November 15, 2025. Sometimes Pieter helps the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands to find photos of a few soldiers for which research had already been done, but no photo could be found. He’s found that it’s almost as much work as it is do a complete research project on a soldier, as there is a reason photos aren’t readily available – they can be very difficult to find!
My father was from Ukraine, so the search for soldiers with a Ukrainian heritage is a priority when Pieter gets a photo wish list, which is why one of the soldiers whose photo search he undertook was that of Peter HYDICHUK of Theodore, Saskatchewan. Born April 12, 1917, Peter was the son of Alexander and Annie (nee Procupuik) Hydichuk, who had immigrated to Canada in 1903 from what today is part of Western Ukraine. (You can read Jim Little’s story about Peter here: https://www.facestograves.nl/LifeStories/HYDICHUK%20Peter-JLE-bio-EN.pdf )
Theodore is a village located on the Yellowhead Highway, in southeastern Saskatchewan. (Map source: Google maps)
….The search for a photo of Peter Hydichuk seemed doomed for failure….
At first, it seemed as though the search for a photo of Peter would not take long, as he had many siblings. Besides himself, three of his brothers also served during WWII: Nick, John, and Matt.
Matt, who was married and the father of two daughters, was killed in France on August 23, 1944, aged 29, while serving with the South Saskatchewan Regiment, and is buried in Bretteville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery in France, 14 km south of Caen.
Peter also served in the South Saskatchewan Regiment, and died the following year, on March 31, 1945, in Germany. Nick and John survived the war.
At the end of January 2024, Pieter was in contact with one of Matt’s daughters, Pam Neilson, who lives near Birmingham, Alabama. Pam did her best, getting in touch with various family members in Canada, but with no success. She sadly reported to Pieter that the family threw away the photos.
When no other avenues of research turned up a photo, we reluctantly placed his name on the Cold Case List. Sometimes, that has resulted in a photo being found by someone who saw the name and could help with a photo or information. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/our-cold-cases/)
….The Cold Case List led to a photo….
Just as Remembrance Day 2025 came around the corner, we received an email from Garry Bodnaryk, who had seen Peter’s name on the Cold Case List! “…I came across your site today while searching for Peter Hydichuk from Theodore, Saskatchewan, Canada. The Hydichuks were neighbours of my grandparents, and my mother dated Peter until he was killed. … I’m glad that people like you are working to put faces to names, and helping to keep the memory of these soldiers alive….”
Peter Hydichuk. (Photo courtesy of Garry Bodnaryk)
Wow! Garry not only made our week, he shared how much Peter’s memory meant to his mother, and therefore to her family, even long after she passed away. “…Her maiden name was Anne Polowick. The Polowicks were friends and neighbours of the Hydichuks, and attended the same church and school in the area. My mother died almost 50 yrs ago, but she had always had Peter’s picture in her purse. My late father always thought it was sweet that she did. I kept the photos as they meant a lot to her….”
Anne (nee Polowick) Bodnaryk with one of her cousins. (Photo courtesy of Garry Bodnaryk)
….Anne and her family never forgot Peter….
Garry noted that his mother “…was the key figure in saving the photo, and in me even knowing who Peter was…”
Peter (left) with a neighbour on horseback. (Photo courtesy of Garry Bodnaryk)
Happier days before WWII. Peter Hydichuk (red arrow) and Anne (nee Polowick) Bodnaryk (purple arrow). (Photo courtesy of Garry Bodnaryk)
Garry included a photo that included both Peter and Anne. “….My cousin confirmed that the man on the left is Peter Hydichuk. My mother is on the left, in front of him. I believe all the men served in the army during the war (my uncle next to Peter did). Other family members, and neighbours, are in the photo…”
A photo of the Hydichuk brothers, which Garry was kind enough to send, was in the ‘Theodore and District History’ book, which had a limited printing in the 1980s.
Photo of the Hydichuk brothers in 1940 from the ‘Theodore and District History’ book. Peter identified by red arrow.
…. Peter was killed near the German border….
On March 29, 1945 the South Saskatchewan Regiment arrived in Bienen, Germany, taking over from the Highland Light Infantry following the Battle of Bienen on March 25. The following day, the Regiment moved towards Gendringen, located in The Netherlands near the German border.
Per the March 30, 1945 war diary entry of the South Saskatchewan Regiment, a three Phase attack for the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade was set in place to “….capture the line from Terborg to Etten to Ziek…” Phase I was to be carried out by “….(1) Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal attacking Wieken, (2) 8 Canadian Recce Regiment…” to take over the position currently held by the “….Camerons of Canada in Netterden….” and then “…(3) on consolidation of Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal, Camerons of Canada to take out Veldhunten. This completes Phase I….”
The South Saskatchewan Regiment was held in reserve until Phase II, when it was ordered to capture Etten. Phase III called for the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade to “….cross the Oude IJssel River for the purpose of taking the town of Terborg….”
However, the plan for carrying out Phase III of the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade was initially cancelled that evening. “…At 2115 hours the plan was cancelled owing to the Camerons of Canada failing to take Veldhunten…”
A new plan was made an hour later. “… ‘A’ Company to move to Gendringen…” and take up a position. “… ‘B’ Company to move at 2315 hours….and send fighting patrol….passing through ‘A’ Company. ‘C’ Company to move at 2345 hours…. ‘D’ Company to move at 2400 hours…4 Platoon to send 1 section of Wasps under command of ‘A’ Company and 1 section to ‘B’ Company….”
Fighting continued throughout the night of March 30/March 31. Gendringen was liberated by mid-afternoon of March 31, 1945, in spite of heavy enemy shelling.
The war diary for March 31, 1945 recorded that “…at 1430 hours the casualty reports from the Companys were turned in to Command Post. They were 1 officer and 14 other ranks wounded and 3 other ranks killed….”
Peter Hydichuk was one of the fatal casualties that day, killed in action at the age of 27. Per Maarten Koudijs, an amateur researcher in the Gendringen area, and author of ‘Tussen Grens En Hoop’, he was “…killed near Alofs’s house on the Tappenweg in Etten….” (Translated from the original Dutch)
In addition to Peter, Maarten wrote that the other casualties were James Joseph MALONEY and William SERNOWSKI.
One of the severely wounded, Michael Joseph MACDERMOTT, was transferred to the Canadian General Hospital in England, where he died on August 5, 1945.
….Peter was temporarily buried in Megchelen….
Peter was temporarily buried on the farmland of A. Friesen in Megchelen, at the end of a row of 18 burials.
Temporary grave of Peter Hydichuk in Megchelen. (Photo courtesy of Garry Bodnaryk)
Garry had one more story to relate. “…In talking to one of my cousins, I found out that my mother’s father was at the train station (which had the telegraph office) when the news of Peter’s death came. My grandfather is the one that took the telegram and, stopping at home to get his bible, proceeded to the Hydichuk farm to break the news to the family….”
….We were in Gendringen this past May….
On a rainy Saturday in May 2025, we were in the Achterhoek area, and stopped in Gendringen. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)
This past May we followed the route taken by Canadian forces into Germany, as far as Bienen, and on the way back into The Netherlands, we stopped in the Achterhoek, in the province of Gelderland, the area where Peter died.
There is a memorial in the cemetery in Gendringen, which we visited. No soldiers’ names are mentioned on the memorial, though. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/05/09/on-the-war-memorial-trail-monument-unveiled-in-gendringen/)
The text on the panel of the memorial means ‘so that we don’t forget’, or, as said more commonly during Remembrance services, ‘lest we forget’. It was a solemn moment, with rain falling steadily, a fitting tribute that perhaps reflected the tears shed by families who lost their loved ones.
Pieter by the memorial in the cemetery in Gendringen. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)
….Peter was reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek….
Pieter stands behind the grave of Peter Hydichuk in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)
At the end of January 1946, Peter was reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek. We visited his grave this spring when we were in The Netherlands for our 2025 European Memorial Tour, and Pieter placed a Canadian flag by his grave. For most soldiers (383 in 14 cemeteries) we placed provincial flags as well, but as we had never received flags for Saskatchewan, we could only place a Canadian flag.
….Stories about 2 soldiers from Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal who were also originally buried in Megchelen….
Edmond Coloumbe, born in Fannystelle, Manitoba, and Alphonse Robert, of Caraquet, New Brunswick, were among 5 members of Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal who died during an attack on Gendringen, The Netherlands on March 30, 1945. Both were initially buried in Megchelen, and their stories were previously told on this blog.
- Edmond COLOUMBE, see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/12/24/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-successful-search-for-a-photo-of-ww2-soldier-edmond-coulombe/
- Alphonse ROBERT, see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/04/15/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-9/ and https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/10/12/on-the-war-memorial-trail-an-update-on-the-story-of-ww2-soldier-alphonse-robert/
The flag placed at Peter’s grave was donated. Our thanks go to Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque.
Thank you to Garry Bodnaryk for providing photos and information about Peter Hydichuk, and for saving his mother’s photos. A big thank you is due to his mother Anne for never forgetting a friend and neighbour who never had the chance to return home and live out his life during peacetime.
Thank you also to Maarten Koudijs for information on Peter’s death and the names of the other South Saskatchewan Regiment casualties. (Information on his book, available in Dutch, can be found at https://www.tussengrensenhoop.nl/)
The work of remembrance of those who served continues. More Remembrance Week stories to come.
If you have a story or photo to share, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.
© Daria Valkenburg
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On The War Memorial Trail Research Project........ with Pieter and Daria Valkenburg 