On The War Memorial Trail….. Paying Our Respects To Spitfire Pilot Dusty Millar At Uden War Cemetery

October 29, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

Sign directing us to Uden War Cemetery. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

October 29, 2025. While in Europe this spring for the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemoration events, we visited 14 cemeteries to place flags at the graves of 383 soldiers that Pieter has researched since 2014, with the stories of many of these soldiers previously told on this blog.

For the first part of our trip, we were based in Holten. All too soon, it was time to slowly make our way towards Zaltbommel for a short stay there to visit family before going on to Belgium. On the way to Zaltbommel, we visited Uden War Cemetery, where George Glenn ‘Dusty’ MILLAR, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, is buried.

Map showing location of Uden, The Netherlands. (Map source: http://www.gosur.com)

… Pilot Dusty Millar’s spitfire ran out of fuel and crashed…

‘Dusty’ was killed on September 28, 1944 while flying a Spitfire Mark IX on patrol with his squadron over Nijmegen, The Netherlands. After he reported on his radio that the plane was low in fuel, it crashed southeast of Weibosch near Schijndel, in the Dutch province of Noord-Brabant. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/01/25/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-pilot-whose-spitfire-ran-out-of-fuel/

… Uden War Cemetery was behind a church and in a residential area…

Pieter at the entrance to Uden War Cemetery. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

We initially had difficulty finding the cemetery once we arrived in Uden, as the car’s GPS led us on a merry dance and we were both frustrated by the time we finally found it. We later learned that there was a direct route from the highway, with signs indicating where the cemetery was located, but somehow that option never registered with whoever designed the GPS maps!

The cemetery itself was located behind a church and in a residential area. We expected it to be a small cemetery, and so were surprised to find that there are 437 soldiers and 259 airmen buried here. According to the cemetery information, the airmen “….lost their lives in strategic bombing operations or in support of land forces…”

Pieter placed flags of Canada and Manitoba at Dusty Millar’s grave in Uden War Cemetery. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

….53 Canadians are buried in Uden…

The cemetery register at Uden War Cemetery. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Since this was a war cemetery, there was a visitors’ book located in the cemetery register box, in which I wrote that we paid our respects at Dusty’s grave and that he was a spitfire pilot from Manitoba.

We wrote that we visited Dusty Millar’s grave in the visitors’ book. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

We thought that there would be more Canadians than Dusty buried here, so Pieter brought a few extra Canadian flags, but it turned out that there are 53 Canadians buried in Uden…. and we didn’t have enough flags.

….A cafe was within walking distance of the cemetery…

I’m never without a camera! (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

One of the advantages of visiting a war cemetery in a residential area is that there is more than a cemetery! As we walked from the cemetery back towards the car, Pieter noticed a cafe within walking distance, so we went there, thinking to have something to drink and a much needed rest. It was a Turkish bakery and cafe called Nfes. We happily sat down and ordered red lentil soup (linzensoep) for lunch. The soup was delicious, the cafe an oasis of relaxation, and the service was very friendly…..just the break we needed before going on to Zaltbommel.

The flags placed at Dusty Millar’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.

Our adventures continue as we share the highlights of our adventures on the 2025 European War Memorial Tour. Coming up on our journey of remembrance is a visit to Rhenen General Cemetery.

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.

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

A Loss For Canadian History

October 27, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 3 Comments

Dr Tim Cook (left) with Pieter (right) at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

October 27, 2025. Pieter and I were deeply saddened yesterday to learn of the passing of Dr. Tim Cook, Chief Historian at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa, Canada, and the author of several books and articles about Canadian history. (See https://www.newswire.ca/news-releases/war-museum-announces-passing-of-chief-historian-dr-tim-cook-832395381.html and https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/ottawa/canadian-war-museum-tim-cook-dies-9.6954386)

We knew Dr. Cook as a gracious and friendly person, who was always willing to share his knowledge. A previous blog posting recounted a conversation that we had with him at the Canadian War Museum during the Covid years, about the need to remember our history. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/09/20/on-the-war-memorial-trail-in-conversation-with-historian-dr-tim-cook/)

When we first met and I initially called him Dr. Cook, he immediately corrected me! He referred to himself simply as ‘Tim’, and we were ‘Daria and Pieter’ to him.

Over the years, we found that if you asked Dr. Cook a question, he answered promptly….and if he didn’t know the answer, he found someone who did. Just one example: In the summer of 2024, we received a query from a small Manitoba museum asking how to display WWI trench maps. The request came to us, but we aren’t experts in preservation, so I emailed Dr. Cook and asked if he could forward the query to someone at the museum that could help. He did, and the small Manitoba museum got the expert advice and help needed to display the maps.

He’d been very ill in 2023, and in June of that year, he wrote us that “…I’m doing better, although it was another full-on battle with cancer. Sigh. I’m a four-time survivor, but I didn’t think I was going to make it through this one. I did, and I’m not complaining….” Indeed he didn’t complain, but went on to write another book, ‘The Good Allies’, about the relationship between Canada and the United States during WWII.

Dr. Cook’s passing, at the age of 54, is a great loss to Canadian history, to his family, friends, colleagues, and to all of us who learned about our nation’s history through his books and articles.

Pieter’s research into Canadian soldiers continues. If you have a story or photos 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/

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…. Visit To Bathmen And The Schipbeek Canal

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

October 26, 2025. While in Europe this spring for the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemoration events, we visited 14 cemeteries to place flags at the graves of 383 soldiers that Pieter has researched since 2014, with the stories of many of these soldiers previously told on this blog.

On our ‘wish list’ of places to see was the Schipbeek Canal, the location where several soldiers whose stories we told lost their lives. The Schipbeek is a tributary of the IJssel River.

When I mentioned Schipbeek Canal to a few Dutch colleagues, I was kindly told that Schipbeek was a canal, that to add the word Canal was an oxymoron. But, who outside of the Dutch would know that? So, I continue to say Schipbeek Canal, which is located outside of the town of Bathmen, not too far from where we were staying near Holten. We had been so busy that we never got there, and I’d regretfully crossed it off the list.

After the exhausting day on the Battlefield Tour with Joël Stoppels, all that was planned for the following day was rest, packing our suitcases for the move further south towards Belgium, and laundry. Pieter had other ideas, however, just as I settled on the couch to read a book. “…Let’s go to Bathmen…” he said in mid-morning.

“…No!..” I said. Anyone who has met Pieter knows he doesn’t give up easily.

“...C’mon, let’s get it over with….” I didn’t have the energy to argue, so just got dressed and, just like that, we were back on the war memorial trail! Luckily, Bathmen was only a few exits down the highway from where we were staying.

….We arrived in Bathmen…

Map shows location of Bathmen and Gorssel. (Map source: DuckDuckGo)

The village sign for Bathmen. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Once we arrived in Bathmen, it was to find that the Schipbeek Canal went through the village. The challenge became to find where exactly the Canadians were as they fought to establish a bridgehead over the canal. It wasn’t long before Pieter figured out that we needed to follow a road called Gorsselseweg!

…. Gorsselseweg was where the bridgehead over the Schipbeek was established…

The South Saskatchewan Regiment marched 8 km from Gorssel towards Bathmen. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Troops from the South Saskatchewan Regiment, the Regiment in which Leo Francis TONEY was in, marched 8 km (5 miles) from Gorssel towards Bathmen on April 7, 1945, but had to cross the Schipbeek Canal before reaching the village.

The bridge over the canal located on the Gorsselseweg was the scene of so much fighting, before a bridgehead was established by the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, who then went on to liberate Bathmen on April 8, 1945.

How the bridge over the Schipbeek Canal looks today on the Gorsselseweg. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Today, the bridge and the canal are peaceful and beautiful spots, and it’s difficult to imagine how hard troops had to fight back in April 1945. Crossing the Schipbeek was difficult as the area was strongly defended by German troops.

The Schipbeek Canal, as seen from the bridge on the Gorsselseweg. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

The Schipbeek Canal, as seen from the bridge on the Gorsselseweg. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

The maple leaf and V for Victory were present on the Gorsselseweg! (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

….4 soldiers whose stories were previously told were at the Schipbeek…

Four soldiers, whose stories were previously told on this blog, were involved in the crossing of the Schipbeek and liberation of Bathmen…..

