Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands

On The War Memorial Trail…..Our 2025 Visit To Freedom Museum Zeeland

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January 31, 2026. Last spring 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. 

After visiting the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom (see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2026/01/12/on-the-war-memorial-trail-our-2025-visit-to-the-canadian-war-cemetery-in-bergen-op-zoom/) and the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem (see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/12/08/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-visit-to-the-canadian-war-cemetery-in-adegem/), we were very interested in learning more about the Battle of the Scheldt, as so many of the men buried in these two cemeteries lost their lives in this battle.  

….Why was the Battle of the Scheldt so important?…

Map shows Battle of the Scheldt in The Netherlands.  (Map source: http://www.canadiansoldiers.com)

The Battle of the Scheldt’s objective was to free up the way to the Port of Antwerp in Belgium for supply purposes. Canadian soldiers suffered almost 8,000 casualties (wounded and dead) in what turned out to be the battle with the most Canadian casualties in The Netherlands. (See https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war/scheldt)

….The Freedom Museum Zeeland focuses on the Battle of the Scheldt…

One sunny Saturday in May 2025 we visited the Freedom Museum Zeeland (Bevrijdingsmuseum Zeeland in Dutch) in the very small village of Nieuwdorp.  This is a privately run museum that focuses on the Battle of the Scheldt. We found it very informative, with lots of displays and panels in 4 languages – Dutch, English, French, and German. 

Site map from the Museum’s pamphlet.

The Museum pamphlet stated that the museum “…takes you through the eventful years in the province of Zeeland during World War II.  The ‘Battle of the Scheldt’ is the central thread of this story. The fierce battle fought in the autumn of 1944 between the Allied and German troops for command over the Western Scheldt, the main waterway to the already liberated port of Antwerp.  A battle that is often forgotten, despite its crucial significance for the ensuing liberation of Western Europe….” 

While the battle isn’t forgotten in Canada, as it cost so many Canadian soldiers their lives, we were unaware that the struggle for control of the Scheldt began years earlier, with French forces trying to help protect Zeeland in May 1940. 

A panel explained that “…on 16 May 1940 German SS troops cross the South Beveland Canal, taking the French by surprise. Come evening the Germans have already reached the Sloedam, the only connection with Walcheren island by land.  The defence of the Sloedam is not impossible, so the French entrench themselves to stop the Germans….”

Unfortunately, on May 17, the Germans prevailed. “…Despite fierce resistance, the Germans succeed in crossing the Sloedam, thanks to heavy air support…” 

The Mayor of Middelburg had “…anticipated the military violence and already advised citizens to leave town on 14 May.  He was proved right because on 17 May a large part of the old town centre of Middelburg goes up in flames….”

The French retreated to Vlissingen, and boarded ships to leave.  “…Dutch capitulation is reported to the Germans, who then invade Middelburg…”  Zeeland was the last province of The Netherlands to be occupied, and remained under German occupation until November 1944. 

The harrowing story of the effect of German occupation on Dutch citizens, and the struggle to liberate Zeeland in the fall of 1944 is vividly told through displays and information panels.

….We saw military equipment that had been featured in many of our stories…

Pieter stands in front of a Sherman tank.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

After completing the circuit of information panels and displays indoors, we went outside to look at more displays and military equipment, including a Sherman tank.

Pieter inside a German one-man bunker. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

One object that intrigued us was a German one-man bunker, made of reinforced concrete.  An information panel explained that this “…Splitterschutzzelle (splinter protection cell) offered protection against shelling, air raids, and bombardments.  They were often placed in residential districts, near factories or military installations….”  While it offered some protection, the one-man bunker was not able to withstand a direct hit.

….We were able to drive across a Bailey bridge…

We were delighted to see a Bailey bridge, which we’d never seen in real life before.  Pieter of course went across it, but it was a bit too far away for me to tackle.  The bridge was in an area that was only for pedestrian traffic, and not for vehicles.

After seeing all of the exhibits and the military equipment, we returned to the parking lot.  Just as we reached our vehicle, a man in a jeep pulled up and asked if we were the Canadians. When we’d paid the entrance fee for the museum, we’d mentioned that we were from Canada.  The man in the jeep was Kees Traas, who owns the museum, and wanted to meet us.  

Pieter with Kees Traas in his WWII era jeep.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Kees was very happy that Pieter spoke Dutch and the two of them became very engaged in conversation about the museum and how it began.  Kees became my hero when he told Pieter to take the car and drive it across the Bailey bridge so that I could see it, and to make sure we stopped in at the church, which had a story about a Canadian soldier. 

Pieter asked if the bridge could hold the car.  “…Oh yes…” said Kees, “…it can hold 3 tons….”  So an overjoyed Pieter got to experience travelling over a ‘temporary’ bridge that we’d only read about in war diaries.

A Bailey bridge, named after it’s British inventor, was “…an emergency bridge to replace bridges that were destroyed, or as an alternative next to bridges that did not have enough bearing capacity….” 

Pieter drove our vehicle across the Bailey bridge. The building seen on the right is a chapel.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

We went back and forth across the bridge, so that I could experience it, and then once more with just Pieter in the car, while I took photos of the crossing.

….The chapel featured the story of Jean-Maurice Dicaire….

Display case in the chapel featured Pte Jean-Maurice Dicaire. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

We also visited the chapel that Kees had mentioned to us, which had a display case featuring the story of Jean-Maurice DICAIRE, born in Hawkesbury, Ontario, who was serving with Le Régiment de Maisonneuve, when he lost his life on October 29, 1944, aged 23.

Jean-Maurice Dicaire was featured on an information panel in the chapel.

An information panel explained that the original grave marker had been found near a garbage container and given to the museum.  Unlike many Canadian soldiers who were reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, Jean-Maurice’s body was never removed from the Kloetinge General Cemetery. 

The original grave marker was likely discarded as his surname was incorrectly spelled.  The wooden marker was replaced with a stone at his grave that has his correct surname.  Today the grave marker with the incorrect spelling is in the chapel at the Freedom Museum Zeeland, as part of the memorabilia that features this young soldier. 

Thank you to Kees Traas, Chair of the Freedom Museum Zeeland Foundation, for allowing us to drive over the Bailey bridge. 

After arriving back at our hotel, we enjoyed a delicious and relaxing dinner.  After visiting 383 graves in 14 cemeteries, in 2 countries, plus the Halifax L9561 memorial panel in Wons, we wanted to celebrate the completion of our goal. 

But we still weren’t finished! More adventures awaited as we continued with our 2025 European War Memorial Tour to visit a special Indigenous Exhibit at the Freedom Museum in Groesbeek. 

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

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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

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On The War Memorial Trail….The WWII Soldier From Winnipeg Who Was Recognized For His Heroism During The Dieppe Raid But Died During The Battle Of The Scheldt

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January 21, 2026. For the past several years, in the week before Remembrance Day, the Winnipeg Free Press newspaper features a soldier on one of the photo search lists that Pieter gets from the Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands.  For the November 2025 feature, journalist Kevin Rollason asked if Pieter had a soldier on his list from Winnipeg, my home town.

Pieter said yes, and asked if Kevin would feature a soldier, buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands, who overcame a traumatic childhood and was recognized for ‘gallant and distinguished service’ during the Dieppe Raid (Operation Jubilee) on August 19, 1942, before losing his life on October 27, 1944, aged 22, during the Battle of the Scheldt. The search for a photo of the soldier was still active when Kevin’s story ‘Searching For A Hero’ was published on November 10, 2025.  (See Searching for a hero by Kevin Rollason)

Charles ‘Gordon’ ERICKSON was born July 27, 1922 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the son of Frank and Helen (Ellen) Gordon (nee Grant) Erickson. According to their marriage record, Frank was born in USA, and Helen in Scotland. Gordon was the middle child, with an older sister, Hazel Francis, and a younger sister, Barbara ‘Nancy’.

….Gordon and his sister Nancy ended up in the care of the Children’s Aid Society…

It’s unclear exactly what happened, but before Gordon turned 5, the family had fractured.  A  Free Press Evening Bulletin notice from July 5, 1927 stated that Gordon and Nancy would be put into care of the Children’s Aid Society as of July 27, 1927.  The two children had been adopted by two different families. Unfortunately, both adoptions failed, putting them into care.

In the end, the two were separated from each other and didn’t reconnect until both were in service during WWII. The fate of their older sister Hazel was unknown to them.

Shortly after the Winnipeg Free Press article was published, Nancy’s son, Gordon Barker, contacted Pieter.  He explained that Frank “….worked on railroad and abandoned his wife and children, and it was believed that he returned to the USA.  Helen travelled to Minneapolis to look for him, had a nervous breakdown, and ended up in a mental institution, where she is thought to have died, circa 1966….”  

…. Gordon lied about his age upon enlistment…

Life was not easy for Gordon during his childhood.  When he enlisted on January 2, 1940 with the No. 5 General Hospital, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (RCAMC), Canadian Active Service Force (CASF), he wrote that he was born in 1918.  This was later changed to 1919, which was still incorrect as he was born in 1922.

His next of kin was originally listed as his father, but this was then changed to his Children’s Aid Society Guardian, Joseph Dumas. When asked if he had ever worked before enlistment, he stated that, from 1932 up to the date of enlistment, he had worked as a farmhand at the Smallicombe farm in Holland, Manitoba, receiving a weekly wage of $6 and his ‘keep’ (food and a place to sleep).  He had finished Grade 8 and listed soccer, swimming, and softball as sports he enjoyed.

….Gordon left Canada for overseas service…

Gordon worked as a medical orderly at No. 5 General Hospital in Winnipeg for almost the entire month of January.  On January 29, 1940, he boarded a ship in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and with other members of his unit, left Canada for the United Kingdom on January 30, 1940, sailing from Halifax, and disembarking in Gourock, Scotland on February 9, 1940. 

No. 5 Canadian General Hospital in Taplow.  (Photo source: Eton Wick History)

Once in Great Britain, Gordon continued as a medical orderly, at the 600 bed No. 5 Canadian General Hospital in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, until March 28, 1941. This wartime hospital, which looked after wounded soldiers, was established by the Canadian Red Cross in 1940 and had been built on land donated by the Astor family at their Cliveden Estate.

….Gordon was transferred to the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada…

On March 28, 1941, Gordon was transferred to the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada and sent for advanced infantry training. Then, on January 15, 1942, he was assigned to No. 2 Division Infantry Reinforcement Unit (DIRU) for additional training in preparation for the upcoming Dieppe Raid.  On May 1, 1942, he returned to the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada. 

Map showing the Dieppe Raid. (Map source: https://cbf-fccb.ca/)

On August 18, 1942, Gordon travelled to France with the Regiment, and was part of the combined attack for the Dieppe Raid, known as Operation Jubilee, on August 19, 1942.  This was a disastrous Allied amphibious attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe in northern France. (See https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/military-history/second-world-war/dieppe-raid and https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/dieppe-raid)

In the battle plan, the South Saskatchewan Regiment was to land in the first wave of the attack on Green Beach to secure the beach at Pourville, the right flank of the operation. The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada would then land in the second wave and move inland along the eastern bank of the Scie River to meet up with the tanks of the Calgary Regiment coming from Dieppe and capture the airfield at Saint-Aubin-sur-Scie. They would then clear the Hitler Battery and attack the suspected German divisional headquarters.

Things didn’t go as planned.  While the attack began on time (at 04:50 am) the South Saskatchewan Regiment landed west of the river, instead of in front of it. This didn’t pose a problem for the force aiming to clear the village and attack the cliffs to the west, but for the other force it meant they had to move through the village, cross the exposed bridge over the river before attempting to get on the high ground to the east.

The resulting delay gave the Germans had time to react and deploy, just as the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada came along in their landing craft as the second wave to attack on Green Beach.  As they reached 910 metres (1000 yards) off Green Beach, German shore batteries, machine guns, and mortars opened fire.  

….Gordon was wounded during the Dieppe Raid…

The main landing at Dieppe had been unsuccessful, and the failure of tanks to arrive made it impossible for the Regiment to gain its objectives. With increased German opposition and no communication with headquarters, the Regiment, which had advanced once reaching the beach, began to fight back to Pourville, carrying their wounded. They made it back and re-established contact with the South Saskatchewan Regiment, only to learn that there was an hour’s wait for the landing craft to return for re-embarkation.

Both the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada and the South Saskatchewan Regiment fought desperately during the wait, but there were too many casualties. At 11:00 am the landing craft began to arrive, taking grievous losses on the approach into the beach. More men were killed and wounded as they tried to board the landing craft under enemy fire. Five landing craft and one tank landing craft managed to rescue men from the shallows and cleared the beach with full loads, but within half an hour, no further rescues were possible.

Of 503 Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada who participated in the raid, 346 were casualties: 60 were killed in action, 8 died of wounds after evacuation, and 167 became prisoners of war (with 8 POWs dying from their wounds). 268 returned to England, 103 of them wounded.

Evacuation of casualties from Dieppe to England on August 19, 1942.  (Map source: ‘Official History Of The Canadian Medical Services 1939-1945’)

Gordon was one of the men wounded during re-embarkation.  He was evacuated to No. 15 Canadian General Hospital in Bramshott, United Kingdom, with a shrapnel wound to his left ear. According to his hospital file the “….wound penetrated to the bone….” with “…some slight retraction of eardrum… Probably slight concussion as result of artillery fire….”  He remained in hospital until August 31, 1942, when the wound healed, and he was able to return to duty.

For his actions during the Dieppe Raid, King George VI was “…graciously pleased to approve that ….”  Gordon “…be mentioned in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the combined attack on Dieppe…”  On December 8, 1942, Gordon was promoted to Lance Corporal, remaining in the United Kingdom for further training.

…. Nancy’s son Gordon had a photo of his uncle…

Charles ‘Gordon’ Erickson.  (Photo courtesy of Gordon Barker)

Gordon and his sister Nancy were reunited while both were serving in England.  Her son Gordon explained that his mother had joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) on August 14, 1942, and served as a secretary for the military in London, England during the war, working on soldiers’ duty assignments and other administrative tasks. He had photos of both his mother and his uncle, who he was named after.

Nancy Erickson in England in 1942.  (Photo courtesy of Gordon Barker)

….Gordon was very highly regarded…

Gordon quickly received another promotion, to Corporal, on January 31, 1943.  In June 1943, he was sent to No. 5 (Battle) Wing Canadian Training School at Rowland’s Castle, Hampshire, England, for a 4 week Battle Drill course which trained Canadian soldiers in how to react when coming under enemy fire. (See https://www.southdowns.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/The-Canadian-Army-Battle-Drill-School-Stansted-Park-1942.pdf)

The course tried to mimic combat conditions, using obstacle courses and simulated battlefields, live rounds fired over the heads of students, controlled explosions, target practice, and dummies to bayonet.

One of Gordon’s instructors may have been Ralph Schurman BOULTER, whose story was previously told on this blog. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/03/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-battle-of-bienen-part-2-the-wwii-battle-drill-instructor-from-oleary/)

A September 21, 1943 interviewer wrote in Gordon’s service file that he had “….very high learning ability, a good appearance, and a pleasant personality….”  It further noted that Gordon requested “…any courses on supporting infantry weapons…”

….Gordon and the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada arrived in France in July 1944….

