WWII Soldiers

On The War Memorial Trail….. The WWII Soldier Who Lost His Life In A Monastery Garden

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

June 5, 2022. After seeing Pieter on the news during Remembrance Week 2021, Sylvia Churchill of Nova Scotia contacted us.  “… My husband’s father, Bruce W. Churchill, was killed in Hulst, The Netherlands, buried there, and later exhumed after the war was over and buried in the Adegem Canadian War Cemetery.  He was killed in a garden near a Monastery while their Regiment was cleaning their Bren guns. He died instantly, on September 29, 1944.  My husband was born January 1945 and named after his father, Bruce W. Churchill (Jr). …”  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/11/15/on-the-war-memorial-trail-ctvs-atlantic-live-at-5-update-on-the-photo-search-for-soldiers-buried-in-the-netherlands/)

Bruce W Churchill Sr Sep 21 1942

Bruce Wilbur Churchill in a September 21, 1942 photo.  (Photo courtesy of Bruce (Jr) and Sylvia Churchill)

Bruce Wilbur CHURCHILL was born April 17, 1921 in Sandford, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, the son of Ralph Lloyd and Ethel Mae Churchill.  He had 5 brothers and 6 sisters, and worked as a farm labourer and fisherman after leaving school at the age of 16.

…Bruce was not the only family member who served in the military…

When he enlisted in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia on October 10, 1939 with the 6th Anti-Aircraft Battery,  not only were 4 of his brothers in the Army, but also his father, who was a gunner.

Bruce’s service file noted that he played volleyball and swam, and liked to read popular magazines and novels.

On November 1, 1941, Bruce was transferred to the 1st Anti-Aircraft Search Light Battery as a member of the search light crew, all the time remaining in Canada, understandable given that 5 members of his family were already serving.  He had been a cook since April 11, 1940 and held the rank of Gunner.

He married Dora Mae Goodwin on February 14, 1942, and they became the parents of a daughter, Donna Fay, born in Argyle Sound, Nova Scotia on September 3, 1942.

…Bruce was anxious to serve overseas…

In an August 4, 1943 interview with the Personnel Selection Board of the Army, it was noted that Bruce was “…anxious to see action in an active theatre of war.  For this purpose he has volunteered for the parachute battalion…”

Bruce didn’t meet the requirements for the parachute battalion, but was considered suitable for the artillery.

On February 14, 1944, Bruce and Dora Mae’s son Eric Bruce was born in Argyle Sound, but sadly he passed away on May 28, 1944.  May 28 is the same day that Bruce’s desire for overseas service was about to be granted, as he was transferred to the Canadian Infantry Training Centre (CITC) in Aldershot, Nova Scotia.

He was on his way to England as of August 3, 1944, arriving on August 10, and at his request, he changed from cook to general duty as of August 21, 1944.  He became part of the Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU) and sent to France on September 4, 1944.

…Bruce lost his life when a gun ricocheted…

On September 15, 1944 he was transferred to the Algonquin Regiment. On September 29, 1944, he lost his life in Hulst, The Netherlands, accidentally killed when a Bren gun ricocheted.

Soldiers Service Book with bullet hole

Soldier’s Service Book showing the bullet hole.  (Image courtesy of Bruce (Jr) and Sylvia Churchill)

Among the documents that Sylvia shared was “…the first page of Bruce Churchill Sr.’s Soldier’s Service Book. I want to point out the bullet hole in that book (which is on all the other pages) ….he obviously was wearing that when he died. How sad to see that….”

When Bruce died, his wife Dora Mae was pregnant with their son Bruce, who was born in January 1945.

…Account of the accident by George Spittael…

cms_visual_1335496.jpg_1582646467000_600x858An account of the incident was recorded by George E. Spittael of Belgium in his book ‘Librera Me’, published in 1989 in Flemish.  By September 27, 1944, several companies were given a rest period in Hulst while others patrolled the shoreline of the Scheldt.

A translated excerpt from September 29, 1944 explained what happened to Bruce.  “…Although there was no enemy activity in Hulst, there were two casualties when a Bren gun ricocheted. Pte. Poole was wounded and Pte. Bruce Wilbur Churchill, F/7185, killed. The 27-year-old Canadian from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia, was temporarily buried in Hulst General Cemetery, but after the hostilities his remains were transferred to Adegem…”

According to the Graves Registration Card, however, Bruce was buried on the Monastery grounds, not in the Hulst General Cemetery.  A letter from the Protestant Chaplain to Bruce’s family noted that Bruce had been buried on the Monastery grounds.

…. A letter from the Chaplain….

In a November 19, 1944 letter from Canadian Army Chaplain, Honorary Captain A. Phillips Silcox to Bruce’s parents, he described what happened on the day Bruce lost his life:

“…a small group of soldiers were sitting in a garden, cleaning weapons, or taking them apart and reassembling them, when in some way a single shot was most unexpectedly fired from a Bren Gun close to Bruce.  He was instantly killed as the bullet passed through his body.  It then continued through a hedge and lodged in another soldier’s leg – though fortunately he was not seriously wounded…..

Our location at the time was in a small town in Holland not far from the border of Belgium, but well away from the enemy and we felt fairly secure for a few days rest.  The garden was the most unlikely place to expect death – a lovely spot, across from a Roman Catholic monastery….

The Father Superior of the Monastery (where I was staying) offered a pleasant corner of their garden for the grave, so there we laid him to rest while his Company stood ground, a few of the priests and a civilian woman looking on, for the brief military service.  Afterward the soldiers who completed the grave laid a lovely spray of flowers and I know that the priests will care for it until the day that our government agents transfer all graves to certain central cemeteries….”

…Sylvia and Bruce Churchill visited the grave of his father…

Sylvia explained that “…in 2019, Bruce and I were fortunate to have visited Belgium and The Netherlands for two weeks, and we were able to visit his father’s gravesite for the first time….”

P1040467 Bruce Churchill at his fathers grave in Adegem

Bruce Churchill at his father’s grave in the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem in 2019.  (Photo courtesy of Bruce (Jr) and Sylvia Churchill)

…Sylvia and Bruce Churchill also visited Hulst…

In addition to the visit to the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem, Belgium, Sylvia explained that “…when we went to Belgium/Netherlands, in particular to the town of Hulst, we went to the Town Hall and spoke to a historian. Prior to our visit to Europe, we had mailed him everything we had as far as finding the grounds where Bruce’s father had originally been buried, and they gave us a location where an old Monastery used to be. It is a school now. …”

P1040331 Tree in Hulst taken by Sylvia

The former Monastery in Hulst, The Netherlands, and the tree that jogged a memory.  (Photo courtesy of Bruce (Jr) and Sylvia Churchill)

The visit to Hulst brought back a memory of an old photo Bruce remembered seeing.  “…There was a huge tree that jogged Bruce’s memory of his Mother showing him a picture of his dad sitting on a tree (which was small then but low lying).  That particular photo is lost. I’ve attached a picture I took of that tree when we were in Hulst….”

