thank you also to the two reporters who interviewed her – Richard Landry and Colette Deveau. If you have photos or information to share about the 4 Acadian soldiers mentioned, please email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

….We also received Acadian flags from New Brunswick…

We also received Acadian flags from New Brunswick, for which we were grateful, as in the end we placed Acadian flags at more graves than had been on our initial list! Thank you again to:

Jean-Claude D’Amours, MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) for Edmundston-Madawaska Centre, Minister responsible for Military Affairs, with the help of Cécile LePage, Province of New Brunswick. For Cécile, helping to provide the flags was in honour of her uncle, Pte Ange Aimé LECLAIR. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/11/27/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-acadian-soldier-serving-with-le-regiment-de-maisonneuve-who-made-the-ultimate-sacrifice-in-the-hochwald-forest/)
Armel ‘Mel’ Lanteigne, President of the Caraquet Legion in New Brunswick.

Over the next several postings, we’ll continue to share the highlights of our adventures on the 2025 European War Memorial Trail….including the various cemeteries we visited along our journey of remembrance. Now that we’re back home, the research work continues for Pieter.

© 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/

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….Flags and Pins Received For Our 2025 European War Memorial Tour

June 4, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 6 Comments

June 4, 2025. When Pieter decided he wanted to go to Europe for the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Europe in May 2025, planning began over a year in advance. This would be our most ambitious war memorial tour, and Pieter wanted to ensure that the graves in The Netherlands and Belgium of as many of the soldiers and airmen that he’d researched over the past 11 years would be visited. He had a vision of being able to place, not only Canadian flags by the graves, but also provincial, and, where appropriate, Acadian flags.

A project like this didn’t happen overnight, and we needed help with donations of flags in order to meet Pieter’s goal. Requests for flags began in the summer of 2024, and in the end we received donations of flags from most provinces. Some came from provincial governments, others from politicians, and quite a few were donated by families of soldiers that had been researched, or readers of this blog.

….Flags placed at 383 graves visited at 14 cemeteries.…

In addition, we received flags to place at the graves of two Indigenous soldiers, a very special tribute that we were honoured to be involved in.

We also received donations of Canadian flag pins and 80th anniversary pins to hand out, which were very popular with everyone we met along what turned out to be a 5 week journey along the war memorial trail.

By the time we returned back to Canada, Pieter had placed flags at 383 graves in 14 cemeteries in The Netherlands and Belgium! We very much appreciate and want to recognize all who helped to provide flags and pins.

….Donations received of flags and pins…

We were blown away by the response to requests for flags, and the messages of support and encouragement we received. The large Canadian flags were donated to small organizations in The Netherlands and Belgium who honour soldiers and airmen buried in smaller war cemeteries and in municipal or church cemeteries. They also received small Canadian flags and flag pins.

Some groups were involved with children in The Netherlands who are taught about the sacrifices made by Allied soldiers during WWII. We provided small Canadian flags, flag pins, and Frisbees for them to hand out.

Here below are the generous donors of flags and pins:

Pieter with Alan Waddell (right) from the office of Heath MacDonald with Canadian flags. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP (Member of Parliament) for Malpeque, Prince Edward Island and recently appointed as the Minister of Agriculture for the Government of Canada – small Canadian flags, flag pins, Frisbees
Mary Robinson, Senator for Prince Edward Island – large Canadian flags, flag pins
Jane MacAdam, Senator for Prince Edward Island – large Canadian flags

Matt MacFarlane (left) and Pieter hold flags from Prince Edward Island. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Matt MacFarlane, MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) for District 19, Borden-Kinkora, Prince Edward Island – small PEI flags

After providing the flags from Prince Edward Island, Matt commented that “…I am happy to help with such important work…”

Simone Comeau (left) with Nathalie Robicheau. (Photo courtesy of Simone Comeau)

La Société acadienne de Clare at the request of Simone Comeau – small Acadian flags

