On The War Memorial Trail…..The WWI Era ‘Course Of The Rhine’ Map of Germany

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July 3, 2020.  It’s always a pleasure to hear from readers.  After reading about Harold Keith Howatt’s travels to WWI Germany as part of the post-occupation forces, Helen MacEwen contacted us about a map that her father-in-law sent to his future wife in 1918.  “…I have been reading with interest your reports about the WWI Veterans and wondered if I could bring further information about my father-in-law’s last tour after the German surrender. His name was Sgt. Herbert ‘Herb’ S. MACEWEN from Stanley Bridge…”

Helen went on to describe the map.  “…I have a copy of the ‘COURSE OF THE RHINE: From Mayence to Cologne’. It is a fold-out map of the Rhine River within a hard-cover. It is very fragile but does mention the different towns that you mentioned in your stories…” (You can read Howatt’s account at The WW1 Soldier Who Went To Post WW1 Germany)  Today we know Mayence as Mainz.

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Herbert MacEwen.  (Photo courtesy of Helen MacEwen collection)

Howatt was in the 8th Canadian Siege Battery during WWI, while MacEwen was in the 2nd Canadian Siege Battery.  Both batteries were later attached to the 2nd Brigade, the only Canadian Heavy Artillery Brigade that went to Germany.

We were intrigued and made arrangements to meet Helen and see the map.  It turned out to be a surprise, as it was a foldable, panoramic map in full colour, showing the area along the Rhine River between Mainz and Cologne.  To complete the surprise, the map was written in English, but published in Germany.  It was clear that this had to be a map that pre-dated WWI and was designed for tourists!

20200614_144359 Jun 14 2020 Pieter & Helen MacEwan with panoramic map of Rhine River

Pieter and Helen MacEwen with the foldable, panoramic map. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Ralf Gräfenstein, a historian in Berlin, found a document that might explain why a map published in Germany over 100 years ago would be in English. “…These maps were made in English for tourists from Britain and Overseas, who came before the beginning of WWI and after the war to the German Rhine area…” he explained.

Ralf referred me to a 2006 dissertation written by Thilo Nowack of the University of Bonn, entitled ‘Rhein, Romantik, Reisen. Der Ausflugs- und Erholungsreiseverkehr im Mittelrheintal im Kontext gesellschaftlichen Wandels (1890 bis 1970)’ and gave a reference to the chapters that would be of interest. (Translation of the dissertation: ‘Rhine, romance, travel. Excursion and recreational travel in the Middle Rhine Valley in the context of social change (1890 to 1970)’).

In the dissertation, it was explained that “… the Tourism Society of the Rhine Area was founded in 1904… with the goal “to promote and make traveling and the stay on the Rhine and its side valleys pleasant’…” in response to the view that “… the Rhineland had lost its attraction as a travel destination since the late 19th century…”  As part of the tourism promotion effort, “… posters, brochures and other booklets were used to advertise in German, English, French and Dutch…” and placed “…in train stations at home and abroad…”  Tourist promotion was economically important as “… the invention and expansion of steam shipping and railroads enabled an enormous increase in travel on the Rhine…”

It seems likely that Herbert MacEwen could have found the map in a shop or train station someplace in Germany, most likely Cologne.  It’s clearly a tourist map, with key destinations identified along the Rhine, with brief explanations and diagrams.

20200614_144505 EXCERPT Jun 14 2020 Portion of map between Cologne & Mehlem - Copy

An excerpt from the map, showing illustrations and descriptions.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Helen noted that “…Herb had sent this map to his girlfriend in Stanley Bridge. They married in 1921.  He states that they stayed near Mehlem-on-Rhine…”

At the top of the map Herb had written “… Arrived at the Rhine on December 12th, 1918.  I have marked the bridge on which we expect to pass over. We are at present guarding the bridgehead from this site…”  This confirms the entry in Harold Howatt’s account, which stated that they had arrived in Cologne on December 12.