P1040431 Hulst taken by Sylvia

A view of Hulst. (Photo courtesy of Bruce (Jr) and Sylvia Churchill)

Sylvia noted that “…Bruce felt a connection with Hulst, perhaps because he knew that is where his Father died. It was so peaceful and beautiful. …”

Thank you to Sylvia and Bruce Churchill for sharing photos and information on Bruce’s father, and their own memorial journey. Do you have more information to share? 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/

Front cover OnTheWarMememorialTrailinEurope4 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 Search For Wilfred Giroux

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20200529_154800 Adje van der Sanden

Adje van der Sanden-van Lisdonk wants to return cards and a photo to the family of WWII soldier Wilfred Giroux.  (Photo submitted by Adje van der Sanden-van Lisdonk)

June 2, 2022.  When Pieter begins a research project into a soldier from either WWI or WWII, it’s usually because it’s a soldier on a list.  Sometimes a photo is missing, or a soldier participated in a particular battle, or was in a specific regiment.  In each case, the name of the soldier and a few particulars about the military service are known.

So we were intrigued when Pieter received an email from Adje van der Sanden-van Lisdonk in The Netherlands.  She contacted him after reading an article which translated to ‘Quest For Faces’ in the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf on May 4, 2022. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/05/04/article-in-de-telegraaf-quest-for-faces-zoektocht-naar-gezichten/)

…A photo and Christmas cards were found….

Adje had a photo of a WWII soldier from Canada, and two Christmas cards.  All had been found in her parents’ house and she wanted to return them to the soldier’s family.  The challenge Pieter faced was that she knew nothing about the soldier or family.

In a translated excerpt of her email, Adje wrote “….In the house of my deceased parents, Toon and Marie van Lisdonk-Nooten, we found Christmas cards, a one-dollar bill, and a photo of the soldier Wilfred with his baby sister. In 1944 he stayed in Gilze Rijen, Holland, near my parents.  

I would like to send this to the relevant family and I wonder whether the soldier survived the terrible war and whether he returned home to Canada. 

I read the article about you in De Telegraaf today. Then I googled and that’s how I found your wife’s email address. I have a lot of admiration for both of you. Today is the Commemoration Of The Dead here and the flag is now at half mast….”

…The photo gave a clue to the soldier’s identity… 

20220504_133002 Best Wishes Wilf Giroux

Photo found in the house of Adje’s parents. The front of the photo reads ‘Best Wishes Wilf Giroux December 1944’.  On the back was written ‘my baby sister and myself’. (Photo submitted by Adje van der Sanden-van Lisdonk)

The photo that Adje submitted was signed ‘Best Wishes Wilf Giroux December 1944’ and on the back was written ‘my baby sister and myself’.

We had our first clue – the soldier’s name – Wilfred GIROUX.  Gilze Rijen has a large air base, and at first we thought he might have been in the Air Force.  However, it appears that he is wearing an Army uniform, and likely the photo was taken in Canada before he was posted overseas.

Gilze Rijen was liberated at the end of October 1944, and Allied troops were stationed there for about two months.  It may be that Wilfred was part of a maintenance or mechanical regiment.

The photo inscription suggested that it was given to Adje’s parents, so Pieter asked her if she knew how Wilfred could have met her parents.

Adje replied that “…He was quartered diagonally with several soldiers across the road from my parents. Opposite was a cafe so my father, who enjoyed a beer, may have met him there. My father was a very social person….”

… Wilfred survived WWII…

With a name uncovered, the Canadian Virtual War Memorial database was consulted.  No Wilfred Giroux, which suggested that he had survived the war.  We were no further ahead in determining where he came from, which regiment he served in, or what happened to him.  We then looked for clues in the Christmas cards.

…The Christmas cards led to clues about Wilfred’s family…

Two Christmas cards, written by Wilfred’s sisters, provided more clues.   One card, written by his sister Peggy, read “…I know that there will be nothing around you to remind you of Christmas, so I am sending you this Christmas tree – just imagine you are sitting in front of it in our living room…” (The card had an image of a tree, along with the names Dada, Dot, Katie, Peggy, Toady, and Addie.)

“… Next year we will have one just like it and with you here it will be just as if Santa Claus has come to us once again….

 Try and forget about this Christmas and just keep thinking of next.

 Loads of love and the very best of luck at Christmas and all through next year.  Peggy…”

The second card, dated December 1, 1944, was written by Toady and read: “…Dear Wilfred, Things are shaping up for a white Christmas here, it has been snowing all day.  It’s the kind of weather that is bad for straight hair. My permanent is grown out and I have to put it up every night…..

We are all fine and will remember you in our Communions at Christmas.  Love Toady…”

Toady’s card indicated a family that was Catholic and that they lived in an area where winter came early.

… Wilfred’s sister Toady helped unlock the mystery…

The name Toady was unusual and was the clue that unlocked the mystery of who Wilfred Giroux was.  I found an obituary for Marie Antoinette ‘Toady’ Giroux, who died in Oshawa, Ontario on August 30, 2014, the last surviving sibling of eleven.

If there had been any doubt that this was the same Toady as in the Christmas card, it was dispelled when the obituary mentioned that Toady and her sisters Katie, Peggy, and Dot raised two nephews – Butch Mann and Archbishop Anthony Meagher. Unfortunately the sisters and the nephews were also deceased. (See obituary: https://www.dignitymemorial.com/obituaries/oshawa-on/marie-giroux-6104629)

I called the funeral home, and they checked, but the contact number for the person who arranged the funeral was no longer in service.  A call to a woman who had left a condolence message led to the information that her mother had lived across the road from the Giroux family in Whitby, Ontario.

… Pieter finds the birthplace of Wilfred…

20220518_123551 May 18 2022 Pieter takes photo of Mattawa town sign birthplace of Wilf Giroux

Pieter by the sign for Mattawa, Ontario.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

With the names of Wilfred’s sisters and the locations of Oshawa and Whitby gave Pieter enough information to find Wilfred’s family.  His father was a railway contractor, and was posted in various locations.