The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada Regiment disembarked in Graye-sur-Mer and made their way towards Caen.  (Map source: Google maps)

Gordon and the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada Regiment continued training while in the United Kingdom, but on July 5, 1944, a month after D-Day, they left aboard USOS ‘Will Rogers’ from Newhaven, Sussex for Normandy, as part of the as part of the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, arriving in Graye-sur-Mer, Calvados, France 2 days later. 

By July 12, 1944, Battalion headquarters was based in an orchard near Rots, France, and the troops were dispersed outside of Caen, with the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada sent to Carpiquet. The war diary for that day noted that “…the town was completely demolished. Battalion takes up defence position…”

The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada Regiment were west of Caen in Carpiquet.  (Map source: Google maps)

….Gordon was injured during the Battle of Saint André-sur-Orne….

The Battalion was ordered to capture the village of Saint André-sur-Orne, located south-west of Caen. They reached it on July 20, 1944, with rain hindering operations. The Allies faced stiff resistance as they began Operation Spring, a major bombardment that took place on the night of July 24-25, to capture the heights of Verrières Ridge, which overlooks the area between Caen and Falaise. (See https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/verrieresridge.htm)

Part of Operation Spring was the Battle of Saint André-sur-Orne, a village on the starting line of the offensive.  It was captured by the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada (6th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division) Canadians to the north.

At some point during the battle, Gordon was wounded and evacuated to the United Kingdom for treatment.  He remained in the United Kingdom from July 26 to September 23, 1944, after which he returned to his Regiment on September 24, 1944.  By now, the Regiment had left France and was in the vicinity of Sint-Job-in-‘t-Goor, in the province of Antwerp, Belgium.

Gordon arrived just after a failed offensive, where Canadian and British troops had tried to secure an undamaged bridge over the Turnhout-Schoten Canal on September 23, 1944. Due to fierce German resistance Allied troops were unable to prevent the enemy from blowing up the bridge.

….The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada were involved in the Battle of the Scheldt….

The Regiment next began preparing to participate in the upcoming Battle of the Scheldt, which began officially on October 2 and lasted until November 8, 1944.  The Battle of the Scheldt’s objective was to free up the way to the Port of Antwerp in Belgium for supply purposes. Canadians suffered almost 8,000 casualties (wounded and dead) in what turned out to be the battle with the most Canadian casualties in The Netherlands. (See https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war/scheldt)

Map shows location of South Beveland and Walcheren Island  in The Netherlands.  (Map source: http://www.canadiansoldiers.com)

The War Diary for October 25, 1944 stated that at 9 pm they were ordered to move the next day to an area “…in the Beveland Causeway…” 

The Beveland Causeway, also known as the Sloedam, was a narrow land link between South Beveland and Walcheren Island in The Netherlands, crucial for gaining access to the port of Antwerp, and the site of brutal, costly battles in 1944 as Canadian forces fought to secure it against German defenders. This narrow strip, bracketed by marshes, was a heavily defended bottleneck, becoming the focus of fierce assaults. 

The War Diary for October 26, 1944 described the challenges faced as they moved into position and were attacked by 88 mm German guns.  “…Enemy 88 mm lays direct fire on crossroads as Battalion embusses…..”  There were no casualties at this point, but one vehicle was damaged.  However, as they moved along the road onto the Beveland Causeway, the convoy was “…mortared as it proceeded…” resulting in a few non-fatal casualties.  At 3 pm they were ordered to reverse direction towards the village of Yerseke.

….Gordon lost his life during the Battle of the Scheldt….

The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada moved back from the Beveland Causeway towards Yerseke. (Map source: Google maps)

The War Diary for October 27, 1944 continued to document the struggles faced by the Battalion as they entered Yerseke and took up positions north of the village.  The day was “…overcast, visibility poor, light mist, light rain….Battalion enters Yerseke at first light…”  They were ordered to cross the canal at a “…small footbridge one company at a time…” The plan was for “…two companies to form bridgehead while two companies push out to take Wemeldinge…”

Things didn’t go according to plan.  “…It was found impossible to cross footbridge due to mortars and one 88 mm gun….”  At 6:30 pm, Plan B called for “…companies to take up positions along canal bank.  Battalion will try crossing by assault boat at 2100 hours…”

While waiting for the assault boats, the men were hit by “…enemy mortars and shells….6 wounded, 2 killed…”  The crossing by assault boats didn’t go well, as the 10:30 pm report in the War Diary recorded. “…Battalion attack across canal repulsed by enemy mortar and heavy machine gun fire.  Two companies landed on island … All boats but one sunk, that one boat retired two companies to East bank under heavy fire…”

22 year old Gordon was among the fatalities that day, likely one of the two men killed while waiting for the assault boats to arrive.  

….Gordon is buried in Bergen Op Zoom…

Grave of Charles ‘Gordon’ Erickson in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands with a Christmas Eve candle.  (Photo courtesy of Caroline Raaijmakers)

Gordon was temporarily buried on October 31, 1944 in the cemetery in Sint-Maartensdijk, before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands on September 5, 1945. 

Gordon’s younger sister, Nancy Erickson Vincent, survived the war, had two sons, and lived in Espanola, Ontario until her death in 2014.  His older sister, Hazel Francis Erickson Kerr, lived in St Thomas, Ontario, but had died by the time she was found by Nancy’s son Gordon Barker in 2006.

By then, Nancy had fallen ill with dementia. “….I didn’t tell her that I found her sister because her sister had already passed away by that time….” he said. “…With the dementia and everything going on, I didn’t want to cause her any more pain…” 

Thank you to Shawn Rainville for newspaper searches, and to Judy Noon of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 39 in Espanola, Ontario for contacting Gordon Barker.  A big thank you goes to Gordon Barker for providing photos and information, and to Kevin Rollason for writing a newspaper article highlighting the search for a photo. 

Gordon Barker in Bogor, Indonesia. (Photo courtesy of Gordon Barker)

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

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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

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

On The War Memorial Trail…..Our 2025 Visit To The Canadian War Cemetery In Bergen Op Zoom

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Entrance to the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom.  Pieter can be seen in the distance carrying the bag of flags!  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

January 12, 2026. Readers of this blog are aware that Pieter has been involved in finding photos of Canadians who are buried in The Netherlands since 2014.  Last spring 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. 

….Flags placed at the graves of soldiers from 5 provinces…

After visiting a number of cemeteries in The Netherlands and Belgium during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, we travelled back to The Netherlands to visit the last cemetery on our list – the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom. 

Many Canadians who are buried here lost their lives during the Battle of the Scheldt. Others were reburied here from other cemeteries, while some, mostly airmen, had drowned and their bodies washed up.

There are 1,119 WWII Commonwealth burials, 968 of them Canadian. There are also 109 casualties from the United Kingdom, 6 from New Zealand, 5 from Australia, and 31 that are unidentified. Flags were placed by Pieter at 51 graves at this cemetery:

  • 14 were from Nova Scotia
  • 21 from New Brunswick
  • 7 from Prince Edward Island
  • 1 from Saskatchewan
  • 8 from Ontario

9 of the graves also received an Acadian flag.  All of the graves received a Canadian flag.  Provincial flags were placed at all graves, with the exception of the soldier from Saskatchewan, for which, unfortunately, we did not receive flags.

.…This was our second visit to Bergen Op Zoom…

We’d first been to the cemetery in 2019. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2019/12/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-our-2019-visit-to-the-canadian-war-cemetery-in-bergen-op-zoom/)

The cemetery was an hour’s drive from our hotel in Tilburg.  In The Netherlands, no one talks kms, it’s all about the time it takes to get to a destination….and that varies depending on the time of day, if it’s a weekend or holiday, or a normal weekday.  Distances aren’t far by North American standards, but traffic is so congested – and drivers so impatient and aggressive – that it can take an hour or longer to travel a distance that would take 10 or 15 minutes back home.

As always, when we are in a war cemetery, we write an entry in the visitors’ book.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Whenever we visit a war cemetery, we always make time to write in the visitors’ book, and this time I wrote that we were here to place flags at 51 graves.

….A surprise encounter led to one more grave receiving a Canadian flag…

While in the cemetery, we met a family from Calgary, Fred and Tasha Best, and their two children, who’d come to visit Fred’s great-uncle, Hans Karl GRAFFUNDER, a soldier from British Columbia who died on October 1, 1944, aged 23, while serving with the Calgary Highlanders.

Standing behind the grave of Hans Karl Graffunder, from left to right: Tasha, Samantha, Fred (the soldier’s great-nephew), and Nate Best of Calgary, Alberta. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Pieter contributed a Canadian flag to be placed by the grave. After Pieter explained about the search for photos of soldiers, they immediately emailed a photo of Hans Karl to us, which was then shared with Caroline Raaijmakers, Chair of Faces To Graves Bergen Op Zoom. If only it was that easy to get all the photos on the wish lists!

Fred Best explained that originally it was thought that his great-uncle was a German soldier, due to his surname, blond hair, and blue eyes, but once he was identified as Canadian, he was buried in Bergen Op Zoom.

….It took us 2 hours to place flags…

It was not as hot and humid as in previous days, and as the cemetery is smaller than the other two Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands, we were finished in 2 hours, an amazing feat.

Pieter stands behind the grave of Albert James Lounsbury.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

When we visited the grave of WWII soldier Albert James LOUNSBURY, of Petitcodiac, New Brunswick, we brought a photo of him with us.  Pieter placed the photo at the grave along with flags of Canada and New Brunswick.  The photo was later given to Caroline Raaijmakers.  While serving with the Black Watch of Canada, Albert lost his life on October 13, 1944, aged 36.  His story will be coming up in a future posting.

Pieter stands behind the grave of Gregory Philip Anthony McCarthy. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

WWII soldier Gregory Philip Anthony MCCARTHY, born in Grand Falls, New Brunswick, was serving with the 10th Independent Machine Gun Company, New Brunswick Rangers when he killed in The Netherlands, aged 22, on January 19, 1945, when the company’s own mortar misfired and exploded. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/03/16/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-8/)

Pieter stands behind the grave of Arnold Ernest ‘Ernie’ Thornton. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

WWII soldier Arnold Ernest ‘Ernie’ THORNTON, born in Amherst, Nova Scotia, was serving with the Calgary Highlanders when he killed in Belgium, eight days before his 23rd birthday, on September 22, 1944, during the Battle of the Scheldt. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/01/16/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-3/)

….An invitation to lunch…

We finished placing flags a few minutes before we were scheduled to meet Caroline Raaijmakers and her husband Han.  They invited us to their home for lunch, where we enjoyed a delicious bowl of white asparagus soup and sandwiches.

Caroline Raaijmakers, Daria, Pieter, and Han Raaijmakers. Pieter holds a plaque from the family of Alvah Leard, a soldier from Prince Edward Island. (Photo credit: Dorus Raaijmakers)

Caroline showed us some of the material left at graves by Canadian students visiting the cemetery a few weeks before us. They saved everything as otherwise it would have been discarded or ruined by rain.  It was amazing!  Some students had painted pictures to be placed by graves. Plaques, photos, letters to the deceased soldiers, pins, and little ceramic animals were also left. 

All of the material will be saved for the upcoming Visitors Centre, located between the Canadian and British War Cemeteries, and which is scheduled to open in May 2026.

….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.
  • 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.
  • Don Coutts on behalf of the Muttart and Coutts families in memory of Flight Sergeant Elmer Bagnall Muttart for the Ontario flags.
  • Jean-Claude D’Amours, MLA for Edmundston-Madawaska Centre, Minister responsible for Military Affairs, with the help of Cécile LePage, Province of New Brunswick, for the New Brunswick flags.
  • La Société acadienne de Clare at the request of Simone Comeau for the Acadian flags.

Thank you to Caroline and Han Raaijmakers for inviting us for lunch, and letting us see what the Canadian students had left at the graves they visited.  Thank you also to the Best family for sending a photo of Hans Karl Graffunder. 

We arrived back at our hotel after 4:30 pm, and enjoyed an early dinner and relaxing evening.  More adventures awaited this droopy but dynamic duo as we continued with our 2025 European War Memorial Tour. 

Meanwhile, long after our return 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.    

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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

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

2025 Christmas Eve Candle Lighting At The Canadian War Cemetery In Bergen Op Zoom

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

January 10, 2026.  For decades, it’s been a Christmas Eve tradition in Europe to light candles by the graves of Allied soldiers who are buried in War Cemeteries or in municipal cemeteries.

These candles are funded by various non-profit groups at each cemetery participating in the candle-lighting ceremony.  In many of the cemeteries, children are active participants, placing candles at each grave.

This year, we include photos of the candlelit graves for 8 soldiers – that Pieter has researched and whose stories have been previously told – who are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands.  This cemetery began the tradition of lighting candles on Christmas Eve in 1991, with candles placed by many volunteers.

The photos are courtesy of Faces To Graves Bergen Op Zoom Chair Caroline Raaijmakers, who arranged to send us photos of the graves of the soldiers we wanted to feature this year.

…8 graves from Bergen Op Zoom are featured….

Candles were placed at all 1,119 graves at the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom.  8 of them are featured in this posting….

Candle placed at the grave of James ‘Walter’ Auld.  (Photo Courtesy of Caroline Raaijmakers)

WWII soldier James ‘Walter’ AULD, born in Glenwood, Prince Edward Island, was serving with the Algonquin Regiment when he killed in The Netherlands, aged 21, on November 1, 1944 during Operation Suitcase, one of the actions during the Battle of the Scheldt. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2020/07/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-face-for-james-walter-auld/)

Candle placed at the grave of Edward ‘Ed’ Dalton Chisholm.  (Photo Courtesy of Caroline Raaijmakers)

WWII soldier Edward ‘Ed’ Dalton CHISHOLM, from Hallowell Grant, Nova Scotia, was serving with the Algonquin Regiment when he was killed in action during the Battle for the North Shore of the Scheldt in Belgium on October 20, 1944. He was 19 years old, only two weeks away from his 20th birthday. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/07/24/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-hallowel-grant-who-lost-his-life-during-the-battle-for-the-north-shore-of-the-scheldt/)

We were pleased to see a photo of Ed and a few mementos at his grave, placed by his family during a visit.  Last summer, Ed’s nephew Martin Sullivan wrote about an upcoming visit he and his wife Claire planned to make.  “….I was very touched to see you have been awarded the Knight of the Order of the Orange Nassau. You both have given so much to so many families who lost loved ones overseas. Edward is now a part of our family conversations to all the Chisholms and Sullivans. I look forward to completing the second leg of our journey in late October to see where Edward gave his life fighting near Kruisstraat along with the Dutch Orange Brigade and the Belgian White Brigade. We will be thinking of you both as we travel along his route with the Algonquins from Antwerp to Bergen op Zoom….”