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Herb MacEwen’s note at the top of the map.  (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

A bridgehead is the strategically important area of ground around the end of a bridge over a body of water.  (For more information, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bridgehead)

On December 13, Harold Howatt had noted that “….the Canadian troops marched across the Rhine, reviewed as they crossed the bridge by General Plumer and General Currie…” The bridge crossed was the Hohenzollern Bridge in Cologne. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hohenzollern_Bridge)

To our amazement, Pieter found a video from the Imperial War Museum of this march across the Hohenzollern Bridge: https://www.iwm.org.uk/collections/item/object/1060008233.

Herb MacEwen was discharged on May 18, 1919.   His daughter-in-law Helen told us that “…he would be 21 years old.  He apparently, ‘conveniently,’ put his birthdate down as older than fact when he joined the Army…”

The individual stories of our soldiers enrich the sometimes dry facts of history, and it was wonderful to learn of the shared history of Herb MacEwen and Harold Howatt.

For more information on the post WWI occupation of the Rhineland, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Occupation_of_the_Rhineland

For more information on General Sir Herbert Plumer, who commanded the Army of Occupation, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Herbert_Plumer,_1st_Viscount_Plumer

For more information on General Sir Arthur Currie, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arthur_Currie

Thank you to Helen MacEwen for sharing the story of Herb MacEwen and Course Of The Rhine Map from the early 20th Century.  If you have a story 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/

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Canada Day In Tryon

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20200630_200525 Jul 1 2020 Happy Canada Day

The Canadian flag flies proudly! (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

July 1, 2020.  Happy Canada Day! On July 1, a Canada Day ceremony to inaugurate a new flagpole and bench at the Tryon Cenotaph at the Tryon People’s Cemetery was attended by several members of the community, including Pieter and myself.  This event was coordinated by the Tryon Women’s Institute, Tryon People’s Cemetery, and Merry Pop-Ins Childcare Centre, with funding for the flagpole and bench provided by Heritage Canada.

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Pieter by the Tryon Cenotaph. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Three names from WW1 that are listed on the portion of the Tryon Cenotaph shown in the photo above are also listed on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion.  Over the years, their stories have been told in this blog:

Dignitaries attending today’s event included:

  • The Honourable Wayne Easter, Member of Parliament for Malpeque
  • The Honourable Jamie Fox, Minister of Fisheries and Communities and MLA for District 19
  • The Honourable Peter Bevan-Baker, Leader of the Official Opposition and MLA for District 17
  • Reverend Doctor Karen MacLeod-Wilkie, Minister of South Shore United Church

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Peter Bevan-Baker plays ‘O Canada’ as the flag is raised. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

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Tom Albrecht raises the flag on new flagpole.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

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Of course there were Canada Day cupcakes!  Left to right: Jamie Fox, Fran Albrecht, Helen Green, Jack Sorensen.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

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Standing by the Tryon Cenotaph, left to right: Wayne Easter, Peter Bevan-Baker, Jamie Fox. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Barb Clement was kind enough to send a short video made while ‘O Canada’ was played. See https://drive.google.com/file/d/1vLQOBYtgnnOET7gAdi88C-9Z4HHf3BQr/view?usp=sharing

Thank you to the organizers of this Canada Day event, and to Barb Clement for sharing the video. If you have a story to share about any of the names on the Tryon Cenotaph, please contact Pieter at dariadv@yahoo.ca or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

On The War Memorial Trail…..The Mystery Pennant Commemorating Dutch Royals

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June 21, 2020.  While we were in The Netherlands last fall, we received an intriguing email from fellow Islander G. Lawrence Smith:  “...I recall a story my father, Sgt. Earl F. Smith (The Kangaroos, 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment, only Regiment to be formed in Holland) told to an old friend of his.  During Queen Wilhelmina’s parade in Holland he removed a flag from her vehicle and he was surprised he wasn’t arrested or worse. I still have the flag…”

Queen Wilhelmina was the Dutch queen during the WWII years.  After Germany invaded The Netherlands in 1940 she fled to England and spent the war years there in charge of the Dutch government-in-exile, returning in 1945 following liberation. (For more information see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wilhelmina_of_the_Netherlands)

A flag from a vehicle during one of the royal processions across the country? This was something we had to see!  Lawrence’s father, Sgt. Earl Francis Phinney SMITH, was born in Nova Scotia and enlisted at the No. 6 Depot of the Canadian Army in Halifax on July 22, 1943.  He had originally enlisted in 1940 and served three months with the 2nd Battalion of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, but was released due to a medical condition.  In 1943 he re-enlisted successfully and was sent overseas on April 30, 1944.