For Simone, providing Acadian flags was very personal, to honour her uncle, Pte Joseph ‘Ambroise’ COMEAU. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/05/17/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-tragic-drowning-on-the-leda-river-in-germany-part-3/) “…I picked up the flags yesterday. They are donated by ‘La Société acadienne de Clare. Clare is the name of our municipality. In this picture we are standing in front of the banner of “La Société acadienne de Clare”. The lady presenting me the flags is the general director of the organization. Her name is Nathalie Robicheau and by coincidence she is the grand niece of J. Ambroise Comeau. Her father, my cousin, is the son of Ambroise’s other sister….”

Pieter holds a selection of Acadian (left) and New Brunswick flags (right). (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Jean-Claude D’Amours, MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) for Edmundston-Madawaska Centre, Minister responsible for Military Affairs, with the help of Cécile LePage, Province of New Brunswick – small New Brunswick and Acadian flags

For Cécile, helping to provide the flags was in honour of her uncle, Pte Ange Aimé LECLAIR. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/11/27/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-acadian-soldier-serving-with-le-regiment-de-maisonneuve-who-made-the-ultimate-sacrifice-in-the-hochwald-forest/)

Armel ‘Mel’ Lanteigne, President of the Caraquet Legion in New Brunswick – small New Brunswick flags, small Acadian flags, small Canadian flags

Pieter with flags of Newfoundland sent by Gerald Bartlett. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Gerald Bartlett in memory of Trooper John Frederick BARTLETT (whose story is yet to be written) – small Newfoundland flags
Mario Henry and his brother Etienne Henry – small Quebec flags
Kyle Graham, Research Officer, Military Relations, Nova Scotia Intergovernmental Affairs, on behalf of Premier Tim Houston, Province of Nova Scotia – small Nova Scotia flags

Kyle emailed us, saying “…as part of the Military Relations team for the Province, I am responding on behalf of …..” Premier Tim Houston. “…Absolutely, our pleasure to support this…”

Wayne Ewasko, MLA (Member of the Legislative Assembly) for Lac Du Bonnet, Manitoba, Interim Leader of the Official Opposition, Province of Manitoba, after receiving his name from Craig MacKenzie, in honour of Craig’s uncle, RCAF pilot Jack ‘Douglas’ MACKENZIE (see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/02/19/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-pilot-killed-at-the-controls-of-his-halifax-bomber/) – small Manitoba flags

Wayne enclosed a lovely note with the flags sent by his office. “…Thank you ….for the meaningful work you are doing to honour Canadian soldiers who made the ultimate sacrifice. We are please to support your efforts.

We have enclosed ….Manitoba flags for your upcoming trip to The Netherlands for the 80^th anniversary of the liberation. We hope these flags will help commemorate the brave Manitoban soldiers and provide a special tribute at their gravesites….”

Brad Robertson, Chief of Protocol, Government of Manitoba, on behalf of Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba

The flags were accompanied by a note from Brad, saying “…with thanks, on behalf of the Premier of Manitoba…”

Peggy Menard – small Ontario flags
Don Coutts on behalf of the Muttart and Coutts families in memory of Flight Sergeant Elmer Bagnall MUTTART – small Ontario flags

Elmer Muttart was the first airman researched by Pieter, and his story has been extensively told on this blog. You can read his story here:

Marie Renaud, MLA St Albert, Alberta at the request of Roman Berezowsky – small Alberta flags

….Two Indigenous flags received…

Daria with the very personalized Lnu flag to be placed at the grave of Leo Toney. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Della Maguire on behalf of the Toney/Smith Family in memory of Pte Leo Francis TONEY – Lnu (Mi’kmaw) flags (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/)

Della explained that the term ‘Lnu’ means “…the people, it’s what the Mi’kmaw people call themselves. We are part of the Wabanaki Confederacy. People of the Dawnland, or People of the First Light. This area includes areas of NS, NB, PEI, eastern Quebec, and Maine. Made up of these nations Abenaki, Mi’kmaw, Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, and Wolastoqiyik …”