Candle placed at the grave of Adam Klein.  (Photo Courtesy of Caroline Raaijmakers)

WWII soldier Adam KLEIN, from Disley, Saskatchewan, was serving with the Algonquin Regiment, when he died in The Netherlands while crossing the Maas River on January 18, 1945, aged 21. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/07/20/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-disley-who-lost-his-life-while-swimming-across-the-maas-river/)

Candle placed at the grave of Milton Evangeline Livingtone.  (Photo Courtesy of Caroline Raaijmakers)

WWII soldier Milton Evangeline LIVINGSTONE, born in Gladstone, Prince Edward Island, was serving with the Lincoln & Welland Regiment when he was accidentally killed, aged 26, on November 6, 1944 when a fellow soldier’s gun was fired in a house in Steenbergen, The Netherlands.  Milton was sitting at a kitchen table reading a Dutch-English dictionary when he was fatally shot.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/08/05/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-who-died-while-reading-a-dutch-english-dictionary/)

Candle placed at the grave of Harold Edward Roy Martin.  (Photo Courtesy of Caroline Raaijmakers)

WWII soldier Harold Edward Roy MARTIN, born in Caradoc, Ontario, was serving with the Essex Scottish Regiment when he was killed in The Netherlands during the Battle of the Scheldt on October 14, 1944, aged 32. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/02/11/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-remembered-by-his-daughters-friend/)

Candle placed at the grave of Leonard William Porter.  (Photo Courtesy of Caroline Raaijmakers)

WWII soldier Leonard William PORTER from Moncton, New Brunswick, was serving with the Calgary Highlanders when he was killed in action during the Battle of Walcheren Causeway in The Netherlands on November 1, 1944, aged 26.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/11/20/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-moncton-who-lost-his-life-during-the-battle-of-walcheren-causeway/)

Candle placed at the grave of Russell Richard Soble.  (Photo Courtesy of Caroline Raaijmakers)

WWII soldier Russell Richard SOBLE, born in Ameliasburg, Ontario, was serving with the Essex Scottish Regiment when he died on October 6, 1944, aged 20, one of 12 members of the regiment killed in action in Putte, a town on the Dutch-Belgian border, in a fight on October 5, 1944 that marked the beginning of the Battle of the Scheldt.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/01/13/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-2/)

Candle placed at the grave of William Ernest Stone.  (Photo Courtesy of Caroline Raaijmakers)

WWII soldier William Ernest STONE, from Clyde River, Prince Edward Island, was serving with the Black Watch of Canada, when he was killed during a fierce battle during the Attack On Hoogerheide in The Netherlands on October 10, 1944, at the age of 25. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/10/12/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-clyde-river-who-lost-his-life-during-the-attack-on-hoogerheide/)

Thank you to Caroline Raaijmakers for arranging to send us these photos from the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands.

If you have a story or photo to share about Canadian military personnel buried in The Netherlands or Belgium, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog. 

© Daria Valkenburg

…Previous postings about Christmas Eve Candle Lighting…

…Want to follow our research?….

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

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

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

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

Happy Holidays From The Valkenburgs – And Our Year In Review!

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

December 24, 2025.  2025 was another busy year for us, and we remain committed to the On The War Memorial Trail research project.  As of today, since this project began, Pieter has been able to cross 359 photo search requests from the three Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands off of their photo search lists. 

In addition, he has found photos for an additional 111 soldiers – for WWI and WWII soldiers buried in Belgium, listed on a memorial wall in the United Kingdom, airmen buried in municipal cemeteries in The Netherlands, and soldiers from Prince Edward Island who are buried in Canada. I have written stories for many of these soldiers, with many more stories still to come. 

While several long-standing searches for photos were successful, allowing Pieter to complete his files for those soldiers, many files still remain open.  In most cases, family members were found, but no photo was available for one reason or another. 

The files in which Pieter has had zero luck in finding photos continue to be placed on the Cold Case Files page on the On The War Memorial Trail website.  We started this page in 2023 and have been lucky to have several names cleared off of the list. Perhaps 2026 will see more names removed!  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/our-cold-cases/)

New research files were added, and Pieter was able to finish his research for many files.  As always, there is a lag between him completing his work and me documenting his research, but that is on my very optimistic ‘to do’ list for this winter.

This spring we were in Europe for 5 weeks on our 2025 European War Memorial Tour.  Among the highlights of our trip, Pieter placed flags at 383 graves in 14 cemeteries in The Netherlands and Belgium. We attended the commemoration service for the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of The Netherlands at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek. 

As well, we visited several memorials in The Netherlands and Germany, attended the grave re-dedication ceremony of a WWII soldier from Ontario, and, with the help of GPS coordinates on a trench map, we found the location of the original burial of a WWI soldier from Prince Edward Island who was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele in October 1917. 

Pieter became a volunteer under the National Volunteer Program for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), and was assigned four local cemeteries which have CWGC gravestones.  A photo of him was even featured on a postcard promoting volunteers! 

The project to upload photos to the Canadian Virtual War Memorial website, which began in the fall of 2023, continues.  Pieter advises that he plans to continue this project into 2026.

This year, we were able to meet several families, which we very much appreciated – this year in New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.  We are grateful that so many families have come forward to share photos and information, and are thankful for help from the media in helping to find photos.  What follows in the rest of this posting is a summary of what happened in 2025 with this research project.

… Statement about Pieter in the Senate of Canada….

On October 8, 2025 a statement about Pieter was made by Senator Mary Robinson in the Senate of Canada: See https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2025/sen/Y3-451-23-eng.pdf page 763

… Statement about us in the PEI Legislature….

Matthew B. MacFarlane, MLA for District 19, Borden-Kinkora, Leader of the Green Party of Prince Edward Island, informed us that he’d given a brief statement about us in the legislature on November 4, 2025.  We had no idea he’d done this until he sent us the link!  (https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Ame5ppZio/)

…Daria Honoured With PEI Senior Islander of the Year Award….

Left to right: Honourable Barb Ramsay, Daria, Peter Holman. (Photo credit: Matthew B. MacFarlane)

PEI Seniors Secretariat slide shown during the readout of Daria’s biography

On October 1, 2025, Daria received the PEI Senior Islander of the Year Award from the Seniors Secretariat of Prince Edward Island, for her involvement with Hear PEI, a volunteer organization that works to build awareness of hearing loss issues, and in the ongoing research and writing of stories connected to the On The War Memorial Trail Research Project, sharing the untold stories of brave Canadians who served in the two World Wars, all based on her husband Pieter’s research. 

The plaque was presented by the Honourable Barb Ramsay, Minister for the Department of Social Development and Seniors, and Peter Holman, Chairperson, PEI Seniors Secretariat, in a ceremony at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel in Charlottetown.   (See https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/news/older-islanders-celebrated-with-senior-islander-of-the-year-award and https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/10/23/daria-honoured-with-pei-senior-islander-of-the-year-award/)

…. Pieter Appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau….

On July 2, 2025, by Royal Decree of His Majesty Willem-Alexander, King of The Netherlands, Pieter was appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau.  The decoration was presented to Pieter by Her Excellency Margriet Vonno, Ambassador of The Netherlands to Canada, in a beautiful ceremony hosted by His Honour, Dr Wassim Salamoun, Lt Governor of Prince Edward Island.

Pieter received his knighthood in recognition of the military research he’s done (and continues to do) to help ensure that Canadian soldiers buried in The Netherlands are not forgotten, and that their stories are told.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/08/11/pieter-valkenburg-appointed-knight-of-the-order-of-orange-nassau/ and https://www.saltwire.com/prince-edward-island/pieter-valkenburg-of-p-e-i-appointed-knight-of-the-order-of-orange-nassau and https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-30-island-morning/clip/16162199-islander-knighted-king-netherlands)

His Honour Dr Wassim Salamoun, Lt Governor of Prince Edward Island, Pieter Valkenburg, Her Excellency Margriet Vonno, Ambassador of The Netherlands to Canada. (Photo credit: Matthew B. MacFarlane)

Order of Orange-Nassau. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

….Pieter and Daria Honoured With Faces To Graves Groesbeek Foundation Certificate and ‘Coin’….

On May 24, 2025, Pieter and Daria were presented with a Certificate and a Faces To Graves ‘coin’ by Alice van Bekkum, Chair of Faces To Graves Groesbeek Foundation, for their research into Canadian soldiers buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands, finding families and sharing photos of over 100 of the soldiers.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/05/30/on-the-war-memorial-trail-pieter-and-daria-honoured-by-faces-to-graves-groesbeek-foundation/)

Daria and Pieter Valkenburg hold the Faces To Graves Coin and Certificate that was presented to them by Alice van Bekkum, Chair of Faces To Graves Groesbeek Foundation.  (Photo credit: Kim Huvenaars)

….‘Holten Heroes: Stories from a Canadian Field of Honour’ Added To PEI Library Catalogue….

Crapaud Public Library and Kinkora Public Library Branch Library Technician Elsie Hovey holds the book ‘Holten Heroes’, with translators Daria and Pieter Valkenburg on either side of her.  (Photo credit: Brenda Graves)

‘Holten Heroes: Stories from a Canadian Field of Honour’ by Dutch journalist Jan Braakman was translated by Pieter and Daria Valkenburg from the original Dutch language book ‘Holtense Canadezen’. A compilation of stories about many of the 1,394 Canadians buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands, the book was added to the Prince Edward Island Library Catalogue this fall.  For more information on the book, see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/11/01/new-book-about-soldiers-buried-in-the-canadian-war-cemetery-in-holten-the-netherlands/

‘Holten Heroes’ displayed on a bookshelf in the Crapaud Public Library.  (Photo credit: Elsie Hovey)

.....Pieter now a volunteer under CWGC’s National Volunteer Program….

Postcard promoting CWGC’s National Volunteer Program included a photo of Pieter (top left) that Daria took at Cape Traverse Community Cemetery.

When the Commonwealth CWGC asked for volunteers across Canada to be part of the National Volunteer Program to visit local cemeteries and gather information about the condition of CWGC war graves, Pieter applied and was accepted as a volunteer.  After receiving training on how to inspect headstones, how to report a grave in need of repair, and how to safely clean headstones where required, he was assigned 4 cemeteries in the South Shore area on Prince Edward Island.   The 4 cemeteries are:

  • Cape Traverse Community Cemetery (3 CWGC graves)
  • Tryon People’s Cemetery (2 CWGC graves)
  • Kelly’s Cross (St Joseph) Parish Cemetery (1 CWGC grave)
  • Seven Mile Bay (St Peter’s) Cemetery  (4 CWGC graves)

Shortly after Pieter began his inspection of the cemeteries, a photo that I took of him at Cape Traverse Community Cemetery was chosen to be used on a postcard promoting the National Volunteer Program.

…Presentation At The Annual  Remembrance Service At Crapaud Community Hall….

Pieter needed a few seconds to regain his composure following the heartfelt introduction by Senator Robinson. (Photo credit: Matthew B. MacFarlane)

On November 9, 2025, Pieter was the guest speaker at the Annual Remembrance Service at Crapaud Community Hall in Crapaud, Prince Edward Island.  After being introduced by The Honourable Mary Robinson, Senator, Pieter spoke about what Remembrance Day means to him, and based his speech around 5 words: Gratitude… Sorrow ….Thankfulness…. Respect….. and Admiration… (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/11/12/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembrance-week-2025-remembrance-service-at-crapaud-community-hall/)

…Presentation At The Annual  Remembrance Service At Borden-Carleton Legion….

Pieter was the guest speaker during the Remembrance Day service at Borden-Carleton Legion. (Photo credit: Matthew B. MacFarlane)

On November 11, 2025, Pieter was the guest speaker at the Annual Remembrance Service at the Borden-Carleton Legion in Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island.  Similar to his presentation a few days earlier at Crapaud Community Hall, Pieter spoke about what Remembrance Day means to him, and based his speech around 5 words: Gratitude… Sorrow ….Thankfulness…. Respect….. and Admiration…

…. Uploading photos to the Canadian Virtual War Memorial website ……

Pieter continued the project he began in the fall of 2023, to upload photos to the Canadian Virtual War Memorial website. For more information on this excellent resource, see https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/

In 2023, he began with uploading photos of 3 WWII soldiers. As of the end of 2024, Pieter uploaded photos for 20 WWI soldiers and 195 WWII, for a total of 218 soldiers. This year, he uploaded photos of:

  • 1 WWI soldiers
  • 9 WWII soldiers and airmen

This resulted in a total contribution of 228 soldiers.

…. Soldiers Listed On The Cenotaph Outside Borden-Carleton Legion …….

This year we added more information on soldiers whose stories had previously been told:

  • While in Belgium this spring, we found the location of the original burial of WWI soldier Vincent Earl CARR of Prince Edward Island who was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele in October 1917.
  • After a 10 year search we received a photo for WWI soldier Harry ROBINSON of Augustine Cove, Prince Edward Island, who died on June 27, 1916 after contracting blood poisoning from a cellulitis infection.

 … WWII Related Stories….

  • We shared a story about the 2024 candle lighting at graves of Canadian soldiers at the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem, Belgium.
  • We shared the story about the successful search for a photo of WWII soldier Peter HYDICHUK, from Saskatchewan, who lost his life in The Netherlands on March 31, 1945, while serving with the South Saskatchewan Regiment.
  • We shared the story about the successful search for a photo of WWII soldier Garnet Joseph GALLANT, from Nova Scotia, who lost his life in Germany on February 18, 1945 during the Battle of Moyland Wood, while serving with the Regina Rifles Regiment.

…. Stories About Servicemen From The Maritimes…

We also featured stories about servicemen from The Maritimes:

  • WWII soldier Azade BOUDREAU from New Brunswick, who drowned in a canal in Ghent, Belgium on December 15, 1944.
  • WWII soldier George Allan BUCHANAN from Nova Scotia, who was severely wounded on April 10, 1945 in Sögel, Germany and died of his wounds upon arriving at a military hospital in The Netherlands.
  • WWI soldier John Joseph FOY from Prince Edward Island, who survived WWI and moved to New Brunswick, where he became a rural mailman until his death on July 1, 1964.
  • WWII soldier Joseph Stephen GALLANT from Prince Edward Island, who was serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles when he lost his life on October 11, 1944 during the Battle of the Leopold Canal.
  • WWII soldier Arthur GAUDET from Prince Edward Island, who was killed in action during Operation Blockbuster in Germany on February 26, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Merle Vincent HAMILTON from Nova Scotia, one of 5 men killed on April 19, 1945 when the armoured car they were in hit a mine in Germany during the Battle for the Küsten Canal.
  • WWII soldier David ‘Lloyd’ George HOPE from New Brunswick, one of 7 men from the 23rd Field Company of the Royal Canadian Engineers who lost their lives during the crossing of the Lower Rhine River in The Netherlands on September 25-26, 1944 while participating in Operation Berlin – the attempt to save survivors of the British 1st Airborne after the disastrous Operation Market Garden and at the end of the Battle of Arnhem/Oosterbeek.
  • WWII Knights of Columbus Auxiliary Services Supervisor Joseph Augustine MACKENNA from Prince Edward Island, who drowned in a canal in Ghent, Belgium. Although he was last seen on the evening of June 12, 1945, his death was ‘arbitrarily determined’ to be June 20, 1945, and his death ‘confirmed’ on June 21, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Francis ‘Frank’ Eugene MUNROE from Nova Scotia, one of 19 men from his Regiment who drowned during the crossing of the Ems River in Germany on April 28, 1945 while participating in Operation Duck.
  • WWII soldier James Edward SULLIVAN from New Brunswick, one of 19 men from his Regiment who drowned during the crossing of the Ems River in Germany on April 28, 1945 while participating in Operation Duck.
  • WWII soldier John Peter ‘JP’ WHITE from Prince Edward Island, who died in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, following an operation on December 15, 1945.

