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

January 10, 2026 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

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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On The War Memorial Trail….The WWI Architect Shot By A Sniper While Sketching Trenches

December 31, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 2 Comments

Daria outside the pavilion at Berks Community Cemetery in Belgium. The Extension is to the left. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

December 31, 2025. While in Belgium during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, we were joined by Pieter’s cousin François Breugelmans and his wife Mieke de Bie.

We visited Zonnebeke and were successful in finding the location of the original burial of WWI soldier Vincent Earl CARR of Prince Edward Island who was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele in October 1917. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/12/22/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-search-for-the-trench-where-wwi-soldier-vincent-carr-was-originally-buried/)

We also visited Ostende New Communal Cemetery to lay flags at the grave of Manitoba-born WWII soldier Donald David MacKenzie TAYLOR, who drowned when the Landing Ship Tank LST- 420, carrying members of No. 1 Base Signals and Radar Unit (BSRU), sank after it hit a mine near the harbour in Ostend, Belgium. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/12/27/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-born-in-manitoba-who-lost-his-life-when-lst-420-hit-a-mine-in-the-harbour-outside-ostend/)

The final stop on the Belgian portion of our trip was to visit Berks Cemetery Extension in Ploegsteert not far from Ypres, and almost at the French border. Our goal was to place flags at the graves of two WWI soldiers….

….Request from a Belgian researcher…

On April 4, 2025, just as we were preparing for our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, Belgian researcher Patrick Michiels had written us, asking for help in “….finding photos for two WWI soldiers buried in Berks Cemetery Extension in Komen-Waasten (near Ploegsteert). We’ve in total about 20 adopted soldiers in this Cemetery with our group of Friends…”

He went on to explain that the two soldiers were Captain George Pigrum BOWIE, a well-known architect in Vancouver, British Columbia, who had been born in England, and Private Warren GILLANDER of Athelstan, Quebec. “…Berks Cemetery Extension has only WWI casualties ….”

We agreed to help once we returned from Europe. In the meantime, with help from Judie Klassen and Shawn Rainville, initial research began on George Pigrum Bowie. We thought that it might be easier to find a photo of him, since he was an architect, and we hoped to have a photo before we visited the cemetery. In the end, we didn’t find a photo of either soldier while we were in Europe.

….A photo of George was found…

Months after our trip, we learned of a photo of George in the Journal of the Royal Institute of British Architects in the July 31, 1915, Volume 22, Issue 17, and with the help of the Prince Edward Island Library Service, a copy of the journal was found.

George Pigrum Bowie. (Photo source: July 31, 1915 issue of the Journal of the Royal Institute of British Architects. Photo colourization by Pieter Valkenburg)

….George Bowie was a true Renaissance man …

Born on March 29, 1881 in Upper Holloway, London, England, George was the eldest son of Alfred Henry and Elizabeth Bowie. He became a draftsman with Holloway Brothers, a building firm in London, staying with the firm from 1896 until 1901, gaining a good knowledge of construction, which would be very useful as an architect. George studied at the City of London College and trained under architect Edward Prioleau Warren. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Prioleau_Warren)

In 1904, he worked for a short period in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, for Russell Sturgis and for C.A. Cummings, before returning to England in early 1905 as an assistant to Charles Harrison Townsend. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Charles_Harrison_Townsend)

After immigrating to Canada in 1906, George was employed as chief assistant at Parr & Fee in Vancouver, British Columbia, working there until 1910 when he opened his own firm.

Postcard of Lumberman’s Arch, designed by George Pigrum Bowie, circa 1913.

In 1912 he designed the Lumberman’s Arch of Welcome in Vancouver for the Lumbermen and Shinglemen of Vancouver in honour of the visit of the Duke of Connaught, the Governor General of Canada at the time. Envisioned as a temporary structure to be placed downtown at Pender Street and Hamilton Street, it was a massive timber structure constructed entirely of fir, held together only by its own weight as no nails, bolts or fasteners were used.

After the Governor General’s visit, however, the arch was not destroyed. Instead, it was taken down, floated across Coal Harbour, and relocated in Stanley Park in March, 1913. After George’s death in 1915 it was renamed Bowie’s Arch and remained until 1947 when, due to rotting timbers, it was replaced by a simpler structure which still stands in Stanley Park. Over the years, I’ve been in Stanley Park many times, and likely saw Bowie’s Arch – and never realized it’s significance! (See https://vancouversun.com/news/local-news/this-week-in-history-1947-lumbermens-arch-is-demolished)

In 1907, George joined the Freemasons. Judie Klassen, who tracked all the activities he was involved in, wrote to say “…I didn’t realize the breadth of information that I would find when I started looking into newspaper articles for this soldier…” He was well known, not only professionally, but also “… in charitable, church and social circles. He belonged to the Vancouver Riding Club, the YMCA, the Vancouver Rowing Club, a fencing club, the Vancouver Automobile Club. He also belonged to Christ Church and taught bible classes or Sunday school…”

George was engaged to Alice Margaret Scott, who had grown up in Saint John, New Brunswick, giving this west coast story a Maritime twist!

After we returned from Europe, an undated and unattributed photo from the fencing club was found by Judie.

Left to right (back row): W. Walken, B.F. Wood, H.J. Cave, W. Pumphrey and G.H. Henderson; (middle row): A. Rowan, G. Sheldon, W. McC. Hutchison, W. McNaught, E. Cook, G. Bowie (identified by yellow arrow) and J. Johnstone; (front row): M. Alpen, P.R. West, Olive Trew, Mrs. C.F. Cotton, F. Cowens and J.E. Parr. (Photo source unknown)

….George enlisted in 1914 …

Canada entered WWI on August 4, 1914, the same day that the United Kingdom declared war on Germany. A month later, George enlisted. At the time of his enlistment with the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force on September 23, 1914 in Valcartier, Quebec, George was assigned to the 5th Canadian Infantry Battalion as a Sergeant. He had already served for three years with the 20th Middlesex Rifles, and was an active member of the 31st British Columbia Horse, a militia regiment. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Columbia_Hussars)

On October 20, 1914, George arrived in the United Kingdom from Canada. The 5th Canadian Infantry Battalion War Diary for that day noted that “…the Battalion disembarked at full strength at Devonport….” and began making its way to Salisbury Plain.

Map showing the 706.5 km route across the English Channel from Avonmouth to Saint-Nazaire. (Map source: Google maps)

Training continued in England until February 11, 1915, when the Battalion boarded the HMT Lake Michigan in Avonmouth on February 11, 1915, arriving in St. Nazaire, France 2 days later. By February 23, 1915, they were digging trenches in Armentieres, and encountering German snipers.

April 1915 found the Battalion had moved into Belgium, near Ypres, and were under heavy fire, with many casualties, during the Second Battle of Ypres, which was fought from April 22 to May 15, 1915. By April 24, 1915 the Germans attacked with poison gas, as well as artillery. (See (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Second_Battle_of_Ypres)

On May 15, 1915 George, who was a Sergeant with ‘A’ Company of the 5th Canadian Infantry Battalion, was promoted to Lieutenant, but given a temporary commission to Captain. His bravery and leadership skills didn’t go unnoticed.

….George wrote about the Battle of Festubert….

1919 photo of the ruined landscape near Festubert, 4 years after the May 1915 battle. (Photo source: Canadian War Museum)

In the latter part of May 1915, the Battalion was engaged in the Battle of Festubert, and suffered devastating losses. George was in this battle and wrote a letter to the Daily News Advertiser newspaper on May 26, 1915, describing how he crawled through an open gap between trenches to find whether a certain trench was held by Canadians or Germans, and then had to make a new connecting trench through the gap by piling dead Germans along either side. The letter was published on June 20, 1915, just a few short weeks before George lost his life. (See https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/westernfront/festubert.htm)

“…At about five a.m. the general sent for me and gave me orders to take up my men and, as I had taken the precaution to have them sleep fully equipped, they were soon ready. It was now broad daylight, and we had to be very careful to avoid observation from aeroplanes and the enemy’s lookout.

I had to report to a certain officer but he was wounded and so were several others in order of seniority, so I finally decided I would report to one of our own company officers, but no one could tell me when or where our men were.

There were vague rumours that the Germans had cut them off, surrounded them, were driving them back away from us, etc, but I could get no definite information, so I put my men to work to improve the trenches where they were. It was a bad place and filled with dead and wounded men….and I wanted to take my men’s minds off their troubles by getting them to dig in and get cover from the very severe shell fire, which was killing and wounding men all the time.

After moving around in various positions I found a trench at the other end of which were supposed to be our own men with Germans in between. I went along and discovered a big portion of a trench had been blown up by the Germans as soon as our men occupied it, and on the far side of the gap were men who were variously reported to be Germans or Canadians.

I did the caterpillar act, and crawled across the opening….and eventually reached the position our men were holding. I found all the officers dead or wounded, and a lot of the men were also hurt, but the survivors were happy as clams at high tide and ready to hold the place against anything.

I told them we had lots of reinforcements and food and ammunition and would connect up with them…. It was funny to see me diving head first into shell holes and crawling along like a cat after a sparrow…

I found by this time that I was the only Canadian officer of our battalion alive and unwounded in our trenches….” which were “…in a terrible state.…”

With so many wounded, and no officer in charge, George took over, writing that “…we moved down one of the trenches towards the gap … and began work by piling dead Germans, their kits and their sandbags into the open spaces made in the sides of the trench by shells, so that the enemy would not see us moving along the trench. Then we began digging a foxy little trench toward our friends, but in such a manner that the enemy could not see. Also we passed up all the German food and comforts in the old German trenches, so that we should be able to give our lads some food….”

George found that, contrary to reports they’d received, German troops were well fed, based on what they found in the trenches. “….We found rye bread, German sausage, cold bacon, candy, chocolates, cigars, cigarettes, very rich cake, jam and a sort of lard, while all the water bottles were filled with coffee…

We got back to our billets about 4 a.m. yesterday. An officer was asked to take out a burial party to bring in our dead officers and what men we could get, so I went. It was an unpleasant job, but we got them without losing one of our party. Of course, there are many left. We are going out again tonight to try and get some more. We have made a graveyard near here and put up wooden crosses over the graves….”

The War Diary for May 25, 1915 confirmed that George had led a burial party. A “…volunteer party under Lt G. P. Bowie went out at 9 pm, returning at 4:30 am, to bury dead and recover sentimental effects…” This was repeated the following evening into early morning. By now, the Battalion had moved back across the border into France and was based in Essars.

….George was killed by a sniper’s bullet…

On June 25, 1915, the Battalion moved back across the border into Belgium, near Ploegsteert. Soldiers were busy deepening and improving trenches, refurbishing the wire in No-Mans-Land, and dealing with enemy snipers and ongoing rifle fire.

On July 7, 1915, at the age of 34, George lost his life, killed by a German sniper’s bullet while sketching trenches, part of his duties. Pte H. KELLY was wounded. An April 28, 1919 article in Vancouver Daily World quoted Mr. S. Lucas who said that “…before he was shot he realized his danger and sent back to safety the men with him…”

….George was buried in Chateau Rosenberg Military Cemetery …

Temporary burial place of George Pigrum Bowie (to the right of the soldier) in Chateau Rosenberg Military Cemetery. (Photo Courtesy of Brett Payne)

George was initially buried in Chateau Rosenberg Military Cemetery, about 1 km north-west of Berks Extension Cemetery, and his headstone included a freemason’s mark (square and dividers/compasses). A photo was found of his grave, with a soldier standing between his grave and that of Pte Albert Eber Gustav GABBE, on a site written by Brett Payne of Tauranga, New Zealand. (See https://photo-sleuth.blogspot.com/2008/09/canadian-war-graves-ed-pye-and-5th.html)

When I contacted him, he explained that he believed the man in the photo was his “… grandfather’s friend Ed Pye. Arthur Edwin Pye (1893-1960) originally enlisted in the 60th Rifles at Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan on 12 August 1914, and five weeks later was attested into the 11th Battalion at Valcartier….”

Based on Ed Pye’s service record, Brett thought that the photo dates to “…the spring or summer of 1916….” and that the photo was “…taken next to these particular graves because they were of men that he had served with the previous year….”

….George was reburied in Berks Cemetery Extension…

In March 1930, 475 graves were moved from Chateau Rosenberg Military Cemetery when the land for Berks Cemetery Extension was granted in perpetuity. The land at Chateau Rosenberg did not have this guarantee. The cemetery grounds at Berks were assigned to the United Kingdom in perpetuity by King Albert I of Belgium in recognition of the sacrifices made in the defence and liberation of Belgium during the war.

95 years later, we visited the cemetery to honour George Pigrum Bowie and Warren Gillander. As usual, we wrote in the visitors’ book.

Entry in the visitors’ book. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Pieter placed a Canadian flag at George’s grave.

Pieter behind the grave of George Pigrum Bowie. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

….A photo of Warren Gillander has yet to be found…

At the grave of Warren Gillander, whose photo has yet to be found, Pieter placed flags of Canada and Quebec.

Pieter at the grave of Warren Gillander. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Pieter stands behind the grave of Warren Gillander. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

The flags placed these two graves were donated. Our thanks go to:

Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian flags.

Mario Henry and his brother Etienne Henry, who donated the Quebec flag.

Thank you to Judie Klassen and Shawn Rainville for the extensive research and newspaper searches. Thank you to the Prince Edward Island Library system for helping to access the journal in which a photo of George Pigrum Bowie was found. Thank you to Brett Payne for the photo from Chateau Rosenberg Cemetery. Thank you also to François Breugelmans and Mieke de Bie for joining us on the Belgian portion of our visit.

Our adventures continue as we return to The Netherlands for the next portion of our 2025 European War Memorial Tour.

If you have a story or photo to share, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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On The War Memorial Trail…..The WWII Soldier Born In Manitoba Who Lost His Life When LST-420 Hit A Mine In The Harbour Outside Ostend

December 27, 2025December 30, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 2 Comments

Pieter with François Breugelmans and Mieke de Bie on the boardwalk in Westeinde, Belgium, by the North Sea. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

December 27, 2025. While in Belgium during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, we were joined by Pieter’s cousin François Breugelmans and his wife Mieke de Bie. We visited Zonnebeke and were successful in finding the location of the original burial of WWI soldier Vincent Earl CARR of Prince Edward Island who was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele in October 1917. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/12/22/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-search-for-the-trench-where-wwi-soldier-vincent-carr-was-originally-buried/)

Our fearless foursome continued on the Belgian portion of our trip, this time to honour a Manitoba-born WWII soldier…..