Pieter holds the Wolasatoqey Nation flag to be placed at the grave of Sanford Steven Saulis. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Conrad Saulis in memory of Sapper Sanford Steven SAULIS, flag courtesy of Grand Chief Ron Tremblay – Wolastoqey Nation flag (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/02/27/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembering-sanford-steven-saulis/)

After I’d contacted Conrad to ask if the Wolastoqey used the same flag as the Mi’Kmaq, he replied that “….the Wolastoqey (we no longer recognize the term Maliseet) Nation is a distinct Nation of Peoples from the Mi’Kmaq much like the Portuguese are distinct from the Spanish yet have similar linguistic aspects. My Nation, along with the Mi’Kmaq, are two of the many First Nations that make up the Wabanaki Confederacy along with other Nations such as the Penobscot, Passamaquoddy, Abenaki, and other First Nation of the northeast seaboard as far as Manhattan.

Our Wolastoq Ancestors named our peoples after the Wolastoq river since it was a primary provider of water, fish and other foods including fiddleheads (mahsos) that grow along the river banks. Our Ancestral lands intersect with the Mi’Kmaq through the central portions of NB covering the entirety of the Wolastoq River (St John River) from St. John to Rivere du Loup (St Lawrence) west towards Quebec City.…”

Conrad then arranged to send a flag for his uncle’s grave, saying that “…the flag is courtesy of Grand Chief Ron Tremblay – a fellow Wolastoqey Nation citizen and designer of the flag….” and represents “…a muskrat swimming in front of the two in the canoe which was our primary means of transportation during Ancestral times…..”

….80th Anniversary pins received…

Wendy Sewell, Assistant Defence Attaché, Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Canada – 80^th Anniversary of the Liberation of The Netherlands pins
Gerry Blom, Owner/Operator of the Dutch Truck – 80^th Anniversary of the Liberation of The Netherlands pins

Thank you to everyone who provided flags and pins. Over the next several postings, we’ll share the highlights of our adventures on the 2025 European War Memorial Trail….and how the flags were placed at the various cemeteries along our journey of remembrance.

Meanwhile, now that we’re back home, 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.

….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/

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 WWII Soldier From Prince Edward Island Who Lost His Life In Germany Two Days Before His 21st Birthday

February 12, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

February 12, 2025. Once you visit a Canadian War Cemetery and place down a flag by the grave of a soldier from the province where you live, it stays with you, and makes you wonder about the young man who is buried there.

In 2017, when we visited the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands, with our friends Ad and Noor Scheepers, we had a list of soldiers from Prince Edward Island buried there, but only knew the story of one, George Preston SMITH, whose name is listed on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion. (See On the War Memorial Trail ….. At The Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek and On the War Memorial Trail ….. PEI Soldiers Buried In The Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek and https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2018/03/21/another-photo-for-wwii-soldier-george-preston-smith/)

Ad and Noor Scheepers with Pieter (right) by the grave of Arthur Gaudet at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Since then, Pieter has researched and we’ve told the stories of 12 more Islanders buried in that Dutch cemetery. Our 14th story is about Arthur GAUDET of Mount Carmel, Prince Edward Island. While Arthur had been on the list of Islanders buried in Groesbeek, he was not on the cemetery’s photo wish list as they had a photo of him.

15 Pointe is a cape not far from Mount Carmel, Prince Edward Island. (Map source: https://www.geodata.us/canada_names_maps)

Born February 28, 1924 in 15 Pointe, near Mount Carmel, Prince Edward Island, Arthur was the son of Joseph Stanley and Mary Jacqueline Gaudet. He was one of 10 children, 8 of them still alive at the time that he enlisted at the No. 5 District Depot in Quebec City, Quebec on July 24, 1942. His three older brothers were also in the Canadian Army.