Wilfred Octave Joseph GIROUX, the son of Octave Joseph and Elizabeth Ellen (nee Hickey) Giroux was born September 25, 1912 in Mattawa, Ontario, a place we had a chance to drive through on a recent trip to North Bay.

… A few more clues…

A search through newspapers available online did not turn up any information on Wilfred, but Judie Klassen was able to find the names of two of Wilfred’s brothers:

  • John William, who married Janie Annie Martha Britt
  • James L (Jim), who married Lola Mabel Varr

Wilfred and sisters Dorothy (Dot), Peggy, and Toady (Marie Antoinette) never married.  Addie (Adelaide) married Howard Kane.  Lillian was married to Francis Joseph Meagher.  Marie Lydia Marguerite married Joseph Harold Mann.

Wilfred did survive WWII and moved to Toronto, where he was listed as a mechanic in a 1974 voters list.  He was still alive when his brother Jim passed away on December 10, 1977.

… Unanswered questions…

Still unanswered are the following:

  • Which Regiment did Wilfred Giroux serve in?
  • When did he pass away?
  • Are there any family members left for Adje van der Sanden-van Lisdonk to contact?

Thank you to Judie Klassen and Shawn Rainville for their assistance in uncovering family members and where Wilfred settled post WWII. Thank you also to Don Smith for researching the uniform that Wilfred is wearing to help assess whether it was an Air Force or Army uniform.

We very much appreciate the care that Adje van der Sanden-van Lisdonk took to preserve these cards and photo, and for wishing to return them to Wilfred’s family.  Can you help with information on Wilfred Giroux or his family members?  Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1.

…Want to follow our research?….

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following the blog, you are welcome to do so.  See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/ or email me at dariadv@yahoo.ca and ask for an invitation to the blog.

Front cover OnTheWarMememorialTrailinEuropeDaria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  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.

© Daria Valkenburg

On The War Memorial Trail….. The Canadian War Cemetery in Holten Pays Tribute To Ukrainian-Canadians Buried There

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May 31, 2022.  In light of the present day events in Ukraine, the Information Centre at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands recently paid tribute to 27 known Ukrainian-Canadians buried in the cemetery.

When they asked for help to find photos of the soldiers for which none were available, or only a poor image was available, we of course said yes.  My father was born in Ukraine and left shortly after his 14th birthday, one of several youths sent on an unheated cattle car in January 1941 to Germany.  He was lucky. He survived the journey and the war and was able to lead a peaceful life in Canada until his death in 2012.

….Translation of Dutch placard…

Attached is a PDF of the Dutch placard (Stoepbord Oekrainse Canadezen A0) and below is a translation of the text, followed by the names of the soldiers mentioned.

“…  They fought for our freedom then ~~~

Ukrainian Canadians who died for our freedom, buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten.

A brutal Russian invasion of Ukraine is now sparking a war in Europe. Ukrainians desperately try to defend their freedom but are the easy targets of a ruthless aggressor. Thousands are forced to flee elsewhere to find safe shelter, warmth and food elsewhere, temporarily or perhaps even forever.

Also towards the end of the 19th and the beginning of the 20th century, many thousands of Ukrainians left their country in search of a better life. Some 170,000 of them ended up in Canada where they were offered free land to become farmers. Also around 1930 and immediately after the Second World War, a wave of refugees/expellees from Ukraine came to Canada.

At the outbreak of World War I (August 1914), Canada was on the side of the Allies. Large parts of present-day Ukraine belonged to the territory of Austria-Hungary, Germany and the Ottoman Empire, and these countries were the enemy of the Allied forces.

In Canada, at the time, there was prejudice against Ukrainians regarding their ‘race’, appearance, customs and religion. The simple fact that they came from countries with which Canada was at war meant that tens of thousands were labeled ‘enemy aliens’ and interned in labour camps.

During the Second World War, the Ukrainians were viewed completely differently. There was therefore no question that they were not the enemy, as present-day Ukraine was then part of the Soviet Union and Poland.

More than 35,000 Canadians of Ukrainian descent served in the Canadian Army during World War II. These servicemen constituted the largest group of non-British and non-French conscripts in the Canadian Forces. The soldiers were not only an integral part of the Canadian military during wartime, but also made a significant contribution to the development of Canada’s post-war policy towards displaced persons and refugees.

Many of them fought in the struggle for the liberation of Europe. We assume about 100 Ukrainian Canadians are buried in the three Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands; Bergen op Zoom, Groesbeek, and Holten.

We know that at least 27 Canadian soldiers of Ukrainian descent are buried in Holten.

They fought for us back then and gave their lives….”

….Ukrainian-Canadian soldiers buried in Holten…

  • Elie ANTONYSZYN, died July 15, 1945, aged 22 
  • George EWONIUK, died April 10, 1945, aged 19 (very poor photo)
  • Donnie P. GNUTEL, died April 29, 1945, aged 25
  • George FESCHUK, died April 25, 1945, aged 21
  • Nick FORSACHUK, died April 17, 1945, aged 21
  • Peter HARASYMCHUK, died April 23, 1945, aged 24
  • Steve HNATIW, died April 21, 1945, aged 28 (poor photo)
  • Harry ILASEVICH, died April 12, 1945, aged 21
  • John KENDZIERSKI, died January 18, 1945, aged 20
  • Andrew KERELCHUK, died April 19, 1945, aged 21 
  • John KIBZEY, died April 12, 1945, aged 21
  • William J. KOZARICHUK, died April 20, 1945, aged 26
  • William W. LOTOSKY, died April 7, 1945, aged 24
  • Harry MACHURA, died April 23, 1945, aged 22 (poor photo)
  • Sam MATVICHUK, died April 14, 1945, aged 19
  • Steve MICHLOSKY, died April 8, 1945, aged 21
  • Steven J. MOTKALUK, died May 2, 1945, aged 32
  • Joseph PETRAK, died April 26, 1945, aged 19
  • Nestor PROBIZANKSI, died April 11, 1945, aged 22
  • John RUSNAK, died November 22, 1945, aged 21 
  • Alexander SEREDIUK, died April 14, 1945, aged 26
  • Stanley SKULMOSKI, died April 24, 1945, aged 20
  • John SLYZUK, died April 11, 1945, aged 30 (poor photo)
  • Harry H. SMITH, died April 7, 1945, aged 25 (very poor photo)
  • Stanley WERNIUK, died April 12, 1945, aged 23
  • Peter WOZNIAK, died May 1, 1945, aged 21
  • Joseph YURKIW, died April 13, 1945, aged 21 (poor photo)

sunflower header

Can you help with photos or information on these soldiers? Do you know of more Ukrainian-Canadian soldiers buried in Holten? 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/

Front cover OnTheWarMememorialTrailinEurope4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

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

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On The War Memorial Trail….. A Photo Found For WWII Soldier Allan ‘Gordon’ Coutts

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May 24, 2022.  In 2017, Pieter received a photo wish list from researchers at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands.  There were 6 names, all serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders when they lost their lives. 