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Sgt. Earl F. Smith.  (Photo courtesy of G. Lawrence Smith Family Collection)

In 1945, Earl Smith was posted to Hoffmeister Hall in Groningen, an Army School established in a building at the University of Groningen, where he was the Billetts Sergeant.

CIMG3701 Dec 2 2019 GL Smith Groningen Hoffmeister Hall 1945 photo 2

Staff in the front row, Earl Smith second from right. Back row, students and teachers of Hoffmeister Hall’s 5th Division High School in 1945.  (Photo courtesy of G. Lawrence Smith Family Collection)

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Hoffmeister Hall 5th Division high school staff in 1945.  Front row, left to right: SSM Honsinger, S/Sgt Clark, L/Sgt Lund.  Back row, left to right: L/Sgt Marshall, Sgt Smith. (Photo courtesy of G. Lawrence Smith Family Collection)

Up until we met Lawrence, we were unaware that the Canadian Army had established a school in The Netherlands for Canadian soldiers.  This was fascinating information.  But… what about the flag?  That turned out to be a real mystery.

CIMG3695 Dec 2 2019 GL Smith car flag from 1945

Pieter, left, with G. Lawrence Smith, holding the car flag brought home by Sgt. Earl Smith.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

As soon as he saw the flag, Pieter, retired from the Dutch Foreign Service, knew right away that this was not an official royal standard.  We determined that the ‘W’ enclosed in the heart stood for Wilhelmina, while the ‘JB’ at the top likely stood for Wilhelmina’s daughter Juliana, who became queen of The Netherlands in 1948, and Juliana’s husband Bernhard.  (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juliana_of_the_Netherlands for more information.)

Nevertheless, Pieter contacted the  Protocol Office of The Dutch Royal House and sent them a photo of the flag, just in case someone recognized it.  No luck.  It was a handmade pennant, with no official recognition.  It would not have been on any vehicle in which Queen Wilhelmina was riding.

We looked through YouTube videos of the Queen during 1945, the year in which several parades took place throughout The Netherlands, just in case we could spot the pennant. Nothing. You can watch one here:

The mystery of the flag continues, unsolved at this point in time. Sgt Smith was discharged on March 9, 1946 and returned home.  His brother, George Laurie SMITH, of the Lake Superior Regiment, was not as lucky.  He died February 26, 1945 in Germany and is buried at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands.

Thank you to G. Lawrence Smith for sharing his father’s war experience and the story of the flag.  If you attended Hoffmeister Hall’s Army School, recognize any of the men in the group photos, or can solve the mystery of the pennant with the initials of members of the Dutch Royal Family, 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/

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On The War Memorial Trail…..A Face For WWII Soldier Joseph Hennebery!

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May 31, 2020.  Last year, a request was made for photos and information on PEI soldiers from WWII who were buried in The Netherlands.  (See Photos and Info Requested For WW2 Soldiers From PEI Buried In The Netherlands)  One of these soldiers, buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, was Joseph ‘Joe’ Edmund HENNEBERY. 

He was born in Morell on July 7, 1919, the son of Edmund Joseph and Mary ‘May’ Hennebery, and was a sapper with the Royal Canadian Engineers – 33rd Field Company, and served in the UK, France, and The Netherlands.  He died in The Netherlands on April 20, 1945, aged 25, along with two other men, Pte L. A. CROSS, a cook in the platoon, and Sapper A. COLVIN, following an accident on April 18 while off duty.

