2025 European War Memorial Tour

On The War Memorial Trail…..The WWII Soldier From Kenora Who Lay In An Unknown Grave For 80 Years…. Part 2: The Grave Re- dedication Ceremony

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Arthur Vanance.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

August 22, 2025. The research file for WWII soldier Arthur VANANCE of Kenora, Ontario, who lost his life on February 15, 1945 while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment, remained open for several years because of the uncertainty as to whether he lay buried in an unknown grave – Plot XI, Row H, Grave 5 – in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands. 

Part 1 explained how after his story was sent to Dr. Sarah Lockyer, Casualty Identification Coordinator, Directorate of History and Heritage, Department of National Defence of the Government of Canada, everyone involved had to wait to see what the verdict would be.   (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/08/19/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-kenora-who-lay-in-an-unknown-grave-for-80-years-part-1-what-happened-to-arthur-vanance/)

On March 3, 2025 we were informed that Arthur was indeed buried in that unknown grave, and he would be receiving a new headstone. Now, in Part 2, we attended the grave re-dedication ceremony for Arthur Vanance on May 3, 2025, while on our 2025 European War Memorial Trail. 

….The new headstone for Arthur Vanance was waiting to be unveiled….

The new gravestone for Arthur Vanance was covered until the May 3, 2025 grave rededication ceremony.  The grave to the right is that of Harold Frederick Hilderley. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

On May 1, 2025, we were at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten to begin placing flags at what turned out to be 156 graves of servicemen that Pieter has researched over the years.  When we saw the covered headstone at what was once an unknown grave, we couldn’t wait for the re-dedication ceremony on May 3!

Arthur is buried next to Harold Frederick HILDERLEY of Stratford, Ontario, with Earl Herbert CARLBOM of Sioux Lookout, Ontario lying in the grave beside Harold Hilderley.  All three men died on February 15, 1945.

….The grave re-dedication ceremony was dignified….

On Saturday, May 3, 2025 a number of us gathered at the Holten Information Centre in anticipation of the grave re-dedication ceremony.  Shortly after 10 am we made our way to the cemetery and briefly spoke with His Excellency, Hugh Adsett, the Canadian Ambassador to The Netherlands, who mentioned he was from Petitcodiac, New Brunswick.  Paul Ledwell, the Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs, also stopped by to chat.  As well, Pieter spoke with a representative from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in the United Kingdom. 

Pieter with Master Warrant Officer Brian Keene.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

We had a chance to meet Master Warrant Officer Brian Keene of the Directorate History and Heritage (3-3) – Dress and Ceremonial, of the Canadian Armed Forces, who’d been our contact for the date and time of the ceremony.  He said he worked closely with Dr Sarah Lockyer, who we’d originally contacted regarding Arthur Vanance. 

Formation of soldiers for the re-dedication ceremony at the grave of Arthur Vanance.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

No family members were present, but there was a large turnout of Canadian military, including members of the Lake Superior Regiment, the Canadian Armed Forces Band, as well as the dignitaries, volunteers from the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, media….plus us.  We had expected a much smaller event!

Soldiers and the Canadian Armed Forces Band wait for the re-dedication ceremony to start. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

The Military Chaplain of the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment was the Master of Ceremonies for this very dignified event.  A biography of Arthur Vanance was read out by Captain Corey Nieminen of the Lake Superior Regiment. The poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ and the Act of Remembrance were read out by Chief Warrant Officer Jon O’Connor, also of the Lake Superior Regiment.  Paul Ledwell also said a few words.

Members of the Lake Superior Regiment by the grave of Arthur Vanance. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Wreaths were laid, ‘O Canada’ and ‘God Save The King’ were played, as well as ‘The Last Post’ and ‘Reveille’.  After the ceremony, Pieter placed flags of Canada and Ontario at the grave.

Pieter placing flags of Canada and Ontario at the grave of Arthur Vanance. (Photo credit: Bastien Sjoerts)

Pieter with Captain Corey Nieminen (left) and Chief Warrant Officer Jon O’Connor (right) by the grave of Arthur Vanance.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Following the ceremony, we had a chance to meet and speak with other attendees, but were among the first to leave, as we had another commitment in another town, over 1 ½ hours away.

The following day, Mitch Banks, son of Lt George Calvin ‘Cal’ BANKS, was at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten with his wife Linda, for the annual commemoration service.  “….The ceremony was very moving, especially when the young children laid white roses on each of the headstones. It brought tears to our eyes….”

While in Holten, Mitch and Linda visited the graves of three members of his father’s platoon: Arthur VANANCE, Harold Frederick HILDERLEY, and his father’s close friend, Earl Herbert CARLBOM.

Mitch Banks by the grave of Earl Herbert Carlbom.  (Photo courtesy of Mitch Banks)

After 80 years of lying in a grave marked as unknown, Arthur Vanance has a headstone that identifies him.  His story has come full circle!

Thank you to Bastien Sjoerts for taking a photo of Pieter placing flags by Arthur Vanance’s grave, and to Mitch Banks for sharing photos about his visit to Holten.  As well, thank you to the following for donating the flags that were placed at Arthur’s grave:

  • Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, Prince Edward Island, for the Canadian flag.
  • Don Coutts on behalf of the Muttart and Coutts families in memory of Flight Sergeant Elmer Bagnall MUTTART for the Ontario flag.

More highlights of our adventures on the 2025 European War Memorial Trail will be featured in upcoming postings.  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/

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

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On The War Memorial Trail…..The WWII Soldier From Kenora Who Lay In An Unknown Grave For 80 Years…. Part 1: What Happened To Arthur Vanance?

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Arthur Vanance.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

August 19, 2025.  Sometimes research into a soldier takes years to unfold before the file can be closed.  Often a file remains open while a photo is being sought, or additional information.  When it drags on for too many years, it’s often deemed a Cold Case File.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/our-cold-cases/)

Other times, a file remains open because of special circumstances.  This happened in the case of WWII soldier Arthur VANANCE of Kenora, Ontario, whose story was written in ‘Holtense Canadezen’, Jan Braakman’s book (in Dutch) about some of the soldiers buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands, which we translated in 2021. 