…. Stories About Servicemen From Outside The Maritimes…

  • WWII soldier Stewart Lyon ANDERSON from Manitoba, one of 5 men killed on April 19, 1945 when the armoured car they were in hit a mine in Germany during the Battle for the Küsten Canal.
  • WWII soldier John Lewis HUGHES from Manitoba, who was killed at a beach dressing station during Operation Infatuate on Walcheren Island in The Netherlands on November 2, 1944, when 3 Allied tracked vehicles exploded after being hit by German shellfire.
  • WWII soldier Joseph ‘Albert Noel’ LAMONTAGNE from Quebec, who was killed in action during the advance towards Xanten in Germany on March 3, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Omer VINCENT from Manitoba, who was slain in a barn in the municipality of Bronkhurst in The Netherlands, during a patrol on April 13, 1945.

…In Conversation And Features…

  • We featured the 3-part story of Croatian-born WWI and WWII veteran Nikola ‘Nick’ OSTOJIC, who spent 4 years as a POW in Germany after the Royal Yugoslav Army surrendered, then 3 years in a Displaced Persons camp in Austria, before finally finding freedom before finally finding freedom and a new life in Prince Edward Island, where he raised horses, and later Ontario, in Canada.
  • We featured the 2-part story of Nova Scotia born Dr. James ‘Alton’ ROSS, based on his WWII diary while serving as a doctor aboard the hospital ship HMHS Lady Nelson.
  • We featured multiple stories about our 5 week 2025 European War Memorial Tour, during which Pieter placed flags at 383 graves at 14 cemeteries in The Netherlands and Belgium. We attended the commemoration service for the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of The Netherlands at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek. As well, we visited several memorials in The Netherlands and Germany, attended the grave re-dedication ceremony of Arthur VANANCE – a WWII soldier from Ontario – and, with the help of GPS coordinates on a trench map, we found the location of the original burial of a WWI soldier from Prince Edward Island who was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele in October 1917.
  • We were asked to find family of WWII soldier John Graham MUSTARD of Saskatchewan, who died February 20, 1945, aged 24, while serving with the Fort Garry Horse and is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands.  The Cemetery had been asked to find family by a man whose parents had adopted the soldier’s grave back in 1946, and which he has kept up with visiting. He had letters that the soldier’s family wrote to the family in The Netherlands and wanted to repatriate them. With the help of Judie Klassen, a nephew was found, and the two men were put in contact with each other.
  • We featured the May 24, 2025 ceremony in The Netherlands, where we were presented with a Certificate and a Faces To Graves ‘coin’ by the Faces To Graves Groesbeek Foundation, for research into Canadian soldiers buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands.
  • We reported on Pieter’s new role as a volunteer with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) National Volunteer Program, and his assignment to monitor and clean CWGC graves at 4 cemeteries in Prince Edward Island, beginning with Cape Traverse Community Cemetery.
  • We featured the July 2, 2025 ceremony in Charlottetown, where, by Royal Decree of His Majesty Willem-Alexander, King of The Netherlands, Pieter was appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau.
  • We featured the October 1, 2025 ceremony in Charlottetown, where Daria received the PEI Senior Islander of the Year Award.
  • We expressed our sadness at the passing of Dr. Tim Cook, Chief Historian at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.
  • We reported on how volunteers at the Borden-Carleton Legion in Prince Edward Island honour deceased veterans by placing flags at the graves and monuments in the area served by the Legion.
  • As part of our Remembrance Week 2025 feature, we wrote about the visits that members of the Borden-Carleton Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion made to three schools on Prince Edward Island for Remembrance Services.
  • As part of our Remembrance Week 2025 feature, we shared updates on previous stories of WWII soldiers, a visit to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in Ottawa, a visit to the Memramcook Veterans Park in Memramcook, and a visit to the Beach Grove Memorial Forest in Charlottetown.
  • As part of our Remembrance Week 2025 feature, we wrote about the Remembrance Service at Crapaud Community Hall, where Pieter was the guest speaker.
  • As part of our Remembrance Week 2025 feature, we wrote about the Remembrance Day ceremonies we attended at the Legion in Borden-Carleton, and at the memorial in Kinkora, Prince Edward Island.

…. Interviews To Highlight Search For Photos and More….

Pieter did the following interviews:

  • Pieter was interviewed by Maryssa McFadden of Portage Online, about the photo search for WWII soldier Walter MUNRO. The article ‘Researcher searches for photo of Manitoba soldier buried overseas’ ran online on November 17, 2025. See https://portageonline.com/articles/researcher-searches-for-photo-of-manitoba-soldier-buried-overseas Up to now, this search has been unsuccessful.
  • Pieter was interviewed by Kevin Rollason of the Winnipeg Free Press, about the successful search for a photo of WWII soldier John Lewis HUGHES, and the new photo search for WWII soldier Charles ‘Gordon’ ERICKSON. The article ‘Searching for a hero: Faces to Graves project hunts for photo of Winnipeg soldier who died in the Netherlands’ ran online on November 10, 2025. This search was successful.
  • Pieter was interviewed by Taylor O’Brien for CBC PEI Radio’s Island Morning With Mitch Cormier The 7 minute interview ran on August 7, 2025. ‘Pieter Valkenburg of North Tryon has spent more than a decade researching Canadian soldiers buried in the Netherlands. Now, he’s being honoured by the King of the Netherlands for his dedication to preserving their stories.’ (You can listen here: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-30-island-morning/clip/16162199-islander-knighted-king-netherlands)
  • Pieter was interviewed by Josh Lewis of the Eastern Graphic about receiving a knighthood of the Order of Orange-Nassau by royal decree of His Majesty Willem-Alexander, King of The Netherlands. The article, ‘Valkenburg knighted for preserving stories of fallen soldiers’, ran in the newspaper on July 16, 2025.

.... Letters To The Editor For Photo Searches….

Letters to the editor in various newspapers were written in the quest for a photo for:

  • WWII soldier Lorne Mart COLFORD of Nova Scotia, who is buried in The Netherlands. On October 29, 2025, a letter to the editor was published online in the Chronicle Herald, ‘May We Never Forget’. (See https://letterstoeditor.com/index.php/chronicle-herald/) Up to now, this search has been unsuccessful.
  • WWII soldier Valmont PERRY of Prince Edward Island, who is buried in Belgium. On October 15, 2025, a letter to the editor was published in the West Prince Graphic, ‘Searching For Soldier’s Photo’. Up to now, this search has been unsuccessful.
  • WWII soldier Harry BIZNAR of Ontario, who is buried in The Netherlands. On July 5, 2025 a letter to the editor was published in The Windsor Star.  (See Reader asks: Anyone in Windsor know family of WW2 vet Harry Biznar? Windsor Star https://share.google/MruypoLEAt5LwRfqG) This search was successful.

… Successful Search For Photos …..

Many WWII soldiers are buried in cemeteries in Europe.  Pieter continues to work with photo wish lists from Canadian War Cemeteries for WWII soldiers buried in The Netherlands.  This year we also received photos and information on soldiers buried in Belgium, Canada, and on a memorial wall at Runnymede in the United Kingdom. 

Photos of soldiers buried in Dutch cemeteries were forwarded to researchers there for their digital archive. Whenever possible, stories are featured on the blog but there is such a backlog due to the success of Pieter’s research that I can’t keep up! This year, photos were found for:

Buried in Holten Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

  1. Stewart Lyon ANDERSON
  2. Thomas William BOUCHER
  3. Bramwell Ernest CHURCHILL
  4. Samuel George ENGEN
  5. John ‘Jack’ Lewis HUGHES
  6. Edward Alexander MUNRO

Buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

  1. Albert Donald AHLWARDT
  2. Georges Joseph ARSENAULT
  3. Lionel Beaudoin
  4. Harry BIznar
  5. Leslie Alban ‘Les’ Cross
  6. Alfred Edward Stanley FORD
  7. Garnet Joseph GALLANT
  8. Harry Griffin
  9. Peter HYDICHUK 
  10. Merrill Perez LLOYD
  11. Donald MONTGOMERY
  12. George Austin NORDVALL
  13. Joseph Renaud Thomas OUELLETTE
  14. William VERASKY

 Buried in Bergen Op Zoom Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

  1. Edward Walter BAIRD 
  2. George Edwin John CLACY 
  3. Wilfred Earl CLEMENTS
  4. Howard Ralph DRAKE 
  5. Francis John DUFFY 
  6. Charles ‘Gordon’ ERICKSON 
  7. Stephen Joseph FEDAK 
  8. Joseph Henry FRASER
  9. John Arthur GALLERY
  10. Gerald Vincent JORGENSEN 
  11. Hans Karl GRAFFUNDER 
  12. Melvin Robert James GRAHAM 
  13. Robert Francis HAYMAN 
  14. Dave HIEBERT 
  15. Kenneth George HUGHES 
  16. Con Nicholas HUTZCAL 
  17. Norman Hubert JAMES 
  18. Lloyd JOHNSON 
  19. Gerald Vincent ‘Vin’ JORGENSON 
  20. Joseph ‘Joe’ Julius Augustus LAWRENCE 
  21. David LIVINGSTON 
  22. James Hawthorne LOVE
  23. Frank Arnold LOWE 
  24. William Murray MAJURY
  25. Roy Stanley MARTIN
  26. Clifford Lloyd MILLER 
  27. William Gerald NAYLEN 
  28. Alexander NODRICK 
  29. Marion PODBOROCHINSKI 
  30. Edward James REID 
  31. Joseph Frederick STANLEY 
  32. John Harold Francis STEEDS 
  33. Norman Lawrence STEELE
  34. Basil STILLMAN 
  35. Arthur Percival THOMPSON 
  36. Ray Camille WATERMAN

Buried in Rhenen General Cemetery in The Netherlands:

  • David Lloyd George HOPE

 Buried in Adegem Canadian War Cemetery in Belgium:

  • Charles John ACORN
  • Joseph Stephen ‘Steve’ GALLANT
  • Joseph Augustine MCKENNA

 Buried in Berks Cemetery Extension in Belgium:

  • George Pigrum BOWIE

Buried in Tryon People’s Cemetery in Canada:

  • Harry ROBINSON

Buried in Kelly’s Cross (St Joseph) Parish Cemetery in Canada:

  • Michael Cecil STORDY

Buried in Seven Mile Bay (St Peter’s) Cemetery in Canada:

  • John Peter ‘JP’ WHITE

Listed on Runnymede Memorial in United Kingdom:

  • Richard Albert John BENNETT

Photo Search For Airmen For Air Research Drenthe Foundation in The Netherlands:

One of the projects of the Air Research Drenthe Foundation in The Netherlands is to install information panels near WWII air crash sites. While many of the airmen lost their lives and are buried in The Netherlands or just across the border in Germany, other airmen survived the crash and were in prisoner of war camps until the war ended.  It can be difficult to find photos and families of airmen that survived, but Pieter took up the challenge.  Family was found for:

  • Flight Lt Owen Horace MORGAN, of Rosedale, Alberta, navigator aboard Special Duties Hudson T9405 MA-K that was shot down on February 22, 1945 near Meppen, Germany. He survived the crash and became a POW in Stalag VIC in Linden, Germany until the camp was liberated on April 7, 1945.

… The Cold Case Files …..

Not all searches have been successful, for one reason or another.  Below is a list of outstanding files for which research has been done, but no photo has been found. If you can help with a photo, please let us know.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/our-cold-cases/ for the complete list)

  1. Clifford Alexander BLAKE of Toronto, Ontario, son of William C. and Sarah L. Blake, husband of Ferne E. Blake, died February 16, 1945, aged 23, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. 
  2. John BROWN of London, Ontario, son of Mary T. Brown, died April 14, 1945, aged 26, while serving with the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. 
  3. James Lyman CAMERON, born in Victoria-By-The-Sea, Prince Edward Island, son of Edward H. and Susan (Harrington) Cameron, died July 24, 1916, aged 23, while serving with the 7th Canadian Infantry Battalion (1st British Columbia). (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph) 
  4. Leigh Hunt CAMERON, born in Albany, Prince Edward Island, son of Alexander Walter Cameron and Phoebe Ann (nee Murray) Cameron, died May 5, 1916, aged 17, shortly after enlisting with the 105th Battalion, C Company. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph) 
  5. William Galen CAMPBELL, born in Wellington, Prince Edward Island, son of John G. and Grace Emma Campbell, died April 24, 1953, aged 55, many years after being discharged from the 8th Siege Battery of the 3rd Brigade Canadian Garrison Artillery. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph) 
  6. Karl CHRISTENSEN, from Alberta, but born in Starheim, Nordfjord, Norway, son of Kristian Kristiansen Hafsas and Marie K. Hafsas, died April 10, 1945, aged 41, while serving with the 8th Field Squadron, Royal Canadian Engineers. 
  7. Richard Alfred CLINE, from Saint John, New Brunswick, son of Emma J. Cline, died October 5, 1944, aged 21, while serving with the Essex Scottish Regiment. NEW!
  8. Roy Henri COATES, of Morris, Manitoba, but born in Winnipeg, son of James Henry and Lydia Jane Coates, died May 2, 1945, aged 23, while serving with Royal Canadian Army Service Corps – – 3rd Casualty Clearing Station. NEW! 
  9. Lorne Mart COLFORD of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, but born in Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia, son of Howard and Jeanette Colford, died April 14, 1945, aged 22, while serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. 
  10. Bazil CORMIER, born in Tignish, Prince Edward Island, son of Joseph Cormier and Mary Arsenault, died August 12, 1918, aged 20, while serving with the 26th (New Brunswick) Battalion. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph) 
  11. Eric John CRUE of Moncton, New Brunswick, son of John and Margaret Crue, died April 6, 1945, aged 23, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment. 
  12. James Frank DOLMAN of Flatlands, New Brunswick, son of Frank Dolman and Lydia Thompson, husband of Henriette Gertrude Lyons, died April 14, 1945, aged 32, while serving with the New Brunswick Rangers -10th Independent Machine Gun Company. 
  13. Douglas Bernard FARROW of Amherst, Nova Scotia, died April 26, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment. 
  14. Clifford Glen FORSYTH, born in Brandon, Manitoba, son of Alexander ‘Sandy’ Forsyth and Margaret McDougall, died April 11, 1945, aged 20, while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment. 
  15. Ernest Ramey GALLANT, born in Borden (now Borden-Carleton), Prince Edward Island, son of John P. and Mary Blanche Gallant, died May 20, 1943, aged 27, while serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph) 
  16. Robert Cecil HARVEY of Centre Burlington, Nova Scotia, son of Douglas and Myrtle B. Harvey, died April 22, 1945, aged 23, while serving with the British Columbia Regiment – 28th Armoured Regiment. 
  17. William James ‘Jimmy’ Sutherland HOLE, born in Carman, Manitoba, grandson of William and Eva Alise Hole, son of Daisy Hole, died April 22, 1945, aged 20, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. 
  18. Gordon John HOPPER of London, Ontario, son of Gordon and Vera Mae Hopper, died April 16, 1945, aged 19, while serving with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment. 
  19. George Mcdonald JOHNSTON of Toronto, Ontario, son of William and Annie Johnston, died April 2, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment. 
  20. Wesley Robert JOHNSTON of Red Bank, New Brunswick, son of Robert A. and Janette ‘Jennie’ (nee Simpson) Johnston, died March 3, 1945, aged 24, while serving with the Royal Regiment of Canada. NEW!
  21. Wallace Herbert LARLEE of Perth, New Brunswick, died April 24, 1945, aged 19, while serving with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment. 
  22. Albert George LE RUE of Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of William and Catherine Le Rue, died March 7, 1945, aged 24, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment.
  23. Logan Elwood LESLIE, born in Oxford, Nova Scotia, died April 9, 1945, son of John J. and Georgie Mary Leslie of Moncton, New Brunswick, while serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. 
  24. Charles W. LOWTHER, born in North Carleton, Prince Edward Island, son of Bessie Lowther, died September 25, 1918, aged 21, while serving with the 25th Battalion, Canadian Infantry. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph) 
  25. Harry Donald MACPHERSON, from Vancouver, British Columbia, son of Alex Mann Macpherson and Jane Bell Macpherson, husband of Gwendolyn Eva Macpherson, died April 29, 1945, aged 33, while serving with the Canadian Scottish Regiment. 
  26. John Redmond MAHONEY, born in Port Elgin, New Brunswick, son of John J. and Gertrude C. Mahoney, died April 12, 1945, aged 30, while serving with the New Brunswick Rangers-10th Independent Machine Gun Company. 
  27. Wilbert Harold MOORE, born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, son of Jessie Louise and Hugh Irving Moore, died June 16, 1945, aged 28, while serving with the 3rd Division Works Transport Company, Royal Canadian Army Service Corps. 
  28. Walter MUNRO, born in Kelwood, Manitoba, son of John Alexander and Lavina (nee McLaughlin, widow of Robert Jamieson) Munro, husband of Hazel Mary Bird, died December 31, 1944, aged 31, while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps. NEW!
  29. Archibald Henry NELSON, born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, son of William Henry and Winnifred Frances Nelson, died April 18, 1945, aged 34, while serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment. 
  30. Valmont PERRY, of St. Louis, Prince Edward Island, son of Peter M. and Mary Ann Perry, and husband of Rose Doucette, died October 21, aged 26, while serving with the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders. NEW!
  31. Arthur Clinton ROBINSON, born in Tryon, Prince Edward Island, son of Albert J. and Flora P. Scruton Robinson, died March 27, 1916, aged 19, while serving with the 26th (New Brunswick) Battalion. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph) 
  32. Wilfred ROY, of Robertville, Gloucester County, New Brunswick, son of Camille and Catherine Roy, died October 28, 1945, aged 38, while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps. 
  33. Charles Patrick SHEFFIELD of Sundridge, Ontario, son of Charles and Mrs Sheffield, husband of Bessie Alice Butler from Botwood, Newfoundland, and father of Patrick William Wallace Sheffield, died May 4, 1945, aged 24, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment. 
  34. Charles Bernard STAFFORD of Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of Charles Bernard and Blanche Stafford, husband of Winifred Leitha Stafford of Intake, Sheffield, England, died April 18, 1945, aged 28, while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps – 9th Field Ambulance. 
  35. Frank Peter VARDIG of St. John, New Brunswick, son of Charles and Lily Vardig, died June 12, 1945, aged 23, while serving with the Carleton & York Regiment. 
  36. Charles Joseph YOUNES, born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of Albert Charles and Susan Younes, died March 30, 1945, aged 24, while serving with the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada. NEW!