….Request from a Belgian researcher…

In September 2024, Belgian researcher Patrick Michiels had written us, asking for help in finding a photo of Donald David MacKenzie TAYLOR. Patrick explained that “…Corporal Taylor, of the Royal Canadian Air Force, died on 7th November 1944 whilst the ship he was on, LST-420, hit a mine near the harbour of Ostend (Belgium). Donald is buried in the Ostende New Communal Cemetery and was 26 when he died….” LST refers to Landing Ship, Tank. (See https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_Ship,_Tank)

“….I’m taking care of the adoption in the Ostende New Communal Cemetery of the graves of WWI and WWII…” soldiers, and he explained that, in addition to Taylor, there were 9 more Canadians buried in this cemetery.

Pieter agreed to try and find a family member who might have a photo. The research began….

….A photo was found through a nephew and great-niece…

Born February 4, 1918 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Donald was the son of James and Mary (nee MacKenzie) Taylor, who were both born in Scotland. Donald’s father was an RCMP officer and the family moved to Saskatchewan five months after his birth.

Donald had a brother James, and a sister Mary Christina, who married Harold Emerson Reesor. It was through Mary’s son Ronald and Ronald’s daughter Alyna that a photo of Donald was provided.

Donald David MacKenzie Taylor. (Photo courtesy of the Reesor Family)

….Donald trained as a radio mechanic with the RCAF…

At the time of his enlistment on September 30, 1941 with the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) in Regina, Saskatchewan, Donald had already been serving in the militia, as a rifleman with the Regina Rifles Reserve since July 1940. He was a high school graduate and was employed as a statistician with the Provincial Government of Saskatchewan. Donald noted that he enjoyed swimming, and occasionally played baseball and tennis. He stated that he had tried to enlist in the Royal Canadian Navy Volunteer Reserve (RCNVR), but had been considered medically unfit due to ‘defective vision’.

A trades test during his initial interview with the RCAF found him suitable for a Radio Mechanic. As an Air Craftsman 2nd Class, he was sent to No. 3 Manning Depot in Edmonton, Alberta for his initial training.

On December 29, 1941, Donald was next sent to the RCAF Detachment of the University of Saskatchewan in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, for courses in Fundamental Radio Theory and Applied Radio Theory, which he successfully completed on April 15, 1942.

Promoted to Leading Air Craftsman (LAC), Donald next was sent to No. 1 Toronto Manning Depot in Toronto, Ontario for a few days before being posted to No. 31 Radio School, Royal Air Force, in Clinton, Ontario for further training.

….Donald continued his training in Clinton …

On April 27, 1942, Donald began several written and practical courses in Radio Mechanics in Clinton. The innocuous sounding Radio School was also called the RDF School, and was a secret high-tech school. RDF was the acronym for Radio Direction Finding, but in reality Clinton was training its students in the new technology of Radar (RAdio Direction And Ranging). Radar had already been used in the United Kingdom to track German aircraft during the London Blitz in the winter of 1941‑42. Students at Clinton learned the principles of radar and were given hands‑on training.

After successfully completing his courses on June 5, 1942, it was recommended that Donald be “…retained to take a further course of Radio Mechanic Training with a view to being Commissioned, if technically suitable…” He remained in Clinton until August 9, 1942.

….Donald left Canada for overseas service….

Donald was scheduled to take another course in Clinton, which was to begin on August 6, 1942, but a note in his service file stated that this was cancelled. Instead he was given embarkation leave, the last time he would see his family before going overseas.

After his leave ended on August 26, 1942, he was posted to No. 31 Personnel Depot (PD) Moncton, a holding station just outside Moncton, New Brunswick, for personnel who were being posted elsewhere. The RCAF Moncton site is now the Greater Moncton Romeo LeBlanc International Airport, which we have flown out of several times over the years!

Donald left Moncton on September 23, 1942 for the journey to United Kingdom, where he arrived on October 7, 1942. He was immediately posted to No. 3 Personnel Reception Centre (PRC) in Bournemouth, the main transit hub for incoming Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) crew.

….Donald received intensive training in radar….

Once he had a chance to get oriented in England, his training continued. He was first sent to No 75 Signals Wing at Biggin Hill on August 28, 1942, a Royal Air Force (RAF) unit that focused on radar and signals intelligence. It was part of No. 60 Group, which specialized in airborne interception (AI) radar and signals for night fighters.

On March 3, 1943, Donald was posted to White Waltham Airfield in Berkshire, the headquarters for the Air Transport Auxiliary (ATA), a civilian organization that ferried thousands of RAF warplanes between factories and front lines.

A few weeks later, he was sent on a short detachment to Renscombe Down, near Swanage in Dorset, a site that provided radar training and operations. It was a training ground for the mobile radar units that would play a critical role in the D-Day landings and later in Northwest Europe.

Donald received another promotion on April 1, 1943, to Technical Corporal (T/Cpl).

On April 12, 1943, Donald was posted to RAF Chigwell in Essex, which was used in testing and training of communication equipment. While at Chigwell, he was sent to No. 9 Radio School at the Royal Air Force Yatesbury for additional radar training. His training continued at several more bases, including the radar station in Ventnor on the Isle of Wight, and Great Malvern which specialized in radar research.

….A decision was made to move No. 1 BSRU from England to Belgium….

On April 24, 1944, Donald was transferred to No. 1 Base Signals and Radar Unit (BSRU), a unit responsible for the maintenance and repair of the vital radar installations used for air defence and operations. With personnel that had been extensively trained, No. 1 BSRU remained in Essex, England as Allied forces advanced through France and into Belgium, until a more permanent base of operations could be established closer to the front lines in North West Europe. Instead, smaller Mobile Signals Servicing Units (MSSU) handled maintenance after the D-Day landings.

After Ghent, Belgium was liberated on September 6, 1944, a decision was made to move No. 1 BSRU from Essex to Ghent and to set up workshops for repairing radar equipment in the field. It proved to be a fatal decision.

….An ill-fated crossing on November 7, 1944 turned into a disaster….

On November 7, 1944, a small convoy of landing ship tanks (LSTs) carrying No.1 BSRU personnel, vehicles, and equipment crossed the English Channel during terrible weather conditions. However, when the convoy reached the Belgian coast along the North Sea, authorities refused permission to enter the port at Ostend due to a rising storm and fears of blocking the crucial supply line.

The convoy altered course back towards England, planning to shelter overnight in the Thames Estuary before returning to Ostend on the following day. However, the bow section of LST-420, which Donald was on, struck a German mine near the harbour. It tore a large hole in the ship’s hull, causing it to break into two pieces. The ship’s galley fires were lit at the time due to the evening meal being prepared and petrol from damaged fuel tanks of the vehicles being transported caught fire, enveloping the stern section of the ship in flames.

The ship sank rapidly, and rescue efforts were hampered as, due to heavy seas, only larger vessels were able to attempt to rescue survivors in the water. This resulted in a massive loss of life, with over 200 men from the RAF and RCAF attached to No. 1 BSRU lost, many of whose bodies were never recovered. Just over 30 were rescued. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HM_LST-420)

…. Donald was buried at Ostende New Communal Cemetery ….

Donald was one of the men who drowned on November 7, 1944, aged 26. Unlike so many of the casualties, Donald’s body was found. A November 25, 1944 letter to his father from Wing Commander G. W. EMEERY explained that “…the greater part of the company, including the Commanding Officer, was lost. Your son’s body was washed ashore on the Continent, where it was taken to Ostend and buried with military honours in the Communal Cemetery, Rue Dernier, Ostend…”

…. We visited Ostende New Communal Cemetery….

A small portion of Ostende New Communal Cemetery. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

During our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, we visited Donald’s grave at Ostende New Communal Cemetery, and Pieter placed flags of Canada and Manitoba at his grave.

François Breugelmans and Pieter behind the grave of Donald David MacKenzie Taylor. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

As always, we wrote a message in the visitors book. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

…. We visited the North Sea coastline near Ostend….

From the cemetery we drove towards the coast to take a photo of the North Sea. The beaches in Ostend weren’t accessible so we went a bit further to Westeinde where there was a pedestrian walking area on the Koning Ridderdijk boardwalk, as well as rows of beach huts. It was very built up and not at all like it would have looked on November 7, 1944, but the North Sea still looks the same. It was a calm day, unlike what Donald and the No. 1 BSRU convoy would have faced on that fatal day.

The North Sea, as seen from Westeinde, Belgium. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

….Other Canadian soldiers buried in Ostende New Communal Cemetery…

Also buried in Ostende New Communal Cemetery are 7 WWII soldiers and 2 WWI Canadian soldiers…

John Clarence BRUSH, son of John A. L. and Ethel Brush, of Windsor, Ontario, died February 14, 1945, age 18, while serving with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve as an Ordinary Telegraphist aboard HM Canadian Motor Torpedo Boat 465 (WWII)
Albert James CROSS, son of Minnie Cross, of Yorkton, Saskatchewan, died February 14, 1945, age 19, while serving with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve as an Able Seaman aboard HM Canadian Motor Torpedo Boat 465 (WWII)
George Walter DOVE, son of George and Gladys E. Dove, husband of Orma M. Dove, of Toronto, Ontario, died April 5, 1945, while serving with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve as a Stoker 1st Class aboard H.M.C.S. Niobe (WWII)
Gordon Leroy ELLSWORTH, son of Roy Mac. Ellsworth and Marietta Ellsworth, of Port Colborne, Ontario, died September 10, 1942, age 22, while serving as Flight Sergeant in 158 (R.A.F.) Squadron with the Royal Canadian Air Force (WWII)
Ralph Reginald MACRAE, son of Major Herbert Hudson and Sarah Maria MacRae, of Campbellton, New Brunswick, died February 14, 1945, age 21, while serving with the Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve as a Leading Seaman aboard HM Canadian Motor Torpedo Boat 461 (WWII)
William James MARSHALL, son of Thomas and Catherine (nee Fraser) Marshall, aged 21, of Vancouver, British Columbia, died November 7, 1944, while serving as Sergeant with the Royal Canadian Air Force (WWII)
Eldon Sydney STEWARDSON, son of Gordon and Margaret T. Stewardson, of Prince Albert, Saskatchewan, died November 1, 1944, age 22, while serving as Sergeant with the Royal Canadian Armoured Corps (WWII)
Curtis Matthew DE ROCHIE, son of Mr Curtis and Mrs De Rochie, of Cornwall, Ontario, died July 14, 1917, age 31, while serving as 2nd Lieutenant with the Royal Flying Corps 27th Squadron (WWI)
George Gordon MACLENNAN, son of Reverend Alexander and Catherine MacLennan of Owen Sound, Ontario, died July 21, 1917, age 30, while serving as Flight Commodore with the Royal Naval Air Service (WWI)

Thank you to Ron Reesor and Alyna Reesor for submitting a photo of their uncle and grand-uncle, to Shawn Rainville for helping to find family members through newspaper searches, and to James Reesor for providing family history information. Thank you also to François Breugelmans and Mieke de Bie for joining us on the Belgian portion of our visit.

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

Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian flag.
Wayne Ewasko, MLA for Lac Du Bonnet, Manitoba, Interim Leader of the Official Opposition, Province of Manitoba, who donated the Manitoba flag.

Our adventures continue as we share the highlights of our 2025 European War Memorial Tour.

If you have a story or photo to share, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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

December 24, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 2 Comments

December 24, 2025. 2025 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 359 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 111 soldiers – for WWI and WWII soldiers buried in Belgium, listed on a memorial wall in the United Kingdom, airmen buried in municipal cemeteries in The Netherlands, and soldiers from Prince Edward Island who are buried in Canada. I have written stories for many of these soldiers, with many more stories still to come.

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.

The files in which Pieter has had zero luck in finding photos continue to be placed on the Cold Case Files page on the On The War Memorial Trail website. We started this page in 2023 and have been lucky to have several names cleared off of the list. Perhaps 2026 will see more names removed! (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/our-cold-cases/)

New research files were added, and Pieter was able to finish his research for many files. 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.

This spring we were in Europe for 5 weeks on our 2025 European War Memorial Tour. Among the highlights of our trip, Pieter placed flags at 383 graves in 14 cemeteries in The Netherlands and Belgium. We attended the commemoration service for the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of The Netherlands at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.

As well, we visited several memorials in The Netherlands and Germany, attended the grave re-dedication ceremony of a WWII soldier from Ontario, and, with the help of GPS coordinates on a trench map, we found the location of the original burial of a WWI soldier from Prince Edward Island who was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele in October 1917.

Pieter became a volunteer under the National Volunteer Program for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), and was assigned four local cemeteries which have CWGC gravestones. A photo of him was even featured on a postcard promoting volunteers!

The project to upload photos to the Canadian Virtual War Memorial website, which began in the fall of 2023, continues. Pieter advises that he plans to continue this project into 2026.

This year, we were able to meet several families, which we very much appreciated – this year in 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 2025 with this research project.

… Statement about Pieter in the Senate of Canada….

On October 8, 2025 a statement about Pieter was made by Senator Mary Robinson in the Senate of Canada: See https://publications.gc.ca/collections/collection_2025/sen/Y3-451-23-eng.pdf page 763

… Statement about us in the PEI Legislature….

Matthew B. MacFarlane, MLA for District 19, Borden-Kinkora, Leader of the Green Party of Prince Edward Island, informed us that he’d given a brief statement about us in the legislature on November 4, 2025. We had no idea he’d done this until he sent us the link! (https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1Ame5ppZio/)

…Daria Honoured With PEI Senior Islander of the Year Award….

Left to right: Honourable Barb Ramsay, Daria, Peter Holman. (Photo credit: Matthew B. MacFarlane)

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

On October 1, 2025, Daria received the PEI Senior Islander of the Year Award from the Seniors Secretariat of Prince Edward Island, for her involvement with Hear PEI, a volunteer organization that works to build awareness of hearing loss issues, and in the ongoing research and writing of stories connected to the On The War Memorial Trail Research Project, sharing the untold stories of brave Canadians who served in the two World Wars, all based on her husband Pieter’s research.

The plaque was presented by the Honourable Barb Ramsay, Minister for the Department of Social Development and Seniors, and Peter Holman, Chairperson, PEI Seniors Secretariat, in a ceremony at the Rodd Charlottetown Hotel in Charlottetown. (See https://www.princeedwardisland.ca/en/news/older-islanders-celebrated-with-senior-islander-of-the-year-award and https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/10/23/daria-honoured-with-pei-senior-islander-of-the-year-award/)

…. Pieter Appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau….