….Arthur was in the Lake Superior Regiment….

Born January 5, 1919 in Kenora, Ontario, Arthur Vanance (surname also spelled Vanasse) was the son of Emmanuel Joseph and Annie Rosie (nee Halley) Vanance.  After his father died in April 1934, his mother remarried and moved to Powell River, British Columbia.

Before enlisting with the Lake Superior Regiment on July 11, 1940 in Kenora, Arthur worked as a truck driver.

On October 2, 1940, he married Rita Margaret Meservier in Port Arthur (now Thunder Bay), Ontario. Rita had a son, Allan Glenn McGuire, who had been born on July 21, 1939 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.  Rita and Arthur’s son, Arthur Henry Vanance, was born on December 27, 1941 in Thunder Bay.  (After Arthur’s death, Rita married Clayton (Mickey) McGuire, Allan’s father.)

By August 22, 1942, Arthur was in the United Kingdom with his Regiment, and remained there until July 21, 1944, when they were sent to Northwest Europe.  

Pieter in Bokhoven in 2010.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

In February 1945, the Lake Superior Regiment was near Bokhoven, The Netherlands, a place we knew very well, as Pieter’s maternal ancestor, Willem Kremers, lived there and died, along with his daughter Maria Anna, on the night of February 21-22, 1799. Strong winds had pushed up ice floes from the Maas River, and caused the collapse of a barn near a castle, where Willem and Maria Anna had been sheltering, but ended up being buried under the rubble. 

246 years later, on February 15, 1945, the area also proved to be unlucky for Arthur and three other soldiers from the Lake Superior Regiment.

……Arthur lost his life on February 15, 1945…….

An excerpt from ‘Holten Heroes: Stories from a Canadian Field of Honour’, from the chapter ‘Mission across the Maas’ gave an account of what happened on February 15, 1945…..

Map showing location of Bokhoven, Hedel, Zaltbommel, and Ammerzoden. (Map source: Mapbox)

“….In February 1945, his regiment was stationed near Bokhoven, on the south bank of the Maas, north of Hertogenbosch. And there he was deployed early in the morning for the fateful patrol on February 15, 1945. Such patrols were undertaken by both sides. The Germans tried to penetrate the Canadian lines on the Maas at Empel, Crevecoeur, and Gewande. Meanwhile, Canadians crossed the river to carry out reconnaissance of the north side and to check whether the Germans were still occupying their positions. Prisoners of war were captured by both sides during the skirmishes.

After the war, Lieutenant Colonel H.H.A. Parker of the Lake Superior Regiment explained what had happened to the patrol that Vanance was part of. “On the night of 14-15 February, B-Company had a patrol across the River Maas . . . ran into trouble on the way back with the result that only about half of the men got back to our side.” The patrol returned battered. One soldier (Walter Russell Lahoda) had been killed, ten were wounded, and three had fallen into the hands of the enemy. Among them – probably – was Arthur Vanance.

Parker stated in a letter to relatives of the deceased Earl Carlbom that a rescue operation was set up. ‘Sergeant Carlbom, along with Lieutenant Banks and Sergeant Boomhower decided to cross the river again and search for the missing men from their platoon. Unfortunately, they were ambushed, Lieutenant Banks and your son being wounded. Sergeant Boomhower managed to make his escape and he told us that there was little doubt that your son had been taken prisoner, but apparently, his wounds must have been more serious than they appeared. We have twice carried out a search of the whole area but have been unable to locate his grave.’

What happened to Arthur Vanance after that remains unclear. One of the soldiers, W.R. Marsh, later reported that Lance-Corporal Hilderley had been fatally wounded, and that they had been unable to recover his body due to intense enemy fire. But, said the same soldier, if they had had two stretchers, they could have picked up Hilderley and Vanance.

Banks told Marsh that another NCO, Carlbom, would take care of that. But Carlbom was also ambushed and killed. After the war it turned out that Carlbom had been buried by the Germans in the cemetery in Zaltbommel. Hilderley had been buried in occupied Ammerzoden, along with an unidentified Canadian soldier. Where Arthur Vanance had gone was unclear: he was missing. Hilderley’s body was exhumed after the war and reburied in Holten Canadian War Cemetery, in Plot XI, Row H, Grave 6. Carlbom was also reburied in Plot XI, Row H, Grave 7 in the same cemetery. The unidentified Canadian from Ammerzoden also ended up in Holten Canadian War Cemetery, in Plot XI, Row H, Grave 5….”

……The other casualties ……

Private Arthur Vanance wasn’t the only casualty that night….

  • Sgt Earl Herbert CARLBOM of Sioux Lookout, Ontario, aged 27
  • Lance-Corporal Harold Frederick HILDERLEY of Stratford, Ontario, aged 19
  • Private Walter Russell LAHODA of Winnipeg, Manitoba, aged 27

Carlbom and Hilderley are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten.  Lahoda is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.

Lt. George Calvin ‘Cal’ Banks. (Photo courtesy of Mitch Banks)

Lt. George Calvin ‘Cal’ BANKS survived.  His son, Mitch Banks, wrote to let us know that “….Private Arthur Vanance is part of my Father’s story as he was his Platoon commander that fateful night on February 15th 1945 when Private Vanance and three others of Dad’s platoon were killed. My Dad was severely wounded and taken prisoner….”

Mitch explained that “…having learned his friend Sergeant Carlbom was killed and Dad having lost a lot of blood, he would have been in a state of shock and probably not sure where he was initially taken….” 

In the Liberated Prisoner of War Questionnaire that was completed after the war ended, Cal stated that he had been captured near Hedel on February 15, 1945, then initially taken to a hospital in Apeldoorn until March 31, 1945, followed by a hospital in Haarlem, where he remained until May 8, 1945.  

……Was Arthur buried in that unknown grave? ……

Was Arthur Vanance in Plot XI, Row H, Grave 5 in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten? (Photo courtesy of the Information Centre Canadian Cemetery Holten)

The account in Jan Braakman’s book ended with the belief that it was Arthur who lay buried in Plot XI, Row H, Grave 5 in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, and was so compelling that the translated excerpt was sent to Dr. Sarah Lockyer, Casualty Identification Coordinator, Directorate of History and Heritage, Department of National Defence of the Government of Canada. 