One of these men, Allan ‘Gordon’ COUTTS, was born January 11, 1923 in Kerrobert, Saskatchewan, the son of Benjamin and Susan Coutts.  During his childhood, the family moved to Olds, Alberta, where his father was a firefighter on a government experimental farm. On May 11, 1945, while monitoring the unloading of ammunition at the Sports Field in Norden, Germany, an explosion cost him his life.

In July 2021, after being unsuccessful in finding family, Pieter did a radio interview with a station in Olds, Alberta, and we posted a story about the photo search. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/08/20/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-search-for-a-photo-of-ww2-soldier-allan-gordon-coutts/)

….A photo is found….

Months later, in December 2021, we received an email from Gordon Kenneth ‘Ken’ Coutts in Saskatchewan, saying “…I came across your request for photos or information on family members…” of Gordon Coutts.  “… I was named after him. The last of his siblings, Norman, passed away in November 2021.  All that remain are 3 generations of nieces and nephews….”

Photo Sgt Coutts from Ken Coutts

Allan ‘Gordon’ Coutts shortly before enlistment in 1943.  (Photo submitted by Ken Coutts and courtesy of The Coutts Family)

….Letter from Captain A. M. Harper….

Ken shared the only photo he had of his uncle, along with a letter that Captain A. M. HARPER of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders sent to Gordon’s father upon his death.

“…It is with the deepest sympathy that I write to you on the loss of your son, Sergeant Allan Gordon Coutts, who died of accidental wounds received at Norden, Germany on 11 May, 1945.  Words could not express my feelings when I received the news as your son was one of the best fellows we had here in ‘C’ Company.

I can recall your son’s record with this unit quite plainly. On the seventh of September he came to us as Private Coutts….”  This would have been September 7, 1944.

“…As a private, he played his part in no small way in battles that have great significance – Mount Lambert, Bavlogne, the Scheldt estuary landing – and proved his mettle so well that he received the appointment of Lance Corporal on the twelfth of October during the water and mud operation on the Scheldt.  

On the fifth of November, the now well known 3rd Canadian Infantry Division N.C.O.’s School opened. Lance Corporal Coutts was one of the first ones to be recommended for the course and he did very well and received an excellent report.  As a result of the school’s recommendation, your son was promoted to corporal on the 8th of January 1945.

As a corporal, he did an excellent job in Nijmegen, in the clearing operation up the Rhine and then in the crossing of the Rhine.  I can remember one situation in particular that ensured the young corporal’s promotion to the rank of Sergeant. It was the crossing of the Rhine.  Our task was the taking of the strongpoint of Bienen.

Casualties were extremely heavy during the attack and when we gained the first buildings, Cpl Coutts was the only NCO left with the company commander and myself.  He did an excellent job there in the face of heavy odds and was promoted to Sergeant that day.

In that quiet, efficient way of his, your son carried on throughout the remainder of the campaign until the end of hostilities on May 7/8.  At that time we were assigned the task of rounding up the remnants of the German armed forces, disarming them and concentrating them in specific areas.

Sgt Coutts was supervising the removal of ammunition from one when a freak accident occurred, mortally wounding him.  A court of inquiry was held, but no blame can be attached to anyone because it definitely was a freak accident.

Your son never regained consciousness from the time of his accident until his death several hours later.  All possible treatment was given him by our own medical officers, those at the Field Dressing Station and also those at the Casualty Clearing Station, but even modern medicine could not revive him. He died as he lived – a man well-liked, respected, and trusted by everyone.

Your son was buried in the Canadian plot of the Lutheran Cemetery at Leer, Germany, with full military honours by the H/Capt G. Cox, Protestant chaplain of the Casualty Clearing Station.…..

On behalf of the entire unit, I wish to express our sympathy in your bereavement.  We have lost a tried and true friend, and a good soldier, but our loss is small compared to your loss of a son.

Sincerely yours,

A.M. Harper…”

What a wonderful tribute and summary of service for a valued soldier and friend! 

….The North Nova Scotia Highlanders Wish List….

In addition to Allan ‘Gordon’ COUTTS,  the other North Nova Scotia Highlanders on that 2017 photo wish list from the researchers at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, for which photos were found, were:

One more photo is yet to be found for:

  • Archibald Henry NELSON, born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, son of William Henry and Winnifred Frances Nelson, who lost his life on April 18, 1945, aged 32.

Thank you to Ken Coutts for sharing a photo of his uncle and the letter from Captain Harper.  Do you have photos or information to share? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1. 

© 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/

Front cover OnTheWarMememorialTrailinEurope4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog.  For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

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

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

On The War Memorial Trail….. Author Talks In North Bay

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May 15, 2022. We very much appreciate the feedback from ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten’, and enjoy seeing the photos sent in and the opportunity to meet some of you in person.  We’re back on the war memorial trail…. this time in North Bay, Ontario.

…Upcoming Author Talks In North Bay….

Meet Daria Valkenburg

Invitations have been received and accepted for two ‘Author Talks’:

  • Thursday, May 19, 2022 – North Bay, Ontario, presentation at Rotary Club of North Bay-Nipissing.  Time noon.
  • Thursday, May 19, 2022 – North Bay, Ontario, hosted by the North Bay Public Library.  Time 7:00 pm.

If you are in the North Bay area, we hope to see you!

….North Bay Area Soldiers Buried In The Netherlands….

We received lists of soldiers from the North Bay area who are buried in the Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands, including a few for which no photo had been found.  With the help of Don Coutts, Judie Klassen, and Shawn Rainville, headway has been made in researching these names from the photo wish lists, and families for 3 have been found.

Thank you also to Helen Vaillancourt of the Nipissing Chapter of the Ontario Genealogical Society and North Bay Public Library staff who delved into research after reading about the search for photos and families of soldiers buried in the Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands.