Philip LAFORTE, born in Lac du Bonnet, Manitoba, was serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles when he was killed on April 7, 1945 in The Netherlands, aged 33, as the Regiment crossed the Schipbeek, in order to establish a bridgehead as preparation for an assault on the city of Deventer by the 7th Canadian Brigade. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/03/22/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembering-ww2-soldier-philip-laforte/
Donald Charles MACKENZIE of Springhill, Nova Scotia, was serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles when they were ordered to cross the Schipbeek Canal on April 7, 1945, and establish a bridgehead as preparation for an assault on the city of Deventer by the 7th Canadian Brigade. He was in command of the unit Pioneers attached to ‘D’ Company, which had the responsibility of bridging the canal. In spite of heavy fire, he managed to crawl out onto the Bridge, dragging a couple of planks, which he placed in position, allowing the company to cross quickly and secure a solid bridgehead. He received a Military Medal for his actions. Sadly, a few weeks later, he lost his life on April 22, 1945. He had been wounded during heavy fighting at the railway bridge near Appingedam, and placed in a house temporarily to rest. However, he was fatally hit by shrapnel by German shelling of the house. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/01/23/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-ww2-soldier-from-springhill-who-received-a-memorial-cross/
Richard Joseph RANEY, born in Point Michaud, Richmond County, Nova Scotia, was serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, when he was killed on April 8, 1945, aged 18, during the fight to secure the bridge over the Schipbeek and enter the village of Bathmen. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/01/16/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-3/
Leo Francis TONEY, born in Wolfville, Nova Scotia, was serving with the South Saskatchewan Regiment, when he was killed on Saturday, April 7, 1945, aged 21, while trying to cross the Schipbeek in The Netherlands at a bridgehead that had been formed at a weir on the border of the municipalities of Bathmen and Holten. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/05/22/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembering-ww2-soldier-leo-francis-toney/

….We learned that a solider from Prince Edward Island received a posthumous Dutch medal…

Pieter at an information panel beside the Schipbeek along the Gorsselseweg. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

While we were taking photos of the Schipbeek Canal, we saw an information panel, and to our surprise, learned of a Prince Edward Island connection to what happened during the crossing of the Canal and the liberation of Bathmen!

Joseph William CAMPBELL, of Newport, Prince Edward Island, was serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, was killed on April 8, 1945, aged 22, during the securing of the bridge over the Schipbeek. (See https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/detail/2226998?Joseph%20William%20Campbell)

On December 8, 1945, he was posthumously awarded the Knight of the Fourth Class, Military Willems Order by Queen Wilhelmina of The Netherlands. This honour is the oldest and highest honour of the Kingdom of The Netherlands. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Order_of_William)

….Two monuments in Bathmen…

From the Gorsselseweg we made our way into Bathmen itself, to a small area dedicated to honouring those who lost their lives in April 1945.

There was a memorial stone honouring Joseph William Campbell, and Pieter made sure he placed flags of Canada and Prince Edward Island beside this marker.

Pieter by the memorial stone honouring Joseph William Campbell from Newport, Prince Edward Island, after he’d placed flags of Canada and Prince Edward Island. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Memorial stone honouring Joseph William Campbell from Newport, Prince Edward Island. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Beside the memorial stone honouring Joseph William Campbell is a monument in memory of Bathmen’s liberation by the Canadians in April 1945. A plaque on a large stone says ‘In grateful memory of our Canadian liberators’ and was placed here in 1995, 50 years after Bathmen was liberated.

Pieter by the monument honouring the Canadians who liberated Bathmen. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

This ended our visit to Bathmen and Schipbeek. Although it had been an effort to leave our cosy cottage, I’m glad that Pieter persisted, as we now had seen with our own eyes the Schipbeek Canal, which we had read so much about in war diaries.

The flags placed at the memorial stone were donated. Our thanks go to:

Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian flag.
Matt MacFarlane, MLA for District 19, Borden-Kinkora, for the Prince Edward Island flag.

Our adventures continue as we share the highlights of our adventures on the 2025 European War Memorial Tour. Coming up on our journey of remembrance is a visit to Uden War Cemetery.

If you have a story or photos 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/

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.

Daria Honoured With PEI Senior Islander Of The Year Award

October 23, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 14 Comments

PEI Seniors Secretariat slide

October 23, 2025. On October 1, 2025, I received the Prince Edward Island Senior Islander of the Year Award from the Prince Edward Island Seniors Secretariat of Prince Edward Island, for my 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 Pieter’s research. (See https://theauralreport.wordpress.com/)

…The awards ceremony was held in Charlottetown…

Left to right: Annie Lee MacDonald, Barbara Bain, Matt MacFarlane, Daria and Pieter Valkenburg. (Photo credit: Evan Ceretti, Provincial Government Photographer)

The luncheon and award ceremony was held at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel in Charlottetown. My guests were Hear PEI Co-President Annie Lee MacDonald, Hear PEI member Barbara Bain, and my husband Pieter. The Honourable Matt MacFarlane, MLA for District 19 Borden-Kinkora, who represents the area where Pieter and I live, also sat at our table.

Left to right: Hon. Barb Ramsay, Daria, Peter Holman. (Photo credit: Matt MacFarlane)

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. (See https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/news/older-islanders-celebrated-with-senior-islander-of-the-year-award)

Wrist corsage and plaque presented to me. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

…The citation…

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

Below is the short biography, prepared by Melanie Melanson, Seniors Policy Advisor, Division of Strategy, Policy and Seniors, Department of Social Development and Seniors for the Government of Prince Edward Island, that was read out in outlining the reason for the award being presented:

“….Daria’s involvement with Hear PEI, a volunteer organization that works to build awareness of hearing loss issues, is endless. She is the co-president of this group and volunteers tirelessly to make public places more accessible for the hard of hearing through technology.

She was instrumental in coordinating the training of 2 installers for the hearing loop technology which is installed in 4 Access PEI’s and six churches across the Island, Prince County Hospital, Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Charlottetown City Hall, and the South Shore Pharmacy. Through her advocacy work with Hear PEI, the group was instrumental in introducing pocket talkers to Island lawyers, hospitals, clinics and their clients.

Her dedication to this group has led to podcasts and videos that address topics of interest to individuals experiencing hearing loss and to the publishing of a booklet entitled, “Pardon me, What did you say?” Her blog ‘The Aural Report’ as well as the ‘Hearing Challenges’ column in the County Line Courier newspaper help to reach an even wider audience.

Daria was instrumental in the research connected to the On The War Memorial Trail Research Project, along with her husband, which included putting a face on every name on the cenotaph at the Borden-Carleton Legion. Her book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten’ documented a war memorial tour in Europe to visit the graves and memorials of these men, a trip that took them through 4 countries over 6 weeks and 7,000 km.

She has also dedicated her time to writing, in the On The War Memorial Trail blog and newspaper column, about the untold stories of brave Canadians who served in the two World Wars, all based on her husband’s research.

These stories have not only brought families together but have also served to educate many generations to the courageous sacrifices of these brave Canadians. Over the past years, her efforts have been recognized both here at home and in The Netherlands.

As one person said, “Daria is passionate about her community, province and country. There is no limit to her energy when she believes something is worthwhile”….”

…Our local MLA also spoke …

Matt MacFarlane with Daria and Pieter. (Photo credit: Carolyn Simpson)

Matt MacFarlane also spoke a few words about me during the luncheon, and later posted the following comment on his Facebook page, along with photos from the ceremony:

“…What a pleasure it was to attend yesterday’s Senior Islander of the Year Ceremony and meet this year’s recipients who are each so deserving. Among them, I was honoured to have the opportunity to say a few words on behalf of award recipient, friend and neighbour Daria Valkenburg, who has dedicated years of her life to building awareness, promoting hearing accessibility, and advocating on behalf of those experiencing hearing loss. Daria has also contributed countless hours to genealogical, historical and military research to ensure that no fallen soldier is forgotten, and has written books, articles, blogs and so much more on these and many other subjects. Congratulations Daria, so well deserved. Thank you for all that you have done and continue to do for our community and beyond….”

I was deeply touched by Matt’s words, and thank everyone who was involved in the nomination process for the Senior Islander of the Year Award, and who wrote letters supporting the nomination.

The research continues. 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/

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…. Battlefields Tour With Joël Stoppels Part 4: From Nansum To Delfzijl And Wirdum

October 19, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

A life’s ambition realized! Daria in the driver’s seat of a jeep! Spoiler alert – our battlefield tour was in an SUV, not the jeep! (Photo credit: Joël Stoppels)

October 19, 2025. While in Europe this spring for the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemoration events, we visited 14 cemeteries to place flags at the graves of 383 soldiers that Pieter has researched since 2014, with the stories of many of these soldiers previously told on this blog.

On the wish list for our 2025 European War Memorial Tour was to tour some of the battlefields in which these soldiers lost their lives in order to have a better appreciation of what they had faced.