In a subsequent phone conversation, Dr Lockyer asked if a family member had been found, as that would be very helpful.  Pieter immediately began his research and it wasn’t long before he was in contact with Paulette Alcock of Alberta, who wrote to say that “…I can confirm that Arthur Vanance was my dad’s half-brother.  He spoke of him being missing in the war and remembers his mom receiving a medal. He was young, so it was tough, and my dad has also been gone for over 30 years. If I can help in the further steps, let me know.  It would be nice to have my uncle Arthur as a known soldier….”   Paulette agreed to have her contact information shared with Dr Lockyer, which was done.  

We heard nothing for several years, but did keep Dr Lockyer updated, such as when the translated book was published in English in October 2023 as ‘Holten Heroes: Stories from a Canadian Field of Honour’.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/11/01/new-book-about-soldiers-buried-in-the-canadian-war-cemetery-in-holten-the-netherlands/ ) 

In March 2024, Jan Braakman submitted the English language chapter about Arthur Vanance to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), which can be read at: https://www.cwgc.org/stories/stories/private-arthur-vanance-lake-superior-regiment-mission-across-the-river-maas/ 

….The Directorate of Heritage and History wrote to inform us that Arthur’s grave was no longer unknown ….

Then, a year later, on March 3, 2025, we received the following email from Dr. Lockyer:

“….Good morning Mr. and Mrs. Valkenburg,

I am delighted to inform you that the Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces have publicly announced the identification of Private Arthur Vanance. His case was adjudicated and accepted at the December 2024 Casualty Identification Review Board and his next of kin was recently notified by the Canadian Armed Forces. I have attached a letter from the Acting Director of History and Heritage thanking you for your submission that ultimately made this happen.

The URLs for the News Release are found below….

ENGLISH: https://www.canada.ca/en/department-national-defence/news/2025/03/canadian-soldier-of-the-second-world-war-identified.html

FRENCH: https://www.canada.ca/fr/ministere-defense-nationale/nouvelles/2025/03/identification-dun-soldat-canadien-de-la-seconde-guerre-mondiale.html

The Canadian Armed Forces are aiming to conduct his rededication ceremony in early May to coincide with the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Netherlands commemorative events hosted by Veterans Affairs Canada at Holten Cemetery.

Thank you for your help in making this happen. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to ask.

Cheers,

Sarah

Sarah Lockyer, PhD….”

The March 3, 2025 letter to us from Captain Ken Ingram, Acting Director of History and Heritage, Department of National Defence of the Government of Canada, provided the same information as Dr Lockyer, and thanked us for the small part we played in this story:

“….We are pleased to inform you that following extensive research undertaken by both the CWGC and Directorate of History and Heritage (Canadian Armed Forces), the information you submitted was accepted in December 2024 by the Casualty Identification Review Board.

We sincerely thank you for submitting your report to the CWGC. Your excellent research helped to enable this incredible outcome.…”

Media coverage picked up this wonderful outcome…. see https://www.ctvnews.ca/northern-ontario/article/grave-of-missing-northern-ont-solider-identified-after-80-years/

….The Re-dedication Ceremony was planned for May 3, 2025 …

Towards the end of March, we were informed by both Henk Vincent, volunteer at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, and by Adjum/MWO Brian Keene, Directorate History and Heritage (3-3) – Dress and Ceremonial, of the Canadian Armed Forces that the re-dedication ceremony for Arthur’s grave would be held on the morning of May 3, 2025.  As we would be in The Netherlands during the period, we were able to attend this special event.

Coming up in Part 2….we attend the grave re-dedication ceremony for Arthur Vanance, one of the highlights of our adventures on the 2025 European War Memorial Trail. 

Thank you to Mitch Banks for the information and photos about his father, Lt Banks, and to Yannic Wethly for sending us the Liberated POW Questionnaire.  Thank you to Jan Braakman for permission to quote from his book, with translation into English by Pieter and Daria Valkenburg

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/

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

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

On The War Memorial Trail…..Found – Engine Part From The Last Flight Of Halifax L9561

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Politiek Farm on the left with the village of Wons on the right. (Photo courtesy of Remko de Jong)

July 29, 2025.  After visiting 4 cemeteries in Friesland on the last day of April during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, we were hot and tired, and faced a long drive back to where we were staying.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/07/23/on-the-war-memorial-trail-our-visit-to-4-cemeteries-in-friesland/)

However, we continued on to the village of Bolsward, as Makkum resident Remko de Jong had been informed that part of the engine from the last flight of Halifax L9561, which had been found on the Politiek Farm in Wons, was being displayed at an exhibition in the De Tiid (The Times) Museum in Bolsward. 

Map shows the location of the Politiek farm, the crash site where Halifax L9561 came down, and location of the Memorial Panel placed in 2019 in Wons.  (Map courtesy of Remko de Jong)

When we were at Harlingen General Cemetery earlier that day, we placed flags at the grave of RCAF Flight Sergeant Elmer Bagnall MUTTART of Cape Traverse, Prince Edward Island, who died on the night of October 12, 1941, at the age of 23, when the plane he was piloting was attacked by German nightfighters, and crashed near the village of Wons.  Elmer’s story has been well documented on this blog over the past years. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2017/07/28/the-elmer-bagnall-muttart-story/)

The burning plane had crashed on the Politiek Farm, which we had visited in 2017. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2018/02/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-at-the-politiek-farm-in-wons/)

….Part of the engine from Halifax L9561 was found in 2023…

On October 22, 2023, Remko de Jong had sent photos, informing Pieter of a surprise discovery….. A piece of the engine from the last flight of Halifax L9561 had been found on the Politek farm in Wons. “… This is the front section attached to the main engine with the three propeller blades. … This engine was found five weeks ago on the land where Elmer Muttart’s Halifax crashed….I don’t yet know what will happen to it or where it will be displayed….”  (NOTE: Translation from the original Dutch)