….Case Closed!….

The following files were completed and removed from the Cold Case List in 2025:

  1. Harry BIZNAR of Windsor, Ontario, but born in Montreal, Quebec, son of Fred and Katherine Biznar, died March 26, 1945, aged 28, while serving with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment.  Action: After a Letter to the Editor ran in The Windsor Star on July 5, 2025, a photo was provided by Biznar’s niece, Carol Cox. Thank you Carol!
  2. Douglas Gordon BLACK of Amherst, Nova Scotia, son of Sherman and Alice Black, died March 3, 1945, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment. – Action: Photo found by his grave at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands, when we were at the cemetery to lay flags.
  3. Bramwell Ernest CHURCHILL, of London, Ontario, son of David and Agnes C. Churchill, husband of Eva Blanche Churchill, died May 1, 1945, aged 40, while serving with the 5th Anti-Tank Regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery. – Action: Newspaper photo found by Alan Campbell, newsletter editor for the Lambton County Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society.  Thank you Alan!
  4. Leslie Alban CROSS, of Newcastle, New Brunswick, son of Archibald and Laura Cross, died April 19, 1945, aged 30, while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps. Action: Photo sent by the Crocker family.
  5. Samuel George ENGEN of The Pas, Manitoba, son of Louis Julius Engen and Mary Helen (nee Buck) Engen, husband of Miriam Susan Pranteau, died April 23, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment. – Action: After a 3 year search by various family members, a photo was found by Clover Rusk in an album that had belonged to her great-grandfather Aaron, the older brother of Samuel. Thank you Clover!
  6. Garnet Joseph GALLANT of Amherst, Nova Scotia, son of Charles and Mary (nee Gautreau) Gallant, died February 18, 1945, aged 22, while serving with the Regina Rifles Regiment. – Action: Photo sent by niece Janet Lowerison, on behalf of the Gallant Family.  Thank you Janet!
  7. John Arthur GALLERY of Saint John, New Brunswick, son of William and Grace Gallery, died October 13, 1944, aged 22, while serving with the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada. – Action: Newspaper photo found by Etienne Gaudet. Thank you Etienne!
  8. Peter HYDICHUK of Theodore, Saskatchewan, son of Alex and Ann Hydichuk, died March 31, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the South Saskatchewan Regiment. – Action: Photo sent by Garry Bodnaryk, whose mother had been the soldier’s girlfriend….and who had kept the photo as a remembrance all her life. Thank you Garry!
  9. John Lewis HUGHES, born in Eriksdale, Manitoba, son of Ebenezer George and Ellen (nee Rogan) Hughes, husband of Irene (nee Goodwin) Hughes of Winnipeg, Manitoba, died November 2, 1944, aged 28, while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corp – 10th Field Dressing Station.  – Action: Photo of soldier sent by Judy Gleich from the collection of Jim and Kay Forsyth. Thank you Judy!
  10. Francis Leslie MULCAHY of Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of Daniel and Mary Mulcahy, died April 24, 1945, aged 21, while serving with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment. – Action: Photo and newspaper obit of soldier sent by Henk Vincent of the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten. Thank you Henk!
  11. Edward Alexander MUNRO of Birch River, Manitoba, son of Thomas Henry and Margaret ‘Maggie’ (nee Moore) Munro, died October 6, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, 219 Infantry Brigade Company. – Action: Photo sent by Glenda Foster of the Swan Valley Legion Branch #39 in Manitoba.  Thank you Glenda!
  12. George Austin NORDVALL of Birch River, Manitoba, died February 21, 1945, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. – Action: Photo sent by nephew Ed Nordvall after Pieter got in contact with Ed’s sister, Donna McIsaac, and Donna’s brother-in-law, Don McIsaac.  Sometimes it takes a village!  Thank you Ed, Donna, and Don! 
  13. Harry ROBINSON, born in Augustine Cove, Prince Edward Island, son of Thomas and Sarah Robinson, husband of Clara J. Robinson, died June 27, 1916, aged 34, while serving with the 105th Battalion, C Company. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph) – Action: After a 10 year search, a photo was sent by Elaine McCormick, who said she and her brother, Carl Robinson, found the photo of their great-uncle, brother of their grandfather John Joseph Robinson, in a photo album belonging to their late aunt Beulah Robinson Thomson. Thank you Elaine and Carl!
  14. Harry WHITE of Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of Wilfred and Mary White, died May 19, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the West Nova Scotia Regiment. – Action: Photo found by his grave at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands, when we were at the cemetery to lay flags.

…Thank you for your support and encouragement of this research project!…

As 2025 comes to an end, we would like to thank all who helped with researching these stories and contributed photos. We also thank readers of this blog, and the On The War Memorial Trail column in the County Line Courier newspaper, who suggested some of the stories you’ve read.  A big thank you goes to Mike and Isabel Smith, owners of the County Line Courier. 

Thank you to all the families that contributed photos and stories. Thank you to Judie Klassen, Judy Gleich, and Shawn Rainville who volunteered their time to help find families of soldiers through newspaper and online searches. Thank you to Etienne Gaudet for helping to find photos of New Brunswick soldiers on our behalf. 

Thank you to the media who helped publicize the search for photos and information – CBC PEI Radio, Chronicle Herald, Eastern Graphic, Portage Online, West Prince Graphic, Winnipeg Free Press, and The Windsor Star.

Last, but not least, the YouTube channel and videos would not be possible without the invaluable support of post-production editor Wendy Nattress.  Wendy also designed and manages the book website: https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

….Happy Holidays…

Pieter and I wish you all the best for the holidays and in 2026. May we never forget those who gave their lives for our freedom.

Pieter’s research work continues. If you have photos or information to share, please email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.  

© Daria Valkenburg

…Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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On The War Memorial Trail…..Remembrance Week 2025 – The WWII Nursing Orderly Killed When 3 Tracked Vehicles Exploded Near A Field Dressing Station On Walcheren Island

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

December 4, 2025.  One of the hardest searches for a photo took several years, and, in spite of dedicated help in looking for family members to contact, newspaper and archive searches, and even a November 10, 2023 article in the Winnipeg Free Press (see a Picture of compassion Winnipeg Free Press Article re John Lewis Hughes Nov 10 2023), we struck out each time.

It was difficult to understand as the soldier in question came from a large family, was married, and had worked for 12 years in a hospital in his hometown. Only one niece responded, saying she remembered that her mother, the soldier’s sister, had a photo, but after she passed away, her effects were put in the basement and were later destroyed in a flood.  We had zero luck with the family of the soldier’s wife, who had remarried.  There was also no response from the local Legion branch, nor from the hospital where he had worked.

Eventually we ran out of leads to contact, and so, although we never gave up the search, we reluctantly put John Lewis HUGHES on our Cold Case List.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/our-cold-cases/) 

…. The Winnipeg Free Press article caught the interest of a local historian…...

Shortly after the Winnipeg Free Press article was published, we had been contacted by local historian Judy Gleich.   “…This project is of great interest to me...” she wrote. Her husband is from Eriksdale and “…I was born at E.M. Crowe Memorial Hospital and lived most of my life in the Lundar MB area…”  She explained that, unlike many small communities, “…there was no local paper in Eriksdale at that time….” and so there was no local coverage of soldiers from the area.  Like us, she also contacted someone she knew at the local Legion but no photo was found. 

Judy also told us that “…E.M. Crowe hospital is no longer run locally – but is under the umbrella of the Interlake Eastern Regional Health Authority…which covers about 1/5 of the province….” 

Judy explained why she was interested to help find a photo.  “…When I read the first article by Kevin Rollason and saw that one of the photos Pieter was looking for was of a veteran from Eriksdale– I was interested although I was not familiar with the Hughes family. I made a couple of phone calls and asked a couple of friends and came up with nothing.….”  (NOTE: A short photo appeal had initially been made in the Winnipeg Free Press in November 2022.)

“….After the second article by Kevin Rollason appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press with more information about the Hughes family it piqued my interest again. I figured if someone like Pieter was putting that much effort into this project that I would try to help him….”

…. The photo search led to a hockey photo 2 years after the Winnipeg Free Press article was published…...

Like us, Judy found that “…most of the older Hughes family members had passed on and we were getting nowhere with their families….” 

Then, two years later, Judy learned about a 1936 hockey photo.  “… Knowing several of the men on the team I was sure that some of their family members might have the photo…. A few more phone calls and BINGO – success at last….”  It was nothing short of a miracle! 

The man with the photo of the 1936 Eriksdale Hockey Team was John Forsyth, whose father Jim was a member of the team. 

Back Row L-R: Johnnie Mills, Bill Smith, Gordon Smith, Stan Mills, Johnnie Forsyth, Lawrence Whitney. Front Row L-R: Don Goodridge(?), Johnnie Hughes, Murray Cox, Jim Forsyth. (Photo courtesy of the Collection of Jim and Kay Forsyth)

 

We now knew what John Lewis Hughes looked like! (Photo courtesy of the Collection of Jim and Kay Forsyth)

….John was from Eriksdale in Manitoba…

Eriksdale is in the Interlake Region of central Manitoba, near the eastern shore of Lake Manitoba. (Map source: Google maps)

Born January 17, 1916 in Eriksdale, Manitoba, John was the son of Ebenezer George and Ellen (nee Rogan, previously married name Johanson) Hughes.  Both parents came from the United Kingdom – his father in 1911 and his mother in 1914 with two daughters who had been born in Wales.  6 more children were added to the Hughes family, in addition to John – 3 daughters and 3 sons. 

Before enlisting with the No. 3 Field Ambulance of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (RCAMC) on July 5, 1940, John had worked for 12 years as a medical orderly in the E.M. Crowe memorial hospital in Eriksdale.  On June 22, 1940, a few weeks before enlistment, he married Irene Goodwin. 

On October 5, 1940, John was transferred to No. 100 Canadian Militia Training Centre (CMTC) in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba.  He was then assigned to No. 100 Non-Permanent Active Militia (NPAM) Training Centre on November 15, 1940, while still attached to No. 100 CMTC.  (No. 100 CMTC and No. 100 NPAM were re-designated as No. 100 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre in February 1941.)

John remained in Portage La Prairie until April 30, 1941, when he was transferred to what the service file termed Fort Osborne Military Hospital, RCAMC, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This was likely Deer Lodge Military Hospital, as during WWII, Winnipeg’s military hospital function was not at Fort Osborne Barracks, which had moved in 1920. Deer Lodge Military Hospital took over the former hospital facilities from Fort Osborne at that time.

….John left Canada for overseas service….

On June 8, 1941, John was transferred to No. 1 Motor Ambulance Convoy, RCAMC, Active Force, and sent to Camp Shilo, Manitoba for final training before going overseas. 

With other members of his unit, John left Canada for the United Kingdom on June 19, 1941, sailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, disembarking in Greenock, Scotland on July 2, 1941, before moving on to Sussex, England. 

Per the ‘Official History Of The Canadian Medical Services 1939-1945’, edited by Lt Col Dr W. R. Feasby,  the RCAMC “…..order of battle included not only the medical units of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Divisions, and the 1st Army Tank Brigade, but also the following Corps Troops medical units: No. 18 Field Ambulance, No. 5 Field Hygiene Section, Nos. 4 and 5 Casualty Clearing Stations, No. 1 Motor Ambulance Convoy, and No. 1 Advanced Depot Medical Stores….”

The function of No. 1 Motor Ambulance Convoy was to transport wounded from main dressing stations to casualty clearing stations. Transport was by vehicles of the Motor Ambulance Convoy, supplemented by trucks for walking wounded or by railroad when available. 

John and his unit were kept busy with training and in transporting wounded soldiers who arrived in the United Kingdom for treatment. 