Battlefields guide Joël Stoppels, of Groningen, The Netherlands, offered to spend a day showing us locations where the various battles that comprised the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket took place. Over the years, we’ve featured stories of many soldiers who lost their lives in the last weeks of the North-West Europe campaign during WWII, and we eagerly anticipated learning more. (See https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/delfzijlpocket.htm)

Map showing the locations during the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket. (Map source: http://www.canadiansoldiers.com)

…. Recap…

In Part 1, our battlefield tour began at a field where 19 Canadians lost their lives during the Battle for Wagenborgen, the preliminary battle before the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/10/01/on-the-war-memorial-trail-battlefields-tour-with-joel-stoppels-part-1-battle-for-wagenborgen/)

In Part 2, we travelled to Appingedam, the town where the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket began. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/10/05/on-the-war-memorial-trail-battlefields-tour-with-joel-stoppels-part-2-the-battle-of-the-delfzijl-pocket-began-in-appingedam/)

In Part 3, we left Appingedam and travelled to Holwierde, to see the plaque at Stefanuskerk that commemorated many of the Canadian soldiers who died during the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/10/10/on-the-war-memorial-trail-battlefields-tour-with-joel-stoppels-part-3-visit-to-stefanuskerk-in-holwierde/)

Now, in Part 4, our battlefields tour concludes as we travel from Nansum to Delfzijl and Wirdum…..

….The Cape Breton Highlanders marched from Nansum to Delfzijl…

Delfzijl pointed out on Joël’s map. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

From Nansum we followed the route taken by the Cape Breton Highlanders to Delfzijl. Joël noted that “.…the Perth Regiment had been decimated by losses and were pulled back behind the front line, and replaced by the Cape Breton Highlanders who came from Loppersum….”

The Cape Breton Highlanders “…started marching from Nansum on April 29, 1945, reaching Delfzijl on May 2, taking two routes…..”

This was reflected in the war diary for the Cape Breton Highlanders. The diary entry for April 28, 1945 stated that “…we received word from Brigade this morning that the Perth Regiment did not do so well last night on account of mines. We will likely relieve them tonight so we are to move to another concentration area this afternoon….”

By late afternoon, the headquarters and ‘B’ Company were in Bierum, while the rest of the Regiment was in Spijk. While the evening itself was quiet, at 8 pm “…the Observation Post reported very dense smoke coming from the town of Delfzijl which is our objective. This could be caused by either demolitions by the enemy or our artillery which has been firing on that area….”

April 29, 1945 was a cold and wet day, with the war diary reporting that “…our pioneers worked with the sappers clearing mines off the road to ‘A’ Company and also repairing the road. But the night will be a busy one for all. ‘C’ and ‘D’ Companies are to relieve the two forward companies of the Perth and when that is completed ‘A’ and ‘B’ companies will pass through them and advance over a mile to their objectives….”

…. ‘D’ Company travelled along the coast…

“….‘D’ Company….” of the Cape Breton Highlanders “…travelled along the coast and had the most casualties as the Germans were heavily entrenched. The other companies came via inland….” Joël said.

The war diary for May 1, 1945 verified Joël’s account. “….The beginning of this month finds us continuing with the battle for Delfzijl…” The day was “…cold with showers throughout the day...” and “…visibility poor…”

‘D’ Company did indeed run into difficulties. “….Flares were reported firing from the vicinity of D Company’s objective and a shoot was laid on….” Then, as ‘D’ Company advanced they “…had to leave the carriers …as the road beyond was impassable for them. They proceeded from there without them....”

German 88 mm gun: A 10.5 cm FLAK cannon, captured by the Canadians in the Delfzijl Pocket. (Photo Courtesy of Joël Stoppels / Battlefield Tours)

The men from ‘D’ Company were now on foot, and as they advanced towards ‘C’ Company’s position, “…they were pinned down by mortars, shells and small arms fire….” After receiving artillery support “…the advance was then continued and one platoon reached a position 100 yards short of objective where they were pinned down in a Jerry trench. D Company then reported they were running short of ammunition …”

‘C’ Company was ordered to “…take ammunition from D Company’s carrier to their forward positions....” but they were held back by small arms and mortar fire. A second try was made, but without ammunition “…D Company at this time was in a very critical situation. The whole company was pinned down by bazookas and Spandaus. They were unable to send a guide back to bring in the party from C Company. The platoon, which had holed up in a Jerry trench, came under fire from hand-grenades from the top of the dyke, where the enemy had another trench system….”

Train station in Delfzijl today. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Finally the ammunition arrived, along with the other Companies. By the early afternoon, the area around the train station in Delfzijl was cleared and “…one platoon was taking a firm hold along the canal, which split the town in two….”

Two unidentified soldiers from the Cape Breton Highlanders Regiment in Delfzijl. (Photo Courtesy of Joël Stoppels / Battlefield Tours. Photo colourization by Pieter Valkenburg.)

….Retreating Germans tried to escape by boat…

A welcome report soon came from “… D Company that the enemy fire had slackened …. They reported that the enemy was retreating over the dyke and pushing off in boats heading across the estuary towards Germany, Emden area. At 1106 D Company reported everything was under control and they were firm, sending contact patrols to B Company which arrived there at 1125 hours….”

Not all of the Germans escaped. “...On hearing that the enemy were leaving Delfzijl by boat, the Commanding Officer ordered the artillery to engage them. The result was that some of the boats occupied by the enemy did not reach the shores of Germany across the estuary….”

Port of Delfzijl after the Canadian capture. (Photo Courtesy of Joël Stoppels / Battlefield Tours)

….The German commander surrendered on May 2, 1945…

On May 2, 1945, the war diary reported that “…At 0845 hours, brigade informed us that the commander of the Delfzijl pocket had surrendered to the Irish Regiment….”

Remains of a German bunker near the Ems Estuary in Delfzijl. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Today, the remains of a German bunker still sits in its original location near the Ems Estuary in Delfzijl. An aquarium sits behind it, and in front there is a hotel overlooking the Ems.

….Our final stop was in Wirdum…

Our final stop on the Battlefields Tour was in Wirdum to look at the original field where casualties from this last battle were temporarily buried, at what was the 5th Divisional Cemetery.

5th Divisional Cemetery in Wirdum in 1945. (Photo Courtesy of Joël Stoppels / Battlefield Tours)

The war diary for May 3, 1945 for the Cape Breton Highlanders noted that burial services were held close to noon at the 5th Divisional Cemetery in Wirdum. Among those buried here were:

Carman Edward GILLCASH: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/10/22/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-glenwood-killed-during-the-battle-of-the-delfzijl-pocket/
Philip Hubert LONG: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2020/11/01/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-face-for-philip-hubert-long/
Norman James NIXON: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/03/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-ww2-soldier-from-st-stephens/
Daniel PEARO: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/01/20/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-4/
Louis Graham RICHARD: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/02/22/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-7/
Ford Hilton SPIDLE: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/01/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-1/

All except Louis Graham Richard, who served with the 9th Armoured Regiment (BC Dragoons), were with the Cape Breton Highlanders.

In 1946, all of these men were reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten.

After all that the Cape Breton Highlanders had gone through in capturing Delfizjl, the war diary for May 3 expressed the Regiment’s disgust at not being given credit for what they achieved in the ‘Maple Leaf’, a newspaper for the Canadian Forces in Europe, with a 4-page format highlighting the advance of Canadian forces.

“…Today there was one disgusted battalion in the Canadian Army, namely, The Cape Breton Highlanders. Today’s edition of the ‘Maple Leaf’, which up till now, was considered a fairly reliable paper, has let the battalion down horribly. The first thing which struck the eye, in fairly large print, was the capture of the town of Delfzijl by the PERTH Regt. This write up was a terrific let down to the boys who fought hard to capture the town and lost many of their comrades in killed and wounded during the struggle...”

Pieter and Joël by the field in Wirdum where the 5th Divisional Cemetery once was located. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Today, the location of the 5th Divisional Cemetery is back to being a field, with a plaque as a reminder that it was once the resting place of Canadians who lost their lives in the battle to capture Delfzijl.

Plaque in Wirdum across the field where the 5th Divisional Cemetery once was located. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

This ended our Battlefields Tour. All that was left was to realize a life’s ambition for me….to sit in a WWII era jeep! After a photo was taken, Pieter was invited to sit in the passenger seat for another photo.

Daria in the driver’s seat of Joël’s jeep! (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Joël presented Pieter with a Dutch language copy of his newly published book ‘Operation Cannonshot’ which was gratefully received.

Pieter and Joël with Joël’s book ‘Operation Cannonshot’. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Thank you to Joël Stoppels, guide and founder of Battlefield Tours, for a wonderful and informative tour with a friendly guide. (See www.battlefieldtours.nu) We were grateful for the chance to see the various places where the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket was fought. We’re so glad we were able to take the tour as it’s almost impossible to imagine what the people and troops went through, until you can see it for yourself.

The Battlefield Tour ended, but our adventures continued as we went on with the next portion of our 2025 European War Memorial Tour.