Engine part from Halifax L9561 found on the Politiek farm in 2023.  (Photo courtesy of Remko de Jong)

On October 30, 2023, Douwe Drijver of the Missing Airmen Memorial Foundation informed Pieter that “…Mr. Cor Politiek from Wons recently informed us that a part of the Halifax had been found….” After photos were received, they were able to “….determine what was pulled from the clay. It’s the transmission from the engine to one of the propellers. The three blades were attached to this….”  (NOTE: Translation from the original Dutch) 

Any excitement about the find was tempered by uncertainty as to what would happen next. “…. If these are found at a depth of more than 30 centimetres, they are considered archaeological finds. This means they must be reported to the municipality or province. Mr. Politiek has since arranged this. There is now a chance that the transmission will be confiscated. Because the municipality responded with understanding, I advised everyone to do business with them….”  (NOTE: 30 cm is 11.8 inches)

….The engine part was sent to a museum in Bolsward…

Remko explained that the part had been found while using a metal detector, and that it was “….buried 1 to ½ metres below the ground…” on the Politiek farm.  “…Because of the depth at which the engine part was found, it was deemed the property of the province and therefore had to be sent to the museum in Bolsward….”  (NOTE: Translation from the original Dutch)

We heard nothing more about the find until this year, when Remko was informed that the engine would be displayed in an air exhibition at the regional museum in Bolsward towards the end of April.  He made an appointment for the three of us to visit the museum and to meet with the curator, as it turned out that no one in the museum was aware of the heroism displayed by Elmer Muttart in saving his crew and the village of Wons …. at the expense of his own life. 

Before we left for our trip, we shared the short documentary we’d made about the events that led up to a memorial panel being placed in Wons…..and we brought newspaper articles for the museum to have in its collection. See ‘He Died That We Might Live …the story of Halifax L9561(S1E2)’ …..

….The engine part was not on display in Bolsward…

When we arrived at the De Tiid Museum in Bolsward, we were met with disappointment.  The Air Exhibition did not display the engine part, nor did we see the curator.  Instead, one of the archivists, Nena Huizinga, came and showed us the engine part – which was on the floor in a closet, and not on display.

Nena Huizinga with Remko de Jong and Pieter beside the engine part sitting on the floor of a closet in De Tiid Museum in Bolsward.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Sketch of the engine part from Halifax L9561, as drawn by Daria Valkenburg

Nena explained that she had watched the video, and was interested in the newspaper articles, as the story about Halifax L9561 was not one that the archivists at the museum were familiar with.  She didn’t know why the engine part was not part of the Air Exhibition, but said she would find out what happened.

Pieter explaining to Nena Huizinga how the plane came down just outside Wons.  (Photo credit: Daria  Valkenburg)

….An explanation on why the engine part was not on display…

The next day, we received an email from Nena about the engine part and why it was sitting in a closet.  “….Today I asked the museum….why the engine block was not on display.…” It had originally been part of the Air Exhibition, but “…apparently it was too heavy and the engine block had fallen through the museum furniture….” on which it had been displayed.  “….It was also leaking oil….”  (NOTE: Translation from the original Dutch) 

She went on to explain that “…next week they will look at it again, and hope to find a solution so that it can still be included in the exhibition….” Remko is actively following up on this story but unfortunately, almost 3 months after our visit, the engine part is still not on display. 

This concluded our visit to Friesland.  We’ll continue to share the highlights of our adventures on the 2025 European War Memorial Trail on our journey of remembrance. 

The research work continues for Pieter. If you have photos or information to share about soldiers buried in The Netherlands or Belgium, please email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.    

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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

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

On The War Memorial Trail…..Our Visit To 4 Cemeteries In Friesland

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July 23, 2025.  On a scorching hot sunny day, we travelled 2 hours to the province of Friesland, where we had planned to place flags at 4 cemeteries and to meet with Remko de Jong, a resident of Makkum, who coordinates the Christmas Eve Candle Lighting ceremony in his village and has shared photos with us for several years. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/12/31/2023-christmas-eve-candle-lighting-in-the-netherlands/)

….Flags placed at 11 graves in Harlingen General Cemetery…

Our first stop on the war memorial trail in Friesland was at Harlingen General Cemetery in Harlingen, where we placed flags at 11 graves, 9 of them the graves of Canadian airmen. 

Daria at Harlingen General Cemetery.  (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Pieter snapped the above photo of me at Harlingen General Cemetery, one of the 4 small cemeteries we visited today in the province of Friesland.  You can see me with a clipboard with names of the men and the provinces they came from so we knew which graves to visit and which provincial flags to place.

Pieter placing flags of Canada and Prince Edward Island at the grave of Elmer Bagnall Muttart. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Our main reason for the trip to this cemetery was to place flags at the grave of RCAF Flight Sergeant Elmer Bagnall MUTTART of Cape Traverse, Prince Edward Island, who died on the night of October 12, 1941, at the age of 23, when the plane he was piloting was attacked by German nightfighters, and crashed near the village of Wons.  Elmer’s story has been well documented on this blog over the past years. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2017/07/28/the-elmer-bagnall-muttart-story/)

Grave of Elmer Bagnall Muttart.  (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

We also placed flags at the grave of an unknown airman, in tribute to Rowan Charles ‘Bunky’ FITZGERALD of Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, who lost his life on June 28, 1942, when the plane he was on was attacked and crashed into the sea.  His body has never been identified.  It’s not known if he’s buried in an unknown grave in this cemetery, but we lay flags there as one crew member from Australia was identified and is buried in the row behind Elmer Muttart. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/10/12/on-the-war-memorial-trail-well-never-forget-uncle-bunky/)

We placed flags of Canada and Prince Edward Island at this unknown grave in honour of Rowan Charles ‘Bunky’ FitzGerald.  (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

In addition to visiting these two graves, we also placed flags at the graves of:

  • William Raymond James BROWN of Vancouver, British Columbia, died September 29, 1941 while serving in the RCAF
  • Donald Edward CAMPBELL of Rouleau, Saskatchewan, died June 26, 1943 while serving in the RCAF
  • Francis Arthur DAVIEAUX of Sioux Ste Marie, Ontario, died July 14, 1945 while serving in the Ontario Regiment
  • James MCDOWELL of Port Arthur (now part of Thunder Bay), Ontario, died May 16, 1943 while serving in the RCAF
  • Murray Hudley NESBITT of Toronto, Ontario, died May 13, 1943 while serving in the RCAF
  • John Beverley PLEASENCE of Chatham, Ontario, died July 22, 1942 while serving in the RCAF
  • William Maurice POPPLESTONE of Pilot Mound, Manitoba, died March 26, 1942 while serving in the RCAF
  • Thomas ‘Tommy’ Clayton REID of Toronto, Ontario, died July 22, 1945 while serving in the Sherbrooke Fusiliers
  • Robert WISHART of Hamilton, Ontario, died July 22, 1942 while serving in the RCAF

From Harlingen, we went towards Makkum, stopping at the Halifax L9561 Memorial Panel in Wons to place flags of Canada and Prince Edward Island in honour of the flight’s pilot and sole fatality, Elmer Bagnall MUTTART. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2019/11/18/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-memorial-panel-in-wons-is-unveiled/)

Pieter at the Memorial Panel in Wons, honouring the crew of the last flight of Halifax L9561.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

…..Flags placed at two graves in Makkum…

In Makkum we met with Remko de Jong for lunch, and he joined us in visiting the next 3 cemeteries.  First up was the Donia Protestant Church Cemetery (also known as Wonseradeel (Makkum) Protestant Churchyard) in Makkum.

38 airmen are buried in this cemetery, which is located by Lake Ijsselmeer in the province of Friesland.  Most of the airmen’s bodies were recovered from the foot of the dikes surrounding Makkum, pushed there from the sea by winds blowing in from the southwest. Others were recovered by fishermen from Makkum who brought the corpses to their home port for burial.  (See https://www.zzairwar.nl/dossiers/954.html for more information.)

One of the airmen buried in Makkum is RCAF Flying Officer John Francis Edward TABOR of Ottawa, Ontario, who lost his life when the plane he was in, Halifax LK879 crashed at sea on the night of December 16, 1944 into December 17, 1944.  Remko mentioned that he had a very poor quality photo of this airman and asked for help in finding a better photo.  Pieter will have to add this request to his research list!

Another of the Canadian airmen buried in Makkum is RCAF Air Gunner Sgt George David NISBET of Conquest, Saskatchewan, whose body was recovered from the sea on June 7, 1944, after being reported missing on May 24.  He was aboard flight Halifax W1217 which was shot down by a nightfighter.

….We placed flags at one grave in Witmarsum…

Remko de Jong and Pieter at the grave of Stanley Adolfson Bishop. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

From Makkum we travelled to the village of Witmarsum. Our destination was the Wonseradeel (Witmarsum) Protestant Churchyard, where we placed flags at the grave of Stanley Adolfson BISHOP of Quebec, an RCAF Flying Officer serving with 100 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, died May 28, 1943, aged 26, when Lancaster III ED821 HW-A was shot down over The Netherlands by a night fighter. Six of the crew perished, with one survivor who became a prisoner of war.

…..Flags placed at two graves in Kimswerd…

Pieter outside Laurentiuskerk, where the cemetery in Kimswerd is located.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Our last cemetery stop was in the village of Kimswerd, to place flags at the graves of two airmen from 101 (RAF) Squadron, buried in the poorly maintained Wonseradeel (Kimswerd) Protestant Churchyard.  Both men were aboard Wellington III X3654 SR-K, in which all 6 crew members lost their lives.  

Thomas MCBRIDE of British Columbia, an RCAF Warrant Officer serving with 101 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, died August 18, 1942, aged 33.

Pieter and Remko de Jong by the grave of Earl Herbert Brown. To the left is the grave of Thomas McBride. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Earl Herbert BROWN of Ontario, an RCAF Pilot Officer serving with 101 Squadron of the Royal Air Force, also died August 18, 1942, aged 26.

This concluded our visit to the 4 cemeteries in Friesland, but the day was not yet over! The three of us next travelled to De Tiid (The Times) Museum in Bolswerd, to look at an engine part belonging to the last flight of Halifax L9561, found at the crash site where Elmer Bagnall MUTTART lost his life. 

Over the next postings, we’ll continue to share the highlights of our adventures on the 2025 European War Memorial Trail on our journey of remembrance.  Next up – the visit to Bolsward.

The research work continues for Pieter. If you have photos or information to share about soldiers buried in The Netherlands or Belgium, or can contribute a photo of John Francis Edward TABOR, please email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.    

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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

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

On The War Memorial Trail…We Attended The Ceremony at The Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek

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July 19, 2025.  Every year we receive an invitation to attend the annual commemoration ceremony in May at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands.  For the first time, however, we were able to accept the invitation as we would be in Europe.

Pieter made sure that flags had been placed ahead of the May 2, 2025 ceremony at all of the 120 graves on our research list at the cemetery, and we were very happy to see them all still in place.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/06/23/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-groesbeek-exhibition-part-1-flags-placed-at-120-graves/)

….A beautiful ceremony…

On May 2, 2025, we were picked up by Henk Vincent, a volunteer at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, which was near where we were staying.  Henk had offered us a ride, for which we were grateful as traffic was heavy and a 2 hour drive each way was not one we had been looking forward to. 

Pieter and I had assigned seating in the ‘Canadian contingent’ and were placed in the first row. I was next to a woman from Calgary, who was seated with her brother, a retired Assistant Commissioner of the RCMP.  She said there were 9 of them travelling together, all present to honour a soldier named MacDonald….and all were originally from Amaranth, Manitoba, which is near Lake Manitoba and not far from Riding Mountain National Park.  They were amazed to learn that I was also from Manitoba!  Pieter just shook his head.  He said I manage to meet someone from Manitoba everywhere I go.

The Canadian Forces Band marched past us as the ceremony began.  (Photo credit:  Daria Valkenburg)

The ceremony itself was beautiful, but it was very hot and sunny. At 30oC, sitting outside for hours, with the hot sun beating down on everyone, was very uncomfortable.  I ended up covering my head and shoulders with my sweater or I would have gotten heatstroke. 

I wasn’t alone.  There were a number of elderly WWII veterans – the oldest 101 – who had initially been placed in the front, but had to be moved into a shaded area. 

Alice van Bekkum, Chair of Faces To Graves Groesbeek Foundation at the podium, near the Cross of Remembrance, during the ceremony at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

….Caught on TV with a pink sweater on my head…

That evening, when we got back to the cottage we’d rented, there was an email from Don Coutts, saying that he had seen us briefly on CTV… and he sent the link.  Yes…. we were caught on camera…….me with a sweater on my head, and Pieter in a red polo shirt.

CTV National News: ‘You are not forgotten’: Canadians honoured on 80th anniversary of Netherlands liberation- —–Friday, May 2, 2025.  Stop the video at the 1 minute 5 second mark and see if you can spot us: https://www.ctvnews.ca/canada/article/you-are-not-forgotten-canadians-honoured-on-80th-anniversary-of-netherlands-liberation/

….Pieter noticed a grave without a photo…

Grave of Donald Montgomery.  (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Where we were seated, and while waiting for the ceremony to start, Pieter noticed that there was a grave in the row that didn’t have a photo beside it.  Always ready to do research, he took a photo of the grave and later looked up the soldier and found a photo. Donald MONTGOMERY of Prince Rupert, British Columbia, son of Malcolm and Catherine Montgomery, was serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry when he lost his life on March 2, 1945, aged 23.  

In a subsequent email to Alice van Bekkum, Chair of Faces To Graves Groesbeek Foundation, he explained what happened.  “….During the ceremony on May 2nd I was near the gravestone of a soldier without a photo, while in the same row most graves had a photo. 

This intrigued me and so I took a photo of the gravestone. It is Donald Montgomery, he is buried in: XXIV. A. 15. 

I found the accompanying photo on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial. So now he has a face….” 

Donald Montgomery.  (Photo courtesy of Canadian Virtual War Memorial)

In 2027, during the next Faces of Groesbeek Exhibition, Donald Montgomery will have a photo by his grave!

….A tobacco pouch was placed at the grave of John Henry Lavigne…

Grave of John Henry Lavigne, who was serving with 9 Field Ambulance of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps when he died on August 21, 1945, aged 21. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Nova Wolf, Knowledge Keeper Musqueam First Nation, who was from Vancouver, was one of the first performers at the Commemoration Ceremony in Groesbeek.  He spoke about his grandfather, and he sang and danced. 

In his presentation, he mentioned how the Musqueam had fought the Haida First Nation in the past. Afterwards we spoke with him briefly, mentioning we had researched the story of Stanley Owen JONES, a WWII soldier and Haida Nation member of the Massett Band in British Columbia, who is buried in Holten. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/09/05/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembering-wwii-soldier-stanley-owen-jones/)

He asked about Indigenous soldiers in the cemetery in Groesbeek, and we said there were several, including a soldier from Restigouche, Quebec, John Henry LAVIGNE, at whose grave we had placed a Lnu (Mi’kmaw) flag.  “…Where is the grave?…” he asked.  We took him to it, and were very touched when he placed a tobacco pouch at his grave.  What a thoughtful and kind young man!

Nova Wolf holds a tobacco pouch that he placed at the grave of John Henry Lavigne.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Thank you to the Faces To Graves Groesbeek Foundation for inviting us to attend the ceremony, and to Don Coutts for sending the CTV video clip.  Thank you also to Della Maguire who had provided Lnu (Mi’kmaw) flag on behalf of the Toney/Smith Family in memory of Pte Leo Francis TONEY (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mi’kmaq and https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/05/22/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembering-ww2-soldier-leo-francis-toney/)

Over the next postings, we’ll continue to share the highlights of our adventures on the 2025 European War Memorial Trail on our journey of remembrance.

The research work continues for Pieter. If you have photos or information to share about soldiers buried in The Netherlands or Belgium, please email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.    

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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

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

On The War Memorial Trail….2025 Faces of Groesbeek Exhibition Part 5: The Soldiers From Nova Scotia

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July 4, 2025. The 2025 Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition, which ran from April 26 to May 18, 2025 at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, featured photos of soldiers that were placed by their graves. Photos are printed onto an aluminum backing, making them impervious to rain, and reusable. This year, 80% of the graves had a photo of the soldier.

The many volunteers from Faces To Graves Foundation Groesbeek, of which Alice van Bekkum is the Chair, worked tirelessly to make this exhibition possible. 

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

This was the third Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition, with the first in 2021 and the second in 2023. Many of the graves with photos of soldiers, whose stories have been told in time for those Exhibitions, have been previously featured.

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

We were in The Netherlands and Belgium for the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemoration events, and placed flags at the graves of 383 soldiers in 14 cemeteries.  Yes, Pieter was on his hands and knees 383 times, placing flags at these graves, as you can see below….

Pieter placing flags at the grave of Marven Glenroy Harvey of North Noel Road, Nova Scotia.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Marven Glenroy HARVEY, of North Noel Road, Nova Scotia, was serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders when he was killed on March 25, 1945, during the Battle of Bienen in Germany, at the age of 19. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/03/26/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-battle-of-bienen-part-8-the-wwii-soldier-with-7-brothers-who-also-served/

Grave of Marven Glenroy Harvey after Pieter had placed Nova Scotia and Canadian flags. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

120 of the graves visited were in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek alone, including the graves of 34 soldiers from Nova Scotia.

…4 Soldiers From Nova Scotia Commemorated…

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

In Part 2, five soldiers from Prince Edward Island, whose stories have previously been told, were featured. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/06/26/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-groesbeek-exhibition-part-2-the-soldiers-from-prince-edward-island/)

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

In Part 4, the graves and photos of 3 soldiers from New Brunswick, whose stories have previously been told, were featured. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/06/30/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-groesbeek-exhibition-part-4-the-soldiers-from-new-brunswick/)

Now, in Part 5, the graves and photos of 4 soldiers from Nova Scotia, whose stories have previously been told, are featured. Like Marven Harvey, two of them lost their lives on the same day, during the Battle of Bienen on March 25, 1945.