One of the largest operations came following the Dieppe Raid, known as Operation Jubilee, on August 19, 1942, a disastrous Allied amphibious attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe in northern France, in which 505 Canadian soldiers were wounded and 916 lost their lives. (See https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/military-history/second-world-war/dieppe-raid and https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/dieppe-raid)

Evacuation of casualties from Dieppe to England on August 19, 1942.  (Map source: ‘Official History Of The Canadian Medical Services 1939-1945’)

On the morning of August 19, 1942, the medical units under the 2nd Canadian Division were “… responsible for the reception and evacuation of casualties disembarked in the Portsmouth area, where the bulk of them was expected. Two sections of No. 1 Motor Ambulance Convoy were made available … for the transport of casualties from the Portsmouth area to No. 15 General Hospital at Bramshott, and from the Newhaven-Shoreham area to No. 1 at Horsham and No. 14 at Horley…”

On January 14, 1943, No. 1 Motor Ambulance Convoy, RCAMC, became a unit of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (RCASC).

….John was transferred to No. 10 Canadian Field Dressing Station….

On January 21, 1944, John was transferred to No. 10 Canadian Field Dressing Station, and later sent to France, arriving on July 10, 1944, a month after D-Day. As noted in the ‘Official History Of The Canadian Medical Services 1939-1945’ “…with the formation of the 2nd Canadian Corps in France, the medical services were greatly increased. For the coming attack it was decided to constitute a massed medical centre at the Secqueville-en-Bessin area. In addition, No. 6 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station was located at Cazelle, under command of 2nd Canadian Corps, with No. 10 Canadian Field Dressing Station sited alongside….”

The ‘coming attack’ referred to the Battle of the Falaise Pocket (also called Battle of the Falaise Gap), part of the Battle of Normandy, and which was fought between August 12 and 21, 1944. (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falaise_pocket)

In addition to a large number of battle casualties from engagement with German troops, a bombing error on August 14, 1944 resulted in more casualties when “… the Royal Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force bombed behind our own lines, causing 200 casualties…” placing enormous strain on Casualty Clearing Stations.  “…The bombing casualties arrived in a sudden rush about four o’clock….” making it impossible to find “…shelter for all the wounded…”

In addition to 537 admitted to the Casualty Clearing Stations, “….Nos. 9 and 10 Canadian Field Dressing Stations in the same area admitted 569 and were so rushed that it was necessary to open both No. 6 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station and No. 33 British Casualty Clearing Station at Cazelle where a further 694 casualties were taken for treatment….”

No. 10 Canadian Field Dressing Station, along with other medical units, moved just behind troops as they advanced through France, into Belgium, and then into The Netherlands.  John was very experienced by now and on September 11, 1944, he qualified as a Nursing Orderly ‘C’, which meant he was responsible for initial treatment in the most forward battlefield areas and stretcher-bearing, while working under the direction of medical officers.

…. John’s unit was assigned to British Commandos for an attack on Walcheren Island during the Battle of the Scheldt…...

John Lewis Hughes was killed on Walcheren Island (top left), near Westkappelle, on November 2, 1944.  (Map source: ‘Official History Of The Canadian Medical Services 1939-1945’)

On October 21, 1944, a number of Canadian medical units were “…put under command of the 4th Special Service Brigade….” of the Royal Marines (United Kingdom) “…for training to support the amphibious operation of the brigade….” No. 17 Light Field Ambulance Company, Nos. 8 and 9 Canadian Field Surgical Units, No. 5 Canadian Field Transfusion Unit, and No. 10 Canadian Field Dressing Station were involved.

Operation Infatuate, part of the Battle of the Scheldt, was the codename for the attack on German batteries on Walcheren Island in The Netherlands, located at the mouth of the Scheldt River. German fortification of the island blocked Allied access to the captured port of Antwerp, Belgium. The Belgian port was crucial in order to supply advancing Allied armies as they moved towards Berlin.

“…Training for the operation against Walcheren continued until the end of October when units embarked at Ostend and began to move towards their objective. At three o’clock on the morning of 1 November the flotilla of landing craft sailed out of Ostend harbour….” Ostend is in Belgium.

“…Just before dawn, they met their supporting warships, turned and bore down on Westkapelle. The assault was to be made in daylight on either side of a gap blown in the Westkapelle dyke, and just before “H” hour (9.45 a.m.) the guns of Warspite, Roberts, and Erebus opened up and flights of rocket-firing Typhoon aircraft went to work on the shore batteries….”

In ‘Towards Victory In Europe: The Battle For Walcheren’, J. O. Forfar, Medical Officer, 47 Marine Commando,  explained that “…Commander Pugsley and Brigadier Leicester had been informed on leaving Ostend that due to fog in England the Lancaster bombers which were to carry out a preliminary bombardment of the Walcheren defences while the assaulting craft moved in were grounded…” 

The two men decided to go ahead with the operation, which resulted in high casualties, but the Battle for Walcheren was ultimately successful.  “…The Germans had sown sea mines in the approaches to the island; the beaches were laced with barbed wire, landmines, and covered by machine guns firing from cement pill boxes. Five minutes before they were due to touch down the two landing craft which had been prepared as hospital ships were sunk by mines.  Immediately after this the assault began…” with shelling from cannons at the battery in Dishoek.

“…One section of No. 17 Canadian Light Field Ambulance landed with No. 41 Commando on the left of Westkapelle gap and another section with No. 48 Commando on the right of Westkapelle gap. Of the 25 close support naval craft engaged in the operation only six were left by mid-afternoon, and 172 of those on board had been killed and 210 wounded. Casualties among those who got ashore in the face of stiff enemy resistance were heavy….”  The medical teams had to work in close proximity of the fighting.

…. No. 10 Field Dressing Station set up on the beach on the afternoon of November 1, 1944…...

Beach dressing station of No. 10 Field Dressing Station being set up by personnel of No. 10 Field Dressing Station at Westkapelle. (Photo source: Provincial Archives of Alberta, Donald Carson fonds, PR2011.0001/14)

“…Casualties on the left of the gap were given first aid and collected into a shell hole on the edge of the dyke until Westkapelle was clear, when they were moved into a house in the village. On the other side of the gap the casualty collecting post was set up on the inside of the sea wall, and casualties were held until No. 10 Canadian Field Dressing Station came ashore at 2 pm and set up a beach dressing station….”

Most of those wounded on November 1, 1944 were taken off the Island during the night and returned to No. 6 Canadian Field Dressing Station at Ostend. Meanwhile the medical teams prepared for the next day.

…. John was killed in the afternoon of November 2, 1944 …...

No. 8 Canadian Field Surgical Unit, a medical operation team of around 10 people, was attached to No. 10 Field Dressing Station, and was the field hospital located behind the No. 10 Field Dressing Station. 

The November 2, 1944 War Diary entry for No. 8 Canadian Field Surgical Unit relates what happened when they came ashore with landing tracked vehicles, which the diary writer referred to as Alligators. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_Vehicle,_Tracked)  “…The morning of November 2nd dawned bright and clear….About 0900 the Alligators moved to the beach and there we met the rest of our unit.  I was relieved to find in spite of many harrowing experiences they were all quite safe. We off loaded the vehicles onto the beach….The beach head was under intermittent fire but the greatest worry we had was mines…”

Tragedy struck in the early afternoon.  “…A salvo of shells hit 3 Alligators in front of the dugout and the Alligators caught on fire.  Each Alligator had 7 tons of ammunition on board and this all exploded during the next ¾ of an hour. About 20 men were killed, including the Quartermaster and one Other Rank of No. 10 FDS….”  The ‘Other Rank of No. 10 FDS’ was John Lewis Hughes.

Caroline Raaijmakers, Chair of the Faces To Graves Bergen Op Zoom Committee, told us that  “….on the same spot….” where John was killed, “…Doctor Captain Frank Sidney Manktelow was Wounded In Action on 2-11-1944 and he died on 3-11-1944…..” 

Dr. Frank Sidney MANKTELOW, of Pointe aux Trembles, Quebec, son of Frederick Sidney and Mary Jane (nee MacKay) Manktelow, and husband of Laura Francise (nee Quinn) Manktelow, was serving with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps when he died, at the age of 30.

Both men were initially buried in a temporary cemetery in Zoutelande on Walcheren Island.

 …. John is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten…...

Pieter stands behind the grave of John Lewis Hughes in Holten, The Netherlands.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

On September 9, 1946, John was reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands.  We visited his grave this spring when we were in The Netherlands for our 2025 European Memorial Tour, and Pieter placed flags of Canada and Manitoba by his grave. His was one of 383 graves in 14 cemeteries that we visited on this trip.

….Hughes Hill in northern Manitoba named in John’s honour…..

Hughes Hill in northern Manitoba was named after John ‘Jack’ Lewis Hughes.  (Map source: Mapcarta)

Hughes Hill in northern Manitoba, northeast of Wither Lake, was named after him in 1995.

….A great deal of research happened before a photo was found…

Many people assume that it’s easy to find family and photos of soldiers who are buried overseas.  Unless you are lucky enough to stumble across someone else’s research, or a media appeal is seen by the right person with a photo, it can be an onerous and long drawn out process.  

The search for a photo of John Lewis Hughes took several years.  Thank you to Judie Klassen for going above and beyond to find family and reference material, to Shawn Rainville for newspaper searches, and to Judy Gleich for continually contacting people from Eriksdale.  Thank you to Robert Catsburg for sending the war diary entry for November 2, 1944 and to both Robert Catsburg and Caroline Raaijmakers for excerpts from Dutch accounts.

Thank you to John Forsyth for the hockey photo that included a photo of John.  And a big thank you to Kevin Rollason of the Winnipeg Free Press for writing the article about the photo search. 

The flags placed at John’s grave were donated.  Our thanks go to: 

  • Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian flag.
  • Brad Robertson, Chief of Protocol, Government of Manitoba, on behalf of Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba, for the Manitoba flag. 

The work of remembrance of those who served continues as do our adventures on the next leg of our 2025 European War Memorial Tour.

If you have a story or photo to share, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog. 

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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…..Remembrance Week 2025 – The WWII Soldier From Amherst Whose Photo Was Sent A Few Days Before What Would Have Been His 103rd Birthday

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November 21, 2025.  Once in a while, serendipity smiles on Pieter in his quest to find photos of soldiers.  During Remembrance Week he twice received photos of soldiers as a result of him trying to help the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands to find photos of a few soldiers for which research had already been done, but no photo could be found.  The first photo was for Peter HYDICHUK of Theodore, Saskatchewan.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/11/15/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembrance-week-2025-the-wwii-soldier-who-was-never-forgotten-by-his-girlfriend-and-her-family/)

On Remembrance Day, Pieter received a photo of Garnet Joseph GALLANT of Amherst, Nova Scotia….just a few days before what would have been Garnet’s 103rd birthday! (You can read Jim Little’s story about Garnet here: https://www.facestograves.nl/LifeStories/GALLANT%20Garnet%20Joseph-JLE-bio-EN.pdf)

Born November 15, 1922, Garnet was the son of Charles and Mary (nee Gothreau) Gallant, of Amherst, Nova Scotia.  While serving with the Regina Rifle Regiment, he lost his life on February 18, 1945, aged 22, during the Battle of Moyland Wood in Germany.  (See https://legionmagazine.com/clearing-moyland-wood/) 

Map shows location of Amherst, Nova Scotia. (Map source: Google maps)

Pieter had decided to look for a photo of Garnet after seeing that he was from Amherst, Nova Scotia, which is just over the Northumberland Strait from us, about a 45 minute drive from our house. 

….The photo search led to a nephew who loved horses….

He quickly found a nephew, Daniel ‘Garnet’ Gallant, the son of Garnet’s brother Clifford, who had an interest in genealogy.  Unfortunately, he’d passed away in August 2024 – just a few weeks before Pieter began his investigation. 

Daniel ‘Garnet’ Gallant visited his uncle’s grave in 1994. (Photo courtesy of the Janet Lowerison)

A keen horseman, the soldier’s nephew Garnet had represented Canada at the World Equestrian Games in The Netherlands in 1994, and had visited his uncle’s grave during that trip.

In Garnet’s obituary, Pieter read that a memorial trail ride to honour Garnet’s life was planned at Waugh River Stables in Tatamagouche, Nova Scotia on October 27, 2024.  Surely one of the family members in attendance would know of a photo, he thought, and contacted the owner of the stable, asking if a message could be left for family members.  The owner agreed.

A few days later, Pieter received a phone call from Garnet’s sister, Janet Lowerison, who explained that she was “….trying to track the pic down of Uncle Garnet….”  She confirmed that her “….brother Garnet had it…” but she wasn’t sure what happened to his albums.   She explained that she lives in Alberta, and “…. unfortunately we did not get home for the celebration of life as my husband was sick….”

Not long afterwards, Janet informed Pieter that Garnet’s son threw out all of his father’s albums after he died, but other family members were looking for a photo. 

We heard nothing more and so, as a last resort, Garnet Joseph Gallant went on our Cold Case List.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/our-cold-cases/)

….A Remembrance Day surprise….

Garnet Joseph Gallant.  (Photo courtesy of the Gallant Family.  Photo colourization by Pieter Valkenburg)

Then, on Remembrance Day 2025, Janet sent a photo! “….I was so happy when my nephew found this.   And the work you do is amazing.  But thank you again for all you do !!!…”

Janet included a copy of the original photo, in which Garnet was one of 4 people. Unfortunately, no one could identify who the other man and the two women were.

Group photo. Garnet Joseph Gallant is on the top right. (Photo courtesy of the Gallant Family)

….Captain Sunstrum wrote a letter to Garnet’s parents….

The Regina Rifle Regiment had left The Netherlands for Germany on February 8, 1945, as part of Operation Veritable, part of a pincer movement to cut into Germany in order for Allied troops to advance towards Berlin. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Veritable)

The Regiment had moved into Kleve, Germany on armoured personnel carriers.  As of February 16, 1945, they began clearing the Moyland Wood of German troops, encountering fierce resistance. 

On February 18, 1945, Garnet lost his life.  Captain Kenneth A. J. SUNSTRUM of the Regina Rifle Regiment wrote to Garnet’s parents, explaining the circumstances of his death….

“….You will by now have received the sad news of Garnet’s death.  He was evacuated after an action on 18th February in which the carrier of which he was a crew member struck a German mine.  Garnet was severely wounded and considerably shaken up as the blast had instantly killed the other members of his crew. 

He was immediately evacuated out of our unit area to where facilities were available for better medical attention under quieter conditions.  We knew his condition was critical, but the news of his death came as no less a shock to every member of our platoon….”

Captain Sunstrum wrote that Garnet had been buried “…with full rites of the Roman Catholic Church…” and then went on to say that “… as an efficient soldier and comrade he is and will continue to be greatly missed. 

Though only in his very early twenties he was in many respects one of our most experienced veterans, as since joining our unit on 11 June he has been in on every action of which our carrier platoon took part.  He never failed to acquit himself in every way as a good and true soldier….”

….Garnet was originally buried in Kleve, Germany…..

We travelled through Kleve, Germany during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour.  (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Garnet was originally buried “….by the side of the road…” in Kleve, according to his service file.  We were in Kleve this spring as part of our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, following the route so many Canadian soldiers had taken in 1945. 

….Garnet was reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek….