If you have a story or photo to share, or are able to identify either of the two Cape Breton Highlanders in the photo taken in Delfzijl, 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/

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…. Battlefields Tour With Joël Stoppels Part 3: Visit To Stefanuskerk in Holwierde

October 10, 2025October 19, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

A life’s ambition realized! Daria in the driver’s seat of a jeep! Spoiler alert – our battlefield tour was in an SUV, not the jeep! (Photo credit: Joël Stoppels)

October 10, 2025. While in Europe this spring for the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemoration events, we visited 14 cemeteries to place flags at the graves of 383 soldiers that Pieter has researched since 2014, with the stories of many of these soldiers previously told on this blog.

On the wish list for our 2025 European War Memorial Tour was to tour some of the battlefields in which these soldiers lost their lives in order to have a better appreciation of what they had faced.

Map showing the locations during the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket. (Map source: http://www.canadiansoldiers.com)

Now, in Part 3, we left Appingedam and travelled to Holwierde, where our first stop was at the Canada Memorial.

…. The Canada Memorial in Holwierde…

Pieter and Joël at the Canada Memorial in Holwierde. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Front view of the Canada Memorial in Holwierde. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

We knew that there was a plaque at the church in Holwierde that commemorated the Canadians who lost their lives during the Battle of Delfzijl Pocket, but had no idea there was also a monument in the town itself…. with houses on either side of the main road where it’s located.

Called the Canada Memorial, with red and white flowering plants around it, the stone plaque simply states ‘In honour of our liberators from Canada. Their glory is our freedom. 21 April – 2 May 1945’

Closeup of stone plaque at the Canada Memorial in Holwierde. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

…. Canadian soldiers called Holwierde ‘a killing ground’…

Battlefields Tour poster describing Howierde as a ‘Killing ground’.

As we walked through this quiet and picturesque town towards the Stefanuskerk, we asked Joël about his poster describing Holwierde as a ‘Killing ground’. He explained that “….Holwierde was one of the most heavily contested villages during the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket in April 1945. The Perth Regiment fought intense house-to-house combat here, as German paratroopers and naval infantry had fortified nearly every building. Many Canadian soldiers referred to the village as ‘a killing ground’ due to the high casualties on both sides…..”

Holwierde in April 1945, with a temporary bailey bridge, leading towards the Stefanuskerk. (Photo Courtesy of Joël Stoppels / Battlefield Tours)

Holwierde in April 1945. A temporary bailey bridge allowed residents and troops to cross the canal. The Stefanuskerk is on the right. (Photo Courtesy of Joël Stoppels / Battlefield Tours)

“…The Stefanuskerk, although spared from destruction, stood right in the middle of the battlefield and witnessed days of shelling and close-quarters fighting….”

Holwierde in 2025, 80 years after its liberation. The bailey bridge from 1945 is now a permanent bridge over the canal! (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

…. We found a banner for one soldier whose story was previously told…

Banner for Joseph ‘Gerald’ Fougere in Holwierde. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

As we walked down the street towards the Stefanuskerk, the main reason for our visit to Holwierde, we saw a banner for Joseph ‘Gerald’ FOUGERE, who was serving with the Perth Regiment. He was wounded on April 24, 1945, during the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket, and died on April 26, 1945, one month before his 29^th birthday. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/01/27/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-5/)

Joseph ‘Gerald’ Fougere’s banner was by the canal in Holwierde, but this wasn’t where he died. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

The banner was by the canal, and while I was busy snapping photos, thinking this is where he died, Joël said “…no, he actually died in nearby Nansum. Since Nansum is such a small village, his banner was placed in Holwierde for greater visibility...” He then kindly pointed out that “…the bridge over the canal had been blown up by the Germans on April 25, 1945.…”

Never mind…Nansum was quickly added as our next stop after Holwierde!

…. A solemn few moments at Stefanuskerk…

Entrance to Stefanuskerk in Holwierde. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

We continued walking down the road until we got to the Stefanuskerk. A plaque near the door noted that the church dates to the 11th century! In the 13th century the church was enlarged. It was severely damaged in April 1945, but restored by 1950, to give the appearance as to how the church would have looked before 1830.

Pieter by the plaque in Stefanuskerk that commemorates Canadian soldiers who died during the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket. (Photo credit: Joël Stoppels)

We wanted to visit the church in order to see the plaque that commemorates many of the Canadian soldiers who died during the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket. It was a very solemn few moments for us, as we looked over the names, many of them of soldiers that Pieter had researched over the past years.

From the Royal Winnipeg Rifles:

William ‘Willie’ DANIELS: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/07/23/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembering-ww2-soldier-william-willie-daniels/
Donald Charles MACKENZIE: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/01/23/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-ww2-soldier-from-springhill-who-received-a-memorial-cross/

From the Perth Regiment:

Joseph ‘Gerald’ FOUGERE: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/01/27/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-5/

From the Cape Breton Highlanders:

Carman Edward GILLCASH: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/10/22/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-glenwood-killed-during-the-battle-of-the-delfzijl-pocket/
Philip Hubert LONG: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2020/11/01/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-face-for-philip-hubert-long/
Norman James NIXON: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/03/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-ww2-soldier-from-st-stephens/
Daniel PEARO: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/01/20/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-4/
Ford Hilton SPIDLE: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/01/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-1/

Not mentioned on the plaque:

From the 9th Armoured Regiment (BC Dragoons), who is commemorated on a plaque in Appingedam:

Louis Graham RICHARD: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/02/22/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-7/

…. We couldn’t miss seeing Nansum…

We left Stefanuskerk in a reflective mood after looking at the names on the plaque, and quietly got back in the car for the short drive to Nansum, which is indeed a tiny place, near the coast. Joël didn’t know exactly where Joseph ‘Gerald’ FOUGERE was killed, unfortunately. What remained of a German bunker was still visible, so he likely died of shrapnel wounds.

Yellow arrow indicates the remains of a German bunker in Nansum. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Joël noted that 177 Kriegsmarine were captured here. The Kriegsmarine was Nazi Germany’s Navy from 1939-1945. By 1945, as the war progressed, the Kriegsmarine formed infantry units from its personnel, who were re-trained as infantry to fight on land, all in an attempt to alleviate the strain on the German Army.

From Nansum we continued on the last leg of our battlefields tour, as we followed the route taken by the Cape Breton Highlanders to Delfzijl. Coming up in Battlefields Tour With Joël Stoppels Part 4: From Nansum To Delfzijl And Wirdum.

Thank you to Joël Stoppels, guide and founder of Battlefield Tours, for a wonderful and informative tour. (See www.battlefieldtours.nu) 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/

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…. Battlefields Tour With Joël Stoppels Part 2: The Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket Began In Appingedam

October 5, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

A life’s ambition realized! Daria in the driver’s seat of a jeep! Spoiler alert – our battlefield tour was in an SUV, not the jeep! (Photo credit: Joël Stoppels)

October 5, 2025. While in Europe this spring for the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemoration events, we visited 14 cemeteries to place flags at the graves of 383 soldiers that Pieter has researched since 2014. The stories of many soldiers have been told on this blog.

On our wish list for this trip was to tour some of the battlefields in which these soldiers lost their lives in order to have a better appreciation of what they had faced.

Map showing the locations during the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket. (Map source: http://www.canadiansoldiers.com)

Now, in Part 2, we travelled to Appingedam, the town where the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket began….

From Wagenborgen, we made our way towards Appingedam, the location of the beginning of the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket. William ‘Willie’ DANIELS, Donald Charles MACKENZIE, whose stories were previously told on this blog, along with William James ‘Jimmy’ Sutherland HOLE, who Pieter also researched, lost their lives here.

…. We found banners for two soldiers whose stories were previously told…

We found the banners for Daniels and MacKenzie, but no banner was made for Hole as up to now no photo has been found of him.

Banner for William ‘Willie’ Daniels in Appingedam. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

The banner for William ‘Willie’ Daniels was quite high up and it was hard for me to get a good angle, but thankfully Joël was kind enough to send us a better photo of the banner.

Banner for William ‘Willie’ Daniels. (Photo courtesy of Joël Stoppels/ Battlefield Tours)

William ‘Willie’ DANIELS, from the Big River Reserve in Depton, Saskatchewan, was serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles when he was killed, aged 20, on April 22, 1945 as troops moved through Appingedam in The Netherlands at the very beginning of the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/07/23/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembering-ww2-soldier-william-willie-daniels/

Banner for Donald Charles MacKenzie in Appingedam. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Donald Charles MACKENZIE of Springhill, Nova Scotia, was serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles when he was killed, aged 30, on Sunday, April 22, 1945. He had been wounded during heavy fighting at the railway bridge near Appingedam, and placed in a house temporarily to rest. However, he was fatally hit by shrapnel by German shelling of the house. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/01/23/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-ww2-soldier-from-springhill-who-received-a-memorial-cross/

Helmet that had belonged to Donald Charles MacKenzie. (Photo Courtesy of Joël Stoppels / Battlefield Tours)

Joël told us that he has Donald Charles MacKenzie’s helmet in his private collection, and was kind enough to share a photo…a link of the past with the present!