20220514_122907 May 14 2022 Pieter with Shawn Rainville

Shawn Rainville and Pieter Valkenburg had a chance to meet in person.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

…Buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten…

APOSTLE of 12th Manitoba Dragoons – 18th Armoured Car Regiment. KIA 1945-Apr-16, aged 21

Albert Joseph COTE of The Algonquin Regiment. KIA 1944-Oct-05, aged 24

Herbert P. CROOME of Royal Canadian Artillery – 2nd Anti-Tank Regiment. KIA 1945-May-1, aged 27

Theodore S.  DUNN of The Algonquin Regiment.  KIA 1945-Apr-11, aged 30

William H. K. LOCKE of Royal Canadian Artillery – 4 Field Regiment. KIA 1945-Apr-03, aged 19

John Langford ‘Jack’ WALKER of Governor General’s Foot Guards-21st Armoured Regiment. KIA 1945-May-1, aged 20

…Buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek…

Zave BROWN of Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. KIA 1945-Mar-9, aged 19

Leopold Daniel BRULE of Essex Scottish Regiment.  KIA 1945-Feb-19, aged 22

Cecil Edward GOODREAU of Elgin Regiment, 25th Armoured Delivery Regiment. KIA 1945-Feb 26, aged 22

Donald O. GUERTIN of Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. KIA 1945-Mar-2 aged 27

Clifford Stanley JOHNSTON of Royal Canadian Air Force 419 Squadron. KIA 1944-Jun-17, aged 21

John Richard ‘Jack’ MARACLE of 1st Hussars, 6th Armoured Regiment. KIA 1945-Mar-12, aged 19 (Maternal grandfather T. Marshall lived in North Bay)

Anthony PETTA of the Algonquin Regiment.  KIA 1945-Mar-3, aged 29

…Buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom…:

Cleo Adelard SEGUIN of The Royal Regiment of Canada. KIA 1944-Sep-28, aged 24 (Wife Georgette Brousseau was from North Bay)

If you know of any other soldiers from the North Bay area that are buried in The Netherlands please let Pieter know. You can mail him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or send a tweet to @researchmemori1.

…Want to follow our research?….

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following the blog, you are welcome to do so.  See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/ or email me at dariadv@yahoo.ca and ask for an invitation to the blog.

Front cover OnTheWarMememorialTrailinEuropeDaria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is now available.  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.

© Daria Valkenburg

More Feedback On ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten’

/ On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment
CIMG5559 May 7 2022 Bloyce and Daria with book

Bloyce McLellan and Daria with book.  (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

May 10, 2022. We very much appreciate the feedback from ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten’, and love seeing the photos sent in and having the opportunity to meet some of you. 

…Some additional feedback we’ve received….

IMG_0348 Burnie Reynaert with book

Burnie Reynaert with book.  (Photo courtesy of B.  Reynaert)

Burnie Reynaert wrote that “… I always feel comforted when I read what you have both accomplished. Wishing you success on your European memorial tour book. I did buy your book, and liked it very much. It sits on my coffee table...” 

Bloyce McLellan wrote “...I really have my nose into your book. You both did a real wonderful job and what a gift to all the families of these Veterans. Both of you deserve enormous credit and need to take a bow.  Awesome work….”

Susan Choi wrote us to say “…Just finished your book!  It was a great read. Thank you both for what you have done to honor and remember the Canadian soldiers and the sacrifices they made for all of us in WWI and WWII.  Your book was particularly special to me because of the personal friendship I have with both of you. Daria, you have a gift for writing.  You write the way you speak.  As I read your book, it was as though you were sitting next to me, telling me about this wonderful war memorial trip.  Your wit and humor were intact and offered a much needed relief to a serious and somber subject. Thank you both again for all that you have done and continue to do in the name of the fallen soldiers who gave up everything for all of us…”

…Media Interview…

Cody McEachern of Saltwire interviewed us for The Guardian. The interview was posted online on April 25, 2022 and ran in The Guardian’s print edition on April 26, 2022. See P.E.I. author highlights 6-week war memorial tour through Europe in new book | SaltWire https://www.saltwire.com/prince-edward-island/news/pei-author-highlights-6-week-war-memorial-tour-through-europe-in-new-book-100721970/

Thank you to Susan Choi, Bloyce McLellan, and Burnie Reynaert for taking the time to send in comments and photos in support of this research project.  Thank you also to Cody McEachern for the interview in The Guardian.

Photos or information to share? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1. 

© 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/

Front cover OnTheWarMememorialTrailinEurope4 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 now 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 seehttps://nosoldierforgotten.com/

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

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On The War Memorial Trail….. Monument Unveiled In Gendringen

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CIMG5542 May 5 2022 Pieter by Dutch flag for Liberation Day

Pieter by the Dutch flag which was put out for Liberation Day on May 5, 2022. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

May 9, 2022. Last year, stories of two WWII soldiers who lost their lives in this area on March 30, 1945, were told.  Both Edmond COULOMBE of Manitoba and Alphonse ROBERT of New Brunswick served with Les Fusiliers Montreal and were killed on the same day.

We learned about the Gendringen connection when we were contacted by Maarten Koudijs, a volunteer researcher in this Dutch village along the German border with eyewitness accounts of how Robert and several members of his Regiment, including Coulombe, lost their lives when a shell exploded.

Missed the stories about Edmond COULOMBE and Alphonse ROBERT?  See:

 …The Gendringen Monument…

The Gendringen Monument

The Gendringen Monument was unveiled on May 6, 2022. Translation of the Dutch text: So that we never forget.  (Photo submitted by and courtesy of Maarten Koudijs)

On May 6, 2022, a monument was unveiled in Gendringen, The Netherlands.  Maarten Koudijs was kind enough to share some photos, and explained that “… Nearly 500 people are commemorated on this memorial. 

·       23 Dutch Soldiers (from Genkoppen and Wisch) during the raid in May 1940

·       114 Citizens from Wisch

·       111 Citizens from Gendringen

·       30 Dutch citizens from the labor camps in Rees

·       27 forced labourers from Gendringen en Wisch

·       3 men from the resistance

·       46 Executed citizens of Rademakersbroek

·       12 Citizens working for Organization TODT (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organisation_Todt)

·       41 Canadian military personnel and Air Force crew members

·       44 English soldiers and Air Force crew members

·       167 German soldiers who fell in the former municipality of Gendringen en Wisch (now Oude IJsselstreek)

·       1 Irish aircrew member flying for the RAF

·       1 Australian aircrew member flying for the RAF

·       2 New Zealand crew members flying for RAF

·       1 American Spitfire pilot flying for RCAF….” 

Note: RAF refers to Royal Air Force.  RCAF refers to Royal Canadian Air Force.

QR codes on panels

Panels by the monument have QR codes which provide information, plus buttons for audio descriptions in Dutch, English, and German.  (Photo submitted by and courtesy of Maarten Koudijs)

…Einar Victor Isfeld’s Son Attended the Unveiling…

Dennis Isfeld, son of Einar Victor ISFELD of the Queen’s Own Highlanders, attended the unveiling.  In a short video (under 3 minutes in both Dutch and English), he was interviewed with an eyewitness, who was 11 years old in 1945.

… Canadians commemorated on the Gendringen Memorial…. 

Maarten identified the names of 41 Canadians, including the Regiment they were serving in at the time of death and their final resting place. “…The following Canadian soldiers were killed near the former municipality of Genkoppen. The former municipality of Genkoppen en Wisch is now OUDE IJsselstreek Achterhoek….”

Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders Of Canada:

  • Harry Gregory BOZAK, died March 30, 1945, aged 20, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • Francis Walter Andrew GLOSSOP, died March 30, 1945, aged 28, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • Einar Victor ISFELD, died of wounds April 6, 1945, aged 30, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • Anton W. KOHLRUSS, died March 31, 1945, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • Frederick LISSOWAY, died March 30, 1945, aged 37, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • John Graham MACFIE, died March 30, 1945, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • Vincent Albert MOORE, died March 30, 1945, aged 29, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • Edward Oliver OBERG, died March 30, 1945, aged 19, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • William PROW, died March 30, 1945, aged 24, buried in Holten Canadian War Cemetery
  • Rocco Andrew SPEZIALI, died March 30, 1945, aged 26, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • Bert J. THOMAS, died March 30, 1945, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • Charles Joseph YOUNES, died March 30, 1945, aged 33, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery

Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal:

  • Roland A. BARRY, died March 30, 1945, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • Joseph Paul Roland CARON, died of wounds April 5, 1945, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • Edmond COULOMBE, died March 30, 1945, aged 22, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • Jacques FORTIN, died March 30, 19455, aged 21, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • Bernard Gaston PILON, died March 30, 1945, aged 19, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • Alphonse ROBERT, died March 30, 1945, aged 21, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery

South Saskatchewan Regiment:

  • Peter HYDICHUK, died March 31, 1945, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • James Joseph MALONEY, died March 31, 1945, buried in Holten Canadian War Cemetery
  • Michael Joseph MCDERMOTT, died of wounds August 5, 1945, buried in Kilgobbin Burial Ground, Ireland
  • William SERNOWSKI, died March 31, 1945, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery

8th Canadian Recce Regiment (14th Canadian Hussars):

  • Laurenzo DUBE, died March 30, 1945, aged 26, buried in Holten Canadian War Cemetery
  • Leslie Albert DUCKETT, died March 30, 1945, aged 24, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • William LAWRYSYN, died March 30, 1945, aged 27, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • Wilfred Charters STEWART, died March 29, 1945, aged 22, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery

Royal Canadian Artillery:

  • Ivan Rayburn NILSSON, died April 1, 1945, aged 21, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery

 Black Watch Of Canada:

  • Ernest George GRAHAM, died April 1, 1945, aged 29, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery
  • Robert WALKER, died of wounds April 1, 1945, aged 19, buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery

  Royal Canadian Air Force:

  • Duncan Eric CAMPBELL, died June 12, 1943, aged 28, buried in Wisch (Varsseveld) General Cemetery
  • Ralph Perry DAVIES, died June 12, 1943, aged 24, buried in Wisch (Varsseveld) General Cemetery
  • James HEATH, died June 17, 1944, aged 35, buried in Wisch (Varsseveld) General Cemetery
  • Allan Lockwood HOME, died May 13, 1943, aged 26, buried in Gendringen Roman Catholic Cemetery
  • Albert James MACLACHLAN, died June 12, 1943, aged 21, buried in Wisch (Varsseveld) General Cemetery
  • Hugh Columba MACNEIL, died May 13, 1943, aged 24, buried in Gendringen Roman Catholic Cemetery
  • James Edward MCDONALD, died June 2, 1942, aged 26, buried in Gendringen Roman Catholic Cemetery
  • Henry Augustin SHEEHAN, died May 13, 1943, aged 21, buried in Gendringen Roman Catholic Cemetery
  • Frederick John SMITH, died October 31, 1942, aged 21, buried in Gendringen Roman Catholic Cemetery
  • Louis-Phillipe Roma TAILLEFER, died June 12, 1943, aged 24, listed on the Runnymede Memorial in Surrey, England
  • Milford Glen THOMAS, died May 13, 1943, aged 26, buried in Gendringen Roman Catholic Cemetery
  • Rudolph ZEIDEL, died June 12, 1943, aged 21, listed on the Runnymede Memorial in Surrey, England

Thank you to Maarten Koudijs for letting us know about this commemoration event.  Do you have photos or information to share? 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/

Front cover OnTheWarMememorialTrailinEurope4 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.

Article In ‘De Telegraaf’ – Quest For Faces (Zoektocht naar gezichten)

/ On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 2 Comments
Sep 16 2017 Groesbeek Cemetery Pieter by grave of WA Cannon

Caption in De Telegraaf: Pieter Valkenburg: “No soldier who died abroad during war should be forgotten.” OWN PHOTO (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

May 4, 2022.  Sometimes the unexpected happens.  Last month, a search for family and photos of WWII soldiers Albert Joseph COTE and John Langford WALKER, who are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands, began. 

On April 18, 2022, a letter to the editor written by Pieter and North Bay resident Donald Coutts was published in the North Bay Nugget. (See https://www.nugget.ca/news/researcher-seeks-information-on-fallen-city-soldiers)

Shortly afterwards, Pieter was contacted by Marcel Vink of De Telegraaf, a newspaper in The Netherlands.  He’d read the letter to the editor.  Would Pieter be willing to do an interview? Pieter agreed, and the article was published today, May 4, 2022 – which is Dodenherdenking (Remembrance Day) in The Netherlands. This day commemorates Dutch civilians and military who have died in war since the beginning of WWII. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_of_the_Dead)

…De Telegraaf article published May 4, 2022…

For those who can read Dutch, please see PDF of the article (De Telegraaf article Zoektocht naar gezichten). An English translation is below:

Quest for faces

Pieter Valkenburg is fully committed to fallen Canadians

by Marcel Vink

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND • It started as a helping hand, but grew into a true mission. Pieter Valkenburg has been passionately committed to giving fallen war heroes from Canada a face for years. The 78-year-old Dutchman, who lives in Canada, realizes how important it is emotionally for relatives to get clarity about their deceased loved ones, even 77 years after the Second World War. 

Valkenburg worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for many years and was posted to various locations around the world, including in Ottawa.  

After his retirement, he decided to continue living in the North American country with his Canadian wife Daria, where he discovered that many families often no longer know in detail what happened to relatives that didn’t come back during the Second World War. About 7600 Canadians are buried in the Netherlands who fought for our freedom. 

“At the beginning of 2014 I read an article about the Canadian war cemetery in Holten, one of the military cemeteries in The Netherlands,” says Valkenburg. 

“There are 1,355 Canadians lying there, and not much was known about some of them at the time. Therefore, around that time, a project was started that strived to literally find the face for every name. I find that very important myself. No soldier who died abroad in war should be forgotten.”  (NOTE:  there are 1,394, not 1,355.) 

‘Reactions from next of kin are priceless’ 

Background

The native of Leerdam was captivated by the subject and delved into the matter. First in the background with only a few names, but then more and more.

Over the past five years, I have helped researchers at Canadian war cemeteries in the Netherlands in their quest to give each grave a face, and thus also a story. It is quite a puzzle, but the reactions of relatives when it succeeds are priceless. Those involved really appreciate it when they realize that they have never been forgotten. They gave their lives in the struggle for our freedom, in a country foreign to them. It’s much more meaningful when you stand by a grave to pay your respects if you know what the person looked like.” 

Investigative Work

While his search was initially limited to the fallen from Prince Edward Island – the western province where he lives – he now focuses on many more areas in Canada. Valkenburg uses the old-fashioned manual search, but also uses many digital sources.  (NOTE:  Prince Edward Island is on the east coast of Canada!) 

Relatives are often emotional about it, he noticed. After he found the family of Lieutenant Norman James Nixon – killed in the Battle of Delfzijl in April 1945, in which twenty Canadians of his regiment were killed, his son called this ‘a total surprise’. “I am immensely grateful,” said the man, who named his own son after his dead father, in tears. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/03/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-ww2-soldier-from-st-stephens/) 

The work of Pieter and his wife Daria is highly appreciated in the Netherlands as well as in Canada. He has already received several awards. Sometimes he finds new ‘assignments’ in a miraculous way. 

“Once we were at a hotel in New Brunswick Province, when a receptionist asked what we were doing. After I told about our searches, he indicated that his great-uncle had also died in the war, and that his grave should be in The Netherlands. Other than that he had no idea. I immediately got to work and found him at the cemetery in Groesbeek. I also found a photo on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.” (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/08/02/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-ww2-soldier-killed-while-lining-up-to-attend-church/) 

In this way, this man also got his face back. “With these results, I say, Canadian-style: this makes my day. I’m 78 now, but as long as I can keep up with this, I will. Because there is still a lot of work to be done.” 

This very proud wife thanks Marcel Vink for writing the article about Pieter and De Telegraaf for publishing it on this day of remembrance and commemoration.

If you have photos or information to share, please let Pieter know. Email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1. 

© 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/

Front cover OnTheWarMememorialTrailinEurope4 countries, 6 weeks, 7,000 km – an unforgettable war memorial journey in Europe…. Daria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  Net proceeds of book sales help support research costs and the cost of maintaining this blog. For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/ 

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

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

On The War Memorial Trail….. Posterenk Commemorates Its Liberation By The Carleton and York Regiment

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April 17, 2022.  In September 2017, Pieter and I visited the village of Posterenk in The Netherlands with Edwin van der Wolf.  Edwin told us how the Carleton and York Regiment came from Italy to Marseilles, France, and then made their way to The Netherlands.  On April 13, 1945, they liberated Posterenk.  In the process several soldiers lost their lives and were temporarily buried in the vicinity.

4E46F7E7-A0E7-4351-A024-12F18B8BD9AB Apr 13 2022 Posterenk Windmill

April 13, 2022. Posterenk windmill. (Photo submitted by Edwin van der Wolf. Photo credit: Anneke Poppenk)

The village never forgot the sacrifices and placed a memorial stone on its windmill.

CIMG9300 Sep 25 2017 Sign Posterenk freed by CYR Apr 13 1945

Translation of memorial stone on the windmill: Posterenk freed by the Carleton & York Regiment of Canada on April 13, 1945. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

…8 known soldiers who lost their lives in the liberation of Posterenk….

The village also prepared a list of 6 Carleton & York Regiment soldiers, who had been buried in the area, to commemorate.  Unfortunately, not all soldiers who died were included.

CIMG9299 Sep 25 2017 Pieter with the Posterenk list of 6 soldiers

Pieter holds the list of 6 Carleton & York Regiment soldiers temporarily buried in Posterenk in 1945. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Over the past few years, two more soldiers were identified: Goldwin Marven POLLICK of Minto, New Brunswick, and Daniel Peter MACKENZIE of Victoria Cross, Prince Edward Island.

…Sacrifice of Goldwin Pollick and Daniel MacKenzie commemorated in 2022….

On April 13, 2022, the commemoration of the 6 soldiers of the Carleton & York Regiment who had been buried near Posterenk was held.  This year, Edwin “….read out for the first time the stories of Pte Goldwin Pollick and Cpl Daniel MacKenzie of this regiment, who were temporarily buried in Lochem because they had previously died in a Canadian hospital there….”

FF577743-F4F1-49BF-BBFE-3B1693FA7B73 Edwin

Edwin van der Wolf reads out the stories of Goldwin Pollick and Daniel MacKenzie.  Above him, you can see the photos, left to right, of Samuel Glazier Porter, Goldwin Marven Pollick, and Frederick Joseph Tait. (Photo submitted by Edwin van der Wolf. Photo credit: Anneke Poppenk)

3CA1766D-098B-4373-8113-05CCE31CC1E2 Apr 13 2022 Legion and band by windmill

Members of the Royal Canadian Legion in The Netherlands and the City of Apeldoorn Pipes and Drums Band joined officials and the public for the commemoration event in Posterenk.  (Photo submitted by Edwin van der Wolf. Photo credit: Anneke Poppenk)

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The City of Apeldoorn Pipes and Drums Band attended the commemoration event in Posterenk.  (Photo submitted by Edwin van der Wolf. Photo credit: Anneke Poppenk)

…Two soldiers commemorated in Posterenk are without photos….

Edwin advised that photos of the soldiers have been hung on the Posterenk windmill, but photos of two soldiers have yet to be found.  He has asked for help to “…look for the two missing photos of Pte James Mossey and Sgt Harold Sabean for the working group in Posterenk...”  Both men are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands.