Pieter at the grave of Austin Havelock Munroe.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Austin Havelock MUNROE from Little Dover, Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.  You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/05/14/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-battle-of-bienen-part-12-the-wwii-soldier-from-little-dover-who-lost-his-life-in-germany/

Grave of Lawrence Arthur Rudolph.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Lawrence Arthur RUDOLPH from Liscomb, Nova Scotia, was killed in action during Operation Blockbuster in Germany on February 27, 1945. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/01/06/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-liscomb-who-lost-his-life-due-to-sniper-fire-in-germany/

Pieter at the grave of John Lewis ‘Ducky Wallace.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

John Lewis ‘Ducky’ WALLACE from Canning, Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.  You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/05/14/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-battle-of-bienen-part-12-the-wwii-soldier-from-little-dover-who-lost-his-life-in-germany/

Grave of Harry Elwood Wright.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Harry Elwood WRIGHT, from Clementsvale, Nova Scotia, was killed in action in The Netherlands on April 17, 1945. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/08/20/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-trooper-from-clementsvale-who-lost-his-life-during-the-liberation-of-the-netherlands/

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

All of the flags placed at graves were donated.  For the flags placed at the graves of soldiers from New Brunswick, our thanks go to: 

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

May we never forget the sacrifices made by these soldiers.  Perhaps all of the known graves of Canadians buried in Groesbeek will have a photo displayed by their grave at the next Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition in 2027.

More highlights of our adventures on the 2025 European War Memorial Trail will be featured in upcoming postings.

If you have a photo of a soldier buried at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek or one of the other cemeteries in The Netherlands, Pieter encourages you to email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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

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

On The War Memorial Trail….2025 Faces of Groesbeek Exhibition Part 4: The Soldiers From New Brunswick

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

June 30, 2025. The 2025 Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition, which ran from April 26 to May 18, 2025 at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, featured photos of soldiers that were placed by their graves. Photos are printed onto an aluminum backing, making them impervious to rain, and reusable. This year, 80% of the graves had a photo of the soldier.

The many volunteers from Faces To Graves Foundation Groesbeek, of which Alice van Bekkum is the Chair, worked tirelessly to make this exhibition possible.  They also organized the Liberation Day commemoration events. 

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

This was the third Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition, with the first in 2021 and the second in 2023. Many of the graves with photos of soldiers, whose stories have been told in time for those Exhibitions, have been previously featured.

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

We were in The Netherlands and Belgium for the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemoration events, and placed flags at the graves of 383 soldiers in 14 cemeteries.  Yes, Pieter was on his hands and knees 383 times, placing flags at these graves, as you can see below….

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

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

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

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

…3 Soldiers From New Brunswick Commemorated…

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

In Part 2, five soldiers from Prince Edward Island, whose stories have previously been told, were featured. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/06/26/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-groesbeek-exhibition-part-2-the-soldiers-from-prince-edward-island/)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

All of the flags placed at graves were donated.  For the flags placed at the graves of soldiers from New Brunswick, our thanks go to: 

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

May we never forget the sacrifices made by these soldiers.  Perhaps all of the known graves of Canadians buried in Groesbeek will have a photo displayed by their grave at the next Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition in 2027.

In Part 5, the graves and photos of soldiers from Nova Scotia, whose stories have previously been told, will be featured.

If you have a photo of a soldier buried at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek or one of the other cemeteries in The Netherlands, Pieter encourages you to email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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

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

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

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

June 28, 2025. The 2025 Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition, which ran from April 26 to May 18, 2025 at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands, featured photos of soldiers that were placed by their graves. Photos are printed onto an aluminum backing, making them impervious to rain, and reusable. This year, 80% of the graves had a photo of the soldier.

The many volunteers from Faces To Graves Foundation Groesbeek, of which Alice van Bekkum is the Chair, worked tirelessly to make this exhibition possible.  You can watch a short video on the preparations that were involved in putting the photo exhibition together:

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

This was the third Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition, with the first in 2021 and the second in 2023. Many of the graves with photos of soldiers, whose stories have been told in time for those Exhibitions, have been previously featured on this blog.

We were in The Netherlands and Belgium for the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemoration events, and placed flags at the graves of 383 soldiers in 14 cemeteries.

120 of the graves visited were in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek alone, including the graves of 3 soldiers from Alberta, 7 from Manitoba, and 3 from Quebec. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/06/23/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-groesbeek-exhibition-part-1-flags-placed-at-120-graves/)

…3 Soldiers From 3 Provinces Commemorated…

In Part 1, an overview of our day of flag placing at 120 graves was provided.  In Part 2, five soldiers from Prince Edward Island, whose stories have previously been told, were featured. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/06/26/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-groesbeek-exhibition-part-2-the-soldiers-from-prince-edward-island/)

Now, in Part 3, the graves and photos of 3 soldiers from the provinces of Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, whose stories have previously been told, are featured. Two of the men, both serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, died within a day of each other during the Battle of Moyland Wood. 

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

Thomas ‘Tom’ Alfred BROWN from Altario, Alberta, was killed in action during the Battle of Moyland Wood in Germany on February 17, 1945, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/01/25/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-successful-search-for-a-photo-of-wwii-soldier-thomas-alfred-brown-left-us-with-a-mystery/

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

Norman Victor Holgate BUCHANAN, from Miami, Manitoba, lost his life in Germany on February 16, 1945, during the Battle of Moyland Wood, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.  You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/11/08/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-monument-in-st-claude-led-to-a-photo-of-a-wwii-soldier/

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

Joseph ‘Albert Noel’ LAMONTAGNE from Saint-Basile, Quebec, was killed in action during the advance towards Xanten in Germany on March 3, 1945, while serving with Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/02/05/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-saint-basile-who-lost-his-life-during-the-advance-towards-xanten/

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

All of the flags placed at graves were donated.  For the flags placed at the graves of soldiers from Alberta, Manitoba, and Quebec, our thanks go to: 

  • Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian flags.
  • Alberta flags were provided by Marie Renaud, MLA St Albert, Alberta at the request of Roman Berezowsky.
  • Manitoba flags were provided by Brad Robertson, Chief of Protocol, Government of Manitoba, on behalf of Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba.
  • Quebec flags were provided by Mario Henry and his brother Etienne Henry.