…. The Royal Winnipeg Rifles were in Appingedam as of April 21, 1945…

Map helped explain what happened in Appingedam in 1945. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

In setting the scene on what unfolded in Appingedam back in 1945, Joël referred to a map that he had brought along for the battlefields tour. “….Two roads led into Appingedam in 1945, both heavily mined by the defending Kriegsmarine…” he explained. The Kriegsmarine was Nazi Germany’s Navy from 1939-1945. By 1945, as the war progressed, the Kriegsmarine formed infantry units from its personnel, who were re-trained as infantry to fight on land, all in an attempt to alleviate the strain on the German Army.

“…The Canadians were aware of the mines…” Joël noted, and on “…April 21, 1945, the Royal Winnipeg Rifles attacked. Heavy fighting ensued but the town was partially liberated on April 23, 1945….” allowing “….the Royal Winnipeg Rifles to move back into Wirdum….”

The Regimental history, ‘Little Black Devils: a history of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles’, by Bruce Tascona and Eric Wells, describes what happened at Appingedam. “…..Beginning on April 21….the Rifles attacked with the 7th Reconnaissance Regiment, and several of the armoured cars were knocked out by anti-tank guns. The Germans then blew up the bridge which the Rifles intended to cross…”

In trying to find another plan of attack, patrols had discovered a small bridge. “…The bridge, deemed too feeble to carry motor transport, was still intact and patrols affirmed that it would carry the weight of jeeps. With that information, the Rifles shifted position on a new start line during the night…”

The plan in place, “…in the early hours of April 22, A Company….went over the bridge, followed closely by C Company. They were met by heavy machine gun fire but the worst problem they faced were the minefields….”

A WASP carrier with 2 soldiers from the Royal Winnipeg Rifles on a street in Appingedam in April 1945. (Photo Courtesy of Joël Stoppels / Battlefield Tours)

In spite of the challenges, during the day “… the Battalion consolidated its position in front of the town…” Then, a surprise attack during the night meant that “…by dawn the Rifles were inside Appingedam and by mid-morning of April 23, they were mopping up. On April 24, the Rifles were replaced by the Perth Regiment….”

The 9th Armoured Regiment (British Columbia Dragoons) were assigned to support the Perth Regiment. The war diary for the BC Dragoons for April 22, 1945 explained the orders. “…Lt Col Angle liaised with Commander Perth Regiment as BCD will form one portion of the 5 CAB Battle Group…” (CAB referred to Canadian Armoured Brigade)

The Situation Report for ‘A’ Squadron of the BC Dragoons noted that “…troops moved forward and positions taken over from Winnipeg Rifles before last light. Approach to town heavily shelled by enemy heavy calibre guns…”

…. Appingedam was evacuated on the night of April 23, 1945…

Per the war diary for the BC Dragoons for April 23, 1945, it was overcast and orders had been received at 2 am from HQ CAB that the Regiment was to relieve the Royal Winnipeg Rifles at 12:30 pm, and that troops from ‘A’ and ‘B’ squadrons were to be temporarily reorganized into one infantry squadron. The tanks were parked in an area away from the town, with “….one crew member per tank to remain in the tanks and perform necessary maintenance and act as guards….”….all in preparation for the upcoming battle.

Appingedam had a population of 7,000, who were about to be in the midst of a heavy fight. Joël told us that after “…a Dutch resistance fighter named Leugs went to Battalion HQ and offered to help, he was tasked with evacuating the town. With the aid of Canadian trucks, this was done on the night of April 23, 1945…”

On April 24, 1945, the Situation Report for ‘A’ Squadron of the BC Dragoons recorded that “…the troop of tanks under Lt Gamlin, ‘C’ Squadron, took up positions at first light, spasmodic shelling throughout the day. Underground contacted and reliable information was received concerning enemy positions….Enemy continued heavy shelling….”

The Germans surrendered on May 2, 1945, and residents were able to return home and assess the damage to their properties.

…. Plaques to commemorate the RWR and BC Dragoons are in Appingedam…

Daria and Joël in Appingedam’s town square. The commemorative plaques are on a wall in the passageway to the right. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

We learned about all that happened in Appingedam while standing in the town square, and next went to see two plaques placed nearby – one for the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, and the other for the British Columbia Dragoons. We could still see shrapnel in the bricks of the buildings!

Commemorative plaque for the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Commemorative plaque for the BC Dragoons. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Three soldiers from the BC Dragoons are remembered on the plaque:

Sgt Stanley FOSTER, aged 24, died April 30, 1945
Trooper Louis Graham RICHARD, aged 27, died April 26, 1945
Trooper Charles Ernest SOUCY, aged 30, died April 30, 1945

Sgt Foster is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek. Troopers Richard and Soucy are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten. You can read Richard’s story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/02/22/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-7/

…. ‘The best stroopwafel I ever ate!’…

Pieter, Daria, and Joél having a much needed break in Appingedam. (Photo courtesy of Valkenburg Family)

After digesting all the history from Wagenborgen and Appingedam, we desperately needed a break, so were very receptive to Joël’s suggestion that we go for coffee at ‘Stroopwoafeltje, Koffie & Meer’, a café in the town square.

Joël recommended the homemade stroopwafels made by the lady running the café, and both he and Pieter ordered one. After Pieter told me “…this is the best stroopwafel I ever ate!!!!..” I tried a piece of his, and he was right. It was much nicer than the syrupy, overly chewy ones you get commercially!

In case you’ve never tried this treat, a stroopwafel is a traditional Dutch cookie made from two thin waffle layers sandwiched around a warm caramel filling. I’m only sorry that I didn’t think to take a photo of Pieter’s stroopwafel before he ate it all up!

Our stay in Appingedam ended once we finished our coffee break. It was time to move on and continue our battlefields tour as part of our 2025 European War Memorial Tour. Coming up in Battlefields Tour With Joël Stoppels Part 3: Visit To Stefanuskerk In Holwierde.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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…. Battlefields Tour With Joël Stoppels Part 1: Battle For Wagenborgen

October 1, 2025October 3, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 4 Comments

A life’s ambition realized! Daria in the driver’s seat of a jeep! Spoiler alert – our battlefield tour was in an SUV, not the jeep! (Photo credit: Joël Stoppels)

October 1, 2025. Pieter has been involved in finding photos of Canadians who are buried in all three Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands since 2014, with stories of many soldiers told on this blog.

While in Europe on our 2025 European War Memorial Tour this spring, for the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemoration events, he not only placed flags at the graves of 383 soldiers in 14 cemeteries, but we wanted to tour some of the battlefields in order to have a better appreciation of what soldiers faced.

Battlefields Tours guide Joël Stoppels, of Groningen, The Netherlands, offered to spend a day showing us locations where the various battles that comprised the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket took place. The term ‘Delfzijl Pocket’ refers “….to the entire area around Delfzijl that was held by German forces and cleared by the Canadians in late April and early May 1945…”Joël explained.

Over the years, we’ve featured stories of many soldiers who lost their lives in the last weeks of the North-West Europe campaign during WWII, and we eagerly anticipated learning more. (See https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/delfzijlpocket.htm)

Map showing the locations during the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket. (Map source: http://www.canadiansoldiers.com)

…. 19 Canadians lost their lives on a field just outside Wagenborgen…

Our day touring battlefields began very early, with a two hour drive from our cottage near Holten to Groningen, where we’d arranged to meet Joël.

Our first stop on the battlefield tour was at a field outside Wagenborgen, where 19 Canadians lost their lives during the Battle for Wagenborgen. This was the preliminary battle before the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket. (See https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/wagenborgen.htm)

Joël Stoppels and Pieter stand across the road from the field outside Wagenborgen. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Joël began by saying that “….‘D’ Company of the Canadian Scottish Regiment, under the command of Major Anthony Compton-Lundie, were ordered by Battalion Command based in Groningen to undergo a dangerous mission across open fields with no rises or trees for cover…..”

Patrols from the 7th Canadian Reconnaissance Regiment had determined that Wagenborgen, a short distance from the centre of the battalion’s line, was held by an unknown number of Germans.

‘D’ Company received orders to take the village of Wagenborgen in a one-company attack in the early hours of April 21, 1945. “….Compton-Lundie was based at the Schmidt farm at the end of the field. When the phone rang with orders to attack, he protested. ‘Are you crazy?’ he said. Orders were orders, however, and Compton-Lundie was not one to disobey…”

The attack began on April 21, 1945. By the time it was over, Anthony COMPTON-LUNDIE was dead, as was his lieutenant, Dennis George HUSCROFT, and 17 more men.