When we were in The Netherlands last fall, Pieter placed flags at his grave.  “It’s always much more meaningful when I’m standing at a grave and have an idea what the person looked like.”  After our return, a chance encounter with Hennebery’s niece, Teresa Hennebery, resulted in a photo of her uncle, finally giving a face to the name listed on the grave.  “He looks exactly like my father” Teresa explained. “Joe is my father’s brother.”

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Joseph ‘Joe’ E. Henneberry.  (Photo courtesy Hennebery Family Collection.  Photo restoration and colourization by Pieter Valkenburg)

“The Hennebery Family from Morell Rear (now called Green Meadows) was very committed to the World War II war effort.  At one point seven of the twelve children in the family were serving in the Canadian Army or Air Force.  Sadly, Joe was the only one of the Hennebery siblings that did not come home.”

In 2000, Teresa visited his grave with family members.  “…That was the first time anyone from the Hennebery family visited Joe Hennebery’s grave.  It was a very emotional and impactful trip…”

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In 2000, Joe Hennebery’s sister-in-law Mary visited his grave, and posed for a photo with her sisters. Left to right: Laura Brazel, Mary Hennebery, Evelyn McAliney.  (Photo courtesy Hennebery Family Collection)

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Teresa and Mary Hennebery at Joe Hennebery’s grave in 2000.  (Photo courtesy Hennebery Family Collection)

On behalf of the Hennebery family, Teresa wrote that “…The family appreciates the efforts of the Dutch people to commemorate and remember those Islanders and Canadians who gave their lives for our freedom. ‘Dying for freedom is not the worst thing that could happen; being forgotten is.’…”

Joe Hennebery is not the only family member buried in a Dutch cemetery.  Michael Joseph ‘Joe’ MCKENNA, the brother of Teresa’s mother Mary, is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten. “…My mother and I were in Holland in May 2000 for a commemoration ceremony for her brother (also named Joe) who was killed in Rha a couple of weeks before my other Uncle Joe died.  It was so beautiful and the people of Rha treated us like Royalty...”

Thank you to Teresa Hennebery for sharing her family photos, which will be forwarded by Pieter to the researchers at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.  If you have information to share about Canadian soldiers buried in The Netherlands, 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/

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 Young WWII Soldier Who Lost His Life On The Operating Table

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May 23, 2020.  In uncovering the stories of the names on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion, it’s been an eye-opener on how being based in Canada during wartime was no guarantee of safety! Accidents and illnesses took their share of lives, a fate that befell WWII soldier Harold ‘Lloyd’ LEFURGEY, who was born on June 9, 1926 in North Bedeque, Prince Edward Island.

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Harold “Lloyd” Lefurgey in November 1944. (Photo courtesy of Johnson Duplessis)

The son of Harold Lefurgey and Mary Todd, Lloyd lived in North Bedeque with his family until 1942, when the family moved to Saint John, New Brunswick.

Lefurgey Family, Behind Their House, Saint John NB, Harold, Mary, Alex, Muriel, Bill & Lloyd

The Lefurgey family behind their house in Saint John, NB.  Standing top, Harold and Mary Lefurgey.  Children, middle row: Alex and Muriel.  Children, front row: Bill and Lloyd. (Photo courtesy of Johnson Duplessis)

Employed as a marine coppersmith’s helper at the St. John Drydocks in Saint John, he enlisted in the Canadian Army on February 16, 1945 in Fredericton.  A note on his enlistment record noted that he was “underage for overseas until June 9, 1945.”

Mildred Allen & Lloyd Lefurgey, Saint John

Harold “Lloyd” Lefurgey with Mildred Allen at a time when Mildred’s brother was dating Lloyd’s sister. (Photo courtesy of Johnson Duplessis)

A few weeks later, while undergoing basic infantry training at No 70 Canadian Infantry (Basic) Training Centre in Fredericton, he fell ill. He was taken to Fredericton Military Hospital, New Brunswick and was about to be operated on for acute appendicitis.