Pieter stands behind the grave of Garnet Joseph Gallant in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

On February 21, 1946, Garnet was reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.  We visited his grave this spring when we were in The Netherlands for our 2025 European Memorial Tour, and Pieter placed flags of Canada and Nova Scotia, plus an Acadian flag, by his grave. His was one of 383 graves in 14 cemeteries that we visited on this trip.

…..Stories of soldiers who lost their lives during the Battle of Moyland Wood….

Thank you to Janet Lowerison for finding a photo of her uncle, Garnet Joseph Gallant.  If anyone recognizes the other people in the group photo that includes Garnet, please let us know.

The flags placed at Garnet’s grave were donated.  Our thanks go to: 

  • Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian 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 flag.

The work of remembrance of those who served continues.  One more Remembrance Week story to come…

If you have a story or photo to share, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog. 

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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…..Remembrance Week 2025 – The WWII Soldier Who Was Never Forgotten By His Girlfriend And Her Family

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November 15, 2025.  Sometimes Pieter helps the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands to find photos of a few soldiers for which research had already been done, but no photo could be found.  He’s found that it’s almost as much work as it is do a complete research project on a soldier, as there is a reason photos aren’t readily available – they can be very difficult to find!

My father was from Ukraine, so the search for soldiers with a Ukrainian heritage is a priority when Pieter gets a photo wish list, which is why one of the soldiers whose photo search he undertook was that of Peter HYDICHUK of Theodore, Saskatchewan.  Born April 12, 1917, Peter was the son of Alexander and Annie (nee Procupuik) Hydichuk, who had immigrated to Canada in 1903 from what today is part of Western Ukraine. (You can read Jim Little’s story about Peter here: https://www.facestograves.nl/LifeStories/HYDICHUK%20Peter-JLE-bio-EN.pdf )

Theodore is a village located on the Yellowhead Highway, in southeastern Saskatchewan. (Map source: Google maps)

….The search for a photo of Peter Hydichuk seemed doomed for failure….

At first, it seemed as though the search for a photo of Peter would not take long, as he had many siblings.  Besides himself, three of his brothers also served during WWII: Nick, John, and Matt. 

Matt, who was married and the father of two daughters, was killed in France on August 23, 1944, aged 29, while serving with the South Saskatchewan Regiment, and is buried in Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery in France, 14 km south of Caen.

Peter also served in the South Saskatchewan Regiment, and died the following year, on March 31, 1945, in Germany.  Nick and John survived the war.

At the end of January 2024, Pieter was in contact with one of Matt’s daughters, Pam Neilson, who lives near Birmingham, Alabama. Pam did her best, getting in touch with various family members in Canada, but with no success.  She sadly reported to Pieter that the family threw away the photos.      

When no other avenues of research turned up a photo, we reluctantly placed his name on the Cold Case List. Sometimes, that has resulted in a photo being found by someone who saw the name and could help with a photo or information. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/our-cold-cases/)

….The Cold Case List led to a photo….

Just as Remembrance Day 2025 came around the corner, we received an email from Garry Bodnaryk, who had seen Peter’s name on the Cold Case List!  “…I came across your site today while searching for Peter Hydichuk from Theodore, Saskatchewan, Canada. The Hydichuks were neighbours of my grandparents, and my mother dated Peter until he was killed. … I’m glad that people like you are working to put faces to names, and helping to keep the memory of these soldiers alive….”

Peter Hydichuk. (Photo courtesy of Garry Bodnaryk)

Wow!  Garry not only made our week, he shared how much Peter’s memory meant to his mother, and therefore to her family, even long after she passed away.  “…Her maiden name was Anne Polowick. The Polowicks were friends and neighbours of the Hydichuks, and attended the same church and school in the area.  My mother died almost 50 yrs ago, but she had always had Peter’s picture in her purse. My late father always thought it was sweet that she did. I kept the photos as they meant a lot to her….”

Anne (nee Polowick) Bodnaryk with one of her cousins.  (Photo courtesy of Garry Bodnaryk)

….Anne and her family never forgot Peter….

Garry noted that his mother “…was the key figure in saving the photo, and in me even knowing who Peter was…”

Peter (left) with a neighbour on horseback. (Photo courtesy of Garry Bodnaryk)

Happier days before WWII.  Peter Hydichuk (red arrow) and Anne (nee Polowick) Bodnaryk (purple arrow). (Photo courtesy of Garry Bodnaryk)

Garry included a photo that included both Peter and Anne.  “….My cousin confirmed that the man on the left is Peter Hydichuk. My mother is on the left, in front of him. I believe all the men served in the army during the war (my uncle next to Peter did). Other family members, and neighbours, are in the photo…”

A photo of the Hydichuk brothers, which Garry was kind enough to send, was in the ‘Theodore and District History’ book, which had a limited printing in the 1980s. 

Photo of the Hydichuk brothers in 1940 from the ‘Theodore and District History’ book.  Peter identified by red arrow.

…. Peter was killed near the German border….

On March 29, 1945 the South Saskatchewan Regiment arrived in Bienen, Germany, taking over from the Highland Light Infantry following the Battle of Bienen on March 25. The following day, the Regiment moved towards Gendringen, located in The Netherlands near the German border. 

Per the March 30, 1945 war diary entry of the South Saskatchewan Regiment, a three Phase attack for the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade was set in place to “….capture the line from Terborg to Etten to Ziek…”  Phase I was to be carried out by “….(1) Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal attacking Wieken, (2) 8 Canadian Recce Regiment…” to take over the position currently held by the “….Camerons of Canada in Netterden….” and then “…(3) on consolidation of Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal, Camerons of Canada to take out Veldhunten. This completes Phase I….”   

The South Saskatchewan Regiment was held in reserve until Phase II, when it was ordered to capture Etten. Phase III called for the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade to “….cross the Oude IJssel River for the purpose of taking the town of Terborg….”

However, the plan for carrying out Phase III of the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade was initially cancelled that evening.  “…At 2115 hours the plan was cancelled owing to the Camerons of Canada failing to take Veldhunten…” 

A new plan was made an hour later.  “… ‘A’ Company to move to Gendringen…” and take up a position.  “… ‘B’ Company to move at 2315 hours….and send fighting patrol….passing through ‘A’ Company. ‘C’ Company to move at 2345 hours…. ‘D’ Company to move at 2400 hours…4 Platoon to send 1 section of Wasps under command of ‘A’ Company and 1 section to ‘B’ Company….”

Fighting continued throughout the night of March 30/March 31. Gendringen was liberated by mid-afternoon of March 31, 1945, in spite of heavy enemy shelling. 

The war diary for March 31, 1945 recorded that “…at 1430 hours the casualty reports from the Companys were turned in to Command Post.  They were 1 officer and 14 other ranks wounded and 3 other ranks killed….” 

Peter Hydichuk was one of the fatal casualties that day, killed in action at the age of 27.  Per Maarten Koudijs, an amateur researcher in the Gendringen area, and author of ‘Tussen Grens En Hoop’, he was “…killed near Alofs’s house on the Tappenweg in Etten….”  (Translated from the original Dutch) 

In addition to Peter, Maarten wrote that the other casualties were James Joseph MALONEY and William SERNOWSKI.

One of the severely wounded, Michael Joseph MACDERMOTT, was transferred to the Canadian General Hospital in England, where he died on August 5, 1945.

….Peter was temporarily buried in Megchelen….

Peter was temporarily buried on the farmland of A. Friesen in Megchelen, at the end of a row of 18 burials.

Temporary gravemarker for Peter Hydichuk in Groesbeek after reburial from Megchelen. (Photo courtesy of Garry Bodnaryk)

Garry had one more story to relate.  “…In talking to one of my cousins, I found out that my mother’s father was at the train station (which had the telegraph office) when the news of Peter’s death came. My grandfather is the one that took the telegram and, stopping at home to get his bible, proceeded to the Hydichuk farm to break the news to the family….”

….We were in Gendringen this past May….

On a rainy Saturday in May 2025, we were in the Achterhoek area, and stopped in Gendringen.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

This past May we followed the route taken by Canadian forces into Germany, as far as Bienen, and on the way back into The Netherlands, we stopped in the Achterhoek, in the province of Gelderland, the area where Peter died. 

There is a memorial in the cemetery in Gendringen, which we visited. No soldiers’ names are mentioned on the memorial, though.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/05/09/on-the-war-memorial-trail-monument-unveiled-in-gendringen/)

The text on the panel of the memorial means ‘so that we don’t forget’, or, as said more commonly during Remembrance services, ‘lest we forget’.  It was a solemn moment, with rain falling steadily, a fitting tribute that perhaps reflected the tears shed by families who lost their loved ones. 

Pieter by the memorial in the cemetery in Gendringen.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

 ….Peter was reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek….

Pieter stands behind the grave of Peter Hydichuk in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

At the end of January 1946, Peter was reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.  We visited his grave this spring when we were in The Netherlands for our 2025 European Memorial Tour, and Pieter placed a Canadian flag by his grave. For most soldiers (383 in 14 cemeteries) we placed provincial flags as well, but as we had never received flags for Saskatchewan, we could only place a Canadian flag.

….Stories about 2 soldiers from Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal who were also originally buried in Megchelen….

Edmond Coloumbe, born in Fannystelle, Manitoba, and Alphonse Robert, of Caraquet, New Brunswick, were among 5 members of Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal who died during an attack on Gendringen, The Netherlands on March 30, 1945. Both were initially buried in Megchelen, and their stories were previously told on this blog.

The flag placed at Peter’s grave was donated.  Our thanks go to Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque.

Thank you to Garry Bodnaryk for providing photos and information about Peter Hydichuk, and for saving his mother’s photos.  A big thank you is due to his mother Anne for never forgetting a friend and neighbour who never had the chance to return home and live out his life during peacetime.

Thank you also to Maarten Koudijs for information on Peter’s death and the names of the other South Saskatchewan Regiment casualties. (Information on his book, available in Dutch, can be found at https://www.tussengrensenhoop.nl/)

The work of remembrance of those who served continues.  More Remembrance Week stories to come.

If you have a story or photo to share, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog. 

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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….Remembrance Week 2025 – Reflections and Updates

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November 9, 2025.  When we write a story on the blog, we often receive additional information about the soldiers we’ve written about, about other soldiers buried in the same cemetery, or who served in the same unit. This Remembrance Week 2025 posting gives an update on three soldiers whose stories were previously told, one whose story is coming up in a future posting, and about our visit to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission office in Ottawa, Ontario.

Each year we also try to visit one or more war memorials in Canada. In this posting we feature a visit to the Memramcook Veterans Park in Memramcook, New Brunswick, and Beach Grove Memorial Forest in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.

…A banner for WWII soldier Joseph ‘Ambroise’ Comeau….

Banner for WWII soldier Joseph ‘Ambroise’ Comeau. (Photo credit: Simone Comeau)

One of the WWII soldiers buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands, is Joseph ‘Ambroise’ COMEAU, from Lower Saulnierville, Nova Scotia. Ambroise 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.  His was one of the 383 graves we visited this spring during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, and Pieter had placed flags of Canada and Nova Scotia, as well as an Acadian flag, by his grave.

When Simone Comeau recently sent us a photo of her uncle’s banner, she explained why it included both a Canadian and Acadian flag.  “…We had a choice as to which flag we wanted along with the flag of Canada so since you honoured the Acadian veterans this year in Holland and we are Acadians I figured it was only appropriate to do so….”

You can read Ambroise’s story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/05/17/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-tragic-drowning-on-the-leda-river-in-germany-part-3/  and about our visit to his grave at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/09/04/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-holten-exhibition-part-4-soldiers-who-drowned-during-operation-duck/

 ….The family of WWII soldier James ‘Jimmy’ Oliver Thomas framed the photo we sent…

Framed photo taken at the grave of James ‘Jimmy’ Oliver Thomas.  (Photo courtesy of Rodd Cooper)

During our visit to the various cemeteries during the 2025 European War Memorial Tour, we took photos of each grave at which Pieter placed flags, and later sent photos to the families of these soldiers.  Rodd Cooper, nephew of WWII soldier James ‘Jimmy’ Oliver THOMAS framed the photo we had emailed him, and emailed us back a photo of the framed picture with the family’s thanks.  We were deeply touched by this!

Born in St. Peters, Manitoba, Jimmy died in Germany on May 2, 1945, aged 33, a few days after being liberated from the Stalag VII-A POW Camp in Moosburg, Germany. He had been taken prisoner of war on May 22, 1943, while serving with the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada, during the breaking of the Hitler Line.

You can read Jimmy’s story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/02/18/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-manitoba-who-died-shortly-after-being-liberated-from-stalag-vii-a/  and about our visit to his grave at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/09/10/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-holten-exhibition-part-5-indigenous-soldiers/

….WWII soldier Samuel George Engen was remembered by his great-niece Clover Rusk on National Indigenous Veterans Day…

In a November 8, 2025 Facebook posting, Clover Rusk remembered her great-uncle, Samuel George ENGEN of The Pas, Manitoba on National Indigenous Veterans Day….and thanked Pieter “…for dedicating his time to Indigenous war vets buried overseas…”

After a 3 year search by various family members, a photo was found by Clover earlier this year, in an album that had belonged to her great-grandfather Aaron, the older brother of Samuel.

The son of Louis Julius Engen and Mary Helen (nee Buck) Engen, and husband of Miriam Susan Pranteau, Samuel died April 23, 1945 in Germany, during the Battle for the Kusten Canal, aged 27, while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment.  

Samuel is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands, which we visited this past May, and where Pieter placed flags of Canada and Manitoba by his grave.  His story will be told in an upcoming posting.

….Flags were placed at the grave of WWII airman William Andrew Hood on our behalf…

Grave of William Andrew Hood.  (Photo credit: Robert van der Ende)

One of the cemeteries to visit on our 2025 European War Memorial Tour was Eindhoven General Cemetery in Eindhoven, The Netherlands, where WWII airman William Andrew HOOD, of Little Bras D’or, Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia, is buried. 

Eindhoven was near where we were for a family visit, and we had planned to go to the cemetery before we left for Belgium the following day.  But….by this time we were totally exhausted, and didn’t see how we could manage it.  Thankfully, Robert van der Ende volunteered to take flags of Canada and Nova Scotia and place them at William’s grave on our behalf.  We were very grateful for that act of kindness!  This was the only cemetery on our list that we didn’t personally visit.

William was the mid-upper gunner aboard Halifax JD215 when it was shot down over The Netherlands on June 29, 1943.  None of the crew survived.  You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/09/19/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-airman-from-bras-dor-who-was-aboard-the-last-flight-of-halifax-jd215/

….We visited the CWGC office in Ottawa…

This year, Pieter became one of the volunteers across Canada participate in the National Volunteer Program.  He was assigned 4 cemeteries on Prince Edward Island to visit and gather information about the condition of Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) war graves, and to clean the grave stones as needed. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/08/08/on-the-war-memorial-trail-cwgc-volunteer-at-cape-traverse-community-cemetery/ and https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/09/28/on-the-war-memorial-trailthe-wwii-carpenter-buried-in-seven-mile-bay-who-does-not-have-a-cwgc-headstone/ for stories about two of the soldiers buried in a CWGC grave)

Left to right: Pieter Valkenburg, Julene Warren, Daria Valkenburg, Elizabeth Hale.  (Photo courtesy of Valkenburg Family Collection)

During a trip to Ottawa in October, we visited the CWGC office and met with two of the coordinators overseeing the volunteers:  Elizabeth Hale and Julene Warren.  It was a chance to put faces to names, and to learn more about the important work being done to look after war graves here in Canada.