…. How did the battle go so badly for the Canadian Scottish?…

How did it go so wrong? “... A Polish division had been in the area before the Canadian Scottish arrived and told Compton-Lundie that they believed only 100 Germans remained. This was faulty intelligence as there were over 1500 Germans, just waiting to pick off soldiers in the open field of very flat land….” Joël reflected that “…perhaps if Battalion Command had listened to Compton-Lundie, who had a view of the landscape, that there would have been fewer casualties….”

Field outside Wagenborgen where 19 men lost their lives. Yellow arrow indicates Schmidt Farm, where Major Compton-Lundie of the Canadian Scottish Regiment had been based. At the far right is a monument commemorating those who died. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

…. A monument by the field honours the 19 men who died…

Monument by the open field where 19 men lost their lives on April 19, 1945. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

A small monument sits beside the open field where 19 men fought and lost their lives. A translation of the Dutch text reads as follows: Stand still for a moment at the maple leaf. On April 21, 1945, 19 Canadian men died for our freedom here at ‘Stolderij’. Stolderij refers to the hamlet where the open field is located.

The men were temporarily buried in Siddeburen before being reburied in 1946 in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands.

…. Banners were placed in Wagenborgen to commemorate fallen soldiers…

Once we finished taking photos of the field where so many men lost their lives, we drove into the town of Wagenborgen itself, where banners of the deceased soldiers had been placed, as close as possible to the location where they fell.

Two soldiers from the Canadian Scottish Regiment who had fought in Wagenborgen have had their stories previously told on this blog. One survived the battle, but one died, and we looked for his banner.

Banner for Theodor ‘Ted’ Henschel in Wagenborgen. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Theodor ‘Ted’ HENSCHEL, who was born in Winnipeg, Manitoba, but lived in Trail, British Columbia, was serving with the Canadian Scottish Regiment when he was killed in action during the Battle for Wagenborgen in The Netherlands on April 22, 1945, aged 28. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/08/14/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-trail-who-played-the-cornet/
Stanley Owen JONES, from Massett, British Columbia, was wounded during the Battle for Wagenborgen but didn’t die in the battle. While still serving with the Canadian Scottish Regiment, he drowned in Germany on September 8, 1945, aged 20, when the carrier he was in overturned in a ditch. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/09/05/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembering-wwii-soldier-stanley-owen-jones/

Joël by the banner for Anthony Compton-Lundie, who was from Oakbank, Manitoba. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

After being told about the impossible situation that Major Anthony Compton-Lundie faced, we wanted to see his banner, and took a photo of Joël beside it.

…. Canadian soldiers who lost their lives during the Battle for Wagenborgen…

Joël and Pieter at the War Memorial in Wagenborgen. ‘Wij gedenken’ translates to ‘We commemorate’. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

The War Memorial in Wagenborgen commemorates the residents of Wagenborgen who died in WWII, and 27 fallen Canadian soldiers – 23 of them from the Canadian Scottish Regiment, 1 from the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, and 3 from the Royal Canadian Artillery.

From the Canadian Scottish Regiment:

Pte Albert George BOUMA, aged 21, died April 23, 1945
Pte John BRANSCOMB, aged 32, died April 23, 1945
Pte Robert Stewart BULLOCK, aged 39, died April 23, 1945
Pte Leslie Keith BUTTERICK, aged 19, died April 21, 1945
L/Cpl Carmen Christie CAPONERO, aged 30, died April 21, 1945
Sgt Allen CLEMENTS, aged 32, died April 21, 1945
Major Anthony COMPTON-LUNDIE, aged 30, died April 21, 1945
Pte Louis Silverius DAUTREMONT, aged 25, died April 21, 1945
Pte Edwin Levi EMERY, aged 22, died April 21, 1945
Pte Peter HARASYMCHUK, aged 24, died April 23, 1945
Pte Theodor ‘Ted’ HENSCHEL, aged 28, died April 223, 1945
Pte John Charles HUGHES, aged 28, died April 23, 1945
Lt Denis George HUSCROFT, aged 24, died April 21, 1945
L/Cpl John Albert MASLIN, aged 24, died April 21, 1945
Pte John Raymond PATRICK, aged 29, died April 21, 1945
Pte James Robert POWER, aged 21, died April 21, 1945
Pte Robert John Wilson REID, aged 38, died April 21, 1945
Pte Henry Oscar RENNER, aged 24, died April 21, 1945
Martin George VAN SANDVOORD, aged 28, died April 22, 1945
Pte Emile Joseph SOENS, aged 24, April 21, 1945
Pte John William WILSON, aged 37, died April 23, 1945
Pte Fred WIRTH, aged 38 , died April 23, 1945
A/Cpl Gordon Scarth WOOD, aged 21, died April 21, 1945

From the Royal Winnipeg Rifles:

Rifleman Theodore OLENICK, aged 19, died April 21, 1945

From the Royal Canadian Artillery:

Captain Donald George INNES, aged 23, died April 21, 1945
Gunner Joseph Paul MOULINS, aged 23, died April 21, 1945
Gunner Arthur John MUELLER, aged 20, died April 21, 1945

From Wagenborgen, we continued our tour, with our next stop in Appingedam, coming up in Battlefields Tour With Joël Stoppels Part 2: The Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket Began In Appingedam.

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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

On The War Memorial Trail……The WWII Carpenter Buried In Seven Mile Bay Who Does Not Have A CWGC Headstone

September 28, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

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

September 28, 2025. One of the cemeteries that Pieter was assigned when he became a volunteer under the National Volunteer Program for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) was Seven Mile Bay (St Peter’s) Cemetery in Seven Mile Bay, Prince Edward Island. There are 4 CWGC war graves at this cemetery.

…3 soldiers buried in Seven Mile Bay are listed on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion…

Pieter at Seven Mile Bay (St Peter’s) Cemetery. Can you spot the Confederation Bridge in the background? (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Three of the WWII soldiers buried in this cemetery are listed on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion in Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island. Their stories have been previously told on this blog….

Frank Lewis ARSENAULT of Kinkora, Prince Edward Island, was serving in the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, Home War Establishment Unit, and based at the Petawawa Military Hospital in Ontario, when he drowned accidentally in the Ottawa River on September 30, 1942, aged 29. His body wasn’t found until a month later. He left behind a wife and 4 children. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2019/12/14/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-ww2-soldier-who-drowned-in-quebec/)

Leonard Stephen AVERY of Bedeque, Prince Edward Island, died accidentally in Ontario while on guard duty at the Chippewa Power Canal in Welland County on the evening of August 23, 1943, aged 19, when he was accidentally shot through the head while examining a rifle. He was serving with the 1st Garrison Battalion of the Canadian Army, and stationed in Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2019/11/26/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-ww2-soldier-who-was-accidentally-shot/ and https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/12/17/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-photo-for-wwii-soldier-leonard-stephen-avery/)

John Daniel ‘Jack’ FERGUSON of Borden (now Borden-Carleton), Prince Edward Island, was serving in the Royal Canadian Navy Reserve, and on patrol duty out of Halifax, Nova Scotia. After becoming ill while serving aboard the patrol ship ‘Ross Norman’, he was sent to Camp Hill Hospital in Halifax on August 19, 1942. On August 30, 1942 he went into shock from peritonitis. Despite treatment, he died on September 6, 1942, aged 19. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2020/03/04/the-ww2-able-seaman-who-died-of-peritonitis/)

…1 soldier buried in Seven Mile Bay did not have a CWGC headstone…

Grave of John Peter ‘JP’ White. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

The fourth grave, that of John Peter ‘JP’ WHITE, was listed as a CWGC grave, but did not have the distinctive CWGC headstone, and the name of the soldier was unfamiliar to Pieter. Instead, the headstone listed the soldier, and his wife, Frances (nee Smith), who had died 3 years earlier.

His curiosity aroused, Pieter decided to research the soldier and look for a family member. It wasn’t long before he came in contact with JP’s niece, Alice Cash Blakeney, and we had a chance to meet her in Summerside. “….My mother was his sister Martina, and she always referred to him as JP…” Alice explained.

Pieter with Alice Cash Blakeney, who is holding a photo of her uncle, JP White. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

…JP grew up in Emerald Junction.…

The family homestead where JP White grew up. (Photo courtesy of Alice Cash Blakeney and Estate of Bernadette White Adler)

Born in Emerald Junction, Prince Edward Island, on June 2, 1912, JP was the son of John Thomas and Janie Josephine (nee Cameron) White. JP had 2 brothers and 4 sisters, and although their father was a carpenter, the family also ran a small farm.

Front row, left to right: JP, Martina, Dave, Bernadette. Back row, left to right: Matthew, Agnes, John Thomas, Janie Josephine, Mary Catherine. (Photo courtesy of Alice Cash Blakeney and Estate of Bernadette White Adler)

….JP enlisted in 1942…

After completing Grade 8, JP began working as a carpenter. On February 4, 1942, he married Frances Teresa Smith in Charlottetown. “…The Whites were noted as being great dancers, so it’s likely that JP met his wife Frances Smith at a dance….” Alice reflected.