The Casualty Report records that “On the night of the 16th March 1945 Pte Lefurgey was quite sick in bed, but seemed to recover the next morning.  When asked to go on sick parade, he replied that he preferred to go on Physical Training Parade.  He took sick again at about 0900 hours 17th March 1945 and was immediately taken to the Medical Inspection Room, from where he was at once taken by ambulance to Fredericton Military Hospital.  He was about to be operated on for acute appendicitis, and he died before the operation could actually be started, while under anesthetic.  Cause of death:  cardiac syncope.”  He was only 18 years old. (Note: Syncope is the medical term for ‘fainting’.  “Cardiac syncope occurs when the source of one’s loss of consciousness stems from a problem in the heart that prevents it from supplying enough nutrients and oxygen to the brain.”…. Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK526027/)

Anna Lefurgey Cornish wrote that “His parents were living in St. John. A member of the armed forces came to the house to inform them of their son’s passing.  His remains were taken home to Cape Traverse and a funeral held in The Free Church of Scotland and then interred in the cemetery there.”

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Grave of Harold “Lloyd” Lefurgey at Cape Traverse Free Church of Scotland Cemetery.  (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Thank you to Johnson Duplessis and Anna Lefurgey Cornish for providing photos and information on Harold ‘Lloyd’ Lefurgey.  If you have an anecdote 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/

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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The Halifax L9561 Crew Remembered In Wons

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May 15, 2020.  On October 12, 2019 a memorial panel to honour the crew of Halifax L9561 was placed in Wons, near the crash site where Flight Sgt Elmer Bagnall MUTTART lost his life. (See On The War Memorial Trail…..The Memorial Panel In Wons Is Unveiled!)

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The memorial panel to honour the crew of Halifax L9561 in Wons was unveiled on October 12, 2019. (Photo courtesy of http://www.dorpwons.nl)

On May 4, 2020, the village of Wons remembered the victims of WW2 in their community.  Due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) restrictions on social gatherings, it was not a public ceremony.

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Memorial panel in Wons on May 4, 2020. (Photo credit: Dooitze van den Berg)

Bottje Tilstra, the village secretary, was kind enough to send a video taken of the memorial ceremony in Wons.  You can watch the ceremony by the memorial panel at this link:  http://www.dorpwons.nl/assets/img/gallerij/2020/VID-20200513-WA0000.mp4. People in the video are:

  • Knilles Elgersma (presenting bouquet), Chair of the village council
  • Bugler is Boukje Elgersma, 1st trumpeter of the village music ensemble Hosanna
  • Dirk Stoffels (with beard) – member of the May 4 Committee
  • Dooitze van den Berg – photographer

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May 4, 2020 ceremony at the memorial panel in Wons. Left to right: Dirk Stoffels, Knilles Elgersma, Boukje Elgersma. (Photo credit: Dooitze van den Berg)

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May 4, 2020. Memorial panel overlooks the site of the plane crash on October 12, 1941. (Photo credit: Dooitze van den Berg)

How wonderful that the village included the Halifax L9561 memorial panel in their annual May 4 Remembrance of the War Dead ceremonies! (For more information on this annual event in The Netherlands see   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_of_the_Dead.)

If you haven’t seen our video about Halifax L9561, “He Died That We Might Live“, you can watch it here:

Pieter is still busy with researching Canadian soldiers.  If you have photos or information to share, please contact him at dariadv@yahoo.ca or comment on the blog.

On The War Memorial Trail…..Commemorative Coins From West Nova Scotia Regimental Association

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May 12, 2020.  Two names on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion were in the West Nova Scotia Regiment during WWII:  Ernest Murray NORTON and Arnold Dudley TAYLOR.  Both lost their lives in Italy.  Norton’s story has been previously told in this blog (See The Last Valentine From A WWII Soldier), Taylor’s is still being researched.

Left: Ernest Murray Norton (Photo courtesy Harry Norton family collection) Right: Arnold Dudley Taylor (Photo courtesy Barbara Simester family collection)

Recently, Ron Stonier, President of the West Nova Scotia Regimental Association, let us know about a commemorative coin produced “for each of the 359 West Nova soldiers killed overseas. When someone joins the Regimental Association and pays their annual dues, we give one of our coins as a symbol of membership. On the front is our cap badge, and on the back is an image of our monument in Camp Aldershot, NS, flanked by the badges of the two regiments which were amalgamated in 1936 to form the West Nova Scotia Regiment. Below the monument is the name, rank, serial number, date of death, and age at death if available.”

Stonier went to note that “We attempt to find the families of the soldiers who died to give them the coin representing their loved one. So far, we have been able to connect 40 coins with family members, and it’s a very satisfying feeling to do so.  We have fewer than 100 coins left, but we do have one for each of for Lt Taylor and Pte Norton.”  He kindly sent images of the coins.

Lt AD Taylor

Commemorative coin for Arnold Dudley Taylor.  (Photo courtesy West Nova Scotia Regimental Association)

Pte EM Norton

Commemorative coin for Ernest Murray Norton.  (Photo courtesy West Nova Scotia Regimental Association)

We have contacted the families of Norton and Taylor to let them know about the coins.  If you have a relative who was in the West Nova Scotia Regiment, and would like more information on the commemorative coin or joining the association, please visit their website at https://www.wnsr.ca/ra.

We’re delighted to hear from various archives and regimental associations, and thank Ron Stonier for letting us know about the commemorative coins. Pieter continues to research Islanders who served in WWI and WWII. If you have photos or information to share on Ernest Murray Norton or Arnold Dudley Taylor, please contact 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.

A Taste Of The Netherlands In A Cookie

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CIMG3185 Sep 30 2019 Leeuwarden with Pieter Daria Douwe Alexander

Enjoying a Frisian cookie and  coffee in Leeuwarden, The Netherlands! Left to right: Alexander Tuinhout, Pieter and Daria Valkenburg, Douwe Drijver.

May 11, 2020.  Note:  This posting has NOTHING to do with military research, but as we are still at home due to Covid-19, I thought you might find it of interest. 

Last fall, while in The Netherlands, we were in a restaurant in the province of Friesland with two men from the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation.  In The Netherlands, when you order a cup of coffee or tea, it ALWAYS comes accompanied with a cookie.  In this restaurant it came with a traditional Frisian cookie.  After I raved about it, we went to a bakery near the restaurant, and the cookies were pointed out to me.  Naturally I bought a bag.

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Once we came home, Pieter found a recipe, made these delicious treats, and translated the recipe into English.  In honour of the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of The Netherlands, here is the recipe, which you may wish to try for yourselves:

Fryse Dumkes

  • 250 grams (1 1/4 cups) all-purpose flour
  • 150 grams (3/4 cup) golden yellow sugar
  • 150 grams (3/4 cup) unsalted butter, at room temperature
  • 1 egg
  • 100 grams (1/2 cup) finely chopped hazelnuts (not ground)
  • ½ tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp powdered ginger
  • ¾ tsp anise seed
  • Pinch of salt

Mix together flour, sugar, hazelnuts, spices, and salt in a large bowl.

Make a well in the centre and add the butter and egg.

Mix thoroughly until you get a ball of dough.

Cover dough with plastic or a plate and refrigerate for ½ hour.

After ½ hour, sprinkle some flour on a surface and roll out dough into a rectangular shape that is 1 cm (slightly less than ½ inch) thick.

Cut out shapes about the size of your thumb (such as in little sticks).

Prepare cookie tin with parchment paper and place cookies on tin.  Makes about 35 cookies.

Bake in a preheated 320oF (160oC) oven for 20 to 25 minutes.  Remove from oven.

Let cool, and then enjoy!  If any cookies are left, store in a tin.

Happy Baking!

20200503_150233 Frisian cookies

Fryske Dumkes ready to be enjoyed.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Rest assured….Pieter is still busy with researching Canadian soldiers, so if you have information to share, please contact him at dariadv@yahoo.ca or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

 

3 Short Videos About The Liberation Of The Netherlands

/ On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 1 Comment

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May 6, 2020.  In the last blog posting, photos about the tulips that were placed in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek were featured.  (See Tulips Placed At Each Grave At The Canadian War Cemetery In Groesbeek)

Alice van Bekkum, Chair of Faces To Graves, sent us a short YouTube video “Er zijn duizenden tulpen op de Canadese Erebegraafplaats geplaatst” (“Thousands of tulips have been placed in the Canadian War Cemetery”) that shows tulips being placed on the graves at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek by volunteers.  You can watch it here:

Historica Canada has produced a short video,  “Liberation of The Netherlands“ in their Heritage Minutes series.

 

“Think Like A Historian“, another Historica Canada production, also has a YouTube video on the Liberation of The Netherlands.

 

Happy Viewing!  If you have information to share about Canadian soldiers buried in The Netherlands, please contact Pieter at dariadv@yahoo.ca or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

Tulips Placed At Each Grave At The Canadian War Cemetery In Groesbeek

/ On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

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May 5, 2020.  While events planned for the 75th Anniversary of the Liberation of The Netherlands were cancelled due to social distancing to prevent further outbreaks of coronavirus, organizations and individuals have found ways to mark the occasion.  One group from BC, the Dutch Canadian Liberation 2020 Society, planned many commemorative events.  (See https://www.dutchcanada2020.com/about-us/ )

When these had to be cancelled, the Society decided to pay for tulips to be placed at the graves at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands.  Most of the soldiers buried in this cemetery fell during the fighting on the Lower Rhine between February 8 and March 26, 1945.  In addition, the names of 1,103 soldiers reported missing between August 1944 and May 1945 are listed on the Groesbeek Memorial, with only a few found since the memorial was put up.  The rest are still listed as MIA (Missing In Action).

The Cemetery was closed on the first two days in May while volunteers placed tulips in vases beside each grave.

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Tulips arrive at the Cemetery on May 1.  (Photo credit: Piet Spanjers)

close up of tulip by grave in groesbeek spanjers

Each grave had a vase of tulips placed by volunteers.  (Photo credit: Piet Spanjers)

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Vases of tulips line the bench along the Memorial Wall.  (Photo credit:  Scheepers family)

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Grave of L/Cpl Ralph Schurman BOULTER, North Nova Scotia Highlanders, from West Point. (Photo credit:  Scheepers family)

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Grave of PEI soldier Sapper Joseph Edmond HENNEBERY, Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers, from Morrell. (Photo credit: Scheepers family)

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Grave of L/Cpl Frank Edward MCGOVERN, North Shore Regiment, born in Chipman. (Photo credit:  Scheepers family)

Our thanks to Ad and Noor Scheepers for taking photos, including those of the graves of:

  • Ralph Schurman BOULTER, who came from West Point, Prince Edward Island
  • Joseph Edmond HENNEBERY, who came from Morrell, Prince Edward Island
  • Frank Edward MCGOVERN, born in Chipman, New Brunswick

You can read (or re-read!) about our 2019 and 2017 War Memorial tour visits to the cemetery here:

·       https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2019/12/04/on-the-war-memorial-trail-our-2019-visit-to-the-canadian-war-cemetery-in-groesbeek/

·     https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2017/12/30/on-the-war-memorial-trail-pei-soldiers-buried-in-the-canadian-war-cemetery-in-groesbeek/

·        https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2017/12/25/on-the-war-memorial-trail-at-the-canadian-war-cemetery-in-groesbeek/

In an unrelated commemorative gesture, a group of Dutch farmers used tractors to spell out ’75 Jaar Vrijheid’ (75 Years of Freedom) in the shape of a torch. They were given a citation by Dutch authorities for not respecting social distancing rules! (Watch them make this tribute in a 42 second video at https://www.nu.nl/280619/video/boeren-vormen-fakkel-met-trekkers-in-wei-en-ontsteken-vrijheidsvuur.html?jwsource=em)

No photos have yet been found for Joseph Edmond HENNEBERY and Frank Edward MCGOVERN. Can you help? If you have information to share about any Canadian soldiers buried in The Netherlands, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.  UPDATE:  A photo of Joseph Edmond Hennebery was subsequently submitted.

© Daria Valkenburg

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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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