On July 2, 2025, by Royal Decree of His Majesty Willem-Alexander, King of The Netherlands, Pieter was appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau. The decoration was presented to Pieter by Her Excellency Margriet Vonno, Ambassador of The Netherlands to Canada, in a beautiful ceremony hosted by His Honour, Dr Wassim Salamoun, Lt Governor of Prince Edward Island.

Pieter received his knighthood in recognition of the military research he’s done (and continues to do) to help ensure that Canadian soldiers buried in The Netherlands are not forgotten, and that their stories are told. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/08/11/pieter-valkenburg-appointed-knight-of-the-order-of-orange-nassau/ and https://www.saltwire.com/prince-edward-island/pieter-valkenburg-of-p-e-i-appointed-knight-of-the-order-of-orange-nassau and https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-30-island-morning/clip/16162199-islander-knighted-king-netherlands)

His Honour Dr Wassim Salamoun, Lt Governor of Prince Edward Island, Pieter Valkenburg, Her Excellency Margriet Vonno, Ambassador of The Netherlands to Canada. (Photo credit: Matthew B. MacFarlane)

Order of Orange-Nassau. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

….Pieter and Daria Honoured With Faces To Graves Groesbeek Foundation Certificate and ‘Coin’….

On May 24, 2025, Pieter and Daria were presented with a Certificate and a Faces To Graves ‘coin’ by Alice van Bekkum, Chair of Faces To Graves Groesbeek Foundation, for their research into Canadian soldiers buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands, finding families and sharing photos of over 100 of the soldiers. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/05/30/on-the-war-memorial-trail-pieter-and-daria-honoured-by-faces-to-graves-groesbeek-foundation/)

Daria and Pieter Valkenburg hold the Faces To Graves Coin and Certificate that was presented to them by Alice van Bekkum, Chair of Faces To Graves Groesbeek Foundation. (Photo credit: Kim Huvenaars)

….‘Holten Heroes: Stories from a Canadian Field of Honour’ Added To PEI Library Catalogue….

Crapaud Public Library and Kinkora Public Library Branch Library Technician Elsie Hovey holds the book ‘Holten Heroes’, with translators Daria and Pieter Valkenburg on either side of her. (Photo credit: Brenda Graves)

‘Holten Heroes: Stories from a Canadian Field of Honour’ by Dutch journalist Jan Braakman was translated by Pieter and Daria Valkenburg from the original Dutch language book ‘Holtense Canadezen’. A compilation of stories about many of the 1,394 Canadians buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands, the book was added to the Prince Edward Island Library Catalogue this fall. For more information on the book, see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/11/01/new-book-about-soldiers-buried-in-the-canadian-war-cemetery-in-holten-the-netherlands/

‘Holten Heroes’ displayed on a bookshelf in the Crapaud Public Library. (Photo credit: Elsie Hovey)

.....Pieter now a volunteer under CWGC’s National Volunteer Program….

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

When the Commonwealth CWGC asked for volunteers across Canada to be part of the National Volunteer Program to visit local cemeteries and gather information about the condition of CWGC war graves, Pieter applied and was accepted as a volunteer. After receiving training on how to inspect headstones, how to report a grave in need of repair, and how to safely clean headstones where required, he was assigned 4 cemeteries in the South Shore area on Prince Edward Island. The 4 cemeteries are:

Cape Traverse Community Cemetery (3 CWGC graves)
Tryon People’s Cemetery (2 CWGC graves)
Kelly’s Cross (St Joseph) Parish Cemetery (1 CWGC grave)
Seven Mile Bay (St Peter’s) Cemetery (4 CWGC graves)

Shortly after Pieter began his inspection of the cemeteries, a photo that I took of him at Cape Traverse Community Cemetery was chosen to be used on a postcard promoting the National Volunteer Program.

…Presentation At The Annual Remembrance Service At Crapaud Community Hall….

Pieter needed a few seconds to regain his composure following the heartfelt introduction by Senator Robinson. (Photo credit: Matthew B. MacFarlane)

On November 9, 2025, Pieter was the guest speaker at the Annual Remembrance Service at Crapaud Community Hall in Crapaud, Prince Edward Island. After being introduced by The Honourable Mary Robinson, Senator, Pieter spoke about what Remembrance Day means to him, and based his speech around 5 words: Gratitude… Sorrow ….Thankfulness…. Respect….. and Admiration… (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/11/12/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembrance-week-2025-remembrance-service-at-crapaud-community-hall/)

…Presentation At The Annual Remembrance Service At Borden-Carleton Legion….

Pieter was the guest speaker during the Remembrance Day service at Borden-Carleton Legion. (Photo credit: Matthew B. MacFarlane)

On November 11, 2025, Pieter was the guest speaker at the Annual Remembrance Service at the Borden-Carleton Legion in Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island. Similar to his presentation a few days earlier at Crapaud Community Hall, Pieter spoke about what Remembrance Day means to him, and based his speech around 5 words: Gratitude… Sorrow ….Thankfulness…. Respect….. and Admiration…

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

Pieter continued the project he began in the fall of 2023, to upload photos to the Canadian Virtual War Memorial website. For more information on this excellent resource, see https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/canadian-virtual-war-memorial/

In 2023, he began with uploading photos of 3 WWII soldiers. As of the end of 2024, Pieter uploaded photos for 20 WWI soldiers and 195 WWII, for a total of 218 soldiers. This year, he uploaded photos of:

1 WWI soldiers
9 WWII soldiers and airmen

This resulted in a total contribution of 228 soldiers.

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

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

While in Belgium this spring, we found the location of the original burial of WWI soldier Vincent Earl CARR of Prince Edward Island who was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele in October 1917.
After a 10 year search we received a photo for WWI soldier Harry ROBINSON of Augustine Cove, Prince Edward Island, who died on June 27, 1916 after contracting blood poisoning from a cellulitis infection.

… WWII Related Stories….

We shared a story about the 2024 candle lighting at graves of Canadian soldiers at the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem, Belgium.
We shared the story about the successful search for a photo of WWII soldier Peter HYDICHUK, from Saskatchewan, who lost his life in The Netherlands on March 31, 1945, while serving with the South Saskatchewan Regiment.
We shared the story about the successful search for a photo of WWII soldier Garnet Joseph GALLANT, from Nova Scotia, who lost his life in Germany on February 18, 1945 during the Battle of Moyland Wood, while serving with the Regina Rifles Regiment.

…. Stories About Servicemen From The Maritimes…

We also featured stories about servicemen from The Maritimes:

WWII soldier Azade BOUDREAU from New Brunswick, who drowned in a canal in Ghent, Belgium on December 15, 1944.
WWII soldier George Allan BUCHANAN from Nova Scotia, who was severely wounded on April 10, 1945 in Sögel, Germany and died of his wounds upon arriving at a military hospital in The Netherlands.
WWI soldier John Joseph FOY from Prince Edward Island, who survived WWI and moved to New Brunswick, where he became a rural mailman until his death on July 1, 1964.
WWII soldier Joseph Stephen GALLANT from Prince Edward Island, who was serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles when he lost his life on October 11, 1944 during the Battle of the Leopold Canal.
WWII soldier Arthur GAUDET from Prince Edward Island, who was killed in action during Operation Blockbuster in Germany on February 26, 1945.
WWII soldier Merle Vincent HAMILTON from Nova Scotia, one of 5 men killed on April 19, 1945 when the armoured car they were in hit a mine in Germany during the Battle for the Küsten Canal.
WWII soldier David ‘Lloyd’ George HOPE from New Brunswick, one of 7 men from the 23rd Field Company of the Royal Canadian Engineers who lost their lives during the crossing of the Lower Rhine River in The Netherlands on September 25-26, 1944 while participating in Operation Berlin – the attempt to save survivors of the British 1st Airborne after the disastrous Operation Market Garden and at the end of the Battle of Arnhem/Oosterbeek.
WWII Knights of Columbus Auxiliary Services Supervisor Joseph Augustine MACKENNA from Prince Edward Island, who drowned in a canal in Ghent, Belgium. Although he was last seen on the evening of June 12, 1945, his death was ‘arbitrarily determined’ to be June 20, 1945, and his death ‘confirmed’ on June 21, 1945.
WWII soldier Francis ‘Frank’ Eugene MUNROE from Nova Scotia, one of 19 men from his Regiment who drowned during the crossing of the Ems River in Germany on April 28, 1945 while participating in Operation Duck.
WWII soldier James Edward SULLIVAN from New Brunswick, one of 19 men from his Regiment who drowned during the crossing of the Ems River in Germany on April 28, 1945 while participating in Operation Duck.
WWII soldier John Peter ‘JP’ WHITE from Prince Edward Island, who died in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, following an operation on December 15, 1945.

…. Stories About Servicemen From Outside The Maritimes…

WWII soldier Stewart Lyon ANDERSON from Manitoba, one of 5 men killed on April 19, 1945 when the armoured car they were in hit a mine in Germany during the Battle for the Küsten Canal.
WWII soldier John Lewis HUGHES from Manitoba, who was killed at a beach dressing station during Operation Infatuate on Walcheren Island in The Netherlands on November 2, 1944, when 3 Allied tracked vehicles exploded after being hit by German shellfire.
WWII soldier Joseph ‘Albert Noel’ LAMONTAGNE from Quebec, who was killed in action during the advance towards Xanten in Germany on March 3, 1945.
WWII soldier Omer VINCENT from Manitoba, who was slain in a barn in the municipality of Bronkhurst in The Netherlands, during a patrol on April 13, 1945.

…In Conversation And Features…

We featured the 3-part story of Croatian-born WWI and WWII veteran Nikola ‘Nick’ OSTOJIC, who spent 4 years as a POW in Germany after the Royal Yugoslav Army surrendered, then 3 years in a Displaced Persons camp in Austria, before finally finding freedom before finally finding freedom and a new life in Prince Edward Island, where he raised horses, and later Ontario, in Canada.
We featured the 2-part story of Nova Scotia born Dr. James ‘Alton’ ROSS, based on his WWII diary while serving as a doctor aboard the hospital ship HMHS Lady Nelson.
We featured multiple stories about our 5 week 2025 European War Memorial Tour, during which Pieter placed flags at 383 graves at 14 cemeteries in The Netherlands and Belgium. We attended the commemoration service for the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of The Netherlands at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek. As well, we visited several memorials in The Netherlands and Germany, attended the grave re-dedication ceremony of Arthur VANANCE – a WWII soldier from Ontario – and, with the help of GPS coordinates on a trench map, we found the location of the original burial of a WWI soldier from Prince Edward Island who was killed during the Battle of Passchendaele in October 1917.
We were asked to find family of WWII soldier John Graham MUSTARD of Saskatchewan, who died February 20, 1945, aged 24, while serving with the Fort Garry Horse and is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. The Cemetery had been asked to find family by a man whose parents had adopted the soldier’s grave back in 1946, and which he has kept up with visiting. He had letters that the soldier’s family wrote to the family in The Netherlands and wanted to repatriate them. With the help of Judie Klassen, a nephew was found, and the two men were put in contact with each other.
We featured the May 24, 2025 ceremony in The Netherlands, where we were presented with a Certificate and a Faces To Graves ‘coin’ by the Faces To Graves Groesbeek Foundation, for research into Canadian soldiers buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands.
We reported on Pieter’s new role as a volunteer with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) National Volunteer Program, and his assignment to monitor and clean CWGC graves at 4 cemeteries in Prince Edward Island, beginning with Cape Traverse Community Cemetery.
We featured the July 2, 2025 ceremony in Charlottetown, where, by Royal Decree of His Majesty Willem-Alexander, King of The Netherlands, Pieter was appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau.
We featured the October 1, 2025 ceremony in Charlottetown, where Daria received the PEI Senior Islander of the Year Award.
We expressed our sadness at the passing of Dr. Tim Cook, Chief Historian at the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.
We reported on how volunteers 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 2025 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 2025 feature, we shared updates on previous stories of WWII soldiers, a visit to the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in Ottawa, a visit to the Memramcook Veterans Park in Memramcook, and a visit to the Beach Grove Memorial Forest in Charlottetown.
As part of our Remembrance Week 2025 feature, we wrote about the Remembrance Service at Crapaud Community Hall, where Pieter was the guest speaker.
As part of our Remembrance Week 2025 feature, we wrote about the Remembrance Day ceremonies we attended at the Legion in Borden-Carleton, and at the memorial in Kinkora, Prince Edward Island.

…. Interviews To Highlight Search For Photos and More….

Pieter did the following interviews:

Pieter was interviewed by Maryssa McFadden of Portage Online, about the photo search for WWII soldier Walter MUNRO. The article ‘Researcher searches for photo of Manitoba soldier buried overseas’ ran online on November 17, 2025. See https://portageonline.com/articles/researcher-searches-for-photo-of-manitoba-soldier-buried-overseas Up to now, this search has been unsuccessful.
Pieter was interviewed by Kevin Rollason of the Winnipeg Free Press, about the successful search for a photo of WWII soldier John Lewis HUGHES, and the new photo search for WWII soldier Charles ‘Gordon’ ERICKSON. The article ‘Searching for a hero: Faces to Graves project hunts for photo of Winnipeg soldier who died in the Netherlands’ ran online on November 10, 2025. This search was successful.
Pieter was interviewed by Taylor O’Brien for CBC PEI Radio’s Island Morning With Mitch Cormier The 7 minute interview ran on August 7, 2025. ‘Pieter Valkenburg of North Tryon has spent more than a decade researching Canadian soldiers buried in the Netherlands. Now, he’s being honoured by the King of the Netherlands for his dedication to preserving their stories.’ (You can listen here: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-30-island-morning/clip/16162199-islander-knighted-king-netherlands)
Pieter was interviewed by Josh Lewis of the Eastern Graphic about receiving a knighthood of the Order of Orange-Nassau by royal decree of His Majesty Willem-Alexander, King of The Netherlands. The article, ‘Valkenburg knighted for preserving stories of fallen soldiers’, ran in the newspaper on July 16, 2025.

