Bergen Op Zoom Canadian War Cemetery

On The War Memorial Trail….The WWII Soldier From Winnipeg Who Was Recognized For His Heroism During The Dieppe Raid But Died During The Battle Of The Scheldt

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January 21, 2026. For the past several years, in the week before Remembrance Day, the Winnipeg Free Press newspaper features a soldier on one of the photo search lists that Pieter gets from the Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands.  For the November 2025 feature, journalist Kevin Rollason asked if Pieter had a soldier on his list from Winnipeg, my home town.

Pieter said yes, and asked if Kevin would feature a soldier, buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands, who overcame a traumatic childhood and was recognized for ‘gallant and distinguished service’ during the Dieppe Raid (Operation Jubilee) on August 19, 1942, before losing his life on October 27, 1944, aged 22, during the Battle of the Scheldt. The search for a photo of the soldier was still active when Kevin’s story ‘Searching For A Hero’ was published on November 10, 2025.  (See Searching for a hero by Kevin Rollason)

Charles ‘Gordon’ ERICKSON was born July 27, 1922 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, the son of Frank and Helen (Ellen) Gordon (nee Grant) Erickson. According to their marriage record, Frank was born in USA, and Helen in Scotland. Gordon was the middle child, with an older sister, Hazel Francis, and a younger sister, Barbara ‘Nancy’.

….Gordon and his sister Nancy ended up in the care of the Children’s Aid Society…

It’s unclear exactly what happened, but before Gordon turned 5, the family had fractured.  A  Free Press Evening Bulletin notice from July 5, 1927 stated that Gordon and Nancy would be put into care of the Children’s Aid Society as of July 27, 1927.  The two children had been adopted by two different families. Unfortunately, both adoptions failed, putting them into care.

In the end, the two were separated from each other and didn’t reconnect until both were in service during WWII. The fate of their older sister Hazel was unknown to them.

Shortly after the Winnipeg Free Press article was published, Nancy’s son, Gordon Barker, contacted Pieter.  He explained that Frank “….worked on railroad and abandoned his wife and children, and it was believed that he returned to the USA.  Helen travelled to Minneapolis to look for him, had a nervous breakdown, and ended up in a mental institution, where she is thought to have died, circa 1966….”  

…. Gordon lied about his age upon enlistment…

Life was not easy for Gordon during his childhood.  When he enlisted on January 2, 1940 with the No. 5 General Hospital, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (RCAMC), Canadian Active Service Force (CASF), he wrote that he was born in 1918.  This was later changed to 1919, which was still incorrect as he was born in 1922.

His next of kin was originally listed as his father, but this was then changed to his Children’s Aid Society Guardian, Joseph Dumas. When asked if he had ever worked before enlistment, he stated that, from 1932 up to the date of enlistment, he had worked as a farmhand at the Smallicombe farm in Holland, Manitoba, receiving a weekly wage of $6 and his ‘keep’ (food and a place to sleep).  He had finished Grade 8 and listed soccer, swimming, and softball as sports he enjoyed.

….Gordon left Canada for overseas service…

Gordon worked as a medical orderly at No. 5 General Hospital in Winnipeg for almost the entire month of January.  On January 29, 1940, he boarded a ship in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and with other members of his unit, left Canada for the United Kingdom on January 30, 1940, sailing from Halifax, and disembarking in Gourock, Scotland on February 9, 1940. 

No. 5 Canadian General Hospital in Taplow.  (Photo source: Eton Wick History)

Once in Great Britain, Gordon continued as a medical orderly, at the 600 bed No. 5 Canadian General Hospital in Taplow, Buckinghamshire, until March 28, 1941. This wartime hospital, which looked after wounded soldiers, was established by the Canadian Red Cross in 1940 and had been built on land donated by the Astor family at their Cliveden Estate.

….Gordon was transferred to the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada…

On March 28, 1941, Gordon was transferred to the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada and sent for advanced infantry training. Then, on January 15, 1942, he was assigned to No. 2 Division Infantry Reinforcement Unit (DIRU) for additional training in preparation for the upcoming Dieppe Raid.  On May 1, 1942, he returned to the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada. 

Map showing the Dieppe Raid. (Map source: https://cbf-fccb.ca/)

On August 18, 1942, Gordon travelled to France with the Regiment, and was part of the combined attack for the Dieppe Raid, known as Operation Jubilee, on August 19, 1942.  This was a disastrous Allied amphibious attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe in northern France. (See https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/military-history/second-world-war/dieppe-raid and https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/dieppe-raid)

In the battle plan, the South Saskatchewan Regiment was to land in the first wave of the attack on Green Beach to secure the beach at Pourville, the right flank of the operation. The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada would then land in the second wave and move inland along the eastern bank of the Scie River to meet up with the tanks of the Calgary Regiment coming from Dieppe and capture the airfield at Saint-Aubin-sur-Scie. They would then clear the Hitler Battery and attack the suspected German divisional headquarters.

Things didn’t go as planned.  While the attack began on time (at 04:50 am) the South Saskatchewan Regiment landed west of the river, instead of in front of it. This didn’t pose a problem for the force aiming to clear the village and attack the cliffs to the west, but for the other force it meant they had to move through the village, cross the exposed bridge over the river before attempting to get on the high ground to the east.

The resulting delay gave the Germans had time to react and deploy, just as the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada came along in their landing craft as the second wave to attack on Green Beach.  As they reached 910 metres (1000 yards) off Green Beach, German shore batteries, machine guns, and mortars opened fire.  

….Gordon was wounded during the Dieppe Raid…

The main landing at Dieppe had been unsuccessful, and the failure of tanks to arrive made it impossible for the Regiment to gain its objectives. With increased German opposition and no communication with headquarters, the Regiment, which had advanced once reaching the beach, began to fight back to Pourville, carrying their wounded. They made it back and re-established contact with the South Saskatchewan Regiment, only to learn that there was an hour’s wait for the landing craft to return for re-embarkation.

Both the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada and the South Saskatchewan Regiment fought desperately during the wait, but there were too many casualties. At 11:00 am the landing craft began to arrive, taking grievous losses on the approach into the beach. More men were killed and wounded as they tried to board the landing craft under enemy fire. Five landing craft and one tank landing craft managed to rescue men from the shallows and cleared the beach with full loads, but within half an hour, no further rescues were possible.

Of 503 Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada who participated in the raid, 346 were casualties: 60 were killed in action, 8 died of wounds after evacuation, and 167 became prisoners of war (with 8 POWs dying from their wounds). 268 returned to England, 103 of them wounded.

Evacuation of casualties from Dieppe to England on August 19, 1942.  (Map source: ‘Official History Of The Canadian Medical Services 1939-1945’)

Gordon was one of the men wounded during re-embarkation.  He was evacuated to No. 15 Canadian General Hospital in Bramshott, United Kingdom, with a shrapnel wound to his left ear. According to his hospital file the “….wound penetrated to the bone….” with “…some slight retraction of eardrum… Probably slight concussion as result of artillery fire….”  He remained in hospital until August 31, 1942, when the wound healed, and he was able to return to duty.

For his actions during the Dieppe Raid, King George VI was “…graciously pleased to approve that ….”  Gordon “…be mentioned in recognition of gallant and distinguished services in the combined attack on Dieppe…”  On December 8, 1942, Gordon was promoted to Lance Corporal, remaining in the United Kingdom for further training.

…. Nancy’s son Gordon had a photo of his uncle…

Charles ‘Gordon’ Erickson.  (Photo courtesy of Gordon Barker)

Gordon and his sister Nancy were reunited while both were serving in England.  Her son Gordon explained that his mother had joined the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) on August 14, 1942, and served as a secretary for the military in London, England during the war, working on soldiers’ duty assignments and other administrative tasks. He had photos of both his mother and his uncle, who he was named after.

Nancy Erickson in England in 1942.  (Photo courtesy of Gordon Barker)

….Gordon was very highly regarded…

Gordon quickly received another promotion, to Corporal, on January 31, 1943.  In June 1943, he was sent to No. 5 (Battle) Wing Canadian Training School at Rowland’s Castle, Hampshire, England, for a 4 week Battle Drill course which trained Canadian soldiers in how to react when coming under enemy fire. (See https://www.southdowns.gov.uk/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/The-Canadian-Army-Battle-Drill-School-Stansted-Park-1942.pdf)

The course tried to mimic combat conditions, using obstacle courses and simulated battlefields, live rounds fired over the heads of students, controlled explosions, target practice, and dummies to bayonet.

One of Gordon’s instructors may have been Ralph Schurman BOULTER, whose story was previously told on this blog. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/03/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-battle-of-bienen-part-2-the-wwii-battle-drill-instructor-from-oleary/)

A September 21, 1943 interviewer wrote in Gordon’s service file that he had “….very high learning ability, a good appearance, and a pleasant personality….”  It further noted that Gordon requested “…any courses on supporting infantry weapons…”

….Gordon and the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada arrived in France in July 1944….

The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada Regiment disembarked in Graye-sur-Mer and made their way towards Caen.  (Map source: Google maps)

Gordon and the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada Regiment continued training while in the United Kingdom, but on July 5, 1944, a month after D-Day, they left aboard USOS ‘Will Rogers’ from Newhaven, Sussex for Normandy, as part of the as part of the 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade, 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, arriving in Graye-sur-Mer, Calvados, France 2 days later. 

By July 12, 1944, Battalion headquarters was based in an orchard near Rots, France, and the troops were dispersed outside of Caen, with the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada sent to Carpiquet. The war diary for that day noted that “…the town was completely demolished. Battalion takes up defence position…”

The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada Regiment were west of Caen in Carpiquet.  (Map source: Google maps)

….Gordon was injured during the Battle of Saint André-sur-Orne….

The Battalion was ordered to capture the village of Saint André-sur-Orne, located south-west of Caen. They reached it on July 20, 1944, with rain hindering operations. The Allies faced stiff resistance as they began Operation Spring, a major bombardment that took place on the night of July 24-25, to capture the heights of Verrières Ridge, which overlooks the area between Caen and Falaise. (See https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/verrieresridge.htm)

Part of Operation Spring was the Battle of Saint André-sur-Orne, a village on the starting line of the offensive.  It was captured by the Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada (6th Infantry Brigade, 2nd Infantry Division) Canadians to the north.

At some point during the battle, Gordon was wounded and evacuated to the United Kingdom for treatment.  He remained in the United Kingdom from July 26 to September 23, 1944, after which he returned to his Regiment on September 24, 1944.  By now, the Regiment had left France and was in the vicinity of Sint-Job-in-‘t-Goor, in the province of Antwerp, Belgium.

Gordon arrived just after a failed offensive, where Canadian and British troops had tried to secure an undamaged bridge over the Turnhout-Schoten Canal on September 23, 1944. Due to fierce German resistance Allied troops were unable to prevent the enemy from blowing up the bridge.

….The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada were involved in the Battle of the Scheldt….

The Regiment next began preparing to participate in the upcoming Battle of the Scheldt, which began officially on October 2 and lasted until November 8, 1944.  The Battle of the Scheldt’s objective was to free up the way to the Port of Antwerp in Belgium for supply purposes. Canadians suffered almost 8,000 casualties (wounded and dead) in what turned out to be the battle with the most Canadian casualties in The Netherlands. (See https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war/scheldt)

Map shows location of South Beveland and Walcheren Island  in The Netherlands.  (Map source: http://www.canadiansoldiers.com)

The War Diary for October 25, 1944 stated that at 9 pm they were ordered to move the next day to an area “…in the Beveland Causeway…” 

The Beveland Causeway, also known as the Sloedam, was a narrow land link between South Beveland and Walcheren Island in The Netherlands, crucial for gaining access to the port of Antwerp, and the site of brutal, costly battles in 1944 as Canadian forces fought to secure it against German defenders. This narrow strip, bracketed by marshes, was a heavily defended bottleneck, becoming the focus of fierce assaults. 

The War Diary for October 26, 1944 described the challenges faced as they moved into position and were attacked by 88 mm German guns.  “…Enemy 88 mm lays direct fire on crossroads as Battalion embusses…..”  There were no casualties at this point, but one vehicle was damaged.  However, as they moved along the road onto the Beveland Causeway, the convoy was “…mortared as it proceeded…” resulting in a few non-fatal casualties.  At 3 pm they were ordered to reverse direction towards the village of Yerseke.

….Gordon lost his life during the Battle of the Scheldt….

The Queen’s Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada moved back from the Beveland Causeway towards Yerseke. (Map source: Google maps)

The War Diary for October 27, 1944 continued to document the struggles faced by the Battalion as they entered Yerseke and took up positions north of the village.  The day was “…overcast, visibility poor, light mist, light rain….Battalion enters Yerseke at first light…”  They were ordered to cross the canal at a “…small footbridge one company at a time…” The plan was for “…two companies to form bridgehead while two companies push out to take Wemeldinge…”

Things didn’t go according to plan.  “…It was found impossible to cross footbridge due to mortars and one 88 mm gun….”  At 6:30 pm, Plan B called for “…companies to take up positions along canal bank.  Battalion will try crossing by assault boat at 2100 hours…”

While waiting for the assault boats, the men were hit by “…enemy mortars and shells….6 wounded, 2 killed…”  The crossing by assault boats didn’t go well, as the 10:30 pm report in the War Diary recorded. “…Battalion attack across canal repulsed by enemy mortar and heavy machine gun fire.  Two companies landed on island … All boats but one sunk, that one boat retired two companies to East bank under heavy fire…”

22 year old Gordon was among the fatalities that day, likely one of the two men killed while waiting for the assault boats to arrive.  

….Gordon is buried in Bergen Op Zoom…

Grave of Charles ‘Gordon’ Erickson in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands with a Christmas Eve candle.  (Photo courtesy of Caroline Raaijmakers)

Gordon was temporarily buried on October 31, 1944 in the cemetery in Sint-Maartensdijk, before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands on September 5, 1945. 

Gordon’s younger sister, Nancy Erickson Vincent, survived the war, had two sons, and lived in Espanola, Ontario until her death in 2014.  His older sister, Hazel Francis Erickson Kerr, lived in St Thomas, Ontario, but had died by the time she was found by Nancy’s son Gordon Barker in 2006.

By then, Nancy had fallen ill with dementia. “….I didn’t tell her that I found her sister because her sister had already passed away by that time….” he said. “…With the dementia and everything going on, I didn’t want to cause her any more pain…” 

Thank you to Shawn Rainville for newspaper searches, and to Judy Noon of the Royal Canadian Legion Branch 39 in Espanola, Ontario for contacting Gordon Barker.  A big thank you goes to Gordon Barker for providing photos and information, and to Kevin Rollason for writing a newspaper article highlighting the search for a photo. 

Gordon Barker in Bogor, Indonesia. (Photo courtesy of Gordon Barker)

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. 

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On The War Memorial Trail…..Our 2025 Visit To The Canadian War Cemetery In Bergen Op Zoom

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Entrance to the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom.  Pieter can be seen in the distance carrying the bag of flags!  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

January 12, 2026. Readers of this blog are aware that Pieter has been involved in finding photos of Canadians who are buried in The Netherlands since 2014.  Last spring 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. 

….Flags placed at the graves of soldiers from 5 provinces…

After visiting a number of cemeteries in The Netherlands and Belgium during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, we travelled back to The Netherlands to visit the last cemetery on our list – the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom. 

Many Canadians who are buried here lost their lives during the Battle of the Scheldt. Others were reburied here from other cemeteries, while some, mostly airmen, had drowned and their bodies washed up.

There are 1,119 WWII Commonwealth burials, 968 of them Canadian. There are also 109 casualties from the United Kingdom, 6 from New Zealand, 5 from Australia, and 31 that are unidentified. Flags were placed by Pieter at 51 graves at this cemetery:

  • 14 were from Nova Scotia
  • 21 from New Brunswick
  • 7 from Prince Edward Island
  • 1 from Saskatchewan
  • 8 from Ontario

9 of the graves also received an Acadian flag.  All of the graves received a Canadian flag.  Provincial flags were placed at all graves, with the exception of the soldier from Saskatchewan, for which, unfortunately, we did not receive flags.

.…This was our second visit to Bergen Op Zoom…

We’d first been to the cemetery in 2019. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2019/12/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-our-2019-visit-to-the-canadian-war-cemetery-in-bergen-op-zoom/)

The cemetery was an hour’s drive from our hotel in Tilburg.  In The Netherlands, no one talks kms, it’s all about the time it takes to get to a destination….and that varies depending on the time of day, if it’s a weekend or holiday, or a normal weekday.  Distances aren’t far by North American standards, but traffic is so congested – and drivers so impatient and aggressive – that it can take an hour or longer to travel a distance that would take 10 or 15 minutes back home.

As always, when we are in a war cemetery, we write an entry in the visitors’ book.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Whenever we visit a war cemetery, we always make time to write in the visitors’ book, and this time I wrote that we were here to place flags at 51 graves.

….A surprise encounter led to one more grave receiving a Canadian flag…

While in the cemetery, we met a family from Calgary, Fred and Tasha Best, and their two children, who’d come to visit Fred’s great-uncle, Hans Karl GRAFFUNDER, a soldier from British Columbia who died on October 1, 1944, aged 23, while serving with the Calgary Highlanders.

Standing behind the grave of Hans Karl Graffunder, from left to right: Tasha, Samantha, Fred (the soldier’s great-nephew), and Nate Best of Calgary, Alberta. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Pieter contributed a Canadian flag to be placed by the grave. After Pieter explained about the search for photos of soldiers, they immediately emailed a photo of Hans Karl to us, which was then shared with Caroline Raaijmakers, Chair of Faces To Graves Bergen Op Zoom. If only it was that easy to get all the photos on the wish lists!

Fred Best explained that originally it was thought that his great-uncle was a German soldier, due to his surname, blond hair, and blue eyes, but once he was identified as Canadian, he was buried in Bergen Op Zoom.

….It took us 2 hours to place flags…

It was not as hot and humid as in previous days, and as the cemetery is smaller than the other two Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands, we were finished in 2 hours, an amazing feat.

Pieter stands behind the grave of Albert James Lounsbury.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

When we visited the grave of WWII soldier Albert James LOUNSBURY, of Petitcodiac, New Brunswick, we brought a photo of him with us.  Pieter placed the photo at the grave along with flags of Canada and New Brunswick.  The photo was later given to Caroline Raaijmakers.  While serving with the Black Watch of Canada, Albert lost his life on October 13, 1944, aged 36.  His story will be coming up in a future posting.

Pieter stands behind the grave of Gregory Philip Anthony McCarthy. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

WWII soldier Gregory Philip Anthony MCCARTHY, born in Grand Falls, New Brunswick, was serving with the 10th Independent Machine Gun Company, New Brunswick Rangers when he killed in The Netherlands, aged 22, on January 19, 1945, when the company’s own mortar misfired and exploded. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/03/16/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-8/)

Pieter stands behind the grave of Arnold Ernest ‘Ernie’ Thornton. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

WWII soldier Arnold Ernest ‘Ernie’ THORNTON, born in Amherst, Nova Scotia, was serving with the Calgary Highlanders when he killed in Belgium, eight days before his 23rd birthday, on September 22, 1944, during the Battle of the Scheldt. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/01/16/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-3/)

….An invitation to lunch…

We finished placing flags a few minutes before we were scheduled to meet Caroline Raaijmakers and her husband Han.  They invited us to their home for lunch, where we enjoyed a delicious bowl of white asparagus soup and sandwiches.

Caroline Raaijmakers, Daria, Pieter, and Han Raaijmakers. Pieter holds a plaque from the family of Alvah Leard, a soldier from Prince Edward Island. (Photo credit: Dorus Raaijmakers)

Caroline showed us some of the material left at graves by Canadian students visiting the cemetery a few weeks before us. They saved everything as otherwise it would have been discarded or ruined by rain.  It was amazing!  Some students had painted pictures to be placed by graves. Plaques, photos, letters to the deceased soldiers, pins, and little ceramic animals were also left. 

All of the material will be saved for the upcoming Visitors Centre, located between the Canadian and British War Cemeteries, and which is scheduled to open in May 2026.

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

All of the flags placed at graves were donated.  Our thanks go to:

  • Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian flags.
  • Matt MacFarlane, MLA for District 19, Borden-Kinkora, for the flags from Prince Edward Island.
  • Kyle Graham, Research Officer, Military Relations, Nova Scotia Intergovernmental Affairs, on behalf of Premier Tim Houston, Province of Nova Scotia, for the Nova Scotia flags.
  • Don Coutts on behalf of the Muttart and Coutts families in memory of Flight Sergeant Elmer Bagnall Muttart for the Ontario flags.
  • Jean-Claude D’Amours, MLA for Edmundston-Madawaska Centre, Minister responsible for Military Affairs, with the help of Cécile LePage, Province of New Brunswick, for the New Brunswick flags.
  • La Société acadienne de Clare at the request of Simone Comeau for the Acadian flags.

Thank you to Caroline and Han Raaijmakers for inviting us for lunch, and letting us see what the Canadian students had left at the graves they visited.  Thank you also to the Best family for sending a photo of Hans Karl Graffunder. 

We arrived back at our hotel after 4:30 pm, and enjoyed an early dinner and relaxing evening.  More adventures awaited this droopy but dynamic duo as we continued with our 2025 European War Memorial Tour. 

Meanwhile, long after our return home, 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.

2025 Christmas Eve Candle Lighting At The Canadian War Cemetery In Bergen Op Zoom

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January 10, 2026.  For decades, it’s been a Christmas Eve tradition in Europe to light candles by the graves of Allied soldiers who are buried in War Cemeteries or in municipal cemeteries.

These candles are funded by various non-profit groups at each cemetery participating in the candle-lighting ceremony.  In many of the cemeteries, children are active participants, placing candles at each grave.

This year, we include photos of the candlelit graves for 8 soldiers – that Pieter has researched and whose stories have been previously told – who are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands.  This cemetery began the tradition of lighting candles on Christmas Eve in 1991, with candles placed by many volunteers.

The photos are courtesy of Faces To Graves Bergen Op Zoom Chair Caroline Raaijmakers, who arranged to send us photos of the graves of the soldiers we wanted to feature this year.

…8 graves from Bergen Op Zoom are featured….

Candles were placed at all 1,119 graves at the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom.  8 of them are featured in this posting….

Candle placed at the grave of James ‘Walter’ Auld.  (Photo Courtesy of Caroline Raaijmakers)

WWII soldier James ‘Walter’ AULD, born in Glenwood, Prince Edward Island, was serving with the Algonquin Regiment when he killed in The Netherlands, aged 21, on November 1, 1944 during Operation Suitcase, one of the actions during the Battle of the Scheldt. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2020/07/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-face-for-james-walter-auld/)

Candle placed at the grave of Edward ‘Ed’ Dalton Chisholm.  (Photo Courtesy of Caroline Raaijmakers)

WWII soldier Edward ‘Ed’ Dalton CHISHOLM, from Hallowell Grant, Nova Scotia, was serving with the Algonquin Regiment when he was killed in action during the Battle for the North Shore of the Scheldt in Belgium on October 20, 1944. He was 19 years old, only two weeks away from his 20th birthday. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/07/24/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-hallowel-grant-who-lost-his-life-during-the-battle-for-the-north-shore-of-the-scheldt/)

We were pleased to see a photo of Ed and a few mementos at his grave, placed by his family during a visit.  Last summer, Ed’s nephew Martin Sullivan wrote about an upcoming visit he and his wife Claire planned to make.  “….I was very touched to see you have been awarded the Knight of the Order of the Orange Nassau. You both have given so much to so many families who lost loved ones overseas. Edward is now a part of our family conversations to all the Chisholms and Sullivans. I look forward to completing the second leg of our journey in late October to see where Edward gave his life fighting near Kruisstraat along with the Dutch Orange Brigade and the Belgian White Brigade. We will be thinking of you both as we travel along his route with the Algonquins from Antwerp to Bergen op Zoom….”

Candle placed at the grave of Adam Klein.  (Photo Courtesy of Caroline Raaijmakers)

WWII soldier Adam KLEIN, from Disley, Saskatchewan, was serving with the Algonquin Regiment, when he died in The Netherlands while crossing the Maas River on January 18, 1945, aged 21. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/07/20/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-disley-who-lost-his-life-while-swimming-across-the-maas-river/)

Candle placed at the grave of Milton Evangeline Livingtone.  (Photo Courtesy of Caroline Raaijmakers)

WWII soldier Milton Evangeline LIVINGSTONE, born in Gladstone, Prince Edward Island, was serving with the Lincoln & Welland Regiment when he was accidentally killed, aged 26, on November 6, 1944 when a fellow soldier’s gun was fired in a house in Steenbergen, The Netherlands.  Milton was sitting at a kitchen table reading a Dutch-English dictionary when he was fatally shot.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/08/05/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-who-died-while-reading-a-dutch-english-dictionary/)

Candle placed at the grave of Harold Edward Roy Martin.  (Photo Courtesy of Caroline Raaijmakers)

WWII soldier Harold Edward Roy MARTIN, born in Caradoc, Ontario, was serving with the Essex Scottish Regiment when he was killed in The Netherlands during the Battle of the Scheldt on October 14, 1944, aged 32. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/02/11/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-remembered-by-his-daughters-friend/)

Candle placed at the grave of Leonard William Porter.  (Photo Courtesy of Caroline Raaijmakers)

WWII soldier Leonard William PORTER from Moncton, New Brunswick, was serving with the Calgary Highlanders when he was killed in action during the Battle of Walcheren Causeway in The Netherlands on November 1, 1944, aged 26.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/11/20/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-moncton-who-lost-his-life-during-the-battle-of-walcheren-causeway/)

Candle placed at the grave of Russell Richard Soble.  (Photo Courtesy of Caroline Raaijmakers)

WWII soldier Russell Richard SOBLE, born in Ameliasburg, Ontario, was serving with the Essex Scottish Regiment when he died on October 6, 1944, aged 20, one of 12 members of the regiment killed in action in Putte, a town on the Dutch-Belgian border, in a fight on October 5, 1944 that marked the beginning of the Battle of the Scheldt.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/01/13/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-2/)

Candle placed at the grave of William Ernest Stone.  (Photo Courtesy of Caroline Raaijmakers)

WWII soldier William Ernest STONE, from Clyde River, Prince Edward Island, was serving with the Black Watch of Canada, when he was killed during a fierce battle during the Attack On Hoogerheide in The Netherlands on October 10, 1944, at the age of 25. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/10/12/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-clyde-river-who-lost-his-life-during-the-attack-on-hoogerheide/)

Thank you to Caroline Raaijmakers for arranging to send us these photos from the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands.

If you have a story or photo to share about Canadian military personnel buried in The Netherlands or Belgium, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog. 

© Daria Valkenburg

…Previous postings about Christmas Eve Candle Lighting…

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Happy Holidays From The Valkenburgs – And Our Year In Review!

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

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December 24, 2024.  2024 was another busy year for us, and we remain committed to the On The War Memorial Trail research project.  As of today, since this project began, Pieter has been able to cross 312 photo search requests from the three Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands off of their photo search lists.  In addition, he has found photos for an additional 101 soldiers, with some WWII soldiers buried in Belgium, France, Italy, and the United Kingdom, airmen buried in municipal cemeteries, several soldiers from WWI, and soldiers from Prince Edward Island that survived WWI or WWII. I have written stories for many of these soldiers, with many more stories still to come.

While a few long-standing searches for photos were successful, allowing Pieter to complete his files for those soldiers, many files still remain open.  In most cases, family members were found, but no photo was available for one reason or another. 

The files in which Pieter has had zero luck in finding photos have been placed on the Cold Case Files page on the On The War Memorial Trail website.  We started this page last year and have been lucky to have a few names were cleared off of the list. Perhaps 2025 will see more names taken off of this list!  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/our-cold-cases/)

New research files were added, and Pieter was able to finish his research for many files from 2023.  As always, there is a lag between him completing his work and me documenting his research, but that is on my very optimistic ‘to do’ list for this winter.

Pieter’s new project, to upload photos to the Canadian Virtual War Memorial website, which began in the fall of 2023, was continued into 2024.  He advises that he plans to continue this project into 2025.

This year, we were able to meet several families, which we very much appreciated – this year in Manitoba, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island.  We are grateful that so many families have come forward to share photos and information, and are thankful for help from the media in helping to find photos.  What follows in the rest of this posting is a summary of what happened in 2024 with this research project.

…Pieter awarded the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation….

On August 19, 2024, Pieter was presented with the Minister of Veterans Affairs Commendation from The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs, in a ceremony held in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island. The Commendation had been awarded on January 24, 2024, with the presentation ceremony held in August. (See https://veterans.gc.ca/en/about-vac/who-we-are/department-officials/minister-veterans-affairs/minister-veterans-affairs-commendation/valkenburg-pieter-anthonie and https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/08/25/on-the-war-memorial-trail-pieter-awarded-the-minister-of-veterans-affairs-commendation/)

_095 Aug 19 2024 Min of VA Commendation ceremony

Pieter with the Minister of Veteran Affairs Commendation, presented to him by The Honourable Ginette Petitpas Taylor, Minister of Veterans Affairs. (Photo courtesy of Veterans Affairs Canada)

 …Presentation for 75th NATO Anniversary Commemoration At Seacow Head Lighthouse….

CIMG6887 Jul 10 2024 John Pieter Clare Seacow Head Lighthouse Ceremony

Left to right:  John Yeo, Pieter Valkenburg, Clare Hutchinson.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

On July 10, 2024, Pieter was one of the guest speakers at the 75th NATO Anniversary Commemoration at Seacow Head Lighthouse in Fernwood, Prince Edward Island. Pieter briefly spoke about his deployment at a NATO Nike Missile Base in Rheine, Germany during the Cold War. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/07/15/on-the-war-memorial-trail75th-nato-anniversary-commemoration-at-seacow-head-lighthouse/)

Among the NATO representatives were John Yeo, Atlantic Regional Director for NATO Veterans of Canada; guest speaker Pieter Valkenburg, Public Relations Officer for Borden-Carleton Legion; and keynote speaker Clare Hutchinson, former NATO Secretary General’s Special Representative for Women, Peace, and Security.

…Presentation At The 105th Annual  Remembrance Service At The Cornwall Cenotaph….

CIMG7059 Sep 22 2024 Cornwall Cenotaph speech Pieter

Pieter at the podium in Cornwall, with the WWII Cenotaph on the left, and the WWI Cenotaph on the right. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

On September 22, 2024, Pieter was the keynote speaker at the 105th Annual Remembrance Service at the Cornwall Cenotaph in Cornwall, Prince Edward Island.  Pieter briefly spoke about why he researches Canadian soldiers, gave a brief description of how the 4 names listed on the WWII Cenotaph lost their lives, and mentioned the importance of preserving photos and the individual stories of those who served.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/09/26/on-the-war-memorial-trail105th-annual-remembrance-service-at-cornwall-cenotaph/)

…. Uploading photos to the Canadian Virtual War Memorial website ……

Pieter began a new project last fall, to upload photos to the Canadian Virtual War Memorial website, and earmarked this as his winter 2024 project.  For more information on this excellent resource, see https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/

Pieter did a test run last fall, uploading photos of three WWII soldiers. This year, he uploaded photos of:

  • 20 WWI soldiers
  • 195 WWII soldiers and airmen

This resulted in a total contribution of 218 soldiers.

 … WWI Related Stories….

  • We prepared a 5 part-series based on letters written by WWI soldier Lawrence Ivy MARSHALL from Prince Edward Island, who returned home with a war bride, Evelyn Martha Williams.

 … WWII Related Stories….

  • We shared a story about the 2023 candle lighting at graves of Canadian soldiers in The Netherlands.
  • We provided an update to the 2021 story about WWII soldier Percy ‘Dexter’ HIGGINS, from Nova Scotia, who lost his life in The Netherlands on April 4, 1945, during the Battle of Warnsveld, while serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders. On April 4, 2024, Higginsstraat was named in his honour near where he lost his life.

…Indigenous Soldiers….

We were able to tell the story of the service by one WWII Indigenous soldier:

  • WWII Indigenous soldier James ‘Jimmy’ Oliver THOMAS from Manitoba, who died in Germany on May 2, 1945, a few days after being liberated from the Stalag VII-A POW Camp in Moosburg, Germany.

…. Stories About Servicemen From The Maritimes…

We also featured stories about servicemen from The Maritimes:

  • WWII soldier Harold ‘Hal’ Gabriel BULGER from Prince Edward Island, who was killed during the Battle of Moerbrugge in Belgium on September 10, 1944.
  • WWII soldier Lawrence William BULGER from Prince Edward Island, who was killed during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII soldier John ‘Weston’ CAMPBELL from Prince Edward Island, who was killed during Operation Veritable in Germany on February 14, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Donald Roy CARTER from New Brunswick, who was killed in action during the Attack on the Goch-Calcar Road in Germany on February 20, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Edward ‘Ed’ Dalton CHISHOLM from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during the Battle for the North Shore of the Scheldt in Belgium on October 20, 1944.
  • WWII soldier Francis ‘Frank’ Ivan DOUGAN from Prince Edward Island, who was killed in a road accident in The Netherlands on May 16, 1946.
  • WWII soldier François ‘Frank’ GALLANT from Prince Edward Island, who was killed during the Liberation of Posterenk in The Netherlands on April 13, 1945.
  • WWII soldier François ‘Frank’ GUIMOND from New Brunswick, who was killed in action during the Attack on Weener in Germany on April 24, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Edgar M. GUITARD from New Brunswick, who was killed by German mortar fire in The Netherlands on January 15, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Maurice James HUGHES from Prince Edward Island, who was killed when the jeep he was riding in hit a mine in Germany on May 2, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Ange Aimé LECLAIR from New Brunswick, who was killed by artillery fire in Germany during the Battle of Hochwald Gap on March 2, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Joseph Taylor MACLEOD from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during the Battle of Groningen on April 13, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Stanley Leigh MCBEATH from New Brunswick, who was killed in action in Germany on April 21, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Sydney Guy MOSHER from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during the Attack on Weener in Germany on April 24, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Edward Gabriel PERRY from Prince Edward Island, who lost his life after being fatally wounded during the Battle of Hochwald Gap in Germany on March 2, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Lawrence Arthur RUDOLPH from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during Operation Blockbuster in Germany on February 27, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Ronald ‘Ronnie’ Eugene SMITH from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during Operation Cannonshot in The Netherlands on April 14, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Ralph Kenneth SILLIKER from Prince Edward Island, who was killed in action during Operation Churchill in Germany on March 2, 1945.
  • WWII soldier William Ernest STONE from Prince Edward Island, who was killed in action during the Attack On Hoogerheide in The Netherlands on October 10, 1944.

…. Stories About Servicemen From Outside The Maritimes…

  • WWII soldier Thomas ‘Tom’ Alfred BROWN from Alberta, who was killed in action during the Battle of Moyland Wood in Germany on February 17, 1945.

…In Conversation And More….

  • In an 80th Anniversary of D-Day blog, we shared some anecdotes about the Normandy landings and highlighted previously told stories of 11 servicemen who were present in Normandy on June 6, 1944. All survived D-Day, but only 1 survived WWII and returned home.
  • We wrote about the 80th Anniversary of D-Day wreath laying ceremony that we attended by the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion on June 6, 2024.
  • We wrote about the 75th NATO Anniversary Commemoration at Seacow Head Lighthouse in Fernwood, Prince Edward Island on June 10, 2024. Pieter was one of the guest speakers at this event.
  • We wrote about meeting WWII veteran Lois Maud BROWN of Kensington, Prince Edward Island, after being asked by Scott Masters, a history teacher at Crestwood Preparatory College in Toronto, Ontario, for help in finding WWII veterans to interview for the Crestwood Oral History Project.
  • We wrote about the 105th Annual Remembrance Service at the Cornwall Cenotaph in Cornwall, Prince Edward Island on September 22, 2024. Pieter was the keynote speaker at this event.
  • We reported on how volunteers (including Pieter) at the Borden-Carleton Legion in Prince Edward Island honour deceased veterans by placing flags at the graves and monuments in the area served by the Legion.
  • As part of our Remembrance Week 2024 feature, we shared updates on previous stories of WWII airmen who served in the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and about our visit to the Air Force Heritage Park in Summerside, Prince Edward Island.
  • As part of our Remembrance Week 2024 feature, we shared updates on previous stories of WWII soldiers, a visit with families of two airmen from Halifax DT630, a visit to the Sagkeeng War Memorial in Manitoba, and we featured a unique Remembrance Plaque project in Sarnia, Ontario.
  • As part of our Remembrance Week 2024 feature, we wrote about the visits that members of the Borden-Carleton Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion made to three schools on Prince Edward Island for Remembrance Services.
  • As part of our Remembrance Week 2024 feature, we wrote about the Remembrance Day ceremonies we attended at the South Shore Villa in Crapaud and at the Legion in Borden-Carleton, two Prince Edward Island communities.
  • As part of our Remembrance Week 2024 feature, we wrote about our visit to six Acadian memorials in New Brunswick.

…. Interviews To Highlight Search For Photos….

Pieter did the following interviews:

  • Kevin Rollason of the Winnipeg Free Press wrote about Pieter’s search for a photo of WWII soldier William James ‘Jimmy’ Sutherland HOLE, born in Carman, Manitoba, who died during in The Netherlands on April 22, 1945, and is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands. The article, ‘A Name Without A Face’, ran online on Friday, November 8, 2024 and in the print edition on Saturday, November 9, 2024.  See https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/breakingnews/2024/11/08/a-name-without-a-face-2 Up to now, this search is unsuccessful.
  • Charlotte MacAulay of the Eastern Graphic wrote about the successful photo search for WWII soldier Kevin Joseph DELORIE, who is buried in the Moro River Canadian War Cemetery in Italy. The article, ‘Remembering Kevin Delorie’, ran in the newspaper on November 6, 2024.
  • Pieter was interviewed by Charlotte MacAulay of the Eastern Graphic about the photo search for WWII soldier Kevin Joseph DELORIE, who was killed in Italy on December 20, 1943, while serving with the 48th Highlanders of Canada. The article, ‘Searching for photo of fallen soldier Kevin Delorie’, ran in the newspaper on October 23, 2024. This search was successful.

… Successful Search For Photos …..

Many WWII soldiers are buried in cemeteries in Europe.  Pieter continues to work with photo wish lists from Canadian War Cemeteries for WWII soldiers buried in The Netherlands.  This year we also received photos and information on soldiers buried in Belgium, Italy, France, and the United Kingdom. 

Photos of soldiers buried in Dutch cemeteries were forwarded to researchers there for their digital archive. Whenever possible, stories are featured on the blog but there is a backlog due to the success of Pieter’s research.  I can’t keep up! This year, photos were found for:

Buried in Holten Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

  1. George Alan BUCHANAN
  2. John Woodrow COLBURN
  3. Louis ‘Philippe’ COUTLEE
  4. Lorenzo Joseph DUBE
  5. Claude Pearley HUBLEY
  6. Howard Arnold JONES
  7. Lloyd Edward KITCHING
  8. James ‘Jim’ John George KOSOWAN
  9. Wilfred ‘Frank’ LEBLANC
  10. Philip Arthur MARZOFF
  11. William Hector MATHESON
  12. Norman Wesley ROBINSON
  13. Arthur SINFIELD
  14. Roger SIROIS
  15. Joseph Millerand WHITE
  16. Lionel VALLEY

Buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

  1. John Leonard ANDERSON
  2. John Frederick BARTLETT
  3. Martin Seymour CARROLL
  4. Donald Roy CARTER
  5. Gene Boyd CLEROUX
  6. John Edward COLEMAN
  7. Leo Joseph DUPUIS
  8. Harold Francis GOLDSMITH
  9. Arnold John HICKS
  10. Ronald Stuart KERMAN
  11. Harold LAVIGNE
  12. Raymond Joseph LEBLANC
  13. Ange Aimé LECLAIR
  14. Robert Joseph MARKEY
  15. Dougal Kennedy MATHESON
  16. Roderick William MCQUEEN
  17. Wilfred Joseph MELANSON
  18. Ernest ‘Ermos’ Giuseppe MONACO
  19. Aloysius Theophile MORELL
  20. Ervin Cline MYERS
  21. Sam PROKOPCHUK
  22. Henri ROY
  23. Walter Paul SAMPSON
  24. William Owen SELDON
  25. Charles Allan TOLSON
  26. Doran VENEAU (VIENNEAU)
  27. Frank ‘Frankie’ William VICKERS
  28. Frederick Leslie VOLLETT
  29. Everett Edward YOUNG

 Buried in Bergen Op Zoom Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

  1. Lawrence Herbert ANNIS
  2. Robert Earl BAKER
  3. Norman Leslie BROWN
  4. Joseph Wilfred CAMPBELL
  5. Edward Dalton CHISHOLM (missed in 2023)
  6. Frank William CHRISTOPHER
  7. Winton Bruce COOK
  8. Omer Zoel DONELLE
  9. Arthur Francis DOUCETTE
  10. James Benjamin ENGLEHART
  11. George Raymond FLINT
  12. Gilbert FOURNIER
  13. Calixte GAUVIN
  14. Ernest Cornelius GIBBS
  15. Edward Patrick HALEY
  16. Albert Leslie HARRIS
  17. Reginald Ratchford HARRISON
  18. Arthur James HICKMORE
  19. John James HIGNEY
  20. Verdun HONSBERGER
  21. Albert Hayton HUNT
  22. Lloyd Warren HUTCHINGS
  23. Harold Stanley INGRAHAM
  24. William Charles IONSON
  25. Albert James LOUNSBURY
  26. Lorne Henry KINCADE
  27. Gordon Henry Earl KITCHEN
  28. Allan James LEFURGEY
  29. Alexander Chisholm LOGIE
  30. Adam Joseph MACDONALD
  31. James MACFARLANE
  32. Douglas Earl MACLEAN
  33. Victor John MANN
  34. John Neill MARSHALL
  35. Earl Henry MCALLISTER
  36. Raymond George MCGIVNEY
  37. Leo John MELANSON
  38. George B. MERRICK
  39. Clive Austin MILLS
  40. Herbert William NORRIS
  41. John Charles PIRIE
  42. Harold RENTON
  43. Joseph Wilfred ‘Arthur’ RIOUX
  44. William Ernest STONE
  45. Sylvestre THOMAS
  46. Leo Joseph Ferdinand TOURVILLE
  47. Douglas Laurt VAN BUSKIRK (missed in 2023)
  48. Douglas Walker VOLLETT
  49. Ronald Sidney WATERHOUSE (missed in 2021)

 Buried in Adegem Canadian War Cemetery in Belgium:

  • Azade BOUDREAU
  • Eugene Frederick MCBRIDE

 Buried in Ostend New Communal Cemetery in Belgium:

  • Donald David Mackenzie TAYLOR

Buried in Brettville-Sur-Laize Canadian War Cemetery in France:

  • Ernest TOURVILLE

Buried in Dunfermline (Douglas Bank) Cemetery in the United Kingdom:

  • Duncan Alexander MACDONALD

Buried in Moro River Canadian War Cemetery in Italy:

  • Kevin Joseph DELORIE

Buried in Cesena War Cemetery in Italy:

  • Roy REYNOLDS

 Photo Search For Airmen For Air Research Drenthe Foundation in The Netherlands:

One of the projects of the Air Research Drenthe Foundation in The Netherlands is to install information panels near WWII air crash sites. While many of the airmen lost their lives and are buried in The Netherlands or just across the border in Germany, other airmen survived the crash and were in prisoner of war camps until the war ended.  It can be difficult to find photos and families of airmen that survived, but Pieter took up the challenge.  A photo was found for:

  • Arthur Alexander Jaffray LOW, of Hamilton, Ontario, bomb aimer on Halifax NP945, which crashed December 6, 1944.

… The Cold Case Files …..

Not all searches have been successful, for one reason or another.  Below is a list of outstanding files for which research has been done, but no photo has been found. If you can help with a photo, please let us know.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/our-cold-cases/ for the complete list)

  1. Douglas Gordon BLACK of Amherst, Nova Scotia, son of Sherman and Alice Black, died March 3, 1945, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment.
  2. Clifford Alexander BLAKE of Toronto, Ontario, son of William C. and Sarah L. Blake, husband of Ferne E. Blake, died February 16, 1945, aged 23, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
  3. John BROWN of London, Ontario, son of Mary T. Brown, died April 14, 1945, aged 26, while serving with the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders. 
  4. James Lyman CAMERON, born in Victoria-By-The-Sea, Prince Edward Island, son of Edward H. and Susan (Harrington) Cameron, died July 24, 1916, aged 23, while serving with the 7th Canadian Infantry Battalion (1st British Columbia). (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  5. Leigh Hunt CAMERON, born in Albany, Prince Edward Island, son of Anna Cameron, died May 5, 1916, aged 17, shortly after enlisting with the 105th Battalion, C Company. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  6. William Galen CAMPBELL, born in Wellington, Prince Edward Island, son of John G. and Grace Emma Campbell, died April 24, 1953, aged 55, many years after being discharged from the 8th Siege Battery of the 3rd Brigade Canadian Garrison Artillery. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  7. Karl CHRISTENSEN, from Alberta, but born in Starheim, Nordfjord, Norway, son of Kristian Kristiansen Hafsas and Marie K. Hafsas, died April 10, 1945, aged 41, while serving with the 8th Field Squadron, Royal Canadian Engineers.
  8. Bramwell Ernest CHURCHILL, of London, Ontario, son of David and Agnes C. Churchill, husband of Eva Blanche Churchill, died May 1, 1945, aged 40, while serving with the 5th Anti-Tank Regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery. 
  9. Lorne Mart COLFORD of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, but born in Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia, son of Howard and Jeanette Colford, died April 14, 1945, aged 22, while serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.
  10. Bazil CORMIER, born in Tignish, Prince Edward Island, son of Joseph Cormier and Mary Arsenault, died August 12, 1918, aged 20, while serving with the 26th (New Brunswick) Battalion. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  11. Leslie Alban CROSS, of Newcastle, New Brunswick, son of Archibald and Laura Cross, died April 19, 1945, aged 30, while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps.
  12. Eric John CRUE of Moncton, New Brunswick, son of John and Margaret Crue, died April 6, 1945, aged 23, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment.
  13. James Frank DOLMAN of Flatlands, New Brunswick, son of Frank Dolman and Lydia Thompson, husband of Henriette Gertrude Lyons, died April 14, 1945, aged 32, while serving with the New Brunswick Rangers -10th Independent Machine Gun Company.
  14. Samuel George ENGEN of The Pas, Manitoba, died April 23, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment.
  15. Douglas Bernard FARROW of Amherst, Nova Scotia, died April 26, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment.
  16. Clifford Glen FORSYTH born in Brandon, Manitoba, son of Alexander ‘Sandy’ Forsyth and Margaret McDougall, died April 11, 1945, aged 20, while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment.
  17. Ernest Ramey GALLANT, born in Borden (now Borden-Carleton), Prince Edward Island, son of John P. and Mary Blanche Gallant, died May 20, 1943, aged 27, while with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  18. John Arthur GALLERY of Saint John, New Brunswick, son of William and Grace Gallery, died October 13, 1944, aged 22, while serving with the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada. 
  19. Robert Cecil HARVEY of Centre Burlington, Nova Scotia, son of Douglas and Myrtle B. Harvey, died April 22, 1945, aged 23, while serving with the British Columbia Regiment – 28th Armoured Regiment. 
  20. William James ‘Jimmy’ Sutherland HOLE born in Carman, Manitoba, grandson of William and Eva Alise Hole, son of Daisy Hole, died April 22, 1945, aged 20, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
  21. Gordon John HOPPER of London, Ontario, son of Gordon and Vera Mae Hopper, died April 16, 1945, aged 19, while serving with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment.
  22. John Lewis HUGHES, born in Eriksdale, Manitoba, son of Ebenezer George and Ellen (nee Rogan) Hughes, husband of Irene (nee Goodwin) Hughes of Winnipeg, Manitoba, died November 2, 1944, aged 28, while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corp – 10th Field Dressing Station.
  23. Peter HYDICHUK of Theodore, Saskatchewan, son of Alex and Ann Hydichuk, died March 31, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the South Saskatchewan Regiment. 
  24. George Mcdonald JOHNSTON of Toronto, Ontario, son of William and Annie Johnston, died April 2, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment.
  25. Wallace Herbert LARLEE of Perth, New Brunswick, died April 24, 1945, aged 19, while serving with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment.
  26. Albert George LE RUE of Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of William and Catherine Le Rue, died March 7, 1945, aged 24, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment. 
  27. Logan Elwood LESLIE, born in Oxford, Nova Scotia, died April 9, 1945, son of John J. and Georgie Mary Leslie of Moncton, New Brunswick, while serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. (added in 2023)
  28. Charles W. LOWTHER, born in North Carleton, Prince Edward Island, son of Bessie Lowther, died September 25, 1918, aged 21, while serving with the 25th Battalion, Canadian Infantry. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  29. Harry Donald MACPHERSON, from Vancouver, British Columbia, son of Alex Mann Macpherson and Jane Bell Macpherson, husband of Gwendolyn Eva Macpherson, died April 29, 1945, aged 33, while serving with the Canadian Scottish Regiment.
  30. John Redmond MAHONEY, born in Port Elgin, New Brunswick, son of John J. and Gertrude C. Mahoney, died April 12, 1945, aged 30, while serving with the New Brunswick Rangers-10th Independent Machine Gun Company.
  31. Wilbert Harold MOORE, born in Fredericton, New Brunswick, son of Jessie Louise and Hugh Irving Moore, died June 16, 1945, aged 28, while serving with the 3rd Division Works Transport Company, Royal Canadian Army Service Corps. 
  32. Francis Leslie MULCAHY of Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of Daniel and Mary Mulcahy, died April 24, 1945, aged 21, while serving with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment.
  33. Archibald Henry NELSON, born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, son of William Henry and Winnifred Frances Nelson, died April 18, 1945, aged 34, while serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment.
  34. George Austin NORDVALL of Birch River, Manitoba, died February 21, 1945, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. 
  35. Arthur Clinton ROBINSON, born in Tryon, Prince Edward Island, son of Albert J. and Flora P. Scruton Robinson, died March 27, 1916, aged 19, while serving with the 26th (New Brunswick) Battalion. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  36. Harry ROBINSON, born in Augustine Cove, Prince Edward Island, son of Thomas and Sarah Robinson, husband of Clara J. Robinson, died June 27, 1916, aged 34, while serving with the 105th Battalion, C Company. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  37. Wilfred ROY, of Robertville, Gloucester County, New Brunswick, son of Camille and Catherine Roy, died October 28, 1945, aged 38, while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps.
  38. Charles Patrick SHEFFIELD of Sundridge, Ontario, son of Charles and Mrs Sheffield, husband of Bessie Alice Butler from Botwood, Newfoundland, and father of Patrick William Wallace Sheffield, died May 4, 1945, aged 24, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment.
  39. Charles Bernard STAFFORD of Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of Charles Bernard and Blanche Stafford, husband of Winifred Leitha Stafford of Intake, Sheffield, England, died April 18, 1945, aged 28, while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps – 9th Field Ambulance.
  40. Frank Peter VARDIG of St. John, New Brunswick, son of Charles and Lily Vardig, died June 12, 1945, aged 23, while serving with the Carleton & York Regiment.
  41. Harry WHITE of Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of Wilfred and Mary White, died May 19, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the West Nova Scotia Regiment.

….Case Closed!….

The following files were completed and removed from the Cold Case List:

  1. John Frederick BARTLETT of Moreton’s Harbour, Newfoundland, son of Alfred and Jessie Bartlett, died February 27, 1945, aged 47, while serving with the South Alberta Regiment. – Action: Photo identified by great-nephew Gerald Bartlett from a South Alberta Regiment Squadron group photo, taken in England in February 1943, that the family had in its possession. Thank you Gerald!
  2. John Edward COLEMAN of Moncton, New Brunswick, son of Edward J. and Florence Coleman, husband of Della Coleman, died June 17, 1945, aged 32, while serving with the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers. – Action: Newspaper photo found by Etienne Gaudet. Thank you Etienne!
  3. Arnold John HICKS of Midgic Station, New Brunswick, son of John A. and Minnie Hicks, died March 8, 1945, aged 21, while serving with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment. – Action: A day after this soldier’s name was placed on the Cold Case List, his photo was submitted by Marcia Giller!  Thank you Marcia.
  4. Claude Pearley HUBLEY of Chipman, New Brunswick, son of Joshua and Adelia Hubley, husband of Agnes Myrtle Hubley, died April 25, 1945, aged 29, while serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry. – Action: Newspaper photo and obituary from the Saint John Telegraph Journal of May 24, 1945 was submitted by David Archer from Operation Picture Me, saying “…I saw your cold case wish list and I have this clipping that may interest you…” Thank you David.
  5. Lloyd Edward KITCHING of Winnipeg, Manitoba, son of Robert Burns Lloyd Kitching, and stepson of Eva L. Kitching, died May 1, 1945, aged 25, while serving with the Royal Canadian Artillery – 6th Field Regiment. – Action: Newspaper photo found.

…Thank you for your support and encouragement of this research project!…

As 2024 comes to an end, we would like to thank all who helped with researching these stories and contributed photos. We also thank readers of this blog, and the On The War Memorial Trail column in the County Line Courier newspaper, who suggested some of the stories you’ve read.  A big thank you goes to Mike and Isabel Smith, owners of the County Line Courier. 

Thank you to all the families that contributed photos and stories. Thank you to Judie Klassen and Shawn Rainville who volunteered their time to help find families of soldiers through newspaper and online searches. Thank you to Etienne Gaudet for helping to find photos of New Brunswick soldiers on our behalf, and for translating letters from French into English. 

Thank you to the media who helped publicize the search for photos and information – Eastern Graphic, and the Winnipeg Free Press.

Last, but not least, the YouTube channel and videos would not be possible without the invaluable support of post-production editor Wendy Nattress.  Wendy also designed and manages the book website: https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

….Happy Holidays…

Pieter and I wish you all the best for the holidays and in 2025. May we never forget those who gave their lives for our freedom.

2024 Christmas photo Pieter and Daria

Pieter’s research work continues. If you have photos or information to share, please email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.  

© Daria Valkenburg

…Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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 Clyde River Who Lost His Life During The Attack On Hoogerheide

/ On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 2 Comments
CIMG6927 Jul 31 2024 Cornwall Cenotaph Pieter by WWII & WW1 memorial

The Cenotaph site in Cornwall, Prince Edward Island. The WWI cenotaph is on the right, and the WWII cenotaph on the left. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

October 12, 2024. When Pieter was asked to give a presentation on September 22, 2024 at the 105th Annual Remembrance Service in Cornwall, Prince Edward Island, one of the names on the WWII Cenotaph was that of Private William Ernest STONE, who was serving with the Black Watch of Canada, when he was killed during a fierce battle in Hoogerheide, The Netherlands on October 10, 1944, at the age of 25.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/09/26/on-the-war-memorial-trail105th-annual-remembrance-service-at-cornwall-cenotaph/)

CIMG6928 Jul 31 2024 Cornwall Cenotaph WWII memorial

William Ernest Stone was one of 4 casualties listed on the WWII Cenotaph in Cornwall, Prince Edward Island.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg).

William is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands, located near the Belgian border.  2024 is an important anniversary for this area as 80 years ago, in October 1944, Belgium and the southern part of The Netherlands were liberated, following tremendous casualties during the Battle of the Scheldt. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Scheldt and https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canada-and-the-battle-of-the-scheldt)

It seems only fitting that 80 years after his death, William’s story is told.  He was born August 19, 1919, in Clyde River, Prince Edward Island, the son of Edward Earnest and Sadie Stone.  

William had two brothers and two sisters.  With the help of Brenda Graves and Arlene Roberts, a photo was soon provided by Faye MacNutt, the daughter of William’s sister Ruth.

…..William enlisted under the NRMA in 1941….

William originally enlisted under the National Resources Mobilization Act (NRMA) in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on April 17, 1941 and underwent basic training at No. 62 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre (CABTC) in Charlottetown. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Resources_Mobilization_Act)

At the time of his enlistment he had been working for two years as a stoker at Storms Construction Company Ltd in Charlottetown. Among his tasks he also worked at Charlottetown Airport for several months in 1940, tasked with running a cement mixer and doing odd jobs, when the airport was transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and the airport and runways were enlarged in preparation for using the airport to train pilots and aircrew. 

William also noted that he also had six years of farming experience from helping on his family’s farm.  He had an interest in mechanics, played tennis, volleyball, and baseball, and enjoyed singing. 

…..William received training in both Canada and the USA….

William Ernest Stone colourized

William Ernest Stone. (Photo courtesy of Faye MacNutt.  Photo colourization by Pieter Valkenburg)

On June 6, 1941, he transferred to active service at No. 62 CABTC in Charlottetown, and was immediately sent to No. 6 District Depot in Halifax, Nova Scotia for trades training in motor mechanics and welding at the Halifax Technical School.

After successfully completing the two month course in Halifax, William was attached to No. 14 Infantry Training Centre in Aldershot, Nova Scotia as of August 2, 1941.  A few days later, he was sent ‘on command’ to Automatic Course in Motor Mechanics at the Quartermaster Motor Transport School at Fort Holabird in Baltimore, Maryland, USA.  He successfully completed the course on October 15, 1941.

Next, he was sent to the Canadian Army Trade School (CATS) in Hamilton, Ontario for more training in motor mechanics.  His time there was from October 28, 1941 until June 6, 1942, when he was transferred to the A9 Canadian Armoured Corps (Advanced) Training Centre (CACATC) at Camp Borden in Ontario for wireless training.

William received a furlough from May 20 to June 2, 1942, during which time he returned to Prince Edward Island to marry Eileen Younker in Winsloe on May 27, 1942.  The couple only had a few days together before he had to return and continue his training.

On July 26, 1942, he was assigned to the 28th Armoured Regiment in Debert, Nova Scotia for final training before going overseas.  On August 4, 1942, William received embarkation leave until August 7, the last chance he had to see his family. 

….William left Canada for overseas service….

William left Canada with the 28th Armoured Regiment on August 22, 1942, arriving in the United Kingdom on September 1, 1942. He was sent for more training, and qualified as a Driver i/c Class III (Wheeled) on December 6, 1942.  (The term ‘Driver i/c’ refers to ‘Driver, internal combustion’.  Class III meant he was qualified to drive heavy trucks and armoured cars, but not tanks.)

On May 15, 1943 he was sent to 21 Canadian Armoured Regiment (CAR) for a few weeks and then on to receive training as a Driver Mechanic (Tank) Class ‘C’.  He successfully completed this training on December 3, 1943.

William was transferred to No. 3 Canadian Armoured Corps Reinforcement Unit (CACRU) on January 29, 1944.  Then, on July 25, 1944, he was transferred again, this time to No. 1 Canadian Armoured Corps Reinforcement Unit (CACRU), and re-mustered from the Canadian Armoured Corps (CAC) to the Royal Canadian Artillery (RCA).

On August 13, 1944 William was temporarily assigned to the Canadian Fusiliers (City of London Regiment) before being placed on the X-4 Canadian Infantry Corps Reinforcement List, part of the 10th Battalion, on September 21, 1944 and sent to France.

On September 28, 1944, William was transferred to the Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, and joined them in Rijkevorsel, Belgium.  The war diary for that day noted that “….in the last two days, 42 reinforcements have joined us, 11 for general duty, the remainder being for the most part signallers and drivers...”

The Regiment had surged through France and into Belgium, where William joined the Regiment.  From Belgium, the Regiment made its way into The Netherlands on October 7, 1944.  While the main goal was helping to clear the Scheldt Estuary, necessary to liberate the vital port of Antwerp, their first task was to attack the town of Hoogerheide.

….Attack On Hoogerheide….

Screenshot 2024-10-11 at 10-41-57 Google Maps

Map shows location of Calfven, Hoogerheide, and Ossendrecht in The Netherlands, just over the Belgian border. (Map source: Google maps)

The War Diary for October 7, 1944 noted that the Regiment had begun their journey into The Netherlands “…at 0930 hours and shortly thereafter crossed the frontier into Holland at the town of Putte…and went on to our area at a farm….In the afternoon we moved forward again into the Calfven area….”

On October 8, 1944, as the troops moved up to the attack on Hoogerheide in the early morning, they found that the Start Line hadn’t been secured.  When the attack did begin, at 10:30 am, troops came under machine gun and mortar fire.

The War Diary entry for October 8, 1944 stated that “…very heavy fighting ensued and it was over two hours before the enemy decided that he had had enough….”  The respite didn’t last.

The following day, the War Diary recorded that “…during the night, mortaring and shelling continued on a heavy scale….It is apparent that there has been heavy reinforcement of this area, and that the enemy is determined to make a stand. The troops we are now meeting are definitely the cream of the crop.  They belong to paratroop battalions, with a sprinkling of glider troops and Luftwaffe personnel…..”

The war diarist noted that the German troops were young and in good physical condition, “…keen to fight and with excellent morale.  All day long there was heavy fire from artillery and mortar on our positions, and his snipers are very busy.  At 1600 hours the Germans opened an artillery barrage which lasted for two hours, then came in on a counter attack…”

On October 10, 1944, the War Diary continued the account of the attack.  “…Weather – Misty and rain.  The heavy mortaring and shelling to which we have been subjected continues without respite…”  The attack continued for the Black Watch until 3:00 pm, when they were relieved by the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.

The Black Watch casualties for the Hoogerheide attack were counted, and totalled 81, with 12 fatalities.  Among those who were recorded as having died on October 10, 1944 was William Ernest Stone.

….William is buried in Bergen Op Zoom….

William was initially buried in the village cemetery in Ossendrecht, before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands.

William Ernest Stone from find a grave

Grave of William Ernest Stone in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands.  (Photo courtesy of the Canadian Virtual War Memorial)

Later this month, the cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom is holding its 80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemorations.  Private William Ernest Stone will be one of the 968 Canadians buried there who will be remembered.

CIMG3382 Oct 7 2019 Bergen Op Zoom Pieter at Cdn War Cemetery

Pieter at the entrance to the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Thank you to Brenda Graves and Arlene Roberts for their help in finding a photo. Thank you to Faye MacNutt for submitting a photo of her uncle.

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

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?….

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

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

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

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

On The War Memorial Trail……105th Annual Remembrance Service At Cornwall Cenotaph

/ On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 4 Comments

September 26, 2024. On Sunday, September 22, 2024, the 105th Annual Remembrance Service was held at the Cornwall Cenotaph in Cornwall, Prince Edward Island.  Pieter was invited by fellow Legion member John Yeo to be the keynote speaker at this event. 

John asked that excerpts from Pieter’s presentation in July for the 75th Anniversary of NATO be included in the presentation. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/07/15/on-the-war-memorial-trail75th-nato-anniversary-commemoration-at-seacow-head-lighthouse/)

….There were two Cenotaphs – 1 for WWI and 1 for WWII….

After Pieter agreed to give a presentation, we visited Cornwall and saw that there were actually two Cenotaphs – one listing casualties from WWI and the other listing casualties from WWII.

A preliminary visit to the Cenotaph site in Cornwall. The WWI cenotaph is on the right, and the WWII cenotaph on the left. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

The WWII Cenotaph listed 4 names, with one of the men killed in The Netherlands.  In preparation for the presentation, a decision was made to briefly mention these 4 men. 

There were 4 casualties listed on the WWII Cenotaph in Cornwall.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

 ….Pieter explained why he researches Canadian soldiers….

The PEI Regimental Band led a march past the Cenotaph just prior to the start of the ceremony.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Sunday, September 22, 2024 saw many citizens, veterans, and dignitaries arrive in Cornwall.  The PEI Regimental Band led the march past the Cenotaph just prior to the start of the ceremony.  Following the laying of the wreaths, Pieter was introduced as the keynote speaker.

He began by thanking the organizers for the invitation to speak “…as we gather around these two Cenotaphs commemorating those who died in WWI and WWII, on this, the 105th annual service ….” 

Pieter then briefly explained the motivation for researching Canadian soldiers.  “…If it wasn’t for the Allied soldiers fighting against tyranny in WWII, I might not be here. I was born in The Netherlands during the Hunger Year of 1944, when there was little or no food.  Our family lived in the countryside and my father spent many nights, sneaking out after curfew, looking to trade items for food to feed his family.  He wasn’t alone.  Anyone caught with food by the Nazis had it confiscated. 

So many people starved to death that winter! Allied soldiers – in particular the Canadians in our area of The Netherlands – not only liberated us from Nazi rule, they saved us from starvation.

In gratitude, now that I’m retired, one way for me to honour those who lost their lives in war is to research and share the stories of Canadians who served and died in the First and Second World Wars, helping to ensure that they will never be forgotten…”

…. 2024 was a year of important anniversaries ….

Pieter at the podium in Cornwall, with the WWII Cenotaph on the left, and the WWI Cenotaph on the right. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Pieter reflected that 2024 was a year of important anniversaries, and referenced the 80th anniversary of D-Day and the 75th anniversary of NATO.  He then explained that “…80 years ago, in October 1944, Belgium and the southern part of The Netherlands were liberated, following tremendous casualties during the Battle of the Scheldt. 

One of the names on this Cenotaph, that of Private William Ernest STONE, was serving with the Black Watch of Canada, when he was killed during a fierce battle in Hoogerheide on October 10, 1944, at the age of 25.  He’s buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, which is near the Belgian border. 

The cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom is holding its 80th anniversary of liberation commemorations next month, and Private Stone will be one of the 968 Canadians buried there who will be remembered….”

…. The other 3 names on the WWII Cenotaph were mentioned….

As was decided back in July when we first visited the Cenotaph location in Cornwall, Pieter briefly mentioned the other three names on the WWII Cenotaph.

“…Gunner John White BELL was serving with the Royal Canadian Artillery when he died on October 3, 1944 in Italy, at the age of 21. He’s buried in Ravenna War Cemetery in Italy.

RCAF Flight Sergeant Ronald Harris BUTLER died over Germany on October 22, 1943, at the age of 24. He was the bomb aimer aboard Lancaster ED366, which was on its way to bomb a target in Kassel, Germany when it was damaged by flak and finished off by a night fighter over Obermeiser, Germany. He’s buried in Hannover War Cemetery in Germany. Out of 7 crew members, only the pilot managed to bail out safely and survived. 

RCAF Flight Sergeant Terris Haggie MILLER died on the night of August 28, 1942, at the age of 23.  He was the wireless operator aboard Halifax W7809 which was shot down over Belgium by a German night fighter, and crashed southeast of Brussels, at Overijse-Tombeek.  The bomber was on its way to a bombing mission in Nürnberg in Germany, but never made it. All 7 crew members lost their lives and are buried near the crash site in the Overijse-Tombeek Churchyard.….” 

…. An appeal for photos ….

Pieter at the podium in Cornwall.  (Photo courtesy of Heath MacDonald)

Pieter had been invited to give a presentation because of his research, and he wasn’t going to let an opportunity go by without reminding those present of the need to preserve the past.  “…Volunteers like me work diligently to find photos of the Allied casualties in the many cemeteries in which they are buried. This is my 10th year of research.  There are over 7,600 Canadians who lost their lives during WWII that are buried in The Netherlands.

While many photos have been found, there is still much research to do. It gets harder as each year passes, with so many photos, letters, and other mementos of those who served and didn’t return home get lost to the dustbin of history….” 

…. ‘They’re not just names on a Cenotaph’ ….

The presentation ended with Pieter saying that “…those who sacrificed their lives in war are not just names on a Cenotaph or buried in a war grave.  They were children, siblings, spouses, parents, friends… Each one has a story that can be told and they should not be forgotten.

Let us always remember the memories and sacrifices made by those who did their best to answer the call to fight for freedom.  Thank you….”

As Pieter left the podium and returned to where he had been seated, he was both humbled and surprised as the audience gave him a standing ovation. Afterwards, many people came up to him and told him how his speech had touched them. 

Thank you to John Yeo and the organizers of the Annual Remembrance Service at Cornwall Cenotaph for inviting Pieter to speak. 

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

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?….

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

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….. The WWII Soldier From Hallowel Grant Who Lost His Life During The Battle For The North Shore Of The Scheldt

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July 24, 2024.  On November 7, 2022, Pieter was interviewed by Ceilidh Millar of CTV Atlantic News At 5 about the search for 4 soldiers of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment who died during the Battle of Bienen on March 25, 1945.  (You can read the article and watch the video.  See P.E.I. man identifying Canadian soldiers in the Netherlands | CTV News https://atlantic.ctvnews.ca/maritime-man-appealing-to-public-for-help-identifying-lost-canadian-soldiers-1.6143236)

Following the broadcast, several people got in contact to help with the photo search request, and to let him know about other soldiers buried in The Netherlands or Belgium. Among these was Martin Sullivan, who emailed Pieter, saying “…My uncle Edward died October 20, 1944 near Brasschaet. Buried in Bergen Op Zoom.  He was in the Algonquin Regiment, C Company. Thank you to the Dutch people for taking care of Pte E. D. Chisholm’s grave and doing this research….”

It took a while, but we eventually had a chance to meet Martin and look at the treasure trove of information and photos he had about his uncle, Edward ‘Ed’ Dalton CHISHOLM.

20230918_150701 Sep 18 2023 Pieter with Martin Sullivan in Cap Pele

Pieter with Martin Sullivan. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Born November 5, 1924 in Hallowell Grant, Antigonish County, Nova Scotia, Ed was the son of Willliam John and Annie Jane Chisholm. He had 7 brothers and 5 sisters. Martin explained that his mother Josephine was one of Ed’s older sisters.

Ed Chisholm with siblings

A young Edward Chisholm and his older brother John William Chisholm identified in ‘Limbs’ by Lewis B. Chisholm.  (Photo courtesy of Martin Sullivan)

… Ed first enlisted in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve…

After leaving school at age 15, Ed worked on his parents’ farm, and then on a dairy farm, before going on to work as a stevedore for Scotia Stevedore Company in Halifax, Nova Scotia.  (A stevedore works at a dock to load and unload cargo from ships.)  

On March 22, 1943, at the age of 17, Ed left his employer and enlisted in the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve as an ordinary seaman.  However, he was discharged as ‘medically unfit’ on May 12, 1943 due to being colour-blind. 

… Ed enlisted in the Canadian Army in 1944…

Ed Chisholm from Martin Sullivan

Edward ‘Ed’ Dalton Chisholm. (Photo courtesy of Martin Sullivan)

Ed returned to work as a stevedore in Halifax, this time with Cunard White Star Ltd, until January 4, 1944, when he enlisted at the No. 6 District Depot of the Canadian Army in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

His Personnel Selection Record noted that red-haired Ed had “…considerable experience in hockey and other sports. Attends dances ….” and reads “….popular fiction magazines and follows the news…”  His height of 6 feet 1 inch (1.85 metres) was remarked upon, and he was described as having “…a fine physique and a steady, calm, well balanced spirit…General characteristics point to suitability for vigorous activity along general combatant lines….”

On January 14, 1944, Ed was sent to No. 60 Canadian Infantry Basic Training Centre (CIBTC) in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.  After completing his basic training, Ed was transferred to A14 Canadian Infantry Training Centre (CITC) in Aldershot, Nova Scotia on March 12, 1944.

Next, Ed was attached to S-5 Canadian Driving and Maintenance School (CD & M School) in Woodstock, Ontario on May 5, 1944, for a Driver Course. He successfully completed this on June 29, 1944 and was qualified as a Driver i/c Class III (W).  (The term ‘Driver i/c’ refers to ‘Driver, internal combustion’.  Class III meant he was qualified to drive heavy trucks and armoured cars. ‘W’ refers to ‘Wheeled’.)

He was reassigned back to A14 CITC in Aldershot in preparation for overseas service, and granted two weeks embarkation leave, from July 7 to 20, 1944, the last chance he had to see his family.

… Ed left Canada for overseas service in August 1944…

On August 4, 1944, Ed left Canada for the United Kingdom.  Upon arriving on August 10, 1944 he was assigned to No. 4 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU).

On September 2, 1944 he was sent to France with the X-L infantry reinforcement troops of the 21st Army Group.

… Ed joined the Algonquin Regiment in Belgium…

Screenshot 2024-07-20 at 12-30-12 Sijsele · 8340 Damme Belgium

Edward ‘Ed’ Dalton Chisholm joined the Algonquin Regiment in Sijsele, Belgium, as they travelled eastward. (Map source: Google maps)

On September 15, 1944 he was assigned to the Algonquin Regiment, joining them in Sijsele, Belgium, located not far from the Dutch border.  The Regiment had suffered heavy losses during the battles to capture the canals around Moerkerke and needed reinforcements as they slowly advanced towards the Scheldt and the need to liberate the port of Antwerp.

By October 18, 1944, the Regiment was near Westmaele, north-east of Antwerp.  In ‘Warpath The Story of the Algonquin Regiment 1939-1945’, author Major G. L. Cassidy wrote that “… on October 19th, a battalion reconnaissance party went north to Camp de Brasschaet for a look at the terrain where the next day’s battle was to be fought…..” This was the Battle for the North Shore of the Scheldt.

The Algonquin Regiment war diary for October 19, 1944 stated that “…at 13:15 hours, the battalion left on its journey north, arriving at our destination, a badly bombed sanitarium, about 16:30 hours.  Here the men were briefed on the forthcoming operation and after digging in, settled down to spend another quiet night…”

The ‘Warpath’ entry for that day stated that when the orders were issued on the evening of October 19, the “…divisional plan was to advance and capture the town of Esschen, moving along two centre lines in two brigade groups…”

….The Battle for the North Shore Of The Scheldt was fatal for Ed….

The Battle for the North Shore of the Scheldt began on October 20, 1944 at 7:30 am, with “… ‘B’ Company leading, ‘A’ Company on the right, and ‘D’ Company on the left...” according to the Algonquin Regiment’s war diary for that day.

Ed Chisholm was in ‘C’ Company, which didn’t go into position until later in the morning, as noted in the war diary.  “…At 11:30 hours, ‘C’ Company was placed under command of 28 Canadian Armoured Regiment, and with ‘C’ Squadron of that unit, made a flanking attack and captured the cross roads.  During this operation, one ‘C’ Company man was killed, and one tank was knocked out with one man killed and one officer wounded. Twenty one prisoners of war were captured….”

The ‘C’ Company man killed was Ed, as was confirmed in ‘Warpath’. “… ‘C’ Company suffered only one fatal casualty, Pte E.D. Chisholm….”  He was 19 years old, only two weeks away from his 20th birthday.

Martin Sullivan had been given an eyewitness account by Stanley Cameron with a bit more information on what happened to his Uncle Edward. Stanley, from Grande Prairie, Alberta, was with the Royal Canadian Engineers 2nd Division.  “…When a German 30 mm cannon took out the tank, Edward was hit by tank shrapnel and was pushed into a ditch until taken to hospital.  He died in a field hospital, with a priest who gave him his last confession…” 

Map page 169 Warpath - Algonquin Regt Oct 20 1944 Chisholm_Page_3

Notes made by Martin Sullivan about Ed Chisholm’s last battle. (Map source: ‘Warpath The Story of the Algonquin Regiment 1939-1945’)

….Ed is buried in Bergen Op Zoom….

Screenshot 2023-09-17 at 21-00-01 kalmthout belgie at DuckDuckGo

Edward ‘Ed’ Dalton Chisholm was temporarily buried in Kalmthout, Belgium. (Map source: DuckDuckGo)

On October 21, 1944, Ed was temporarily buried “…in a field opposite the house of Joseph Goosenaerts…” in the village of Kalmthout, Belgium, before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands.

grave Chisholm from Find A Grave

Grave of Edward ‘Ed’ Dalton Chisholm in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands. (Photo courtesy of Find A Grave)

….A family was left to grieve their son….

Martin wrote in his copy of ‘Warpath’ that when his grandmother (Momma) learned about her son’s death, she “…went to church and Edward appeared in her hands to tell her he was in heaven…”  When asked if this anecdote could be shared, Martin agreed.

Martin explained that upon hearing such devastating news about their son “….our grandfather Billy John Chisholm (PaPa) went to the woods to cry, and then hitched up the team of horses to take Momma to church in town….”

His grandmother’s faith helped her to cope with the loss of a beloved son.  “…After several days of living in town and going to church all day, PaPa and the children were worried that their Momma would never be coming home. Momma prayed for her son to the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph. Then one day they smiled down on her. Her prayers were answered.  There in her open hands was Edward’s face saying ‘Thank you Momma, I’m in heaven and you don’t have to worry about me anymore’. Her boy’s soul had been received into heaven and Momma went home to take care of the remaining twelve children. Thanks be to God….” 

Thank you to Martin Sullivan for sharing photos and information.  Do you have photos or information to share? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?….

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

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

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Happy Holidays From The Valkenburgs – And Our Year In Review!

/ On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 5 Comments

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December 23, 2023.  2023 has simply raced by, and Pieter is currently preparing his research plan for 2024. 

It was another busy year and yes, Pieter remains committed to this research project.  While several long-standing searches for photos were successful, allowing Pieter to complete his files for those soldiers, many files still remain open.  In most cases, family members were found, but no photo was available for one reason or another. 

A number of these files have been carried over from year to year, with no luck in finding photos, and so we now have a Cold Case Files page on the On The War Memorial Trail website.  Hopefully, by featuring a list of the cold cases, someone will see a name and realize that they have a photo.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/our-cold-cases/)

A research project that began in the fall of 2022 to find photos and family of several soldiers from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment that died on March 25, 1945 during the Battle of Bienen in Germany, and who are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands was completed, with the stories told in a 12 part series that ran between March and May.

New research files were added, and Pieter was able to finish his research for many of the unfinished files from 2022.  As always, there is a lag between him completing his work and me getting a chance to document his research, but that is on my ‘to do’ list for this winter.

He began a new project this fall, to upload photos to the Canadian Virtual War Memorial website, and has earmarked this as his winter project.

This year, we were able to meet several more families, which we very much appreciated.  We were grateful that so many families came forward to share photos and information, and were thankful for continued media interest in helping to find photos.  What follows in the rest of this posting is a summary of what happened in 2023 with this research project.

…Book ‘Holten Heroes: Stories from a Canadian Field of Honour’….

Book cover front and back

Daria and Pieter were the translators for ‘Holten Heroes: Stories from a Canadian Field of Honour’ by Jan Braakman, translated from the original Dutch book ‘Holtense Canadezen’.  For more information, see the press package prepared by the author: https://janbraakman.nl/press-package-holten-heroes/ or the Amazon Canada entry: https://www.amazon.ca/Holten-Heroes-Stories-Canadian-Honour/dp/B0CM25LRD3/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QEQCI0LBFLPK&keywords=holten+heroes&qid=1698840141&sprefix=holten+heroes%2Caps%2C207&sr=8-1

…We received  a 2023 Heritage Recognition Award from the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation….

A February 9, 2023 letter offered Congratulations and notified us that “… the Board of Governors of the Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation has selected you for a Heritage Recognition Award for your powerful research project, ‘On The War Memorial Trail’….”   (See https://www.peimuseum.ca/pieter-and-daria-valkenburg-heritage-recognition-award)

The Heritage Awards ceremony, which celebrates the Island’s heritage and recognition of those who preserve and share it, was held on Sunday, March 12, 2023 at Beaconsfield Carriage House in Charlottetown. Unfortunately we were unable to attend as we were not on the Island at the time.  Jack Sorensen, Chair of the Tryon and Area Historical Society, accepted the award on our behalf.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/05/15/we-receive-a-2023-pei-heritage-recognition-award/)

…We received a Legionnaire of the Year Award ….

On June 10, 2023, we received a Legionnaire of the Year award from the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 10 in Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island.

CIMG6369 Jun 10 2023 Cropped - Daria and Pieter receive Legionnaire of the Year Award

Pieter and Daria receive a Legionnaire of the Year Award. (Photo credit: Kathy Henry)

…Presentation ‘Up Close With A Halifax Bomber’….

Crapaud Hall Nov 7 2023 Presentation title page

On November 7, 2023, we gave a presentation at Crapaud Hall in Crapaud, Prince Edward Island, ‘Up Close With A Halifax Bomber’ about our tour of a Halifax bomber and a summary of two Island airmen who lost their lives in one. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/11/09/on-the-war-memorial-trail-presentation-up-close-with-a-halifax-bomber/)

…. Soldiers Listed On The Cenotaph Outside Borden-Carleton Legion …….

This year we added more information on soldiers whose stories had previously been told:

  • We updated the story of the battle in which WW1 soldier Arthur Clinton ROBINSON lost his life on March 27, 1916 and how the burials in La Laiterie Military Cemetery, where he was buried, included a message in a bottle.
  • We shared a September 23, 1942 letter that WWII airman Joseph ‘Joe’ Charles MCIVER wrote while posted in northern Russia near the Arctic Circle, while serving in RAF Coastal Command.
  • After an 8 year search we received a photo for WWI soldier Joseph ‘Arthur’ DESROCHES of Miscouche, Prince Edward Island, who died after receiving a gunshot wound to the head and is buried in France.

 … WWI Related Stories….

  • We updated the story of what happened when we repatriated to Nova Scotia the portrait of WW1 soldier Lloyd Clifton SHORTLIFF of Barton, Nova Scotia, whose name is inscribed on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France.

 … WWII Related Stories….

  • We shared a story about the 2022 candle lighting at graves of Canadian soldiers in The Netherlands.
  • We did a multi-part series about The Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition – 36 photo tributes by the graves of soldiers at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. The Exhibition ran from April 30 to May 21, 2023.  Part 1 featured 5 soldiers from Prince Edward Island.  Part 2 featured 4 Indigenous soldiers.  Part 3 featured 8 soldiers from Nova Scotia whose stories were told in 2021’s Atlantic Canada Remembers series. Part 4 featured 6 soldiers from New Brunswick whose stories were told in 2021’s Atlantic Canada Remembers series. Part 5 featured 7 soldiers from the Battle of Bienen series.  Part 6 featured 6 soldiers from photo wish lists.  We also shared some of the feedback received from families whose relatives were featured in the photo tributes.
  • We updated the 2022 story about the search for WWII soldier Wilfred GIROUX who was in Gilze Rijen, The Netherlands in December 1944 and befriended a Dutch couple whose daughter wished to repatriate a photo and two Christmas cards to the Giroux family. This story had a successful conclusion with the photo and cards going to Wilfred’s niece.
  • We did an update to the Battle of Bienen series with a brief feature on the Bienen Memorial and shared the short video we made to honour those North Novies whose stories we told this spring (S4E1 Battle of Bienen on our YouTube Channel).
  • We shared an account of our visit to the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton, Ontario, to tour a Halifax Mark VII Bomber.
  • We shared the story of how a letter written from the POW camp Stalag Luft III by WWII pilot John ‘Hubert’ HALL impacted not only his family, but the family of WWII pilot Elmer Bagnall MUTTART. Both men were from Prince Edward Island.
  • We shared the story about the successful search for a photo of WWII soldier Norman Victor Holgate BUCHANAN, from Manitoba, who lost his life in Germany on February 16, 1945, during the Battle of Moyland Wood, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
  • In a two-part series, we shared excerpts from the WWII letters of Edison Reynolds SMITH, who lost his life in The Netherlands on October 16, 1944 during the Battle of the Scheldt.

…Indigenous Soldiers….

We were able to tell the stories of the service by these WWII Indigenous soldiers:

  • WWII Indigenous soldier John CULBERTSON from Ontario, who was killed in Germany on April 30, 1944 during the Battle of Edewecht.
  • WWII Indigenous soldier Harry Henry DAVIS from Yukon Territory, who died in The Netherlands on January 15, 1945 from wounds received the day before after being shot while on patrol.
  • WWII Indigenous soldier Sanford Steven SAULIS from New Brunswick, who died of a brain hemorrhage in The Netherlands on August 10, 1945.
  • WWII Indigenous soldier George TAYLOR from Ontario, who died accidentally in his sleep in The Netherlands on June 17, 1945.

…. Stories About Servicemen From The Maritimes…

We also featured stories about servicemen from The Maritimes:

  • WWII soldier Ralph Schurman BOULTER from Prince Edward Island, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Charles ‘Marshall’ CARSON from New Brunswick, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII airman John ‘Hubert’ HALL from Prince Edward Island, who was aboard the last flight of Wellington Z1203 when it crashed over The Netherlands on March 29, 1942. All crew members survived, and Hubert spent the remainder of the war years as a POW in Stalag Luft III.
  • WWII airman William Andrew HOOD from Nova Scotia, who was aboard the last flight of Halifax JD215 when it was shot down over The Netherlands on June 29, 1943, with no survivors.
  • WWII soldier Kitchener ‘Kitty’ LANGILLE from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Milton Evangeline LIVINGSTONE from Prince Edward Island, who was fatally shot when a fellow soldier’s gun went off in The Netherlands, while he was reading a Dutch-English dictionary on November 6, 1944.
  • WWII soldier Lawrence Edward LUCAS from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action in Germany on April 23, 1945.
  • WWI soldier Angus Clayton MACDONALD from Prince Edward Island, who served with the 85th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders), and was injured in Belgium during the Passage of the Grande Honnelle Battle.
  • WWII soldier Daniel ‘Dan’ Peter MACKENZIE from Prince Edward Island, who died from wounds received on April 13, 1945 during the liberation of Posterenk in The Netherlands, part of Operation Cannonshot.
  • WWII soldier James ‘Jim’ Andrew MACLEOD from New Brunswick, who was killed in action in Belgium on October 23, 1944.
  • WWII soldier Archibald Phillip ‘Archie’ MCLEAN from New Brunswick, who died from wounds received on April 13, 1945 during Operation Cannonshot in The Netherlands.
  • WWI soldier Merrill Augustus MARSHALL from Prince Edward Island, who was killed in action during the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France on April 9, 1917.
  • WWII soldier Austin Havelock MUNROE from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Leonard William PORTER from New Brunswick, who was killed in action during the Battle of Walcheren Causeway in The Netherlands on November 1, 1944.
  • WWII soldier Joseph ‘Edmond’ ROBICHEAU from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during the Battle of Five Woods in The Netherlands on April 14, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Edison Alexander SMITH from Prince Edward Island, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII soldier John Lewis ‘Ducky’ WALLACE from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.

…. Stories About Servicemen From Outside The Maritimes…

  • WWII soldier Clifford BATEMAN from Newfoundland, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII soldier John Joseph BOHON, from Ontario, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Clive Elbert Steele GEROW, from Ontario, who was killed in action during the liberation of Deventer in The Netherlands on April 10, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Theodor ‘Ted’ HENSCHEL, born in Manitoba, but from British Columbia, who was killed in action during the Battle for Wagenborgen in The Netherlands on April 22, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Adam KLEIN, from Saskatchewan, who died in The Netherlands while crossing the Maas River in January 1945.
  • WWII pilot Jack ‘Douglas’ MACKENZIE, from Manitoba, who died at the controls of his plane, Halifax DT630, after being attacked on February 3, 1943 over The Netherlands.
  • WWII soldier Harold Edward Roy MARTIN, from Ontario, who was killed in The Netherlands during the Battle of the Scheldt on October 14, 1944.
  • WWII pilot George Glenn ‘Dusty’ MILLAR, from Manitoba, who died on September 28, 1944 in The Netherlands.
  • WWII soldier Joseph Hudson PALLISTER, from Alberta, who was killed in action during the Battle of the Leopold Canal on October 6, 1944.
  • WWII soldier Wilfred ‘Willy’ Joseph POWER, from British Columbia, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Louis Allan SEXTON, from Quebec, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Harry Elwood WRIGHT, from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action in The Netherlands on April 17, 1945.

…In Conversation And More….

  • We shared our condolences on the passing of Helen Coutts, sister of WWII pilot Elmer Bagnall MUTTART, in July 2023 at the age of 101.
  • We shared our condolences on the passing of Delbert Carr, nephew of WWI soldier Vincent CARR, in July 2023, and on the passing in April 2023 of Pam Alexander, whose father Reg Alexander was part of the Halifax L9561 crew in which WWII pilot Elmer Bagnall MUTTART lost his life.
  • We shared our condolences on the passing of John Robinson, nephew of WWI soldier Arthur Clinton ROBINSON in November 2023, and on the passing, also in November 2023 of Donald Moore, nephew of WWII soldier Archibald Phillip ‘Archie’ MCLEAN.
  • As part of our Remembrance Week 2023 feature, we shared updates on previous stories and about our visit to the Springhill Cenotaph in Springhill, Nova Scotia.
  • We wrote about the Remembrance Day ceremonies we attended in Borden-Carleton and Kinkora, two Prince Edward Island communities.

…. Interviews To Highlight Search For Photos….

Pieter did the following interviews:

  • Kevin Rollason of the Winnipeg Free Press wrote about Pieter’s search for photos and featured the story of WWII Medic John Lewis HUGHES, of Eriksdale, Manitoba, who died during the Battle of the Scheldt on November 2, 1944, and is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands. The article, ‘A Picture Of Compassion’, ran online and in the print edition on Friday, November 10, 2023.  See https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/11/10/a-picture-of-compassion
  • Pieter was interviewed by Fraser Needham of APTN’s Nation To Nation program, about the search for photos of WWII Indigenous soldiers, Benjamin Roy ASHKEWE, from Cape Croker, Ontario, and Charles NANIBUSH, from Shawanaga, Ontario. Both are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands.  The interview ran on Thursday, November 9, 2023 and was subsequently posted on APTN’s YouTube Channel as ‘Their sacrifice should never ever be forgotten’: Extended interview with Pieter Valkenburg | N2N‘ To watch the 8:24 minute interview:

…. Letters To The Editor For Photo Searches….

Letters to the Editor in various newspapers were written in the quest for a photo for:

  • WWII soldier Austin Havelock MUNROE, who is buried in The Netherlands.  A letter to the editor was published in the Guysborough Journal on November 2, 2022. This search was successful.
  • WWII soldier Thomas Alfred BROWN, who is buried in The Netherlands.  A letter to the editor was published in The Consort Enterprise on April 26, 2023 and on ECA Review on April 27, 2023. This search was successful. (See https://ecareview.com/looking-for-photo-of-ww2-soldier/)

… Successful Search For Photos …..

Many WWII soldiers are buried in cemeteries in Europe.  Pieter continues to work with photo wish lists from Canadian War Cemeteries for WWII soldiers buried in The Netherlands.  This year we also received photos and information on soldiers buried in Belgium. 

Photos of soldiers buried in Dutch cemeteries were forwarded to researchers there for their digital archive. Whenever possible, stories are featured on the blog but there is a backlog due to the success of Pieter’s research.  I can’t keep up! This year, photos were found for:

Buried in Holten Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

  1. Percy Joseph BARRY
  2. Archibald BUNGAY
  3. Harry Henry DAVIS
  4. Theophile DUPERE
  5. Gerald Edward FERGUSON
  6. Arthur G. FLIEGER
  7. Clive Elbert Steele GEROW
  8. Frank GUIMOND
  9. Merle Vincent HAMILTON
  10. Lawrence Edward LUCAS
  11. Neil Roderick MACLEAN
  12. Joseph Taylor MACLEOD
  13. Joseph ‘Felicien’ MALLEY
  14. Stanley Leigh MCBEATH
  15. Archibald ‘Archie’ Phillip MCLEAN
  16. Ralph Foster MCLENAHAN
  17. Sydney Guy MOSHER
  18. Frank Eugene MUNROE
  19. James ‘Gordon’ MURPHY
  20. Seth Everett MURRAY
  21. Herbert ‘Murray’ RAFUSE
  22. Roslyn Ernest SANDS
  23. Sanford Steven SAULIS
  24. George Edward SHERWOOD
  25. Ronald Eugene SMITH
  26. James Edward SULLIVAN
  27. James Oliver THOMAS
  28. Gustav Evald ‘Ernie’ WINSA

Buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

  1. Walter Conrad BENJAMIN
  2. Thomas Alfred BROWN
  3. Norman Victor BUCHANAN
  4. Alexander Parke CALDWELL
  5. Cyrille CAISSIE
  6. Tom CHASKE
  7. Henri CORMIER
  8. Raymond Stavely ELLIOTT
  9. John ‘Jack’ Charles FORWARD
  10. Jean FRIGAULT
  11. Edgar M. GUITARD
  12. Lester L. HANLEY
  13. Raymond Arthur HOSSACK
  14. Maxwell KING
  15. Albert Noel LAMONTAGNE
  16. Gordon Archibald MACCALLUM
  17. Leo Alexander MACDOUGALL
  18. Neale Warren MERRITT
  19. Reginald Vincent MOOERS
  20. Austin Havelock MUNROE
  21. Delphis ROY
  22. Lawrence Arthur RUDOLPH
  23. Oxaird J. SAVOIE
  24. Thomas ‘Tom’ Hector SUTHERLAND
  25. George TAYLOR
  26. John Lewis WALLACE
  27. Harry WRIGHT

Buried in Bergen Op Zoom Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

  1. Earl AGNEW
  2. Robert Oswald BLAKE
  3. Gerald Joseph BOUCHER
  4. James Burnes CARRUTHERS
  5. Donald Whitman COOK
  6. Adam KLEIN
  7. Denis Joseph LANDRY
  8. Harold Edward Roy MARTIN
  9. James A. ‘Jim’ MACLEOD
  10. Joseph Edmond NOELAN (NOWLAN)
  11. Ernest Patrick OWENS
  12. John Colin (Jack) POND
  13. Peter William PORTER
  14. Orville ‘Skip’ REEVES
  15. Elmer Daniel SCHOFIELD
  16. Leopold THERIAULT

 Buried in Rotterdam (Crooswijk) General Cemetery in The Netherlands:

  • John PALMER

Buried in Sleen General Cemetery in The Netherlands:

  1. Jack ‘Douglas’ MACKENZIE
  2. Raymond Hepton ‘Ray’ HILL

 Buried in Uden War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

  • George Glenn ‘Dusty’ MILLAR

 Buried in Adegem Canadian War Cemetery in Belgium:

  • Joseph Hudson PALLISTER

 Buried in Ligny St. Flochel British Cemetery in France:

  • Joseph ‘Arthur’ DESROCHES

 Listed On The Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France:

  • Merrill Augustus MARSHALL

Buried in Coriano Ridge War Cemetery in Italy:

  • Millard Emery ALLEN

 Photo Search For Airmen For Air Research Drenthe Foundation in The Netherlands:

One of the projects of the Air Research Drenthe Foundation in The Netherlands is to install information panels near WWII air crash sites. While many of the airmen lost their lives and are buried in The Netherlands or just across the border in Germany, other airmen survived the crash and were in prisoner of war camps until the war ended.  It can be difficult to find photos and families of airmen that survived, but Pieter took up the challenge.  Photos were found for:

  • Barry Matthews GODDEN, of Harbour Breton, Newfoundland, Flight Sergeant on Lancaster ED916, which crashed June 13, 1943. He died December 1, 2002 in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
  • Raymond ‘Ray’ Hepton HILL, of Montreal, Quebec, Air Gunner on Halifax DT630, which crashed February 3, 1943. He died in the crash and is buried at Sleen General Cemetery in Sleen, The Netherlands.
  • André Jean Jules HISETTE, of Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, Air Bomber on Halifax LW461, which crashed January 16, 1945. He died in the crash and is buried at Becklingen War Cemetery in Wietzendorf, Germany.
  • Eric ‘Raymond’ MARQUAND, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Bomb Aimer on Halifax DT630, which crashed February 3, 1943. He died April 25, 2006 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
  • Henry ‘Hank’ PANKRATZ, of Ottawa, Ontario, Wireless Operator on Halifax NP945, which crashed December 6, 1944.

… Unsuccessful Search For Photos …..

Not all searches have been successful, for one reason or another.  Below is a listing of some of the outstanding files for which research has been done, but no photo has been found.  If you can help with a photo, please let us know.

  1. John Frederick BARTLETT of Moreton’s Harbour, Newfoundland, son of Alfred and Jessie Bartlett, died February 27, 1945, aged 47, while serving with the South Alberta Regiment.
  2. Douglas Gordon BLACK of Amherst, Nova Scotia, son of Sherman and Alice Black, died March 3, 1945, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment.
  3. Clifford Alexander BLAKE of Toronto, Ontario, son of William C. and Sarah L. Blake, husband of Ferne E. Blake, died February 16, 1945, aged 23, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
  4. James Lyman CAMERON, born in Victoria-By-The-Sea, Prince Edward Island, son of Edward H. and Susan (Harrington) Cameron, died July 24, 1916, aged 23, while serving with the 7th Canadian Infantry Battalion (1st British Columbia). (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  5. Leigh Hunt CAMERON, born in Albany, Prince Edward Island, son of Anna Cameron, died May 5, 1916, aged 17, shortly after enlisting with the 105th Battalion, C Company. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  6. William Galen CAMPBELL, born in Wellington, Prince Edward Island, son of John G. and Grace Emma Campbell, died April 24, 1953, aged 55, many years after being discharged from the 8th Siege Battery of the 3rd Brigade Canadian Garrison Artillery. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  7. Karl CHRISTENSEN, from Alberta, but born in Starheim, Nordfjord, Norway, son of Kristian Kristiansen Hafsas and Marie K. Hafsas, died April 10, 1945, aged 41, while serving with the 8th Field Squadron, Royal Canadian Engineers.
  8. John Edward COLEMAN of Moncton, New Brunswick, son of Edward J. and Florence Coleman, husband of Della Coleman, died June 17, 1945, aged 32, while serving with the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
  9. Lorne Mart COLFORD of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, but born in Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia, son of Howard and Jeanette Colford, died April 14, 1945, aged 22, while serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.
  10. Bazil CORMIER, born in Tignish, Prince Edward Island, son of Joseph Cormier and Mary Arsenault, died August 12, 1918, aged 20, while serving with the 26th (New Brunswick) Battalion. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  11. Eric John CRUE of Moncton, New Brunswick, son of John and Margaret Crue, died April 6, 1945, aged 23, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment.
  12. James Frank DOLMAN of Flatlands, New Brunswick, son of Frank Dolman and Lydia Thompson, husband of Henriette Gertrude Lyons, died April 14, 1945, aged 32, while serving with the New Brunswick Rangers -10th Ind. Machine Gun Company.
  13. Samuel George ENGEN of The Pas, Manitoba, died April 23, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment.
  14. Douglas Bernard FARROW of Amherst, Nova Scotia, died April 26, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment.
  15. Clifford Glen FORSYTH born in Brandon, Manitoba, son of Alexander ‘Sandy’ Forsyth and Margaret McDougall, died April 11, 1945, aged 20, while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment.
  16. Ernest Ramey GALLANT, born in Borden (now Borden-Carleton), Prince Edward Island, son of John P. and Mary Blanche Gallant, died May 20, 1943, aged 27, while with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  17. William James ‘Jimmy’ Sutherland HOLE born in Carman, Manitoba, son of William and Eva Alise Hole, died April 22, 1945, aged 20, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
  18. Claude Pearley HUBLEY of Chipman, New Brunswick, son of Joshua and Adelia Hubley, husband of Agnes Myrtle Hubley, died April 25, 1945, aged 29, while serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.
  19. John Lewis HUGHES born in Eriksdale, Manitoba, son of Ebenezer George and Ellen (nee Rogan) Hughes, husband of Irene (nee Goodwin) Hughes of Winnipeg, Manitoba, died November 2, 1944, aged 28, while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corp – 10th Field Dressing Station.
  20. George Mcdonald JOHNSTON of Toronto, Ontario, son of William and Annie Johnston, died April 2, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment.
  21. Lloyd Edward KITCHING of Winnipeg, Manitoba, son of Robert Burns Lloyd Kitching, and stepson of Eva L. Kitching, died May 1, 1945, aged 25, while serving with the Royal Canadian Artillery – 6th Field Regiment.
  22. Wallace Herbert LARLEE of Perth, New Brunswick, died April 24, 1945, aged 19, while serving with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment.
  23. Logan Elwood LESLIE, born in Oxford, Nova Scotia, died April 9, 1945, son of John J. and Georgie Mary Leslie of Moncton, New Brunswick, while serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.
  24. Charles W. LOWTHER, born in North Carleton, Prince Edward Island, son of Bessie Lowther, died September 25, 1918, aged 21, while serving with the 25th Battalion, Canadian Infantry. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  25. John Redmond MAHONEY, born in Port Elgin, New Brunswick, son of John J. and Gertrude C. Mahoney, died April 12, 1945, aged 30, while serving with the New Brunswick Rangers-10th Independent Machine Gun Company.
  26. Francis Leslie MULCAHY of Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of Daniel and Mary Mulcahy, died April 24, 1945, aged 21, while serving with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment.
  27. Archibald Henry NELSON born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, son of William Henry and Winnifred Frances Nelson, died April 18, 1945, aged 34, while serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment.
  28. Arthur Clinton ROBINSON, born in Tryon, Prince Edward Island, son of Albert J. and Flora P. Scruton Robinson, died March 27, 1916, aged 19, while serving with the 26th (New Brunswick) Battalion. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  29. Harry ROBINSON, born in Augustine Cove, Prince Edward Island, son of Thomas and Sarah Robinson, husband of Clara J. Robinson, died June 27, 1916, aged 34, while serving with the 105th Battalion, C Company. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  30. Charles Patrick SHEFFIED of Sundridge, Ontario, son of Charles and Mrs Sheffield, husband of Bessie Alice Butler from Botwood, Newfoundland, and father of Patrick William Wallace Sheffield, died May 4, 1945, aged 24, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment.
  31. Charles Bernard STAFFORD of Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of Charles Bernard and Blanche Stafford, husband of Winifred Leitha Stafford of Intake, Sheffield, England, died April 18, 1945, aged 28, while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps – 9th Field Ambulance.
  32. Harry WHITE of Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of Wilfred and Mary White, died May 19, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the West Nova Scotia Regiment.

… The YouTube Channel….

In 2023 the following videos were posted on the YouTube channel:  On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw

  • S4E1 Battle Of Bienen
  • S4E2 The Last Flight Of Halifax JD215

…Thank you for your support and encouragement of this research project!…

As 2023 comes to an end, we would like to thank all who helped with researching these stories and contributed photos. We also thank readers of this blog, and the On The War Memorial Trail column in The County Line Courier, who suggested some of stories you’ve read.  A big thank you goes to Mike and Isabel Smith, owners of The County Line Courier. 

Thank you to all the families that contributed photos and stories. Thank you to Judie Klassen and Shawn Rainville who volunteered their time to help find families of soldiers through newspaper and online searches.  Thank you to Don Smith for answering any aircraft and military flight questions we’ve had. Thank you to Etienne Gaudet for visiting New Brunswick families on our behalf. 

Thank you to the media who helped publicize the search for photos and information – APTN, CBC Radio’s Maritime Noon, ECA Review, Guysborough Journal, The Consort Enterprise, and the Winnipeg Free Press.

Last, but not least, the YouTube channel and videos would not be possible without the invaluable support of post-production editor Wendy Nattress.  Wendy also designed and manages the book website: https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

….Happy Holidays…

Pieter and I wish you all the best for the holidays and in 2024. May we never forget those who gave their lives for our freedom.

Xmas greetings from Pieter and Daria

Pieter’s research work continues. If you have photos or information to share, please email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.  

© Daria Valkenburg

…Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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On The War Memorial Trail….. The WWII Soldier Killed By Mortar Fire When His Brother Was Two Years Old

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November 29, 2023.  After posting a photo search request for WWII soldier James ‘Jim’ Andrew MACLEOD on a Restigouche Facebook page, Pieter was contacted by Sheila Braun, who wrote that “…his brother Earle lives on Prince Edward Island…” and she let Earle know about the request. 

Very quickly Pieter and Earle were in touch with each other and we met him and his wife Nancy at their home in Little Sands. “…I was only 2 years old when my brother died...” Earle explained.

CIMG6667 Nov 17 2023 Pieter with Nancy & Earl MacLeod

Pieter with Nancy and Earle MacLeod. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

… Jim altered his birth year in order to enlist…

Born in Campbelltown, New Brunswick, James ‘Jim’ Andrew MacLeod was the son of John Earle and Christina MacLeod.  According to his Attestation form and Militia documents, he was born on December 19, 1924, but Earl and Nancy explained that he lied about his age and he was actually a year younger.  This matches what was filled out by his mother on the Estate Form, listing his date of birth as December 19, 1925.

When Jim enlisted with the No. 7 District Depot in Fredericton, New Brunswick on July 16, 1943, he had already been in the 2nd Battalion, 103rd Battery Non-Permanent Militia since October 25, 1941.  He also had a full time position as a watchman at Fraser Company, a pulp and paper mill in Campbelltown. 

Jim MacLeod coulourized photo2

James ‘Jim’ Andrew MacLeod. (Photo courtesy of Earle and Nancy MacLeod on behalf of the MacLeod Family.  Photo colourization: Pieter Valkenburg)

The interviewer for his Canadian Army Personnel Selection Record noted that Jim enjoyed “…hockey, swimming, fishing….” and wanted to be in the “…infantry so as to take Basic and Advanced Training in New Brunswick with friends…”

On August 5, 1943, Jim was sent to No. 70 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre (CA(B)TC) in Fredericton for basic training.  On September 28, 1943, his Personnel Selection Record was updated, stating that Jim “…is not satisfied with Infantry.  He had training in the Royal Canadian Artillery Reserve and desires an allocation to that arm…..He had some experience as a truck driver and as a mechanic’s helper. Could be used as a driver i/c …”

On October 8, 1943 he was posted to the A-30 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Utopia, located northeast of St. George, New Brunswick.  After his 5th week of training, his Personnel Selection Record was updated. “…Very good progress in Advanced training (Infantry)….Good stability, well disciplined….Outstanding in platoon….”

… Jim became a driver mechanic…

On December 5, 1943, Jim was sent to Woodstock, Ontario for a Driver Course i/c course at the S-5 Canadian Driving and Maintenance School (CD & M School).  He successfully completed this on January 21, 1944 and was qualified as a Driver i/c Class III.  (The term ‘Driver i/c’ refers to ‘Driver, internal combustion’.  Class III meant he was qualified to drive heavy trucks and armoured cars.)

Jim remained in Woodstock to take a Driver Mechanic Course, and on March 15, 1944 was qualified as a Driver Mechanic Class I.

On March 18, 1944, Jim returned to the A-30 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Utopia in preparation for overseas service.  He received two weeks of embarkation leave, from April 14 to 27, 1944, the last time he would see his family.

The last day at home

James ‘Jim’ Andrew MacLeod on his last day at home.  (Photo courtesy of Earle and Nancy MacLeod on behalf of the MacLeod Family.)

… Jim left Canada for overseas service in May 1944…

On May 1, 1944 Jim left Canada for the United Kingdom.  Upon arriving on May 7, 1944 he was assigned to No 4 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU).

While in the United Kingdom, Jim continued his training, completing a First Aid Course shortly after his arrival, and then qualifying as a Driver i/c (T) Q2 in July 1944.

On September 10, 1944 he was sent to France with the X-L infantry reinforcement troops of the 21st Army Group.

… Jim joined the Algonquin Regiment in Belgium…

Screenshot 2023-11-28 at 11-59-28 Assenede · Belgium with arrows

James ‘Jim’ Andrew MacLeod joined the Algonquin Regiment in Assenade, Belgium, as they travelled towards Brasschaat.  (Map source: Google maps)

On September 19, 1944 he was assigned to the Algonquin Regiment, joining them in Assenade, Belgium, located not far from the Dutch border.  The Regiment had suffered heavy losses during the battles to capture the canals around Moerkerke and needed reinforcements as they slowly advanced towards the Scheldt and the need to liberate the port of Antwerp.

By October 18, 1944, the Regiment was near Westmaele, north-east of Antwerp.  In ‘Warpath The Story of the Algonquin Regiment 1939-1945’, author Major G. L. Cassidy wrote that “… on October 19th, a battalion reconnaissance party went north to Camp de Brasschaet for a look at the terrain where the next day’s battle was to be fought…..” 

… Jim was hit by a mortar shell while on patrol…

Screenshot 2023-11-26 at 13-48-12 Where is Esschen in Belgium

Map shows the location of Essen, Belgium, where James ‘Jim’ Andrew MacLeod lost his life.  (Map source: Google)

That night, orders came to “…advance and capture the town of Esschen, moving along two centre lines in two brigade groups….”

While the Algonquin Regiment was in Esschen (Essen in English), Belgium, the October 23, 1944 War Diary entry recorded that “…patrols were sent out during the night.  An ‘A’ Company patrol which went out to recce a bridge east of town came under heavy mortar fire and one man was killed and two wounded…”

‘Warpath’ provided a bit more clarity. “….An ‘A’ Company patrol, sent out to recce a bridge to the east, came under a mortar concentration and lost two men wounded, Ptes J.  Burant and J. Bordignon, and one man killed, Pte J. A. MacLeod….”  Jim was only 18 years old.

… Jim is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom…

Grave of Jim MacLeod in BOZ from Find A Grave

Grave of James ‘Jim’ Andrew MacLeod at the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom. (Photo source: http://www.findagrave.com)

Jim was initially buried in Brasschaat, Belgium, along a road at the entrance to the Sanatorium, before being reburied the following year in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands.

Earle remembers that “…my mother would never put up the Christmas tree before December 19 after Jim died.  That was the first official Christmas day….” Needless to say, this is a family that never forgot the loss of a beloved son and brother.

Thank you to Earle and Nancy MacLeod for providing photos and information.  Thank you also to Sheila Braun for help with contacting family. Do you have a story to tell? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or send a tweet to @researchmemori1.  

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?….

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

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

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

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

On The War Memorial Trail….. The WWII Soldier From Moncton Who Lost His Life During The Battle of Walcheren Causeway

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November 20, 2023. When Pieter began his research into WWII soldier Leonard William PORTER of Moncton, New Brunswick, he discovered they had something in common, as he wrote to Leonard’s son, Peter Porter.  “…I noticed that he was born on the same day as myself but 26 years earlier, on the 25th of March 1918….” 

This was a promising start to the research, which continued after he quickly received a photo of Leonard after reaching out to Peter, and then we were able to meet Peter and his son Shane.  Asked how he felt about being approached for a photo, Peter said “…I think this is wonderful…”

CIMG6567 Oct 23 2023 Shane Peter Pieter

Shane and Peter Porter with Pieter.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Born March 25, 1918 in Moncton, New Brunswick, Leonard was the son of Andrew and Ella Elizabeth (nee Beers) Porter. 

At the time of his marriage to Kathryn Doris Meaghan on December 6, 1941 in Moncton, Leonard listed his occupation as Sergeant in the New Brunswick Regiment (Tanks), a non-Permanent Active Militia unit.  He didn’t mention that he was also employed by the T. Eaton Company.

….Leonard was in the militia for several years….

Leonard had joined the militia on March 12, 1939, and qualified as a Sergeant on June 20, 1940.  He served in Borden, Ontario, St John, New Brunswick, and Shediac, New Brunswick. As of August 11, 1940 he had been appointed as an Instructor with A & T Staff 19th (Reserve) Army  Tank Regiment.

Leonard William Porter from Peter Porter

Leonard William Porter while serving with the New Brunswick Regiment (Tank) militia.  (Photo courtesy of Peter Porter)

He qualified as a Driver i/c Class III on June 4, 1942, after successfully completing a 6 week driving course at the S-5 Canadian Driving and Maintenance School (CD & M School) in Woodstock, Ontario. This meant he was qualified to drive heavy trucks and armoured cars. 

On June 10, 1942, Leonard was promoted to Squadron Sgt-Major Warrant Officer II (SSM (WOII)). 

On October 3, 1942, he was sent to the A-30 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Utopia, located northeast of St. George, New Brunswick to attend a Mortar and Grenade course.

On January 13, 1943, he was sent to Buctouche, New Brunswick.  While posted there he took a Browning Machine Gun course. 

Leonard and Kathryn’s son Peter James was born on February 19, 1943 in Moncton, New Brunswick.

From March to August 1943 Leonard served in Richibucto and Sussex, then from September until November 15, 1943 he was in Tracadie and Fredericton, all in New Brunswick. 

While he was in the Militia, with the New Brunswick Regiment (Tanks), Leonard also held a full time position for 5 years as a grocery clerk with the T. Eaton Company, a department store, in Moncton.

….Leonard enlisted for active service in the Canadian Army….

On November 16, 1943, he enlisted in the active service force at the No. 7 District Depot in Fredericton, New Brunswick.  In the interview for his Personnel Selection Record, it was noted that Leonard was “...fond of bowling. Does some hunting and fishing. Reads Esquire, Readers Digest, and fiction….”  Peter Porter mentioned that his father also “….played a piano-accordion...”

Although Leonard had spent several years in the Militia, he was still sent for basic training, like any new recruit.  On December 7, 1943, he reported to No. 70 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre (CA(B)TC) in Fredericton. But, he was given a 5 day pass for Christmas leave, from December 23 to 28, the last Christmas he would spend with his family.

On February 15, 1944, Leonard returned to the A-30 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Utopia, located northeast of St. George, New Brunswick.  After his 5th week of training, his Personnel Selection Record was updated.  “….Leadership ability is apparent, exerts influence over his fellows. Quiet, steady, confident… Interested and ambitious…..Watch for promotions….”

Leonard was selected for the 3 inch mortar training course, which ran from April 10 to April 29, 1944.  After receiving his qualification in this course, on May 4, 1944 he was sent to Woodstock, Ontario for a Carrier Driver Course at the S-5 Canadian Driving and Maintenance School (CD & M School).  He had been there in 1942 while with the militia.

On June 14, 1944, he received his qualification as a Driver i/c Class III (Wheeled) (3 inch Mortarman). The term ‘Driver i/c’ refers to ‘Driver, internal combustion’.  Class III meant he was qualified to drive heavy trucks and armoured cars. Wheeled refers to wheeled vehicles.  As a mortarman,  Leonard could not only drive vehicles containing bombs, but also be part of the mortar crew firing them. (See https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/weapons/lightweapons/mortars/3inchmortar.htm)

On June 24, 1944, Leonard returned to the A-30 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Utopia in preparation for overseas service.  He received two weeks of embarkation leave, from June 29 to July 12, 1944, the last time he would see his family.

… Leonard left Canada for overseas service in July 1944…

On July 20, 1944, Leonard left Canada for the United Kingdom.  Upon arriving on July 27, 1944 he was assigned to No 4 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU). 

His stay in the United Kingdom was short, as on September 1, 1944 he was sent to France with the X-L infantry reinforcement troops of the 21st Army Group.

Screenshot 2023-11-19 at 12-54-37 Loon-Plage · 59279 France

Leonard joined the Calgary Highlanders in Loon Plage, France.  (Map source: Google maps)

On September 12, 1944, he was transferred to the Calgary Highlanders, joining them in Loon Plage, France, not that far from the Belgian border.   The Regiment, part of the Canadian 5th Infantry Brigade, was engaged in patrolling operations and needed to be constantly on the alert from the heavily fortified Dunkirk (Dunkerque in French).

The War Diary entry for September 12, 1944 for the Calgary Highlanders reported that “…. during the evening, heavy bombers were heard roaring out toward German territory and heavy shelling and mortaring were heard coming from the direction of Dunkerque….” The situation intensified in the days that followed.  On September 14, 1944, the War Diary entry recorded that “…forty-four other ranks arrived as reinforcements to the Battalion...”  Leonard would have been one of these men.

… The Regiment was in the Battle of the Scheldt…

By September 18, 1944 the Calgary Highlanders had crossed into Belgium and were temporarily based in Wommelgem, just outside Antwerp, while the Regiment was engaged in the preparations for and participation in the Battle of the Scheldt, which began officially on October 2 and lasted until November 8, 1944.

The Battle of the Scheldt’s objective was to free up the way to the Port of Antwerp in Belgium for supply purposes. Canadians suffered almost 8,000 casualties (wounded and dead) in what turned out to be the battle with the most Canadian casualties in The Netherlands. (See https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war/scheldt)

During their stay in the Wommelgem area, several members of the Calgary Highlanders lost their lives, and were temporarily buried there, before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/02/13/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-search-for-soldiers-who-died-in-wommelgem-belgium-in-fall-1944/)

On October 7, 1944, the Regiment left Belgium and arrived in The Netherlands in the early morning, with the War Diary recording that “…at 05:50 hours the group crossed the border into Holland…” and was based at Jansen Farm.

On October 11, 1944, the Regiment moved again, to De Geest, then on October 15, 1944 to Hinkelenrood and based at Van De Maegdenburg’s Farm.  Their task was mainly recce patrol.  On October 22, 1944 the Regiment arrived in Ossendrecht.   Then, on October 26, 1944, the Regiment arrived in Woensdrecht.

… The Regiment was involved in the Battle of Walcheren Causeway…

The stay in Woensdrecht was short, as on October 28, 1944 the Regiment made its way across the isthmus towards South Beveland.  By October 31, 1944, the Calgary Highlanders were to cross the Sloe Channel in assault boats towards the German-held Walcheren Island. 

The original plan to cross the Sloe Channel failed, as the Black Watch of Canada, the troops of the 5th Canadian Brigade that were in the lead, found that assault boats were useless in the deep mud of the channel.

The only route open was the Walcheren Causeway (known as Sloedam in Dutch), a land bridge from South Beveland to the Island. The Causeway was a dyke – 1,600 metres (1 mile) long and just 45 metres (40 yards) in width.

Walcheren2

Map showing troops at the beginning of the Battle of Walcheren Causeway.  (Map source: Wikipedia)

In what became known as the Battle of Walcheren Causeway, part of the larger Battle of the Scheldt, the struggle to cross the Causeway was hampered.  A deep crater on the causeway had been blown by German engineers as an anti-tank obstacle and the surrounding landscape was severely damaged by bombing.

After the Black Watch of Canada suffered heavy losses during the crossing on the evening of October 31, 1944, the Calgary Highlanders sent two companies over in succession, one close to midnight on the 31st and the other just before dawn on November 1. The first attack, on October 31, stalled just past the bomb crater on the Causeway.

In the November 1 early morning attack, carried out under artillery fire, Canadian troops reached the other side of the dam and opened up a bridgehead on the island. The Germans continued to fire upon troops, and it wasn’t until that evening that Canadian survivors succeeded in getting back to the Beveland side.

The November 1, 1944 War Diary entry for the Calgary Highlanders starkly summed up what happened. “…Fighting along the Causeway had been terrific for the last 40 hours and words are inadequate to express all the difficulties that had to be surmounted to make an advance along the ….narrow Causeway.  The memory of it will live long in the minds of the Calgary Highlanders….”

(For more information, see https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Walcheren_Causeway and https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/walcherencauseway.htm)

… Leonard lost his life in the Battle of Walcheren Causeway…

Location Lewedorp on google maps

Leonard was initially buried in Lewedorp.  (Map source: Google maps)

64 members of the Calgary Highlanders were either killed or wounded in this battle.  One of them was Leonard, who died on November 1, 1944, aged 26.  He was initially buried on Walcheren Island in Lewedorp, behind the Roman Catholic Church.

Lewedorp,_de_Rooms_Katholieke_kerk_in_straatzicht_foto4_2015-09-29_17.19 from Wikimedia

The Roman Catholic Church in Lewedorp.  (Photo source: Wikipedia)

The Germans surrendered the area on November 5, 1944.  Today, the Causeway that caused so many casualties no longer exists. Land on both sides of the dyke has been reclaimed and the Sloe Channel is now farmland. However, remnants of German concrete fortifications still exist both on Walcheren Island and South Beveland.

… Leonard is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom…

Leonard was reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands in 1946.

Grave of Leonard Porter from Findagrave

Grave of Leonard William Porter at the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom. (Photo source: Find A Grave)

Leonard’s widow never remarried.  Her son Peter explained that “….my mother was a hairdresser, and owned her own business.  She became president of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Royal Canadian Legion and was involved in the Poppy Campaign.  She also used to send money to people in The Netherlands who were adopting graves…”

Peter reflected that being involved in the Legion was his mother’s “…way to commemorate.  Every September until November 11, she was busy….” 

Thank you to Peter Porter for providing a photo and information about his parents. Do you have a story to tell? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.  

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?….

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

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

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

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