Arthur Gaudet. (Photo courtesy of Alice van Bekkum, Chair of the Faces To Graves Foundation Groesbeek)

According to his Personnel Selection Record, Arthur spoke English, not French, and had completed Grade 9. He was working as a labourer for the PEI Bag Company. (See https://atlanticbusinessmagazine.ca/web-exclusives/89-years-in-the-bag-and-counting-for-p-e-i-bag-company/)

After completing his basic training, Arthur was sent to No. 22 Canadian Army Educational (Basic) Training Centre in North Bay, Ontario on September 19, 1942.

He remained there until December 2, 1942, when he was transferred to A1 Canadian Artillery Training Centre (CATC) in Camp Petawawa, Ontario, for training as a gunner. While still at A1 CATC, he qualified as a Driver i/c Class III wheeled vehicles on January 29, 1943. (The term ‘Driver i/c’ refers to ‘Driver, internal combustion’. Class III meant he was qualified to drive heavy trucks and armoured cars, but not tanks.)

On February 8, 1943, he was granted embarkation leave until February 21, 1943, the last chance he would have to see his family before going overseas.

….Arthur left Canada for overseas service….

On March 24, 1943, Arthur left Canada for the United Kingdom. Upon arriving on March 31, 1943 he was assigned to No. 3 Canadian Artillery Reinforcement Unit (CARU).

On June 18, 1943, Arthur was transferred to No. 3 Light Anti-Aircraft Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery for Light Machine-Gun and Rifle training, and undertook various Tests of Elementary Training (TOET).

Arthur was allocated to the X-4 Reinforcement List of the Canadian Infantry Corps (CIC), part of the 10th Battalion, 21st Army Group, on June 21, 1944, in preparation for going to North West Europe.

….Arthur was transferred to Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal….

Arthur Gaudet joined Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal near Etavaux, France, indicated by the large red marker. (Map source: Google maps)

On July 22, 1944 he left the United Kingdom for France, arriving a day later. On July 25, 1944, he was transferred to Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal, joining them in an area behind Etavaux in Normandy, France.

The Regiment remained in France until September 9, 1944 when it moved into Belgium. Arthur received a promotion to Acting Corporal a few days later, on September 12, 1944.

.….Arthur was badly wounded during the Battle of the Scheldt ….

Map shows location of Kapellen and Brasschaat, not far from Antwerp in Belgium. (Map source: DuckDuckGo)

On October 2, 1944, the Battle of the Scheldt began and involved Canadian forces advancing through northern Belgium, including areas like Kapellen, to clear German defenses and secure access to the port of Antwerp.

The municipality of Kapellen, in Belgium, was liberated on October 4, 1944 by Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal. The war diary entry for October 4, 1944 for Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal confirmed this. “…Advance up to Brasschaat. In the afternoon, advance towards Cappellan, which we taken, then sweep towards north-east of town. Positions at night, anti-tank ditch 2 miles from Cappellan…” Cappellan is the old spelling of Kapellen.

Arthur, who was in ‘A’ Company, was wounded by a bullet in the shoulder on October 5, 1944 and was evacuated to No. 9 Canadian General Hospital (CGH) in Horsham, England. After a recuperation period of three months, Arthur left the United Kingdom on January 10, 1945, returning to Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal 2 days later. He joined them in Mook, The Netherlands, which is near Nijmegen.

.….Arthur lost his life during Operation Blockbuster ….

By February 17, 1945, the Regiment was in Germany, in place for Operation Blockbuster, as part of the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade, along with several other Canadian Regiments. The Operation was to begin at dawn on February 26, 1945. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Blockbuster)

Arthur Gaudet lost his life during a battle near Kalkar, Germany. (Map source: DuckDuckGo)

On February 25, 1945, the war diary for Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal recorded that during a briefing of troops for Operation Blockbuster, the brigade’s task was “…to capture high ground west of Kalkar. The attack is to be made at night with troops mounted on tanks….” Kalkar is a municipality in the district of Kleve, in North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany, and is located near the Rhine River.

The war diary for February 26, 1945 described what happened. “….The attack commenced at 0400 hrs under cover of an artillery barrage. Camerons of Canada regiment on our right encountered mines a few hundred yards from the FDL’s which caused the Commander’s tank to be knocked out resulting in considerable confusion. South Saskatchewan regiment on our left and our Battalion reached the objective…” FDL refers to the French acronym for Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal.

During the February 26, 1945 attack, Arthur was wounded and died later that day. He was two days short of his 21st birthday!

Arthur lost his life about a week before another soldier in the same Regiment, Joseph ‘Albert Noel’ LAMONTAGNE, whose story was previously told, lost his on March 3, 1945. See 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/

.….11 other soldiers died on February 26, 1945….

Arthur was one of 12 members of Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal who lost their lives on February 26, 1945. The other 11 were:

Private Rosaire BELLERIVE of Ste Flore, Quebec, aged 19
Private Romeo BENOIT of Montreal, Quebec, aged 41
Private Joseph Wilfrid Rheal GUERTIN of Moose Creek, Ontario, aged 19
Private Marcel LAVIGNE of Henri, Montreal, Quebec, aged 19
Private Maurice PAQUETTE of Sherbrooke, Quebec, aged 22
Lieutenant Ovide Joseph PAQUETTE of North Bay, Ontario, aged 24
Private Paul Eugene PARENT of St. Honore, Beauce County, Quebec, aged 24
Private Alphie Raymond PELTIER, born in Chatham, Ontario, aged 30
Private Jean Marie ST ONGE of Amqui, Quebec, aged 23
Lieutenant Robert TALBOT of Quebec City, Quebec, aged 25
Private Vincent THIBODEAU of Maria, Bonaventure County, Quebec, aged 24

.….Arthur is buried in Groesbeek….

Arthur was initially buried in the Canadian Military Cemetery in Bedburg, Germany, before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands.

Grave of Arthur Gaudet in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Thank you to Alice van Bekkum, Chair of the Faces To Graves Foundation Groesbeek, for sending Pieter that initial list of soldiers from Prince Edward Island who are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. If you have a story or photo to share, please contact Pieter 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/

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.

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On The War Memorial Trail….. The WWII Soldier From Saint-Basile Who Lost His Life During The Advance Towards Xanten

February 5, 2025February 11, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 4 Comments

February 5, 2025. We never know what a photo search might lead to once Pieter begins researching a soldier. In the case of a WWII soldier listed as being from New Brunswick, the search led to his birth in the province of Quebec, to his enlistment in Ontario, to the widow of his nephew, and finally to a Legion in New Brunswick where a shadow box with photos had been donated.

Joseph ‘Albert Noel’ LAMONTAGNE was born on December 25, 1918 in Saint-Basile, Quebec, the son of Joseph Lamontagne and Marie ‘Alexina’ Jacques. Saint-Basile is in Portneuf Regional County Municipality in Quebec, past Quebec City. To our surprise, we realized we’d driven past the turn-off to Saint-Basile every time we travelled between our home in Prince Edward Island and Ottawa, Ontario!

Albert Noel Lamontagne was born in Saint-Basile, Quebec. (Map source: Mapcarta)

…..Albert Noel enlisted under the NRMA in 1942….

Albert Noel originally enlisted under the National Resources Mobilization Act (NRMA) in North Bay, Ontario on January 8, 1942 and began basic training at No. 2 NRMA Clearing Depot, before joining the active army on January 20, 1942. He took his basic training at No. 22 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre in North Bay. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Resources_Mobilization_Act)

Albert Noel Lamontagne in training. (Photo courtesy of the Albert Joseph Chevarie Family)

At the time of his enlistment, he had been working as a labourer, having left school after completing Grade 3 in Quebec City. He spoke French and had a basic knowledge of English. His father had died in 1920, and his mother had remarried, in 1928, to Emilien Chevarie. His brother, Paul-Emile, was also in the Canadian Army. As well, he had a sister Rose-Aimée, a half-brother George, and a half-sister Juliette.

….George Chevarie’s son was the key to finding a photo of Albert Noel….

It was through Albert Noel’s half-brother, George Chevarie, that a photo of Albert Noel was found. George’s son, Albert Joseph, had died in 2020. However, after Pieter spoke to Joyce Chevarie, the widow of Albert Joseph Chevarie, she told him that her husband had donated a shadow box with a photo of Albert Noel, a letter, and his medals to the Royal Canadian Legion branch in Richibucto, New Brunswick.

Pieter then got in contact with the Legion in Richibucto. Legion Branch president Malcolm John took everything out of the shadow box donated by the family of Albert Chevarie, photographed each item, and emailed the photos to Pieter! The next time we were in New Brunswick, we visited the Legion and met Malcolm.

Pieter with Malcolm John (right), President of the Richibucto Legion in New Brunswick. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

….Albert Noel served in Newfoundland….

On March 12, 1942, Albert Noel was sent to A23 Coast Defence and Anti-Aircraft Artillery Advanced Training Centre (CD & AA) in Halifax, Nova Scotia. A23 was a Coast and Anti-Aircraft Artillery Training Centre established to train coast and anti-aircraft gunners.

Upon completing his training, Albert Noel was given embarkation leave on May 5, 1942, prior to being posted to Newfoundland with the 106th Coast Battery of the Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA) on June 1, 1942. The Battery was part of Atlantic Command, tasked with strengthening and administering home defence facilities on Canada’s Atlantic Coast.

Albert Noel was in Botwood, at a Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) base, which had aircraft patrolling the east coast of the Atlantic. Canadian Army personnel based at Botwood were charged with protection of military facilities that had been installed there. (See https://www.heritage.nf.ca/articles/politics/botwood-base.php)

Location of Botwood Military Base in Newfoundland. (Map source: http://postalhistorycorner.blogspot.com/2012/12/wwii-canadian-forces-in-newfoundland.html)

Albert Noel was in Newfoundland at the same time as two other soldiers whose stories have been told on this blog:

Albert Joseph COTE, see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/07/27/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-stretcher-bearer-whose-compassion-cost-him-his-life/
Kitchener ‘Kitty’ LANGILLE, see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/03/21/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-battle-of-bienen-part-6-the-wwii-soldier-from-new-glasgow-nicknamed-kitty/

….Albert Noel volunteered for paratroop training….

In an interview for his Personnel Selection Record on September 30, 1943, while at Botwood, Albert Noel volunteered for Paratroop Training. The interviewer recorded that Albert Noel “….has a good training record and seems a very dependable, reliable type, although badly handicapped by lack of education. Not suitable for Paratroops under present regulations which require Grade VI education…” Albert Noel had only completed Grade 3.

On February 14, 1944, Albert Noel left Newfoundland for Shelburne, Nova Scotia and was transferred to the 104th Coast Battery of the Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA).

On May 1, 1944, Albert Noel was assigned to No. 1 Transit Camp in Windsor, Nova Scotia for final training and preparation before being sent overseas. He then was transferred to No. 1 Infantry Training Battalion in Camp Debert, Nova Scotia on June 8, 1944.

While at No. 1 Infantry Training Battalion, he was re-interviewed on June 28, 1944 and again volunteered for Paratroop Training. The response was the same: “…not suitable for Paratroops. His education is lacking…”

On July 21, 1944, Albert Noel was sent to the Training Brigade Group in Debert, and granted 2 weeks embarkation leave, the last chance he had to see his family again.

Albert Noel Lamontagne in dress uniform. (Photo courtesy of the Albert Joseph Chevarie Family)

….Albert Noel’s mother tried to have him released….

The embarkation leave in July must have been bittersweet, as after the death of Albert Noel’s stepfather in April 1944, his mother, who was living in St. Charles, New Brunswick, had contacted the Military Authorities in June 1944, asking that her son be returned home.

She was interviewed on June 21, 1944 and explained that “….I am left alone with two children, one boy George Chevarie, 14 years of age, and one girl Julia Chevarie, 11 years of age…..The reason I want my son to come home is because I am sick, suffering from liver trouble…”

Although Mrs Chevarie had acute hepatitis and was unable to work, the military did not consider this grounds to release Albert Noel. The report stated that her doctor was consulted, and in his opinion her son “…could not help her much, insofar as her sickness goes…”

Therefore, the report concluded that “…if her son was home he could not help her very much, other than financial circumstances…” It was further pointed out that Mrs Chevarie was already was receiving a Dependents’ Allowance. Albert Noel remained in the Canadian Army.

….Albert Noel left Canada for overseas service….

On September 2, 1944, Albert Noel left Canada for the United Kingdom. Upon arriving on September 6, 1944 he was assigned to No. 3 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU).

He continued his training for a few weeks before being transferred to the X-4 reinforcement list of the Canadian Infantry Corps (CIC), part of the 10th Battalion, on October 7, 1944. The next day he was on his way to Northwest Europe, disembarking on October 9, 1944.

….Albert Noel was transferred to Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal….

Albert Noel joined Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal in Noordeinde, The Netherlands. (Map source: DuckDuckGo)

On October 18, 1944, Albert Noel was transferred to ‘C’ Company of Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal, joining them in Noordeinde, The Netherlands.

Then, on December 14, 1944, Albert Noel received a promotion, from Private to Lance Corporal. On February 15, 1945, he was promoted again, to Acting Corporal.

.….The battle to clear Xanten began in early March 1945 ….

By February 17, 1945, the Regiment was in Germany, in place for the Battle of Hochwald Gap, part of Operation Blockbuster, as part of the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade, along with several other Canadian Regiments. This offensive began on February 28, 1945 to clear the Germans from the Reichswald, a heavily forested area between the Maas and the Rhine Rivers, driving them back over the Rhine, taking the fight well into German territory.

On March 1, 1945 the war diary for the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade stated that “…the task of clearing the high ground south of Calcar was completed…..Relief of 10 Canadian Infantry Brigade commenced at 0400 hours. Some mortaring and shelling reported during the takeover but relief completed by first light…”

This account matched the March 1, 1945 entry in the war diary for Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal. “….Battalion moves to a concentration …” near “….ESSEN to relieve 10 Cdn Inf Bde at first light 2 March 45…”

An update in the March 2 1945 war diary explained that “…6 Cdn Inf Bde relieves the Argyle and Sutherland Regiment which has been taking a severe beating by both small arms and gun fire which continue as we get in position with our companies…Enemy resistance is very stubborn and a screen of TIGERS and Self Propelled guns is reported….”

Sharon Adams wrote in the March 2022 Legion Magazine’s article ‘The Taking Of Xanten’ that “…In early March, the Canadians were assigned to take Xanten, established by the Romans in about 15 B.C. and the place from which the German 256th Infantry Division launched its 1940 invasion of the Netherlands.

It began with opening approaches to the town by Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal. Resistance was stiff. On March 3, a direct hit took out the wireless radio set and operator in the lead company…”

.….Albert Noel lost his life on March 3, 1945 ….

The war diary for March 3, 1945 for the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade reported that it was raining as troops moved into position. “…Going was very hard due to the rise in ground, heavy growth of trees, and the well dug in positions of the enemy. The enemy within the forest is not strong in numbers but equipped with many automatic weapons….

The Fusiliers Mont-Royal started on their way at 1400 hours. Going was very hard with the advance being hampered by heavy shelling and mortaring from the south east….”

The March 3, 1945 war diary entry for Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal confirmed the challenges they faced. “….Enemy, although offering stubborn resistance in the gap, is reported to be withdrawing over the RHINE. Tac R reports the road Geldern – Wesel jammed with traffic moving north east and ferries at Wesel and Xanten very active. Enemy must hold line in front of Xanten until last possible moment to protect escape routes.

Muddy condition of country renders support task of tanks very difficult. Evacuation of wounded and transportation of rations to forward troops is a problem….”

At some point during March 3, 1945, Albert Noel lost his life during the battle, aged 26, one of 8 fatal casualties of the Regiment. The other 7 men who died that day were:

Lionel BEAUDOIN of Magog, Quebec, aged 20
Wilbert FIOLA of Verdun, Quebec, aged 19
Henry Edward LACELLE of Massey, Ontario, aged 27
Lucien Joseph MASSON of Callender, Ontario, aged 25
Gerard PAQUETTE of Montreal, Quebec, aged 22
Roger TAILLEFER of Montreal, Quebec, aged 18
Philias ZASTE of Rose du Lac, Manitoba, aged 21

.….Albert Noel is buried in Groesbeek….

Albert Noel was initially buried in the Canadian Military Cemetery in Bedburg, Germany, before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands.

The original grave for Albert Noel Lamontagne at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek. (Photo courtesy of the Albert Joseph Chevarie Family)

Grave of Albert Noel Lamontagne in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. (Photo source: Find A Grave)

Thank you to Joyce Chevarie for letting us know where to find a photo, to Malcolm John, President of RCL 30 in Richibuto for sharing the photos of Albert Noel Lamontagne, and to Shawn Rainville for newspaper research. If you have a story or photo to share, please contact Pieter 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/

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.

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…6 soldiers who drowned during Operation Duck are commemorated…

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

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…4 soldiers killed while travelling in military vehicles are commemorated…

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

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….Flags placed at the graves of soldiers from all 10 provinces and 1 Territory…

…7 soldiers who died near Posterenk are commemorated…

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

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…Placing flags at graves was a labour of love and respect…

…3 Soldiers From New Brunswick Commemorated…

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

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…3 Soldiers From 3 Provinces Commemorated…

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

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…5 Soldiers From Prince Edward Island Commemorated…

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

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….Simone Comeau was interviewed by Richard Landry for the ‘Le Courier’ newspaper…

“…Ambroise Comeau among 55 Acadian soldiers honoured with an Acadian flag in the Netherlands

….Simone Comeau was interviewed by Colette Deveau of Radio-Canad’s La Mouvée…

….Can you help with finding photos of 4 Acadian soldiers from Nova Scotia?…

….We also received Acadian flags from New Brunswick…

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….Flags placed at 383 graves visited at 14 cemeteries.…

….Donations received of flags and pins…

….Two Indigenous flags received…

….80th Anniversary pins received…

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….Arthur left Canada for overseas service….

….Arthur was transferred to Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal….

.….Arthur was badly wounded during the Battle of the Scheldt ….

.….Arthur lost his life during Operation Blockbuster ….

.….11 other soldiers died on February 26, 1945….

.….Arthur is buried in Groesbeek….

….Want to follow our research?….

Share this:

…..Albert Noel enlisted under the NRMA in 1942….

….George Chevarie’s son was the key to finding a photo of Albert Noel….

….Albert Noel served in Newfoundland….

….Albert Noel volunteered for paratroop training….

….Albert Noel’s mother tried to have him released….

….Albert Noel left Canada for overseas service….

….Albert Noel was transferred to Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal….

.….The battle to clear Xanten began in early March 1945 ….

.….Albert Noel lost his life on March 3, 1945 ….

.….Albert Noel is buried in Groesbeek….

….Want to follow our research?….

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