….We visited the Memramcook Veterans Park in Memramcook, New Brunswick…

Our friend and fellow researcher, Etienne Gaudet, had invited us several times to visit his hometown of Memramcook, New Brunswick, and one Saturday in June we were able to do so.  Etienne proudly took us around the Memramcook Veterans Park, which commemorates those who served and are from the Memramcook area. 

Etienne Gaudet (left) with Pieter at Memramcook Veterans Park. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

A unique billboard highlighted the ships on which troops travelled to Great Britain, and the countries in Europe in which they fought. 

Etienne Gaudet (left) with Pieter at Memramcook Veterans Park. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Etienne also wanted us to meet 102 year old WWII veteran, Romeo LEBLANC, and we were delighted to have the opportunity to do so. 

Etienne Gaudet (left) and Pieter (right) with WWII veteran Romeo LeBlanc. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

….We visited the Beach Grove Memorial Forest in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island…

Pieter at the entrance to Beach Grove Memorial Forest in Charlottetown. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

This spring we received an email from Jim Little, saying he was writing a story about Private Frank LUTZ, an orphan from Prince Edward Island, who was badly wounded on February 20, 1945 during the Battle of Moyland Wood, while serving with the Canadian Scottish Regiment. He died on March 2, 1945, aged 19, and is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. (See https://www.facestograves.nl/LifeStories/LUTZ%20Frank-JLE-bio-EN.pdf)

Jim wanted to know if Frank was listed on a cenotaph on the Island.  Yes, was the answer….he is listed on a Canadian Army memorial stone at Beach Grove Memorial Forest in Charlottetown.  The memorial forest honours WWII veterans from Prince Edward Island with granite stones that list their names and includes a tree for each person that is honoured.

Pieter walks along the path in Beach Grove Memorial Forest.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

The memorial stones are located along a path in the forest, which, during the war, had been used as a training facility for various regiments and units.  The stones honour those who died during the war while serving in the Royal Canadian Navy, Merchant Navy, Canadian Army, and Royal Canadian Air Force.  We found Frank’s name listed on the stone for the Canadian Army.

Frank Lutz was listed on one of the memorial stones for the Canadian Army. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

We ended up spending a long time in the forest, looking at each stone, as Pieter had researched so many of the names listed on each stone!

Thank you to Simone Comeau, Rodd Cooper, Etienne Gaudet, Clover Rusk, and Robert van der Ende. The work of remembrance of those who served continues.

The flags placed at William Andrew Hood’s grave were donated.  Our thanks go to: 

  • Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian 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 flag.

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

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?….

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

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

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On The War Memorial Trail…..The WWII Sapper From Moncton Who Lost His Life During Operation Berlin

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Headline of an October 1945 article from ‘The Times Transcript’

November 6, 2025.  While searching for a photo of WWII soldier Eric John CRUE of Moncton, New Brunswick, who lost his life on April 6, 1945 while serving with the Algonquin Regiment, Pieter found an October 1945 newspaper article from ‘The Times Transcript’ about a memorial service in the First United Baptist Church in Moncton to honour the memories of Crue, John Edward COLEMAN of the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, George Temple DOYLE of the RCAF, and David ‘Lloyd’ George HOPE of the Royal Canadian Engineers…. all from Moncton.

Pieter knew that Coleman was on a photo wish list from the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, but Doyle and Hope were unknown to him.  He began an investigation and quickly found that no photo was available for Hope, who is buried in Rhenen General Cemetery in Rhenen, The Netherlands.  There was a photo available for Doyle, and a newspaper photo was found for Coleman by Etienne Gaudet.  No photo was ever found for Crue, who is now on our Cold Case List. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/our-cold-cases/)

Pieter began the search for a photo of Hope….

….A family member got in contact…

Pieter made contact with Susan ‘Sue’ Hope through Ancestry and she explained that the soldier, who went by ‘Lloyd’, was one of three brothers who served during WWII.  “….Russell, Douglas, and DLG Hope were my grandfather’s cousins. My grandfather was Wesley William Hope.   David Lloyd, Douglas, and Russell Hope were brothers.  They were all from Moncton, their parents were Frank D. Hope and Lottie F Jones…”  Both of Lloyd’s parents died in the early 1930s.  In addition to his brothers, he also had three sisters: Kay, Mildred Greta, and Marguerite.

Born June 30, 1919 in Moncton, New Brunswick, Lloyd worked as an iron moulder at an iron foundry, Record Stove and Furnace Company prior to enlisting in the militia on October 9, 1940 under the National Resources Mobilization Act (NRMA) and began basic infantry training at No. 70 Non-Permanent Active Militia (NPAM) Centre in Fredericton, New Brunswick.  After completing that course on November 7, 1940, he was assigned to the New Brunswick Regiment. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Resources_Mobilization_Act)

….Lloyd enlisted in the Active Army in August 1941…

He enlisted in the Active Army on August 8, 1941 at No. 7 District Depot in Moncton, stating in an interview that his reason for joining the army was for “….adventure…” He expressed an interest in taking a blacksmiths course. He was described as “…cheerful, neat, with good conduct and military efficiency….” While his mechanical knowledge was listed as “…below average….” it was remarked that his skill on the rifle range was “…above average…” He had written that he enjoyed hunting, fishing, and swimming, so skill with a gun would not have been a surprise.     

Lloyd returned to No. 70 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre in Fredericton for his basic training, which was completed on October 2, 1941.  He was transferred to No. 7 District Depot in Moncton on October 20, 1941, and began a Fitters Course the following day, returning to No. 70 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre on February 6, 1942. 

On April 8, 1942, Lloyd was transferred to A5 Canadian Engineer Training Centre (CETC) in Camp Petawawa, Ontario for Engineer Training.  After completing his training on May 13, 1942, he was given embarkation leave, for what turned out to be the last chance he would have to see his family.

….Lloyd left Canada for overseas service….

David ‘Lloyd’ George Hope. (Photo courtesy of Susan Hope)

On June 3, 1942, Lloyd sailed from Halifax, Nova Scotia to the United Kingdom, arriving in Liverpool, England on June, 1942. Upon arrival, he was assigned to No. 1 Canadian Engineers Reinforcement Unit (CERU). 

While in the United Kingdom, Lloyd’s training continued.  On September 29, 1942, he was transferred to No. 1 Canadian Ordnance Reinforcement Unit (CORU), qualifying as a Pioneer ‘C’ on October 19, 1942. 

On December 4, 1942, Lloyd was transferred to the Royal Canadian Engineers, 18th Field Company.  While remaining with the 18th Field Company, he was attached, for all purposes, to the Headquarters of the Royal Canadian Engineers, 3rd Canadian Division, from February 19, 1943 until August 13, 1943.

Then, on December 14, 1943, he was transferred to the Royal Canadian Engineers, 23rd Field Company.  In ‘The Twenty-Third Story’ by Major Michael Lovett TUCKER, the entry for December 19, 1943 explained that training was ongoing.  “…We are doing considerable practice in night convoy work…” using old trucks. “…We are still working on Bailey Bridge training on Headley Common….” and “….today we start work on a 110 foot T.T. bridge with one storey underslung….”  T.T. refers to Tracked-Transport.  Bridge load effects and capacity ratings needed to be evaluated to determine appropriate load factors for military vehicles crossing various bridges.

….Lloyd and the 23rd Field Company left the UK for France…..

On July 6, 1944, Lloyd and the 23rd Field Company boarded a ship that was to leave the United Kingdom for France, part of the 21st Army Group.  The July 7, 1944 entry in ‘The Twenty-Third Story’ recorded that “…we sail from Tilbury at six-thirty in the morning and anchor off Southend, where we lie for the balance of the day.  Then at ten o’clock the following evening we fall in with the other thirty-three ships in our convoy, and head down the Thames Estuary to the English Channel…”

Map showing the location of Graye-sur-Mer and Juno Beach.  (Map source: Google maps)

The entry for July 9, 1944 noted their arrival off the coast of France. “…Late in the afternoon we come in sight of the Normandy coast, and shortly before midnight come to anchor off Juno Beach, off Graye-sur-Mer.  There are so many ships that it is difficult to find a suitable anchorage…”

….Lloyd and his brother Douglas help to clear up debris in Caen…..

Troops left the ship the following day, and by July 13, 1944 had moved to their new bivouac area in a orchard near Cairon. Their immediate task was to “…clear debris and open streets in Caen…” as stated in the July 14, 1944 entry.  “…In the centre of town, every street is choked with rubble, and in many places it’s impossible to tell where streets have been. The Germans are mortaring and shelling steadily….”  

Work continued, in spite of German activity, and by July 25, 1944, an entry recorded that “… an entirely new street is run from Boulevard des Allies to the river through the ruins of demolished buildings.  It is named ‘Andy’s Alley’….” 

Opening of Andy’s Alley in Caen, July 1944. Lloyd Hope identified by red arrow. His brother Douglas Hope is identified by blue arrow.  The purple arrow identifies Major M. L. Tucker, author of ‘The Twenty-Third Story’. (Photo courtesy of Alice van Bekkum Collection)

The opening of Andy’s Alley was captured in a photo, with the caption noting that the road was ‘a half-mile long’ (.8 km), and that the proud Canadian engineers posed by the steamroller breaking the tape for supplies to move forward.  The source of the photo and the magazine in which it was published is unknown, and was provided by Alice van Bekkum, Chair of the Faces To Graves Foundation.  Both Lloyd and his brother Douglas are in this iconic photo!

….The 23rd Field Company made its way into The Netherlands….

After painstakingly working their way through France and Belgium to clear roads and build bridges, the 23rd Field Company received new orders. The September 16, 1944 entry in ‘The Twenty-Third Story’ recorded that “…something is in the air!  Our advance is moving very fast through Belgium up into Holland…”

Operation Market Garden was an Allied military operation, from September 17-25, 1944 that succeeded in liberating Nijmegen and Eindhoven, but failed in liberating the last bridge held in Arnhem, which would enable troops to the Rhine into Germany.  If you’ve seen the movie ‘A Bridge Too Far’ (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Bridge_Too_Far_(film)), then you may be familiar with what happened.  (For an idea of the gliders used, see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2018/01/06/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-liberation-route/)

There was excitement in the September 18, 1944 entry.  “…We hear that Airborne troops have landed in Northern Holland and have captured the bridges at Grave, Nijmegen and Arnhem over the Maas, Waal and Neder Rijn rivers, respectively….We are the only Canadian troops taking part in the push into Holland….but our ground troops are having difficulty getting beyond Nijmegen and so are unable to join up with the Airborne troops in Arnhem…”  This description was about Operation Market Garden, which failed to capture the bridge at Arnhem, as was noted two days later in the September 20, 1944 entry.

While British troops got across the river at Nijmegen and were able to hold the bridge, they had “…difficulty in getting on to Arnhem, and 1st British Airborne is having a very sticky time there. The Germans have retaken the bridge….”

….The 23 Field Company was tasked with rescuing the 1st British Airborne during Operation Berlin….

The 23rd Field Company was “….ordered forward to Nijmegen...”  On September 24, 1944, the entry recorded that they were to help rescue the 1st British Airborne, using storm boats to ferry survivors from the German held side of the Neder Rijn River (Lower Rhine River in English) to Allied safety. Operation Berlin was the rescue attempt to save survivors of the British 1st Airborne after the disastrous Operation Market Garden and at the end of the Battle of Arnhem/Oosterbeek. 

Example of a storm boat: Storm boats manned by the 34th Field Company, R.C.E., carry Regina Rifles Regiment’s 7th Brigade over the Seine River in 1944.  (Photo Credit: Donald I. Grant/Canada. Dept. of National Defence/Library and Archives Canada/PA-136016)

The following day “…at six o’clock we learn that we are to operate from a site on the river, just east of Driel.  We are to have fourteen boats, and these will be off-loaded in an orchard which comes up to the back of the winter dyke...”

The first storm boat was launched at 9:30 pm, but as it had been damaged while being pushed down the bank into the water, it started to leak and had to be abandoned.  A second boat was readied. “….Corporal Ryan, W.D., and Sappers Magnusson, H.C., and Roherty, L.J., are the crew…It is pitch dark and pouring rain….Lt Martin asks to go with this boat so that he may contact our friends and lend a hand in organizing the loading of boats for them…..” 

 It set off at 9:45 pm, closely followed by “…another, which has Corporal Smith, S. F., and Sappers Hope, D.L.G., and Thompson, N.A. as crew.  Neither of these boats returns.  One is seen to receive a direct mortar hit. There is a direct flash from the explosion, and then nothing can be seen in the darkness …” 

The boat with Ryan, Magnusson, Roherty, and Martin was hit by mortar fire. None of the men survived.

….Lloyd was in the storm boat that capsized during Operation Berlin….

The boat with Smith, Hope, and Thompson was on its way back after picking up survivors, but was “…heavily overloaded with Airborne survivors…” The boat “….went under when a mortar fell close beside it and everyone instinctively threw himself to the other side of the boat and capsized it...” 

Of the crew, only Corporal Smith survived.  He recorded in a report on the incident that he was riding in the bow to help land the boat.  While heading for the south (home) shore, the boat was swamped and sank about 46 metres (50 yards) from the north shore.  As his “…greatcoat was open it helped me to float, and although I am not a swimmer I reached shore on the north side of the river along with four of the British Airborne men. I was taken back to the home side of the river in an assault boat…”

….Lloyd is buried in Rhenen General Cemetery…

Pieter by the grave of David ‘Lloyd’ George Hope. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

25 year old Lloyd lost his life due to drowning on September 26, 1944, when the storm boat he was in capsized.  He was buried in Rhenen General Cemetery, which we visited this past May.  Pieter placed a Canadian and New Brunswick flag at Lloyd’s grave. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/11/03/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-visit-to-rhenen-general-cemetery/)

Although 7 men from the 23rd Field Company lost their lives during Operation Berlin, it was a success. The Royal Canadian Engineers rescued most of the 2,400 evacuees in one night, using storm boats propelled by 50 horse power outboard motors! (See https://www.strijdbewijs.nl/donald/operation.htm)

….A visit with Sue Hope…

Susan ‘Sue’ Hope and Pieter.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

We were delighted to have a chance to meet Sue Hope in Moncton after we returned from our 2025 European War Memorial Tour.  “….Thank you for the project you are doing to preserve history of all these young men!…” she wrote.

The flags placed at the graves for David ‘Lloyd’ George Hope were donated.  Our thanks go to: 

  • Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian flags.
  • Jean-Claude D’Amours, MLA for Edmundston-Madawaska Centre, Minister responsible for Military Affairs, with the help of Cécile LePage, Province of New Brunswick, for the New Brunswick flag. 

Thank you to Sue Hope for providing photos and information about her grandfather’s cousin, and to Alice van Bekkum for providing information on the 23rd Field Company and Major Tucker’s book, as well as the photograph taken at Andy’s Alley.  Thank you to John Sliz, author of ‘Storm Boat Kings’, for sharing the storm boat photo.

Our adventures continue as we share the highlights of our adventures on the 2025 European War Memorial Tour.

If you have a story or photo to share, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog. 

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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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