.... 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 Lorne Mart COLFORD of Nova Scotia, who is buried in The Netherlands. On October 29, 2025, a letter to the editor was published online in the Chronicle Herald, ‘May We Never Forget’. (See https://letterstoeditor.com/index.php/chronicle-herald/) Up to now, this search has been unsuccessful.
WWII soldier Valmont PERRY of Prince Edward Island, who is buried in Belgium. On October 15, 2025, a letter to the editor was published in the West Prince Graphic, ‘Searching For Soldier’s Photo’. Up to now, this search has been unsuccessful.
WWII soldier Harry BIZNAR of Ontario, who is buried in The Netherlands. On July 5, 2025 a letter to the editor was published in The Windsor Star. (See Reader asks: Anyone in Windsor know family of WW2 vet Harry Biznar? Windsor Star https://share.google/MruypoLEAt5LwRfqG) 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, Canada, and on a memorial wall at Runnymede in 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 such a backlog due to the success of Pieter’s research that I can’t keep up! This year, photos were found for:

Buried in Holten Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

Stewart Lyon ANDERSON
Thomas William BOUCHER
Bramwell Ernest CHURCHILL
Samuel George ENGEN
John ‘Jack’ Lewis HUGHES
Edward Alexander MUNRO

Buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

Albert Donald AHLWARDT
Georges Joseph ARSENAULT
Lionel Beaudoin
Harry BIznar
Leslie Alban ‘Les’ Cross
Alfred Edward Stanley FORD
Garnet Joseph GALLANT
Harry Griffin
Peter HYDICHUK
Merrill Perez LLOYD
Donald MONTGOMERY
George Austin NORDVALL
Joseph Renaud Thomas OUELLETTE
William VERASKY

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

Edward Walter BAIRD
George Edwin John CLACY
Wilfred Earl CLEMENTS
Howard Ralph DRAKE
Francis John DUFFY
Charles ‘Gordon’ ERICKSON
Stephen Joseph FEDAK
Joseph Henry FRASER
John Arthur GALLERY
Gerald Vincent JORGENSEN
Hans Karl GRAFFUNDER
Melvin Robert James GRAHAM
Robert Francis HAYMAN
Dave HIEBERT
Kenneth George HUGHES
Con Nicholas HUTZCAL
Norman Hubert JAMES
Lloyd JOHNSON
Gerald Vincent ‘Vin’ JORGENSON
Joseph ‘Joe’ Julius Augustus LAWRENCE
David LIVINGSTON
James Hawthorne LOVE
Frank Arnold LOWE
William Murray MAJURY
Roy Stanley MARTIN
Clifford Lloyd MILLER
William Gerald NAYLEN
Alexander NODRICK
Marion PODBOROCHINSKI
Edward James REID
Joseph Frederick STANLEY
John Harold Francis STEEDS
Norman Lawrence STEELE
Basil STILLMAN
Arthur Percival THOMPSON
Ray Camille WATERMAN

Buried in Rhenen General Cemetery in The Netherlands:

David Lloyd George HOPE

Buried in Adegem Canadian War Cemetery in Belgium:

Charles John ACORN
Joseph Stephen ‘Steve’ GALLANT
Joseph Augustine MCKENNA

Buried in Berks Cemetery Extension in Belgium:

George Pigrum BOWIE

Buried in Tryon People’s Cemetery in Canada:

Harry ROBINSON

Buried in Kelly’s Cross (St Joseph) Parish Cemetery in Canada:

Michael Cecil STORDY

Buried in Seven Mile Bay (St Peter’s) Cemetery in Canada:

John Peter ‘JP’ WHITE

Listed on Runnymede Memorial in United Kingdom:

Richard Albert John BENNETT

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. Family was found for:

Flight Lt Owen Horace MORGAN, of Rosedale, Alberta, navigator aboard Special Duties Hudson T9405 MA-K that was shot down on February 22, 1945 near Meppen, Germany. He survived the crash and became a POW in Stalag VIC in Linden, Germany until the camp was liberated on April 7, 1945.

… 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)

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.
John BROWN of London, Ontario, son of Mary T. Brown, died April 14, 1945, aged 26, while serving with the Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders.
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 7^th Canadian Infantry Battalion (1^st British Columbia). (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
Leigh Hunt CAMERON, born in Albany, Prince Edward Island, son of Alexander Walter Cameron and Phoebe Ann (nee Murray) Cameron, died May 5, 1916, aged 17, shortly after enlisting with the 105^th Battalion, C Company. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
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 3^rd Brigade Canadian Garrison Artillery. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
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 8^th Field Squadron, Royal Canadian Engineers.
Richard Alfred CLINE, from Saint John, New Brunswick, son of Emma J. Cline, died October 5, 1944, aged 21, while serving with the Essex Scottish Regiment. NEW!
Roy Henri COATES, of Morris, Manitoba, but born in Winnipeg, son of James Henry and Lydia Jane Coates, died May 2, 1945, aged 23, while serving with Royal Canadian Army Service Corps – – 3rd Casualty Clearing Station. NEW!
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.
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)
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.
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.
Douglas Bernard FARROW of Amherst, Nova Scotia, died April 26, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment.
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.
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 serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Wesley Robert JOHNSTON of Red Bank, New Brunswick, son of Robert A. and Janette ‘Jennie’ (nee Simpson) Johnston, died March 3, 1945, aged 24, while serving with the Royal Regiment of Canada. NEW!
Wallace Herbert LARLEE of Perth, New Brunswick, died April 24, 1945, aged 19, while serving with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment.
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.
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.
Charles W. LOWTHER, born in North Carleton, Prince Edward Island, son of Bessie Lowther, died September 25, 1918, aged 21, while serving with the 25^th Battalion, Canadian Infantry. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
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.
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.
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.
Walter MUNRO, born in Kelwood, Manitoba, son of John Alexander and Lavina (nee McLaughlin, widow of Robert Jamieson) Munro, husband of Hazel Mary Bird, died December 31, 1944, aged 31, while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps. NEW!
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.
Valmont PERRY, of St. Louis, Prince Edward Island, son of Peter M. and Mary Ann Perry, and husband of Rose Doucette, died October 21, aged 26, while serving with the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders. NEW!
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)
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.
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.
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.
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.
Charles Joseph YOUNES, born in Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of Albert Charles and Susan Younes, died March 30, 1945, aged 24, while serving with the Queens Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada. NEW!

….Case Closed!….

The following files were completed and removed from the Cold Case List in 2025:

Harry BIZNAR of Windsor, Ontario, but born in Montreal, Quebec, son of Fred and Katherine Biznar, died March 26, 1945, aged 28, while serving with the Lincoln and Welland Regiment. Action: After a Letter to the Editor ran in The Windsor Star on July 5, 2025, a photo was provided by Biznar’s niece, Carol Cox. Thank you Carol!
Douglas Gordon BLACK of Amherst, Nova Scotia, son of Sherman and Alice Black, died March 3, 1945, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment. – Action: Photo found by his grave at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands, when we were at the cemetery to lay flags.
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. – Action: Newspaper photo found by Alan Campbell, newsletter editor for the Lambton County Branch of the Ontario Genealogical Society. Thank you Alan!
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. Action: Photo sent by the Crocker family.
Samuel George ENGEN of The Pas, Manitoba, son of Louis Julius Engen and Mary Helen (nee Buck) Engen, husband of Miriam Susan Pranteau, died April 23, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment. – Action: After a 3 year search by various family members, a photo was found by Clover Rusk in an album that had belonged to her great-grandfather Aaron, the older brother of Samuel. Thank you Clover!
Garnet Joseph GALLANT of Amherst, Nova Scotia, son of Charles and Mary (nee Gautreau) Gallant, died February 18, 1945, aged 22, while serving with the Regina Rifles Regiment. – Action: Photo sent by niece Janet Lowerison, on behalf of the Gallant Family. Thank you Janet!
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. – Action: Newspaper photo found by Etienne Gaudet. Thank you Etienne!
Peter HYDICHUK of Theodore, Saskatchewan, son of Alex and Ann Hydichuk, died March 31, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the South Saskatchewan Regiment. – Action: Photo sent by Garry Bodnaryk, whose mother had been the soldier’s girlfriend….and who had kept the photo as a remembrance all her life. Thank you Garry!
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. – Action: Photo of soldier sent by Judy Gleich from the collection of Jim and Kay Forsyth. Thank you Judy!
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. – Action: Photo and newspaper obit of soldier sent by Henk Vincent of the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten. Thank you Henk!
Edward Alexander MUNRO of Birch River, Manitoba, son of Thomas Henry and Margaret ‘Maggie’ (nee Moore) Munro, died October 6, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, 219 Infantry Brigade Company. – Action: Photo sent by Glenda Foster of the Swan Valley Legion Branch #39 in Manitoba. Thank you Glenda!
George Austin NORDVALL of Birch River, Manitoba, died February 21, 1945, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. – Action: Photo sent by nephew Ed Nordvall after Pieter got in contact with Ed’s sister, Donna McIsaac, and Donna’s brother-in-law, Don McIsaac. Sometimes it takes a village! Thank you Ed, Donna, and Don!
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 105^th Battalion, C Company. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph) – Action: After a 10 year search, a photo was sent by Elaine McCormick, who said she and her brother, Carl Robinson, found the photo of their great-uncle, brother of their grandfather John Joseph Robinson, in a photo album belonging to their late aunt Beulah Robinson Thomson. Thank you Elaine and Carl!
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. – Action: Photo found by his grave at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands, when we were at the cemetery to lay flags.

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

As 2025 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, Judy Gleich, 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.

Thank you to the media who helped publicize the search for photos and information – CBC PEI Radio, Chronicle Herald, Eastern Graphic, Portage Online, West Prince Graphic, Winnipeg Free Press, and The Windsor Star.

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 2026. May we never forget those who gave their lives for our freedom.

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/

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 Search For The Trench Where WWI Soldier Vincent Carr Was Originally Buried

December 22, 2025December 22, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

December 22, 2025. The very first story uncovered by Pieter, when he began researching the names on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion, was that of WWI soldier Vincent Earl CARR, who lost his life on October 30, 1917 during the Battle of Passchendaele in Belgium. Born May 3, 1894 in North Tryon, Prince Edward Island, Vincent was the son of Robert and Catherine (nee McLeod) Carr, and the husband of Bessie Carr (who died exactly a year later!)

Photo: Vincent Carr in 1915, in the uniform of the 55th Battalion. (Photo courtesy of Delbert Carr collection. Photo colourization: Pieter Valkenburg)

….Why were 3 WWI Canadian Soldiers were buried side by side?…

Vincent is buried in Cement House Cemetery in Langemark, Belgium, which we visited in 2017. During that visit, Pieter noticed that the graves on either side of him were Canadians from the same unit as Vincent, and that they had died on the same day.

Photo at Cement House Cemetery of Bellas, Carr, and Willson. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

While in Passchendaele, a brochure ‘Did Your Granddad Fight in Passchendaele 1917?’ from the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 invited people to submit names and photos. In return, museum staff would send a trench map with the approximate place where the person was killed.

You can see Abraham Heights towards the bottom left corner of the map. (Map: courtesy http://www.darrellduthie.com/maps/)

….A trench map showed that Vincent Carr and 4 other soldiers were buried in Abraham Heights…

It took almost 2 years before we received the trench map in October 2019, along with more information on what happened on October 30, 1917. On that fateful day, Vincent Carr, and two soldiers from Ontario, Jack Bingham WILLSON and Robert BELLAS, were all killed by the same high explosive shell on Abraham Heights. They had been buried in the same grave on Abraham Heights, where they lost their lives, along with 2 British soldiers.

In 1939, when all 5 bodies were exhumed and reburied in Cement House Cemetery, all three Canadians were still identifiable. The British Army’s cardboard identity ‘tags’ had disintegrated, leaving the two British soldiers as unidentified. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2019/09/01/the-three-ww1-soldiers-who-were-buried-together-at-passchendaele/ )

The Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 wrote us that: “…According to the War Diary of the 1st Canadian Motor Machine Gun Brigade, three machine gun companies were in the field around October 30. ‘A’-Battery from the 28th till the 31st of October, ‘B’-Battery from the 29th till the 31st of October and the ‘Eaton’-Battery from the 30th October till the 1st of November. Although the positions on Abraham Heights (28.D.15.b.7.4.) were abandoned on the 29th to take up new positions just north of Tyne Cot Cemetery (28.D.16.b.6.9.), many runners were sent to the supply stores behind the front to resupply the machine guns on the front line. It’s likely that the men were killed by shellfire while hauling equipment between the gun positions and the back areas….” (Note: The numbers and letters in brackets beside Abraham Heights and Tyne Cot Cemetery are the GPS coordinates.)

Trench map showing the coordinates where Carr, Willson, and Bellas were originally buried on Abraham Heights. (Map: courtesy of Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917)

….Where EXACTLY had the men been buried?…

While in Belgium, Pieter’s cousin François Breugelmans and his wife Mieke de Bie joined us for this portion of our 2025 European War Memorial Tour. We drove to Zonnebeke, home of the Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917, hoping that someone would be able to decipher the coordinates on the trench map sent to us in 2019…which of course we’d brought with us, along with articles from the County Line Courier newspaper about Vincent’s story to date. Could we find the exact location?

François and I were excited to figure out the trench map coordinates. Pieter thought it was a fool’s errand after over 100 years, and pointed out that since I’m directionally challenged (ie get lost everywhere), it would be a miracle if we found out where it was. He and Mieke decided to sit on a couch and wait for the results of the discussion with the museum receptionist.

Mieke and Pieter left the trench map discussion to François and Daria. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

The museum receptionist was astonished by the question posed, but was so interested she said to wait while she made a phone call. One of the archivists was called in to help. “…I remember this map!…” he exclaimed.

François Breugelmans (left) with the Museum receptionist, and the young archivist (right) who figured out the coordinates on the trench map. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

The archivist overlaid the trench map with a Google map, found the location, and then showed us a street view of how it looks today…..in a farm field near Beecham Farm.

Side by side view – the trench map (left) and Google map (right) was shown to us on the archivist’s laptop. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

A red circled arrow marked the location of where the trench was on Google Street View Maps. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

….We searched for the location that was on the map…

We thanked the museum personnel and immediately went to the location marked on the map, finding out it was just outside Zonnebeke. We got excited when we saw a sign indicating that we were beside Beecham Farm. It still existed!

Beecham Farm was still in existence! (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Across the road from Beecham Farm we could see Tyne Cot Cemetery, which we’d visited in 2017. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2017/11/12/a-visit-to-tyne-cot-cemetery/)

We could see Tyne Cot Cemetery (see yellow arrow) across the road from Beecham Farm. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Tyne Cot was listed on the original trench map, so we knew were in the right location! A field belonging to Beecham Farm was the location of the trench where Vincent Carr was originally buried.