May we never forget the sacrifices made by these soldiers.  Perhaps all of the known graves of Canadians buried in Groesbeek will have a photo displayed by their grave at the next Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition in 2027.

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

If you have a photo of a soldier buried at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek or one of the other cemeteries in The Netherlands, Pieter encourages you to email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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

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

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

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June 26, 2025. The 2025 Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition, which ran from April 26 to May 18, 2025 at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, featured photos of soldiers that were placed by their graves. Photos are printed onto an aluminum backing, making them impervious to rain, and reusable. This year, 80% of the graves had a photo of the soldier.

The many volunteers from Faces To Graves Foundation Groesbeek, of which Alice van Bekkum is the Chair, worked tirelessly to make this exhibition possible.  They also organized the Liberation Day commemoration events. 

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

We were in The Netherlands and Belgium for the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemoration events, and placed flags at the graves of 383 soldiers in 14 cemeteries. 120 of the graves visited were in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek alone, including the graves of 17 soldiers from Prince Edward Island. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/06/23/on-the-war-memorial-trail-2025-faces-of-groesbeek-exhibition-part-1-flags-placed-at-120-graves/)

…5 Soldiers From Prince Edward Island Commemorated…

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

May we never forget the sacrifices made by these soldiers.  Perhaps all of the known graves of Canadians buried in Groesbeek will have a photo displayed by their grave at the next Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition in 2027.

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

If you have a photo of a soldier buried at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek or one of the other cemeteries in The Netherlands, Pieter encourages you to email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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

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

On The War Memorial Trail….2025 Faces of Groesbeek Exhibition Part 1: Flags Placed At 120 Graves

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June 23, 2025.  In 2021, photos were placed at more than 1,600 graves at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands for three weeks.  The event was so successful that the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which oversees the cemetery, gave permission for photos to be placed by the graves every two years.  In 2023, almost 2,000 photos, just over 350 more than 2 years ago were placed.  

Several hundred more have been found since then, and it was announced that for the 2025 Exhibition, 80% of the graves now have a photo of the soldier. Photos are printed onto an aluminum backing, making them impervious to rain, and reusable. The 2025 Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition ran from April 26 to May 18, 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. 

This year, we were in The Netherlands and Belgium for the 80th Anniversary Commemoration events, and placed flags at the graves of 383 soldiers in 14 cemeteries.

The first cemetery we visited was Sleen General Cemetery, where we placed flags at the graves of 4 airmen who lost their lives during the last flight of Halifax DT630.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/06/15/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-visit-to-sleen-general-cemetery/)

The second cemetery to visit on our 2025 European War Memorial Tour was the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, where Pieter placed flags at 120 graves. We arrived at the cemetery at 10 am, after a 1 ½ drive from where we were staying, and didn’t finish until 6:15 pm. 

It was a long and very hot day. I must confess that I tried several times to convince Pieter to divide the flag placing in two trips, but that stubborn Dutchman was determined to place all the flags in one day, no matter how much I complained! 

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

This was the final tally for the 120 graves:

  • 34 were from Nova Scotia
  • 26 from New Brunswick
  • 17 from Prince Edward Island
  • 1 from British Columbia
  • 3 from Saskatchewan
  • 7 from Manitoba
  • 3 from Alberta
  • 14 from Ontario
  • 3 from Quebec
  • 2 from Newfoundland

23 of the graves also received an Acadian flag, and 1 received an Indigenous flag from the Mi’kmaq Nation.  All of the graves received a Canadian flag.  Provincial flags were placed at all graves, with the exception of the soldiers from British Columbia and Saskatchewan. 

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

….A Memorial Wall in the cemetery honours those who have no known grave…

Rifleman Clifford Alexander Blake is listed on Panel 11 of the Memorial Wall at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

We also took photos of the name of one soldier who has no known grave and is listed on Panel 11 of the Memorial Wall.  Clifford Alexander BLAKE of Toronto, Ontario, was the son of William C. and Sarah L. Blake, and husband of Ferne E. Blake.  He died February 16, 1945, aged 23, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.  A photo of this soldier is still being sought.

….A cemetery volunteer took our photo at one grave…

Daria and Pieter at the grave of George Taylor in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek. (Photo credit: Else Schaberg)

While in the cemetery we were approached by a volunteer, Else Schaberg, after we placed flags at the grave of George TAYLOR, a soldier from Curve Lake First Nation in Ontario. She asked us if we were Pieter and Daria….and when we said yes, asked if she could take a photo of us.  Don’t we look cheerful?  Luckily, it was only 11 am, and we still had plenty of energy!  (You can read George Taylor’s story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/08/10/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembering-wwii-soldier-george-taylor/)

..Lunch and a chance to meet up with Alice van Bekkum…

A quick lunch of soup and sandwich at a cafe near the cemetery.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

After meeting Else, we also had a chance to meet and greet Alice van Bekkum, Chair of Faces To Graves Foundation Groesbeek, who we’ve known for many years.  She served us coffee with Dutch Easter bread made with almond paste. Yum yum! Pieter was able to give her photos that people had mailed to us over the past few years.

I did eventually convince Pieter to go for a quick lunch, before returning to place the rest of the flags. You should have seen us after 6:15 pm, when we finished!  We were so tired that we could hardly make it back to the car….and then had to face a 1 ½ hour drive back ‘home’. 

The Dutch continue to stress the importance of remembrance to the next generation so they can continue to remember those who lost their lives in WWII.  May we never forget the sacrifices made by our Canadian soldiers. Perhaps all of the known graves of Canadians buried in Groesbeek will have a photo displayed by their grave in 2027.

In Part 2, the graves and photos of soldiers from Prince Edward Island whose stories have been told in the past few years will be featured.

If you have a photo of Clifford Alexander Blake, or another soldier buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek or one of the other cemeteries in The Netherlands, Pieter encourages you to email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog. 

© 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.