JP originally enlisted under the National Resources Mobilization Act (NRMA) at the No. 6a NRMA Clearing Depot in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on August 27, 1942 and began basic training at No. 62 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre in Charlottetown. At the time, he stated he had been a carpenter for the past 10 or 12 years, having learned the trade from his father. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Resources_Mobilization_Act)

Just as JP was completing his basic training, tragedy struck on October 1, 1942. Alice said that “…JP’s wife died in childbirth….”

On October 30, 1942, JP was sent to A1 Canadian Artillery Training Centre (CATC) in Petawawa, Ontario for infantry training as a gunner.

While in Petawawa, JP tried to enlist as ‘Active’, but was “…advised to remain…” under the NRMA, as he was considered “…unsuitable for operational duty…” due to bad knees.

In January 1943, he was granted a 2 week furlough, allowing him to return home to Prince Edward Island. The furlough was then extended by another 11 days, after which he returned to Petawawa.

John Peter ‘JP’ White in January 1943 during his return to Prince Edward Island while on furlough. (Photo courtesy of Alice Cash Blakeney and Estate of Bernadette White Adler)

….JP was transferred to the 10th LAA for a short period in June 1943…

After qualifying as a Carpenter Group ‘B’ on April 26, 1943, JP was transferred to the 10th Light Anti-Aircraft (LAA) Regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA) on June 15, 1943, and sent to Tracadie, New Brunswick. The 10th LAA was part of the 7th (Home Defence) Division and JP was posted to the 8th Light Anti-Aircraft Battery RCA in Saint John, New Brunswick.

He spent the next months working as a carpenter, but starting in August 1943, he had medical issues, resulting in brief hospitalizations. Health issues ended his assignment with the 10th LAA and on October 28, 1943 he was transferred to No. 6 District Depot in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

In a November 30, 1943 interview that was recorded in his Personnel Selection Record, he was described as “…a mature serious-minded soldier of steady judgement….” It went on to state that JP “…wished to remain in the service and would prefer duty in his trade…” and that his knee condition “…should not impair his efficiency as a tradesman…” It was recommended that he be transferred to a suitable Home War Establishment (HWE) for duty as a carpenter.

….JP was assigned to the Royal Canadian Engineers as a carpenter…

John Peter ‘JP’ White. (Photo courtesy of Alice Cash Blakeney and Estate of Bernadette White Adler)

On January 19, 1944, JP was transferred to No. 6 Field Company of the Royal Canadian Engineers in Debert, Nova Scotia. He remained there until May 24, 1944 when he was granted 6 weeks of spring farm leave in order to return to Prince Edward Island and work on the family farm. His father had died in 1936, meaning that JP and his brothers had to help out his mother.

Upon his return back to duty on July 29, 1944, he was assigned to No. 6 Engineer Survey and Works (ES&W) Company of the Royal Canadian Engineers in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and continued to work as a carpenter.

Unfortunately, he had another medical issue on November 28, 1944, when he was hospitalized for 3 weeks in the Military Hospital in Debert, Nova Scotia with appendicitis.

He was discharged from hospital on December 19, 1944 and sent to No. 5 Casualty Retraining Centre (CRC) in Sussex, New Brunswick for 71 days for further recovery. On January 19, 1945, he was hospitalized again, this time at the Sussex Military Hospital.

On March 8, 1945, he was deemed ‘fit for duty’. A report on his condition in the Supplement To Personnel Selection Record stated that JP was “…pleasant and straightforward….” and had “…cooperated well and followed the training in all grades at this Centre making satisfactory recovery…” He was assessed as remaining “…suitable for employment in RCE for base duties…” as a carpenter.

….JP enlisted in the Active Army in April 1945…

On March 21, 1945, JP was again sent to No. 6 District Depot in Halifax, Nova Scotia, in preparation for his change in status when he was deemed fit enough to enlist in the Active Army on April 5, 1945. He returned to No. 6 Field Company of the Royal Canadian Engineers in Halifax on April 29, 1945, where it was noted that JP requested to return to No. 6 Engineer Survey and Works (ES&W) Company of the Royal Canadian Engineers.

No sooner had JP been assigned to No. 6 Engineer Survey and Works (ES&W) Company than he requested a 3 month leave of absence without pay for compassionate farm leave. This was granted from June 28, 1945 until September 27, 1945.

When he returned back to duty, however, it was to No. 6 District Depot in Halifax. On October 2, 1945, a few days after returning to duty, he applied again for farm leave without pay, which was granted until April 1946.

….JP died following an operation in December 1945…

JP never returned to his army duties. While back on Prince Edward Island for the farm leave that had been granted to him, he was hospitalized in Charlottetown, and died following an operation on December 15, 1945, aged 33.

JP was buried alongside his wife Frances in Seven Mile Bay (St Peter’s) Cemetery in Seven Mile Bay, Prince Edward Island.

A note on his death record noted that he would not receive a separate Commonwealth War Graves Commission headstone unless the family applied for it. It further stated that ‘next of kin does not answer correspondence’.

JP’s family was overwhelmed, not only by his death, but by the death of his mother in March 1946, leaving his brother Matthew, who lived in Charlottetown and had a family of his own, in addition to managing the farm, as the next-of-kin.

Pieter now knew what happened to JP, and resolved to ensure that his service is acknowledged when the Legion in Borden-Carleton places flags by graves of veterans during Remembrance Week 2025. No flag had been placed by his grave in previous years as no one at the Legion was aware that JP had served during WWII. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/11/03/on-the-war-memorial-trail-borden-carleton-legion-honours-veterans-by-placing-flags-at-their-graves/)

Thank you to Alice Cash Blakeney for providing the photos and information on her uncle. Do you have a story to tell? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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….. Staghound Fatality Part 2: The WWII Trooper From Brookfield Killed By A Mine During The Battle For The Küsten Canal

September 25, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

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

September 25, 2025. While in Europe for the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemoration events, Pieter placed flags at the graves of 383 soldiers he’s researched over the years, which took us to 14 cemeteries in The Netherlands and Belgium. Out of this total, 156 flags were placed at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands.

Pieter’s research results are faster than I can keep up with, and so several of the graves we visited were for soldiers whose stories have yet to be told. Two of these soldiers, both of them with the 18th Armoured Car Regiment (12th Manitoba Dragoons), lost their lives on April 19, 1945 when the armoured car they were in hit a mine.

In Staghound Fatality Part 1, the story of Stewart Lyon ANDERSON was told. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/09/23/on-the-war-memorial-trail-staghound-fatality-part-1-the-wwii-trooper-from-bagot-killed-by-a-mine-during-the-battle-for-the-kusten-canal/)

Staghound Fatality Part 2 tells the story of Merle Vincent HAMILTON, who was born in Brookfield, Nova Scotia on October 23, 1918, the son of George Elwood and Gertrude Edna Anderson. He was the husband of Margaret Bessie (nee Johnston) Hamilton and the father of two daughters: Marilyn Jean and Karen Vera.

Pieter’s search for a photo of Merle ended when Jill Ley contacted him, saying “…Merle was my mother’s father…. I have passed your message on to my mother, Marilyn (Hamilton) Fallon and her sister, Karen (Hamilton) Davis….” A few days later, a photo was received.

….Merle enlisted in 1943….

When Merle enlisted at the No. 6 District Depot in Halifax, Nova Scotia on March 26, 1943, he had already been with the 2nd Battalion of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, a reserve unit, since June 1941.

It was noted on his service file that he had completed Grade 10 and taken auto mechanics courses at Nova Scotia Technical College. He also had worked as a car mechanic, in a box factory running various machines. At the time of his enlistment, he was employed as a store clerk at Agricola Coop.

In an interview for his Personnel Selection Record, Merle was described as having a “…quiet, cooperative, nonaggressive manner….” and was a “…steady, reliable type…” who had “….definitely superior learning ability….”

….Merle qualified as a Driver Mechanic….

Merle Vincent Hamilton. (Photo courtesy of his daughters: Marilyn Fallon and Karen Davis. Photo restoration and colourization by Pieter Valkenburg )

On April 1, 1943, Merle was sent to No. 60 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre (CABTC) in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia. After completing his basic training, he next was sent to A27 Canadian Reconnaissance Training Centre at Camp Dundurn in Dundurn, Saskatchewan for a driver operator course.

Merle qualified for a Class III Certificate as Driver (i/c) Wheeled on July 23, 1943 and Driver Class III Tracked on August 6, 1943. (The term ‘Driver i/c’ refers to ‘Driver, internal combustion’. Receiving a Class III in both Wheeled and Tracked meant he was qualified to drive heavy trucks and armoured cars, as well as tanks.)