The trench where Vincent Carr was originally buried was in this field on Beecham Farm. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

I felt like a detective who’d solved a mystery, while standing beside the field at Beecham Farm where Vincent Carr was originally buried! (Photo credit: François Breugelmans)

….We celebrated our success in Ypres…

Flush with the victory of finding the original trench location….not bad for 4 seniors… we decided to celebrate with a well-earned snack and rest in Ypres before continuing on with our 2025 European War Memorial Tour in Belgium. It was over 30^oC and very humid, and we needed a break!

We enjoyed a drink and bitterballen in Ypres. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Of course, no trip to Ypres was complete without a stop at the Peter de Groote chocolate shop! I never pass up their delicious ginger chocolates!

Daria, Mieke, and Pieter at the chocolate shop in Ypres. (Photo credit: François Breugelmans)

Thank you to the staff at Memorial Museum Passchendaele 1917 in Zonnebeke for helping us in our quest to find the trench location. Thank you also to François Breugelmans and Mieke de Bie for joining us on our Belgian adventures.

Our adventures continue as we share the highlights of our 2025 European War Memorial Tour.

If you have a story or photo to share, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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

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On The War Memorial Trail…..The Knights of Columbus Auxiliary Services Supervisor Who Drowned In A Belgian Canal

December 21, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

December 21, 2025. Pieter’s research results are faster than I can keep up with, and so several of the graves we visited during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour were for soldiers whose stories have yet to be told. One of the cemeteries we visited was the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem, Belgium. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/12/08/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-visit-to-the-canadian-war-cemetery-in-adegem/)

Before we left for Europe this past spring, we looked at the names of 12 soldiers from Prince Edward Island are buried in this cemetery. One surname was familiar as we had researched a soldier who was born in the same village and had the same surname, Michael Joseph ‘Joe’ MACKENNA. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/09/22/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-prince-edward-island-killed-during-the-battle-of-rha/) We contacted Joe MacKenna’s niece, Teresa Hennebery, and asked if there was a family connection.

….The search for a photo of Joseph began…

Teresa was certain the families were distantly related and began a search into family records. In the meantime, Pieter began his own research.

Joseph Augustine MACKENNA, born June 28, 1903 in Newton Cross, Prince Edward Island, was the son of James and Georgina (nee MacMillan) MacKenna of Newtown, Prince Edward Island, and the husband of Mary (nee Hanrahan) MacKenna, of Antigonish, Nova Scotia.

When he enlisted with the 13th Company of the Canadian Army Forestry Corps (CAFC) in Halifax, Nova Scotia on September 2, 1940, he had been a bank manager with the Royal Bank of Canada, and had over 20 years of banking experience. It was also noted that he had graduated from high school, was married, and was the father of three daughters: Mary Eileen, Alice Clare, and Enid Gertrude.

His daughter Mary Eileen later married Cliff Gorman, and it was their son Mike Gorman who first provided a photo of his grandfather. Not long afterwards, Mary McPherson, daughter of Joseph’s brother Francis, also provided photos of her uncle.

Joseph Augustine MacKenna, likely taken in the United Kingdom. (Photo courtesy of Mike Gorman)

….Joseph underwent basic training in Valcartier…

Joseph was sent to A13 Canadian Infantry Training Centre in Valcartier, Quebec for basic training, as were all members of the Canadian Army Forestry Corps, whose role was to cut down and process trees for wood and lumber in the United Kingdom.

As stated in an article on http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/corpsbranches/forestrycorps.htm “…wood was needed for living quarters, messes, and recreation facilities, as well as crates for vital supplies such as food, ammunition and even vehicles, and for the creation of explosives, stocks for weapons, the construction of ships, aircraft and factory facilities….”

Although members of the CAFC were not expected to be in combat, very rudimentary basic training in using firearms was considered essential due to the threat to the United Kingdom of invasion by German forces. As a result, members of CAFC “…received five to seven months of training…” at Valcartier.

On January 15, 1941, while still in Valcartier, Joseph was promoted to Acting Lance Corporal. A few months later, on April 10, 1941, he was confirmed as Lance Corporal, and at the same time transferred to a Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (RCAMC) unit that was attached to the Canadian Forestry Corps Headquarters. He was a few months short of his 38th birthday, and while he likely was seen as finding active logging work a challenge, his extensive banking and administrative experience was considered a valuable asset.

Joseph remained in Valcartier, assigned temporarily to No. 12, No. 14, and No. 19 Companies as needed.

He was granted embarkation leave from May 23 to June 5, 1941, the last chance he had to see his family again.

….Joseph left Canada for overseas service….

Joseph left Canada for the United Kingdom on June 18, 1941, sailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, disembarking in Gourock, Scotland on July 2, 1941, before moving on to Canadian Army Forestry Corps Headquarters in Beauly, Scotland.

August 1941 photo of staff at CAFC HQ in Beauly, Scotland. Joseph Augustine MacKenna is identified by yellow arrows. (Photo courtesy of Mary McPherson)

While in Scotland, Joseph received a number of promotions. On September 2, 1941 he was made Acting Sergeant, and classified as a Clerk Class III, Group C. He was confirmed in the rank of Sergeant on December 2, 1941.

On July 1, 1942, Joseph was promoted to Staff Sergeant, and a month later promoted again to Acting Quarter Master Sergeant. On November 1, 1942 he was confirmed in the rank of Quarter Master Sergeant.

Part of an August 1943 photo of staff at CAFC HQ in Beauly, Scotland. Joseph Augustine MacKenna is identified by red arrow. (Photo courtesy of Mary McPherson)

Joseph was transferred to the Canadian Army Forestry Corps Headquarters in London, England on September 28, 1943, and requested a demotion to Sergeant on October 15, 1943. Over the next months, he was posted back and forth ‘On Command’ between London and Camp Whitley in Surrey, England, as Acting Staff Sergeant.

….Joseph was appointed Auxiliary Services Supervisor…

On July 18, 1944, Joseph was officially discharged from the Canadian Army and transferred to the Canadian Army Auxiliary Services (CAAS) upon receiving an appointment as Auxiliary Services Supervisor with the Canadian Military Headquarters in London.

What did Auxiliary Services do? Members organized sports and dances, provided movies and concerts, reading and writing and recreation rooms, libraries, mobile canteens, and established leave hostels and information bureaus for troops on leave.

The Auxiliary Services section included four national volunteer service organizations: Canadian Legion War Services, Knights of Columbus, Salvation Army Canadian War Services, and Canadian Young Men’s Christian Association (YMCA) Overseas. Joseph was with the Knights of Columbus.

Now a civilian employee of the government, as were all members of Auxiliary Services, Joseph was considered an officer, with equivalent rank of captain, and addressed as Supervisor. As an Auxiliary Services officer he wore a modified service uniform.

….Joseph waited for an assignment in Continental Europe…

Example of a dual drive truck. (Photo courtesy of The Royal Canadian Artillery Museum)

As Allied troops moved through France following D-Day on June 6, 1944 and then into Belgium, The Netherlands, and Germany, Auxiliary Services needed to plan for the support services needed as troops advanced.

Joseph’s first task was to learn how to operate a Dual Drive truck with front wheel drive, an essential vehicle for the services that the Knights of Columbus would provide in France, Belgium, and The Netherlands, receiving his qualification in early August 1944.

On August 8, 1944, as a member of No. 11 Canadian Army Auxiliary Section (CAAS) Joseph was attached to No. 24 Canadian General Hospital in Horley, Surrey. It was a busy environment with wounded soldiers coming for treatment from the French front. He was there almost 8 months before being transferred to No. 1 Canadian General Reinforcement Unit (CGRU) on March 6, 1945, in preparation for a posting in North West Europe.

….Joseph was posted to Belgium…

On March 10, 1945, Joseph was transferred to the X4 General Reinforcement List of the 9th Battalion, leaving England and arriving in Belgium the following day. On March 13, 1945, he was assigned to the 14th Canadian Army Auxiliary Section (CAAS), which was attached to the 13th Canadian Base Reinforcement (CBR) Battalion. This Battalion was part of the 13th Canadian Infantry Training Brigade, whose main role was administration and training for infantry reinforcements rather than a combat role in the field.

Joseph Augustine MacKenna, likely taken in Belgium. (Photo courtesy of Mary McPherson. Photo restoration and colourization by Pieter Valkenburg.)

By the time Joseph arrived in Belgium, the country had been liberated since February 4, 1945. At the time that Joseph arrived, the 14th CAAS, and 13th CBR Battalion, were based in Ghent, which had been liberated months earlier, on September 6, 1944. Among its’ other duties, the 13th CBR Battalion provided 14th CAAS with the supplies it required.

The Knights of Columbus recreation huts stated ‘Everybody Welcome, Everything Free’, providing services to soldiers regardless of race or religion. Travelling by truck to Knights of Columbus huts in Belgium and The Netherlands, Joseph transported supplies such as cigarettes, chocolates, and magazines, as well as equipment such as movie projectors and films.

One of the many items provided to soldiers was stationery to allow them to write home to their family and friends.

Stationery provided to soldiers by the Knights of Columbus, with the logo showing Canadian symbols of the beaver and the maple leaf and the royal coat of arms at the top. (Photos source: Tales From The Supply Depot)

While Joseph was qualified to drive a truck, as an officer he was entitled to a driver who drove the vehicle in which they travelled to deliver supplies and equipment, before returning to Ghent for more supplies before the next journey.

….Mystery of what happened on June 12, 1945…

All went well with Joseph’s assignment with 14th CAAS until the evening of June 12, 1945, when he disappeared after arriving back in Ghent from a trip. According to testimony by his driver, Private A. J. FONTAINE, after arriving at 14th CAAS in Ghent, “…we unloaded a movie projector and cigarettes and turned them in there.…” Joseph told him that he “…had other business to do here. He told me to go and park the vehicle and to meet him at the Marguerite Café later. On the way to Marguerite Café I stopped in at the American Café for a drink…. ”

Joseph met him at the American Café and they had a drink before going on to Marguerite Café, located at 230 Groendreef, at 7:30 pm.

At the Marguerite Café Pte Fontaine stated that Joseph told the proprietor, Marguerite Cador, that “…I would occupy his room for the night there for that night and he would occupy another room across the canal he had already arranged for….”

They left the café together at 8 pm and crossed to the other side of the canal. Joseph then “…told me to return to the Marguerite Café to my room and to meet him the next morning at 14 Canadian Auxiliary Services Section at 1000 hours. I returned to the Marguerite Café, bought myself another drink and went to my room….” It was the last time he saw Joseph.

Marguerite Cador, proprietor of Marguerite Café, testified that Pte Fontaine returned to the café “…15 or 20 minutes…” after they had left. When she asked where Joseph was, he replied that “…I took him over the bridge to the other side of the canal and left him. I gave him his bag before I left…”

When Joseph didn’t report for work the following day, Pte Fontaine returned to Marguerite Café “….at different times during the day and the same for the next two days. He always asked if I had seen Mr. MacKenna…” Where had Joseph gone?

….A body was found in a canal in Ghent…

On the morning of June 21, 1945, Sgt Alexander MATTHEW, special investigator for the Canadian Provost Corps (Military Police), 3rd Canadian Base Reinforcement Group, was informed by the Ghent Civil Police that “….the body of a soldier was in the canal at Ketelplein Bridge….” Sgt Matthew proceeded to the bridge. “…I looked down from the bank of the canal and saw the body. I could see that the uniform on it bore ‘Canada’ flashes …”

The local fire department retrieved the body and transported it to No. 2 Canadian General Hospital’s morgue, and the body was turned over to Quartermaster Sgt G. H. MACMILLAN, chief ward master at the hospital. With Quartermaster Sgt MacMillan, Sgt Matthew stated that they “… searched his battle dress and obtained a wallet enclosing the identity card of Joseph Augustine MacKenna. There was also a sum of Dutch money…”

Quartermaster Sgt MacMillan noted that the body was “…badly decomposed…”

Major J. D. DUFFIN, Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps, Pathologist at No. 2 Canadian General Hospital, performed an autopsy. His report noted that “…There were no marks of injury either on the clothes or on the skin….” The lungs “…were heavy, voluminous, and filled with dirty water…” leading Major Duffin to surmise that “…death was apparently due to drowning….” The only oddity was that the drowning appeared to have occurred “…an estimated 5 to 7 weeks previously…” and not the 9 days since Joseph had last been seen.

On June 29, 1945, a Court of Inquiry concluded that Joseph died an accidental death by drowning in a canal in Ghent, Belgium. Although Joseph was last seen on the evening of June 12, 1945, his death was ‘arbitrarily determined’ to be June 20, 1945, and his death ‘confirmed’ on June 21, 1945.

….Joseph is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem…

Pieter stands behind the grave of Joseph Augustine MacKenna. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Joseph was buried at the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem, Belgium on June 24, 1945. We visited his grave during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, and Pieter placed flags of Canada and Prince Edward Island at his grave.

This was the second story written about a canal drowning in Ghent! New Brunswick soldier Azade BOUDREAU also drowned in a canal in Ghent in 1945. See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/12/15/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-petit-rocher-nord-who-accidentally-drowned-in-a-belgian-canal/

….A surprise encounter in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten….

Amy Meunier (left) with Daria and Pieter at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten. (Photo credit: Ben Miller)

When Mike Gorman had learned that we would be in Europe for the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemoration events, he mentioned that we might meet up with Amy Meunier, who works for Veterans Affairs. “…Amy is my 1st cousin’s (Duane Gorman) ex…”

We didn’t think anything about it, but then, when we were at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands for the grave re-dedication ceremony for WWII soldier Arthur VANANCE of Kenora, Ontario, Paul Ledwell, Deputy Minister of Veterans Affairs, was in attendance with several people from Veterans Affairs. One of them was Amy! (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/08/22/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-kenora-who-lay-in-an-unknown-grave-for-80-years-part-2-the-grave-re-dedication-ceremony/)

Paul called Amy over and once she realized that we were the people that Mike had told her about, she said “…OMG, my son Levi will love this…” This surprise encounter helped bridge the past with the present, helping to ensure that those buried overseas will not be forgotten.

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

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

Thank you to Joseph’s grandson Mike Gorman and Joseph’s niece Mary McKenna MacPherson for sharing photos and information. Thank you also to Teresa Hennebery. We’ll continue to share the highlights of our adventures on the 2025 European War Memorial Tour.

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

….Another Canadian Army Forestry Corps story….

This was the second story written on this blog about the CAFC. Edgar M. GUITARD of New Brunswick also served in the Canadian Army Forestry Corps. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/06/24/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-lumberjack-from-belledune-killed-by-stray-mortar-fire-in-the-nijmegen-salient/

….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/

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On The War Memorial Trail….. The WWII Soldier From Petit Rocher Nord Who Accidentally Drowned In A Belgian Canal

December 15, 2025December 17, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / Leave a comment

Pieter beside the sign welcoming us to Petit Rocher, New Brunswick. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

December 15, 2025. Pieter’s research results are faster than I can keep up with, and so several of the graves we visited during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour were for soldiers whose stories have yet to be told. One of the cemeteries we visited was the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem, Belgium. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/12/08/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-visit-to-the-canadian-war-cemetery-in-adegem/)

Azade BOUDREAU, a soldier from New Brunswick, who is buried in this cemetery, became the focus of Pieter’s research after receiving a request from Belgian researcher Patrick Michiels. The son of a former colleague of his had adopted the grave and wanted to know what he looked like.

….The search for a photo of Azade was successful….

The search for a photo of Azade led us to my hometown of Winnipeg, where Pauline Theriault, the daughter of his sister Alice May, lives. “….Here is a photo of my uncle Azade Boudreau….” Pauline explained. “…I had reached out to my cousin in Montreal and she had the same photo. She also confirmed that her mother had always told her that Azade had drowned at war….”

Azade Boudreau, taken in 1943 in the United Kingdom. (Photo Courtesy of the Boudreau Family)

….Azade was born in Petit Rocher Nord…

Petit Rocher Nord is located along the shore of Chaleur Bay. (Map source: Google maps)

Born January 31, 1923 in Petit Rocher Nord, New Brunswick, Azade was the son of Frank J. and Marguerite (nee Doucet) Boudreau. He was one of 9 children, with 4 brothers and 4 sisters. We’d visited this beautiful part of New Brunswick in 2024.

….Azade enlisted shortly after his 19th birthday…

At the time of his enlistment on March 9, 1942 with the 58th Field Battery, Royal Canadian Artillery, in Quebec City, Quebec, Azade, now aged 19, had worked a number of odd jobs as a store clerk and cook’s helper. He was noted he was fluent in both French and English, and enjoyed skating, as well as playing hockey and baseball. When asked by an interviewer why he joined the army, he stated his reason was ‘adventure’….not an uncommon answer by so many young men.

Working as a waiter in the Officers Mess, he was attached to No. 5 District Depot in Quebec City until May 14, 1942, when he was sent to the No. 53 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre (CABTC) in Lauzon, Quebec.

After successfully completing his basic training, Azade returned to No. 5 District Depot in Quebec City on June 20, 1942. He was there for a few weeks before being transferred to the 4th Medium Regiment, Royal Canadian Artillery, in Petawawa, Ontario on July 14, 1942 for final training before going overseas.

….Azade left Canada for overseas service….

On August 8, 1942, Azade left Canada with the 4th Medium Regiment. Upon arriving in the United Kingdom, the Regiment came under the command of HQ Canadian Corps Medium Artillery.

Azade, who was identified as being very deft mechanically, was a gun layer, responsible for aiming and firing large guns, using either manual controls or emerging radar/fire-control systems, and working with optical rangefinders. It was a responsibility that required high skill and tactical awareness.

An October 1942 army interviewer noted that he was neat in appearance, had a cheerful disposition, and liked the army and what he was doing.

The Regiment transferred to 2nd Canadian Army Group Royal Artillery (AGRA) on October 15, 1943.

….The Regiment arrived in France in July 1944….

Azade and the 4th Medium Regiment continued training while in the United Kingdom, but on July 5, 1944, a month after D-Day, they left for Normandy, as part of the 21st Army Group, arriving in Normandy 2 days later.

Over the next months, they made their way through France and into Belgium as part of the North-West Europe Campaign. On September 5, 1944, Azade received a promotion to Lance Bombadier.

….Azade accidentally drowned in Belgium…

On December 15, 1944, while the Regiment was in Belgium, Azade, accompanied by Private W. T. SHORTT, was in Ghent. According to an account by Pte Shortt, they “…went visiting the various cafes in Ghent. On our way home we dropped into the ice cream parlour near the bridge. After eating our ice cream….” Azade “…said he was going to the toilet. We went out the door, which presumably led to the toilet, but it was the balcony along the canal. He went to the rail….” and the next thing that Pte Shortt knew was that Azade had fallen into the canal of the Lower Scheldt River.

“…I shone my torch on him and yelled ‘man in the canal’. A light on the bridge seemed to pick him up and I put my torch out and went through the ice cream parlour to the bridge. When I arrived there, there was no sign of anyone with a torch…” Azade “…had also disappeared…”

….Azade’s body was found 5 months later…

5 months after he fell into the canal, Azade’s body was found on May 18, 1945 in a sluice in the Lower Scheldt, near Laurent Place in Ghent. His body was taken to the morgue at No. 2 Canadian General Hospital. An examination to verify his identity determined it was the body of a Canadian soldier. A letter and photograph in one of the pockets of his clothing had disintegrated from being in the water for so long, leaving no clues to follow up. However, the location of where the body was found, and with the height of the body, and a dental plate matching Azade, it was determined that it was him.

….Azade is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem…

Azade was temporarily buried on May 21, 1945 at the Ghent West Cemetery in Belgium before being reburied on August 28, 1945 at the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem, Belgium.

Pieter stands behind the grave of Azade Boudreau. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

We visited his grave during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, and Pieter placed Acadian, Canadian, and New Brunswick flags at his grave.

Patrick Michiels at the grave of Azade Boudreau. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Patrick Michiels, who had requested the photo search on behalf of his former colleague’s son, was with us in the cemetery to pay his respects to a young man who drowned, just one month before his 22nd birthday.

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

Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian flag.
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 flag.
La Société acadienne de Clare at the request of Simone Comeau for the Acadian flags.

Thank you to Pauline Theriault for sharing a photo of her uncle. Thank you also to Patrick Michiels for joining us during our visit to Adegem. We’ll continue to share the highlights of our adventures on the 2025 European War Memorial Tour.

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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On The War Memorial Trail….The WWII Soldier From Piusville Killed During The Battle Of The Leopold Canal

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

December 10, 2025. In the course of his research into WWII soldiers buried in The Netherlands, Pieter soon learned that many Canadians who lost their lives during the Battle of the Scheldt are not only buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom in The Netherlands, but are also buried at the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem, Belgium.

While most of the men buried in Adegem died during the operations for the clearance of the south bank of the Scheldt, many Canadians who lost their lives elsewhere in Belgium were also brought here for burial. Out of 848 Canadians buried here, 12 are from Prince Edward Island, and this spring an appeal went out in the local media for photos and information on the soldiers.

Pieter’s research results are faster than I can keep up with, and so several of the graves we visited during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour were for soldiers whose stories have yet to be told. One of these is the subject of this posting….

….Steve Gallant’s niece had a photo of her uncle….

After reading about the appeal for photos in the County Line Courier newspaper, Pauline Stewart of New Annan, Prince Edward Island contacted us, writing that “…we follow your memorial trail column. In the last edition my uncle was mentioned….” Her uncle was Joseph Stephen ‘Steve’ GALLANT, of Piusville, who was serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles when he lost his life on October 11, 1944 at the age of 29.

At the time of Pauline’s email, we were still in Europe. We sent her a photo taken of her uncle’s grave, and explained that Pieter would give her a call once we were home again. She replied with a surprise. “…By the way the Two Bulger Boys from Foxley River are my husband’s uncles…”

Last year, a two-part series on Harold ‘Hal’ Gabriel BULGER, who is buried in Adegem, and his brother Lawrence William BULGER, who is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, was published. (You can read Lawrence’s story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/08/19/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-bulger-brothers-part-2-the-wwii-stretcher-bearer-from-foxley-river-killed-during-the-battle-of-bienen/ and Hal’s at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/08/05/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-bulger-brothers-part-i-the-wwii-soldier-from-foxley-river-killed-during-the-battle-of-moerbrugge/)

Pauline and Charles Stewart with Pieter. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

A few months later, we had a chance to meet with Pauline and her husband Charles. Pauline explained that her father, John P. Gallant, was Steve’s brother. Another brother, Vincent, also served during WWII, but survived. “…Steve was the groomsman at the marriage of my parents….”

She recalled that “….Steve was on leave right after I was born in August 1944, and he died a few months later….”

Born in Piusville, Prince Edward Island on July 31, 1915, Joseph Stephen ‘Steve’ GALLANT was the son of Archie and Jannie Gallant. He had 5 brothers and 1 sister.

….Steve enlisted in 1942…

Joseph Stephen ‘Steve’ Gallant. (Photo Courtesy of Pauline and Charles Stewart On Behalf Of The Gallant Family)

Steve originally enlisted under the National Resources Mobilization Act (NRMA) at the No. 6a NRMA Clearing Depot in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island on May 15, 1942 and began basic training at No. 62 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre in Charlottetown. At the time, he stated that he’d left school at the age of 12 after completing Grade 5, that he was working on his father’s farm in Piusville, and that he was fluent in both French and English. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Resources_Mobilization_Act)

….Steve transferred to the 5th SMAA S/L Troop…

After completing basic training on July 11, 1942, Steve was transferred to the 5th Special Mobile Anti-Aircraft Search Light Troop (5th SMAA S/L Troop) and was stationed at various airports, beginning with Ives Point, Nova Scotia, near Halifax. As explained in a Government of Canada history of the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII, the main task of this unit was “…to provide realistic training to aircrews – the terrifying experience of being ‘coned’ by enemy anti-Aircraft battery searchlights….” (See https://www.canada.ca/en/air-force/corporate/wings/14-wing/history.html)

On October 5, 1942, Steve enlisted in the Active Army in Halifax, Nova Scotia, and remained with the 5th SMAA S/L Troop. A few days later, on October 8, 1942, he was attached to No. 6 Detachment, Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps (RCOC) in Debert, Nova Scotia, for a month.

He was next attached to No. 34 Operational Training Unit (OTU) of the Royal Air Force in Pennfield, New Brunswick. An airport had been built in 1940 to train Air Observers as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP). The Operational Training Unit at the airport was used to train four crew members for World War II action: Pilot, Navigator, Wireless Air Gunner and Air Gunner. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_Commonwealth_Air_Training_Plan)

A month later, Steve was attached to No. 36 Operational Training Unit (OTU) of the Royal Air Force in Greenwood, Nova Scotia. The site for RAF Station Greenwood, which opened in 1942, had been chosen by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) and Royal Air Force for an airfield as part of the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan (BCATP) due to the area having a relatively fog-free climate.

On February 2, 1943, Steve was again attached to No. 6 Detachment, Royal Canadian Ordnance Corps (RCOC) in Debert, Nova Scotia, for a few months. Then, on May 8, 1943, he was again attached to No. 36 Operational Training Unit (OTU) in Greenwood, Nova Scotia.

A month later, he was attached again to No. 34 Operational Training Unit (OTU) in Pennfield, New Brunswick for 2 months before returning to No. 36 Operational Training Unit (OTU) in Greenwood, Nova Scotia. While in Greenwood, Steve was sent ‘On Command’ to Winnipeg, Manitoba, on October 10, 1943.

….Steve left Canada for overseas service….

On March 27, 1944, Steve was transferred to the 21st Anti-Aircraft Regiment of the Royal Canadian Artillery, and posted to 1st Anti-Aircraft Searchlight (AA S/L) Battery in Halifax, Nova Scotia, for additional training as a gunner. A few weeks later, on April 22, 1944, he was sent to No. 1 Transit Camp in Windsor, Nova Scotia in preparation for overseas duty.

Steve was granted embarkation leave from May 5 to 9, 1944. It must have been a bittersweet time as he didn’t return back until May 12, 1944, resulting in the forfeiture of 3 days pay and allowance and being confined to barracks for 4 days.

On May 20, 1944, Steve was sent to the No. 1 Training Battalion of the Canadian Infantry Corps in Debert, Nova Scotia for final training and preparation for overseas service. On July 21, 1944, he was transferred to the Training Brigade Group in Debert. He was granted another leave from August 3 to 15, 1944, in what turned out to be the last time he would ever see his family again.

On August 29, 1944, Steve left Canada for the United Kingdom. Upon arriving on September 4, 1944 he was assigned to No. 4 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU).

He wasn’t in the United Kingdom even a month when he was transferred to the X4 Reinforcement List for the Canadian Base Reinforcement Group (CBRG), part of the 13th Battalion, 21st Army Group, on October 1, 1944 and sent to Northwest Europe, arriving a day later.

….Steve lost his life during the Battle of the Leopold Canal….

Map showing the Battle for the Leopold Canal. (Map source: Little Black Devils: A History of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles)

On October 10, 1944, Steve was transferred to the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, joining the Regiment in the vicinity of the dike by Graaf Jan, The Netherlands, where they were engaged in fierce fighting during the Battle of the Leopold Canal on the border between The Netherlands and Belgium.

The War Diary for October 10, 1944 for the Royal Winnipeg Rifles stated that the Commanding Officer had “… received orders to occupy the Southern approaches to the village of GRAAF JAN. With A Company giving covering fire, B Company succeeded in reaching the objectives at 1500 hrs. Superior enemy forces in the village forced the company to withdraw when ammunition was getting low….”

The War Diary for October 11, 1944 noted numerous casualties. “…Cloudy and cool with slight rain in the afternoon. Visibility poor. During the morning A Company assisted the Regina Rifles in destroying an enemy held pill box. Another C Company patrol to GRAAF JAN failed to contact the enemy…. Enemy shelling was slightly less intense than during the first three days. Small Arms fire continued to make it extremely difficult and dangerous to move about. Supplies and casualties were still ferried across the Canal. Capt H.C. Chadderton of C Company and Lt L. Mendels of B Company were among the numerous casualties for the day….”

Unfortunately, Steve was one of the ‘numerous casualties’ referred to in the war diary. He was 29 years old.

….Steve is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem….

Steve is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem, Belgium. We visited his grave on a very hot Sunday this past May, where Pieter placed Acadian, Prince Edward Island, and Canadian flags in remembrance.

Pieter by the grave of Joseph Stephen ‘Steve’ Gallant. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

….Steve’s mother wanted answers….

On November 13, 1944, a distraught and upset Jannie Gallant – Steve’s mother – wrote to the Department of National Defence, asking questions that so many mothers of soldiers must have had. “….I received a telegram on October 20 stating that …” Steve had been killed on October 11. “…We haven’t received any more news since. It makes a very sad house. My husband has been in ill health since 1933. It was a great shock to him and also to me...”

She explained that they had received two letters from him once he left Canada. “…We received a letter from him on the 29th of September and he was still in England, and we received one that was written on October the 7th and he was already in Belgium…”

Then came the hard question and a query as to whether he was really dead. “…I want to know how much training that boy had to be sent that soon to Belgium as a rifleman with no training as a rifleman. I hope that the boy is still living as he was a great help to his father and also to myself….”

She ended by saying that “…I want to know the particulars of him if he is dead or living….”

Mrs Gallant did receive a reply from Lt Cameron, Military Secretary, on November 18, 1944, offering sympathies and explaining that Steve had “…received careful training during the period he was in England and that he would not have been permitted to proceed until he was declared trained…”

The reality was that training couldn’t fully prepare a soldier for actual combat. To make things worse, Steve had been sent to the Royal Winnipeg Rifles in the midst of a battle, with not even the chance to get to know the men in the Company he was assigned to.

Thank you to Pauline and Charles Stewart for providing photos and information on Pauline’s uncle. If you have a story to tell, or can provide a photo of one of the soldiers from Prince Edward Island buried in Adegem, please email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.

….The 12 soldiers from Prince Edward Island who are buried in Adegem….

Harold ‘Hal’ Gabriel BULGER of Foxley River was serving with the Algonquin Regiment when he was killed during the Battle of Moerbrugge in Belgium on September 10, 1944, at the age of 26.
Charles John ACORN of Peters Road was serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders when he lost his life on October 15, 1944 at the age of 22. A poor quality newspaper photo was found.
William Henry DEVEAUX of Dundee was serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders when he lost his life on October 16, 1944 at the age of 23.
Joseph Stephen GALLANT of Piusville was serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles when he lost his life on October 11, 1944 at the age of 29.
Cecil Aneas MACDONALD of Glencoe was serving with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment when he lost his life on October 15, 1944 at the age of 23. NOTE: The Belgian family that adopted his grave would like to be in contact with a family member.
Joseph ‘Joe’ Augustine MACKENNA of Newton Cross was serving with Auxiliary Service as a member of the Knights of Columbus when he drowned in Belgium on June 21, 1945 at the age of 41.
Adolphus Peter MCCORMACK of New Zealand was serving with the Regina Rifle Regiment when he lost his life on October 30, 1944 at the age of 25.
James Hector MUNN of New Zealand was serving with the Regina Rifle Regiment, 1st Battalion, when he lost his life on October 30, 1944 at the age of 28.
Valmont PERRY of St. Louis was serving with the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders when he lost his life on October 21, 1944 at the age of 26. No photo has been found of him to date.
Allan Rattenbury READ of Read’s Corner was serving with the Regina Rifle Regiment when he lost his life on October 27, 1944 at the age of 21. A poor quality newspaper photo was found.
John James SAUNDERS of Bloomfield was serving with the South Saskatchewan Regiment when he lost his life on September 22, 1944 at the age of 27. No photo has been found of him to date.
Joseph Roy SILLIPHANT of Summerside was serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders when he lost his life on October 27, 1944 at the age of 28. A poor quality newspaper photo was found.

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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On The War Memorial Trail….A Visit To The Canadian War Cemetery In Adegem

December 8, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 6 Comments

Pieter (left) with Patrick Michiels at the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem. The bags by Pieter’s feet contain flags! (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

December 8, 2025. Readers of this blog are aware that Pieter has been involved in finding photos of Canadians who are buried in The Netherlands since 2014. This past 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 8 provinces…

After visiting a number of cemeteries in The Netherlands during our 2025 European War Memorial Tour, we made our way into Belgium. The first cemetery there that we visited was the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem. Many Canadians who lost their lives during the Battle of the Scheldt are not only buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom in The Netherlands, but are also buried at the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem, Belgium.

While most of those buried in Adegem died during the operations for the clearance of the south bank of the Scheldt, many Canadians who lost their lives elsewhere in Belgium were also brought here for burial.

There are 1,119 WWII Commonwealth burials, 848 of them Canadian, and one unidentified burial from WWI. There are also 33 Polish and two French burials. Flags were placed by Pieter at 29 graves at this cemetery:

3 were from Nova Scotia
2 from New Brunswick
12 from Prince Edward Island
2 from British Columbia
2 from Saskatchewan
3 from Manitoba
1 from Alberta
4 from Ontario

4 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 soldiers from British Columbia and Saskatchewan, for which, unfortunately, we did not receive flags.

….This was our first visit to Adegem…

Our journey to the cemetery in Adegem had a few hiccups. It started with a mistake on my part, when I left my tablet behind at the hotel in Zaltbommel, and didn’t realize it was missing until we were half an hour into our journey to Adegem and had to turn around and go back. Luckily, it was still in the hotel room, and we were on our way again.

Then the GPS couldn’t find the cemetery and we got lost before Pieter’s good sense of direction got us to the cemetery….1 ½ hours later than planned.

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

We were joined by Patrick Michiels, a Belgian researcher, who had been so helpful to us over the past few years in taking photos of graves of soldiers that Pieter had researched, even going on Christmas Day last year to take photos of the Christmas Eve candles at their graves. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/12/31/2024-christmas-eve-candle-lighting-at-the-canadian-war-cemetery-in-adegem/)

Overview of the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem with the Cross of Sacrifice. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

It took over 2 hours for Pieter to place the flags and to photograph each of the 29 graves, with a slight delay caused when Pieter cut his hand on a sharp knife that Patrick had lent him so he could poke a hole into the very dry soil in order to get the flags placed. There was no real damage to his hand, but lots of blood! It didn’t help that it was over 30^oC (86^oF) and the hot sun was beating down on us, making it feel hotter.

…4 soldiers whose stories were previously told are commemorated…

The graves and photos of 4 soldiers, whose stories have previously been told on this blog, are featured.

Pieter stands behind the grave of Harold ‘Hal’ Gabriel Bulger. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Harold ‘Hal’ Gabriel BULGER of Foxley River, Prince Edward Island, was serving with the Algonquin Regiment when he was killed during the Battle of Moerbrugge in Belgium on September 10, 1944, at the age of 26. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2024/08/05/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-bulger-brothers-part-i-the-wwii-soldier-from-foxley-river-killed-during-the-battle-of-moerbrugge/

Pieter stands behind the grave of Bruce Wilbur Churchill. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Bruce Wilbur CHURCHILL, born in Sandford, Yarmouth County, Nova Scotia, was serving with the Algonquin Regiment when was accidentally killed at the age of 23 on September 29, 1944 in The Netherlands when a bullet from a Bren Gun ricocheted and hit him. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/06/05/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-ww2-soldier-who-lost-his-life-in-a-monastery-garden/

Pieter stands behind the grave of Joseph ‘Joe’ Hudson Pallister. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Joseph ‘Joe’ Hudson PALLISTER, born in Calgary, Alberta, was serving with the Canadian Scottish Regiment when he was killed during the Battle of the Leopold Canal in Belgium on October 6, 1944, aged 21. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/06/18/on-the-war-memorial-trail-1-wwii-soldier-2-families-3-countries/

After we sent photos of our visit to Joseph’s grave to his great-nephew, Thomas Mouser, he not only thanked us, but shared a letter written by Captain John ‘Jack’ Lawrence GALLAGHER to Joseph’s mother about her son….

“….I wish to express my deepest sympathies to you on the loss of your son, Joe. He was with the battalion for a long time, and was with me in ‘C’ Company from D-Day until the severe action in which he was killed.

During that time he became liked by everyone for his easy-going good humour and respected for his coolness in action and resourcefulness as our NCO.

I can only say that he was killed instantly while carrying out his job, and that his conduct in that battle and all others that he participated in was an example to us all….”

What a heartfelt letter of sympathy to a grieving mother! Captain Gallagher survived WWII, with the rank of Major and a Croix de Guerre (Bel) with Palm, and passed away in 2012. (See https://www.legacy.com/us/obituaries/legacyremembers/john-gallagher-obituary?id=44106495)

Pieter stands behind the grave of Edison Reynolds Smith. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Edison Reynolds SMITH, born on Port Hood Island, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia, was serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders when he lost his life in The Netherlands on October 16, 1944 during the Battle of the Scheldt, at the age of 20. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/12/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-part-1-the-wwii-letters-of-edison-reynolds-smith/ and https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/12/12/on-the-war-memorial-trail-part-2-the-wwii-letters-of-edison-reynolds-smith/

….Photos of 3 soldiers from Prince Edward Island are sought…

Photos are still being sought for three soldiers from Prince Edward Island who are buried in Adegem:

Valmont PERRY of St. Louis was serving with the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders when he lost his life on October 21, 1944 at the age of 26.
Allan Rattenbury READ of Read’s Corner was serving with the Regina Rifle Regiment when he lost his life on October 27, 1944 at the age of 21.
John James SAUNDERS of Bloomfield was serving with the South Saskatchewan Regiment when he lost his life on September 22, 1944 at the age of 27.

If you have photos or information to share about these men, please let Pieter know.

….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.
Wayne Ewasko, MLA for Lac Du Bonnet, Manitoba, Interim Leader of the Official Opposition, Province of Manitoba, who donated the Manitoba 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.
Marie Renaud, MLA St Albert, Alberta at the request of Roman Berezowsky, for the Alberta flag.
La Société acadienne de Clare at the request of Simone Comeau for the Acadian flags.

Thank you to Patrick Michiels for joining us during our visit to Adegem. Thank you also to Thomas Mouser for sharing the letter of sympathy written by Captain Gallagher. We’ll continue to share the highlights of our adventures on the 2025 European War Memorial Tour.

….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/

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On The War Memorial Trail…..Remembrance Week 2025 – The WWII Nursing Orderly Killed When 3 Tracked Vehicles Exploded Near A Field Dressing Station On Walcheren Island

December 4, 2025 / On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 2 Comments

December 4, 2025. One of the hardest searches for a photo took several years, and, in spite of dedicated help in looking for family members to contact, newspaper and archive searches, and even a November 10, 2023 article in the Winnipeg Free Press (see a Picture of compassion Winnipeg Free Press Article re John Lewis Hughes Nov 10 2023), we struck out each time.

It was difficult to understand as the soldier in question came from a large family, was married, and had worked for 12 years in a hospital in his hometown. Only one niece responded, saying she remembered that her mother, the soldier’s sister, had a photo, but after she passed away, her effects were put in the basement and were later destroyed in a flood. We had zero luck with the family of the soldier’s wife, who had remarried. There was also no response from the local Legion branch, nor from the hospital where he had worked.

Eventually we ran out of leads to contact, and so, although we never gave up the search, we reluctantly put John Lewis HUGHES on our Cold Case List. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/our-cold-cases/)

…. The Winnipeg Free Press article caught the interest of a local historian…...

Shortly after the Winnipeg Free Press article was published, we had been contacted by local historian Judy Gleich. “…This project is of great interest to me...” she wrote. Her husband is from Eriksdale and “…I was born at E.M. Crowe Memorial Hospital and lived most of my life in the Lundar MB area…” She explained that, unlike many small communities, “…there was no local paper in Eriksdale at that time….” and so there was no local coverage of soldiers from the area. Like us, she also contacted someone she knew at the local Legion but no photo was found.

Judy also told us that “…E.M. Crowe hospital is no longer run locally – but is under the umbrella of the Interlake Eastern Regional Health Authority…which covers about 1/5 of the province….”

Judy explained why she was interested to help find a photo. “…When I read the first article by Kevin Rollason and saw that one of the photos Pieter was looking for was of a veteran from Eriksdale– I was interested although I was not familiar with the Hughes family. I made a couple of phone calls and asked a couple of friends and came up with nothing.….” (NOTE: A short photo appeal had initially been made in the Winnipeg Free Press in November 2022.)

“….After the second article by Kevin Rollason appeared in the Winnipeg Free Press with more information about the Hughes family it piqued my interest again. I figured if someone like Pieter was putting that much effort into this project that I would try to help him….”

…. The photo search led to a hockey photo 2 years after the Winnipeg Free Press article was published…...

Like us, Judy found that “…most of the older Hughes family members had passed on and we were getting nowhere with their families….”

Then, two years later, Judy learned about a 1936 hockey photo. “… Knowing several of the men on the team I was sure that some of their family members might have the photo…. A few more phone calls and BINGO – success at last….” It was nothing short of a miracle!

The man with the photo of the 1936 Eriksdale Hockey Team was John Forsyth, whose father Jim was a member of the team.

Back Row L-R: Johnnie Mills, Bill Smith, Gordon Smith, Stan Mills, Johnnie Forsyth, Lawrence Whitney. Front Row L-R: Don Goodridge(?), Johnnie Hughes, Murray Cox, Jim Forsyth. (Photo courtesy of the Collection of Jim and Kay Forsyth)

We now knew what John Lewis Hughes looked like! (Photo courtesy of the Collection of Jim and Kay Forsyth)

….John was from Eriksdale in Manitoba…

Eriksdale is in the Interlake Region of central Manitoba, near the eastern shore of Lake Manitoba. (Map source: Google maps)

Born January 17, 1916 in Eriksdale, Manitoba, John was the son of Ebenezer George and Ellen (nee Rogan, previously married name Johanson) Hughes. Both parents came from the United Kingdom – his father in 1911 and his mother in 1914 with two daughters who had been born in Wales. 6 more children were added to the Hughes family, in addition to John – 3 daughters and 3 sons.

Before enlisting with the No. 3 Field Ambulance of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps (RCAMC) on July 5, 1940, John had worked for 12 years as a medical orderly in the E.M. Crowe memorial hospital in Eriksdale. On June 22, 1940, a few weeks before enlistment, he married Irene Goodwin.

On October 5, 1940, John was transferred to No. 100 Canadian Militia Training Centre (CMTC) in Portage La Prairie, Manitoba. He was then assigned to No. 100 Non-Permanent Active Militia (NPAM) Training Centre on November 15, 1940, while still attached to No. 100 CMTC. (No. 100 CMTC and No. 100 NPAM were re-designated as No. 100 Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre in February 1941.)

John remained in Portage La Prairie until April 30, 1941, when he was transferred to what the service file termed Fort Osborne Military Hospital, RCAMC, in Winnipeg, Manitoba. This was likely Deer Lodge Military Hospital, as during WWII, Winnipeg’s military hospital function was not at Fort Osborne Barracks, which had moved in 1920. Deer Lodge Military Hospital took over the former hospital facilities from Fort Osborne at that time.

….John left Canada for overseas service….

On June 8, 1941, John was transferred to No. 1 Motor Ambulance Convoy, RCAMC, Active Force, and sent to Camp Shilo, Manitoba for final training before going overseas.

With other members of his unit, John left Canada for the United Kingdom on June 19, 1941, sailing from Halifax, Nova Scotia, disembarking in Greenock, Scotland on July 2, 1941, before moving on to Sussex, England.

Per the ‘Official History Of The Canadian Medical Services 1939-1945’, edited by Lt Col Dr W. R. Feasby, the RCAMC “…..order of battle included not only the medical units of the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Divisions, and the 1st Army Tank Brigade, but also the following Corps Troops medical units: No. 18 Field Ambulance, No. 5 Field Hygiene Section, Nos. 4 and 5 Casualty Clearing Stations, No. 1 Motor Ambulance Convoy, and No. 1 Advanced Depot Medical Stores….”

The function of No. 1 Motor Ambulance Convoy was to transport wounded from main dressing stations to casualty clearing stations. Transport was by vehicles of the Motor Ambulance Convoy, supplemented by trucks for walking wounded or by railroad when available.

John and his unit were kept busy with training and in transporting wounded soldiers who arrived in the United Kingdom for treatment.

One of the largest operations came following the Dieppe Raid, known as Operation Jubilee, on August 19, 1942, a disastrous Allied amphibious attack on the German-occupied port of Dieppe in northern France, in which 505 Canadian soldiers were wounded and 916 lost their lives. (See and https://www.veterans.gc.ca/en/remembrance/military-history/second-world-war/dieppe-raid and https://thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/dieppe-raid)

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

On the morning of August 19, 1942, the medical units under the 2nd Canadian Division were “… responsible for the reception and evacuation of casualties disembarked in the Portsmouth area, where the bulk of them was expected. Two sections of No. 1 Motor Ambulance Convoy were made available … for the transport of casualties from the Portsmouth area to No. 15 General Hospital at Bramshott, and from the Newhaven-Shoreham area to No. 1 at Horsham and No. 14 at Horley…”

On January 14, 1943, No. 1 Motor Ambulance Convoy, RCAMC, became a unit of the Royal Canadian Army Service Corps (RCASC).

….John was transferred to No. 10 Canadian Field Dressing Station….

On January 21, 1944, John was transferred to No. 10 Canadian Field Dressing Station, and later sent to France, arriving on July 10, 1944, a month after D-Day. As noted in the ‘Official History Of The Canadian Medical Services 1939-1945’ “…with the formation of the 2nd Canadian Corps in France, the medical services were greatly increased. For the coming attack it was decided to constitute a massed medical centre at the Secqueville-en-Bessin area. In addition, No. 6 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station was located at Cazelle, under command of 2nd Canadian Corps, with No. 10 Canadian Field Dressing Station sited alongside….”

The ‘coming attack’ referred to the Battle of the Falaise Pocket (also called Battle of the Falaise Gap), part of the Battle of Normandy, and which was fought between August 12 and 21, 1944. (see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falaise_pocket)

In addition to a large number of battle casualties from engagement with German troops, a bombing error on August 14, 1944 resulted in more casualties when “… the Royal Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force bombed behind our own lines, causing 200 casualties…” placing enormous strain on Casualty Clearing Stations. “…The bombing casualties arrived in a sudden rush about four o’clock….” making it impossible to find “…shelter for all the wounded…”

In addition to 537 admitted to the Casualty Clearing Stations, “….Nos. 9 and 10 Canadian Field Dressing Stations in the same area admitted 569 and were so rushed that it was necessary to open both No. 6 Canadian Casualty Clearing Station and No. 33 British Casualty Clearing Station at Cazelle where a further 694 casualties were taken for treatment….”

No. 10 Canadian Field Dressing Station, along with other medical units, moved just behind troops as they advanced through France, into Belgium, and then into The Netherlands. John was very experienced by now and on September 11, 1944, he qualified as a Nursing Orderly ‘C’, which meant he was responsible for initial treatment in the most forward battlefield areas and stretcher-bearing, while working under the direction of medical officers.

…. John’s unit was assigned to British Commandos for an attack on Walcheren Island during the Battle of the Scheldt…...

John Lewis Hughes was killed on Walcheren Island (top left), near Westkappelle, on November 2, 1944. (Map source: ‘Official History Of The Canadian Medical Services 1939-1945’)

On October 21, 1944, a number of Canadian medical units were “…put under command of the 4th Special Service Brigade….” of the Royal Marines (United Kingdom) “…for training to support the amphibious operation of the brigade….” No. 17 Light Field Ambulance Company, Nos. 8 and 9 Canadian Field Surgical Units, No. 5 Canadian Field Transfusion Unit, and No. 10 Canadian Field Dressing Station were involved.

Operation Infatuate, part of the Battle of the Scheldt, was the codename for the attack on German batteries on Walcheren Island in The Netherlands, located at the mouth of the Scheldt River. German fortification of the island blocked Allied access to the captured port of Antwerp, Belgium. The Belgian port was crucial in order to supply advancing Allied armies as they moved towards Berlin.

“…Training for the operation against Walcheren continued until the end of October when units embarked at Ostend and began to move towards their objective. At three o’clock on the morning of 1 November the flotilla of landing craft sailed out of Ostend harbour….” Ostend is in Belgium.

“…Just before dawn, they met their supporting warships, turned and bore down on Westkapelle. The assault was to be made in daylight on either side of a gap blown in the Westkapelle dyke, and just before “H” hour (9.45 a.m.) the guns of Warspite, Roberts, and Erebus opened up and flights of rocket-firing Typhoon aircraft went to work on the shore batteries….”

In ‘Towards Victory In Europe: The Battle For Walcheren’, J. O. Forfar, Medical Officer, 47 Marine Commando, explained that “…Commander Pugsley and Brigadier Leicester had been informed on leaving Ostend that due to fog in England the Lancaster bombers which were to carry out a preliminary bombardment of the Walcheren defences while the assaulting craft moved in were grounded…”

The two men decided to go ahead with the operation, which resulted in high casualties, but the Battle for Walcheren was ultimately successful. “…The Germans had sown sea mines in the approaches to the island; the beaches were laced with barbed wire, landmines, and covered by machine guns firing from cement pill boxes. Five minutes before they were due to touch down the two landing craft which had been prepared as hospital ships were sunk by mines. Immediately after this the assault began…” with shelling from cannons at the battery in Dishoek.

“…One section of No. 17 Canadian Light Field Ambulance landed with No. 41 Commando on the left of Westkapelle gap and another section with No. 48 Commando on the right of Westkapelle gap. Of the 25 close support naval craft engaged in the operation only six were left by mid-afternoon, and 172 of those on board had been killed and 210 wounded. Casualties among those who got ashore in the face of stiff enemy resistance were heavy….” The medical teams had to work in close proximity of the fighting.

…. No. 10 Field Dressing Station set up on the beach on the afternoon of November 1, 1944…...

Beach dressing station of No. 10 Field Dressing Station being set up by personnel of No. 10 Field Dressing Station at Westkapelle. (Photo source: Provincial Archives of Alberta, Donald Carson fonds, PR2011.0001/14)

“…Casualties on the left of the gap were given first aid and collected into a shell hole on the edge of the dyke until Westkapelle was clear, when they were moved into a house in the village. On the other side of the gap the casualty collecting post was set up on the inside of the sea wall, and casualties were held until No. 10 Canadian Field Dressing Station came ashore at 2 pm and set up a beach dressing station….”

Most of those wounded on November 1, 1944 were taken off the Island during the night and returned to No. 6 Canadian Field Dressing Station at Ostend. Meanwhile the medical teams prepared for the next day.

…. John was killed in the afternoon of November 2, 1944 …...

No. 8 Canadian Field Surgical Unit, a medical operation team of around 10 people, was attached to No. 10 Field Dressing Station, and was the field hospital located behind the No. 10 Field Dressing Station.

The November 2, 1944 War Diary entry for No. 8 Canadian Field Surgical Unit relates what happened when they came ashore with landing tracked vehicles, which the diary writer referred to as Alligators. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Landing_Vehicle,_Tracked) “…The morning of November 2nd dawned bright and clear….About 0900 the Alligators moved to the beach and there we met the rest of our unit. I was relieved to find in spite of many harrowing experiences they were all quite safe. We off loaded the vehicles onto the beach….The beach head was under intermittent fire but the greatest worry we had was mines…”

Tragedy struck in the early afternoon. “…A salvo of shells hit 3 Alligators in front of the dugout and the Alligators caught on fire. Each Alligator had 7 tons of ammunition on board and this all exploded during the next ¾ of an hour. About 20 men were killed, including the Quartermaster and one Other Rank of No. 10 FDS….” The ‘Other Rank of No. 10 FDS’ was John Lewis Hughes.

Caroline Raaijmakers, Chair of the Faces To Graves Bergen Op Zoom Committee, told us that “….on the same spot….” where John was killed, “…Doctor Captain Frank Sidney Manktelow was Wounded In Action on 2-11-1944 and he died on 3-11-1944…..”

Dr. Frank Sidney MANKTELOW, of Pointe aux Trembles, Quebec, son of Frederick Sidney and Mary Jane (nee MacKay) Manktelow, and husband of Laura Francise (nee Quinn) Manktelow, was serving with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps when he died, at the age of 30.

Both men were initially buried in a temporary cemetery in Zoutelande on Walcheren Island.

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

Pieter stands behind the grave of John Lewis Hughes in Holten, The Netherlands. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

On September 9, 1946, John was reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands. We visited his grave this spring when we were in The Netherlands for our 2025 European Memorial Tour, and Pieter placed flags of Canada and Manitoba by his grave. His was one of 383 graves in 14 cemeteries that we visited on this trip.

….Hughes Hill in northern Manitoba named in John’s honour…..

Hughes Hill in northern Manitoba was named after John ‘Jack’ Lewis Hughes. (Map source: Mapcarta)

Hughes Hill in northern Manitoba, northeast of Wither Lake, was named after him in 1995.

….A great deal of research happened before a photo was found…

Many people assume that it’s easy to find family and photos of soldiers who are buried overseas. Unless you are lucky enough to stumble across someone else’s research, or a media appeal is seen by the right person with a photo, it can be an onerous and long drawn out process.

The search for a photo of John Lewis Hughes took several years. Thank you to Judie Klassen for going above and beyond to find family and reference material, to Shawn Rainville for newspaper searches, and to Judy Gleich for continually contacting people from Eriksdale. Thank you to Robert Catsburg for sending the war diary entry for November 2, 1944 and to both Robert Catsburg and Caroline Raaijmakers for excerpts from Dutch accounts.

Thank you to John Forsyth for the hockey photo that included a photo of John. And a big thank you to Kevin Rollason of the Winnipeg Free Press for writing the article about the photo search.

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

Alan Waddell, Constituent Assistant, on behalf of Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, for the Canadian flag.
Brad Robertson, Chief of Protocol, Government of Manitoba, on behalf of Wab Kinew, Premier of Manitoba, for the Manitoba flag.

The work of remembrance of those who served continues as do our adventures on the next leg of our 2025 European War Memorial Tour.

If you have a story or photo to share, please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com or comment on the blog.

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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…8 graves from Bergen Op Zoom are featured….

…Previous postings about Christmas Eve Candle Lighting…

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….Request from a Belgian researcher…

….A photo of George was found…

….George Bowie was a true Renaissance man …

….George enlisted in 1914 …

….George wrote about the Battle of Festubert….

….George was killed by a sniper’s bullet…

….George was buried in Chateau Rosenberg Military Cemetery …

….George was reburied in Berks Cemetery Extension…

….A photo of Warren Gillander has yet to be found…

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….Request from a Belgian researcher…

….A photo was found through a nephew and great-niece…

….Donald trained as a radio mechanic with the RCAF…

….Donald continued his training in Clinton …

….Donald left Canada for overseas service….

….Donald received intensive training in radar….

….A decision was made to move No. 1 BSRU from England to Belgium….

….An ill-fated crossing on November 7, 1944 turned into a disaster….

…. Donald was buried at Ostende New Communal Cemetery ….

…. We visited Ostende New Communal Cemetery….

…. We visited the North Sea coastline near Ostend….

….Other Canadian soldiers buried in Ostende New Communal Cemetery…

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… Statement about Pieter in the Senate of Canada….

… Statement about us in the PEI Legislature….

…Daria Honoured With PEI Senior Islander of the Year Award….

…. Pieter Appointed Knight of the Order of Orange-Nassau….

….Pieter and Daria Honoured With Faces To Graves Groesbeek Foundation Certificate and ‘Coin’….

….‘Holten Heroes: Stories from a Canadian Field of Honour’ Added To PEI Library Catalogue….

.....Pieter now a volunteer under CWGC’s National Volunteer Program….

…Presentation At The Annual Remembrance Service At Crapaud Community Hall….

…Presentation At The Annual Remembrance Service At Borden-Carleton Legion….

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

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

… WWII Related Stories….

…. Stories About Servicemen From The Maritimes…

…. Stories About Servicemen From Outside The Maritimes…

…In Conversation And Features…

…. Interviews To Highlight Search For Photos and More….

.... Letters To The Editor For Photo Searches….

… Successful Search For Photos …..

… The Cold Case Files …..

….Case Closed!….

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

….Happy Holidays…

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….Why were 3 WWI Canadian Soldiers were buried side by side?…

….A trench map showed that Vincent Carr and 4 other soldiers were buried in Abraham Heights…

….Where EXACTLY had the men been buried?…

….We searched for the location that was on the map…

….We celebrated our success in Ypres…

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….The search for a photo of Joseph began…

….Joseph underwent basic training in Valcartier…

….Joseph left Canada for overseas service….

….Joseph was appointed Auxiliary Services Supervisor…

….Joseph waited for an assignment in Continental Europe…

….Joseph was posted to Belgium…

….Mystery of what happened on June 12, 1945…

….A body was found in a canal in Ghent…

….Joseph is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem…

….A surprise encounter in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten….

….Another Canadian Army Forestry Corps story….

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….The search for a photo of Azade was successful….

….Azade was born in Petit Rocher Nord…

….Azade enlisted shortly after his 19th birthday…

….Azade left Canada for overseas service….

….The Regiment arrived in France in July 1944….

….Azade accidentally drowned in Belgium…

….Azade’s body was found 5 months later…

**…. We visited the North Sea coastline near Ostend….**

***….Joseph* *left Canada for overseas service….***