  • James Frank MOSSEY was born on April 20, 1919 in Souris, Prince Edward Island, son of William and Mary Mossey.  Killed in action on April 14, 1945, aged 25.
  • Harold Gordon SABEAN was born on March 19 1918 in Port Lorne, Nova Scotia, the son of Saul and Susan Sabean. He was married to Josephine Marie Sabean and lived in St John, New Brunswick. Killed in action on April 13 1945, aged 27.

UPDATE:  Photos of these two soldiers have been found….

Thank you to Edwin van der Wolf for sharing photos about the commemoration event in Posterenk. If you have photos or information to share, please let Pieter know. Email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1.

© Daria Valkenburg

…Previous stories about soldiers commemorated in Posterenk….

…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/

Front cover OnTheWarMememorialTrailinEurope

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

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

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On The War Memorial Trail…. The JB-2 Rocket Tour In Florida

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Exif_JPEG_420

Yikes! Warning sign at Coffeen Nature Preserve in northern Florida! (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

April 16, 2022.  I always joke with my friends that if there is a war memorial or a military cemetery in an area, Pieter will find it.  So, I guess I shouldn’t have been surprised this winter when we were in Florida and a fellow snowbird, retired US Army veteran Rick Greiner called and asked if Pieter wanted to visit the nearby site where American replicas of a WWII era German V1 rocket were test-fired!  (For information on V1 rockets, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-1_flying_bomb or  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/V-weapons)

…A WWII era missile testing site in northern Florida….

Pieter and I were both surprised.  We’d visited this part of Florida for over a dozen years and had no idea that a missile testing site was in the vicinity, located in the Coffeen Nature Preserve on Hwy 98 in Santa Rosa Beach, 17.7 km (11 miles) east of Destin. (See https://waltonoutdoors.com/military-relics-land-conservation-cohabitate-at-coffeen-nature-preserve/)

Rick explained that he’d been interested in WWII since childhood. “…My father served on 3 US Navy destroyers. He saw action from German 109 planes, submarines, artillery fire at Anzio, and Japanese kamikazes over Okinawa.  He was in the Panama Canal heading to Japan when the atomic bombs were dropped….”

This led to Rick’s lifelong interest in the history of rocketry and atomic bombs.  “…The areas that I studied were British code breaking with Alan Turing at Bletchley Park (been there), the making of the atomic bomb at Oakridge TN, Hanford WA, and Los Alamos, New Mexico where the gadget was assembled (been there).  In 1957 my mother picked me up from school and said the world changed today- the USSR sent a rocket into space.  The space race began.  Rockets had been around for many years, but the Germans under Werner von Braun perfected them with the V1 and V2 rockets….”

….V for Vengeance…

The V in the German rockets stood for Vergeltung (Vengeance). How did a V1 end up in the USA, we wondered?   In June 1944, Germany bombarded England with the V1s. In July 1944, parts salvaged by the Polish underground and recovered from crashed but unexploded bombs in England, were flown to Wright-Patterson Field in Ohio.

The remains were stripped apart and within three weeks copied to produce an American version, the JB-2.  This operational guided missile was the predecessor of the modern cruise missile.

Exif_JPEG_420

Display showing JB-2 on rocket launching sled at bottom of launching ramp. (Photo taken by Pieter Valkenburg)

Exif_JPEG_420

Explanation of display photo of JB-2.

…Missile launch ramps and bunkers still exist….

Over 600 of the replica bombs were sent to nearby Eglin Air Force Base and then test-fired from a missile launch ramp at the Coffeen Nature Preserve.  Two of those missile launch ramps and associated bunkers still exist.  (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Santa_Rosa_Island_Range_Complex)

Rick said that “… Around 4 years ago I read an article in the paper about 4 Mile Village’s rocket test site remains.  I called the phone number and received no call backs, the next year we had a lot of rain and every time a date for a tour was made, it was cancelled.  The same for the next year.  Last year was Covid so we did not go to Florida…” (See https://www.browsedestin.com/blog/four-mile-village-miramar-beach-a-step-back-in-time.html)

This year Rick was determined to visit the site.  Pieter was a bit cautious given the prevalence of Covid, but safety precautions were made and a group of veterans visited the site.  Joining Rick and Pieter, a Dutch Air Force veteran, were retired US Marine Bob Young, retired US Navy veteran Dick Becker, retired US Army veteran Dr Ed Grayden, and Rick’s wife Mary Ann.

Feb 4 2022 V1 Rocket visit Ed Grayden & tour guide Susan photo by Mary Ann Greiner

At Coffeen Nature Preserve.  Left to right:  Bob Young, Pieter Valkenburg, Dick Becker, guide Susan, Rick Greiner, Ed Grayden. (Photo credit: Mary Ann Greiner)

…Fishermen retrieved rockets that had been test-fired….

Their tour guide was Susan, who “… met us in one of the WW2 buildings for a lecture on the rocket and how the US military got some pieces/parts of the rockets and built one from scratch.  Lots of errors, explosions, and, finally, takeoff.  The rockets were sent down a 100 yard rail ramp, flew into the gulf, and Destin fishermen were hired to retrieve them for reuse…”

The Destin fishermen were especially brave given this cautionary sign at a dock at Lake Fuller in the Preserve!

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Alligator warning sign at the Coffeen Nature Preserve.  (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

“…The site became known as Range C64 and it was the start of the US strategic missile program….”

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Display showing camp site.  (Photo taken by Pieter Valkenburg)

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Explanation of camp site.

A short video shows a JB-2 bomb being launched in 1945.  Take a look:

Rick summarized the visit by explaining that “…At the site one can walk down one of the ramps and go into a heavy concrete observation bunker.  The main part of the 240 acre Preserve has trails to hike and enjoy the wildlife and plants.  Our group had a wonderful afternoon of learning and experiencing the nature hidden from the houses, condos, and retail big box stores off Rte 98...”

…Interested to visit Coffeen Nature Preserve?….

If you are in the area and interested to see this piece of military for yourself, Rick advises that “…The tour is free but reservations are needed.  Call Susan at 850-622-3700.  It is across from Sandestin, and next to Tops’l Resort on Rte 98.  She gives tours on Monday, Wednesday and Friday afternoons.  A code is needed to get through the gate….”

Thank you to Rick Greiner for organizing this event which brought a piece of WWII history to life. Pieter said that “… it was very thoughtful of Rick to include me in this trip….” Pieter went on to note that during the Nazi occupation of The Netherlands in WWII, “…a lot of V2s were launched from the west coast of The Netherlands towards London….”

Now that our winter holiday is over, research on Canadian soldiers continues.  If you have photos or information to share, please let Pieter know. Email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1.

© Daria Valkenburg

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