On September 24, 1943, Merle qualified as a Driver Mechanic Group ‘C’. This meant that, in addition to being a driver, he would also be responsible for minor vehicle repairs on vehicles in his unit.

From October 25, 1943 until November 14, 1943, Merle was granted a furlough and embarkation leave, for what turned out to be the last time he saw his family.

….Merle left Canada for overseas service….

Shortly after returning from his leave, Merle left Canada on November 25, 1943 for the United Kingdom. Upon arriving on December 1, 1943, he was assigned to No. 1 Canadian Armoured Corps Reinforcement Unit (CACRU).

While in the United Kingdom, Merle continued training, and qualified as a Driver Mechanic MV ‘C’ on February 17, 1944. He qualified to drive a Staghound on August 26, 1944. A Staghound was an armoured vehicle that could also be used as a scout car.

T-17E1 Staghound armoured cars of “A” Squadron, 12th Manitoba Dragoons, in the Hochwald, Germany, March 2, 1945. The first car has tire chains on all four wheels. (Photo courtesy of Library and Archives Canada, taken by Jack H. Smith)

A few weeks after his Staghound training, Merle was transferred to the X-4 CAC (A) Reinforcement list of the 9th Battalion on September 12, 1944, arriving in Northwest Europe two days later. (CAC refers to Canadian Armoured Corps.)

On September 24, 1944, he was attached to the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (RCASC) as a Driver Mechanic MV ‘C’ for a few weeks. The RCASC was responsible for moving supplies from the rear areas to the front-lines. They delivered rations, ammunition, petroleum products, and other essentials.

….Merle was transferred to the 18th Armoured Car Regiment (12th Manitoba Dragoons) …

On October 10, 1944, Merle was transferred to the 18th Armoured Car Regiment (12th Manitoba Dragoons), joining them in De Haan, Belgium. As a self-contained unit attached directly to II Canadian Corps, the Regiment had long range reconnaissance regiment, equipped with a wireless transmitting and receiving set, for their role as scouts in finding the best roads for the troops. Providing route information over the radio was of great importance to the troops that followed in their path, often 50 or more kms behind.

In an entry on the ‘Flames of War’ website (see https://www.flamesofwar.com), John (Jock) Buckmaster wrote that in Belgium, “….Nieuwport, Ostend and Bruges were all liberated by the Dragoons, with Bruges and Ostend naming roads and squares after the regiment…”

After the war ended, a memorial in Zeebrugge, Belgium was placed to honour the 18th Armoured Car Regiment (12th Manitoba Dragoons), who liberated the city on November 3, 1944.

Memorial of the liberation of Zeebrugge (Belgium) on November 3, 1944 by the 12th Manitoba Dragoons. (Photo courtesy of Wikipedia, taken by Marc Ryckaert)

The ‘Flames Of War’ entry went on to note that by late 1944, “…the front-line between German and Canadian troops was now the Maas River, and for three months the Dragoons patrolled the river in one of the coldest, wettest, winters to hit the region. The regiment ….. liberated multiple cities, including Lichtenvoorde, Leeuwarden, and Almelo…” in The Netherlands “…before heading into Germany….”

The Regiment experienced difficulties in Germany. “….Heading into the Hochwald forest proved difficult for the regiment, as the armoured cars did not fare well in the restricted terrain. The weight of the Staghounds proved to be a problem when recovering bogged-down vehicles…” At one point, horses from a German village were needed “….to pull two 14-ton Staghounds from the mud…” The Regiment continued “…through Bad Zwischenahn, and further into the Hochwald forest…”

….Merle lost his life during the Battle for the Küsten Canal…

Map showing location of Küsten Canal, and Esterwegen where Stewart Anderson was initially buried. (Map source: Google maps)

The next objective for Allied troops was the clearing of the 70 km (43 mi) long, 100-metre (330 ft) wide, Küsten Canal, a significant obstacle to Allied forces advancing from the Ems estuary into Germany.

In the ‘Regimental History of the 18th Armoured Car Regiment (12th Manitoba Dragoons)’, published in 1945, author Charles Eric Henry writes that “…the Regiment was detailed to take over a sector of the Küsten Canal 14 April 1945….The enemy did not seem to be overactive but did send over quite a few shells. The main task seemed to be to remain on the southwest side of the canal until the friendly troops on the other side had worked their way along it to a point opposite our positions…”

Unfortunately, casualties still occurred, and on April 19, 1945, Merle was one of 5 men who lost their lives during the Battle for the Küsten Canal. The War Diary for that day recorded that “…17 Troop lost their Sgt’s Stag and all his crew on a mine today. It took place at 14:33 hours…The mine completely destroyed the Stag and caused a crater 20 feet by 20 feet. It must have been one of these marine mines containing some 500 pounds of explosives…”

In addition to Merle, the rest of the crew that died were:

Sgt Alexander James BALFOUR of Lindsay, Ontario, aged 25
Trooper Stewart Lyon ANDERSON of Bagot, Manitoba, aged 25
Trooper Patrick James DEVINE of North Bay, Ontario, aged 22
Trooper Willard James MORRIS of St. James (now part of Winnipeg), Manitoba, aged 23

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

Merle was temporarily buried in Esterwegen, Germany, before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands in 1946.

Grave of Merle Vincent Hamilton with Canadian and Nova Scotia flags placed by Pieter. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Thank you to Jill Ley, Marilyn Fallon, and Karen Davis for providing a photo of Merle.

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

Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian flags.
Kyle Graham, Research Officer, Military Relations, Nova Scotia Intergovernmental Affairs, on behalf of Premier Tim Houston, Province of Nova Scotia, for the Nova Scotia flag.

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

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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

	On The War Memorial… on On The War Memorial Trail…..Re…
	Jim Little on On The War Memorial Trail…..Re…
	On The War Memorial… on On The War Memorial Trail…..Re…
	Jim Little on On The War Memorial Trail…..Re…
	On The War Memorial… on On The War Memorial Trail….Rem…

… Pilot Dusty Millar’s spitfire ran out of fuel and crashed…

… Uden War Cemetery was behind a church and in a residential area…

….53 Canadians are buried in Uden…

….A cafe was within walking distance of the cemetery…

….Want to follow our research?…

Share this:

….Want to follow our research?…

Share this:

….We arrived in Bathmen…

…. Gorsselseweg was where the bridgehead over the Schipbeek was established…

….4 soldiers whose stories were previously told were at the Schipbeek…

….We learned that a solider from Prince Edward Island received a posthumous Dutch medal…

….Two monuments in Bathmen…

….Want to follow our research?…

Share this:

…The awards ceremony was held in Charlottetown…

…The citation…

…Our local MLA also spoke …

….Want to follow our research?…

Share this:

…. Recap…

….The Cape Breton Highlanders marched from Nansum to Delfzijl…

…. ‘D’ Company travelled along the coast…

….Retreating Germans tried to escape by boat…

….The German commander surrendered on May 2, 1945…

….Our final stop was in Wirdum…

….Want to follow our research?…

Share this:

…. The Canada Memorial in Holwierde…

…. Canadian soldiers called Holwierde ‘a killing ground’…

…. We found a banner for one soldier whose story was previously told…

…. A solemn few moments at Stefanuskerk…

…. We couldn’t miss seeing Nansum…

….Want to follow our research?…

Share this:

…. We found banners for two soldiers whose stories were previously told…

…. The Royal Winnipeg Rifles were in Appingedam as of April 21, 1945…

…. Appingedam was evacuated on the night of April 23, 1945…

…. Plaques to commemorate the RWR and BC Dragoons are in Appingedam…

…. ‘The best stroopwafel I ever ate!’…

….Want to follow our research?…

Share this:

…. 19 Canadians lost their lives on a field just outside Wagenborgen…

…. How did the battle go so badly for the Canadian Scottish?…

…. A monument by the field honours the 19 men who died…

…. Banners were placed in Wagenborgen to commemorate fallen soldiers…

…. Canadian soldiers who lost their lives during the Battle for Wagenborgen…

….Want to follow our research?…

Share this:

…3 soldiers buried in Seven Mile Bay are listed on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion…

…1 soldier buried in Seven Mile Bay did not have a CWGC headstone…

…JP grew up in Emerald Junction.…

….JP enlisted in 1942…

….JP was transferred to the 10th LAA for a short period in June 1943…

….JP was assigned to the Royal Canadian Engineers as a carpenter…

….JP enlisted in the Active Army in April 1945…

….JP died following an operation in December 1945…

….Want to follow our research?…

Share this:

….Merle enlisted in 1943….

….Merle qualified as a Driver Mechanic….

….Merle left Canada for overseas service….

….Merle was transferred to the 18th Armoured Car Regiment (12th Manitoba Dragoons) …

….Merle lost his life during the Battle for the Küsten Canal…

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

….Want to follow our research?…

Share this: