George Edward MAHAR

On The War Memorial Trail….. The Children Who Died Along With WW2 Soldier George Edward Mahar

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August 6, 2021. After reading the posting about George Edward MAHAR and how he lost his life while the soldiers were lining up to go to church, Alice van Bekkum, Chair of Faces To Grave Project for the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, wrote with information about the two little girls who died in the same attack on November 26, 1944 as George Edward Mahar and Douglas Reginald SCHOFIELD.  (See https://bordencarletonresearchproject.wordpress.com/2021/08/02/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-ww2-soldier-killed-while-lining-up-to-attend-church/)

The two little girls were sisters, Christobel and Lisette Jurgens, children of Jan Jurgens and Joy Anderson.  At the time of their deaths, Christobel was 9 years old, and Lisette was 5 years old.

Alice explained that “…The parents from the two little girls that died in this tragic moment wrote a message on their memory card, which is touching! The father was Dutch and the mother was British, parents of four children, before this tragic event took their two youngest children. They honoured the Allied soldiers in the Memorial card for their children…”

The message, addressed to ‘Allied soldiers, Airbornes, and Workshop Boys’, was;

‘What good friends you were to us. How we loved you,
How you spoiled us, and how we enjoyed your kindness.
We regret we had to part from you so suddenly, be sure
That we shall not forget you. We pray God that He
will bless you, and reward you for your splendid effort.’

Alice was kind enough to send the memory card for Christobel and Lisette Jurgens:

Alice also identified the names of the two soldiers who subsequently died of their injuries following the attack:  Lyle L. BOICE and Francis K. BLACK.

Thank you to Alice van Bekkum for sharing the memory tribute to the Jurgens sisters.  It’s a reminder of the many civilian casualties in war.  If you have photos or information to share on the November 26, 1944 incident please email Pieter at dariadv@yahoo.ca, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1. 

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following the blog, you are welcome to do so.  See https://bordencarletonresearchproject.wordpress.com or email me at dariadv@yahoo.ca and ask for an invitation to the blog. 

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© Daria Valkenburg

On The War Memorial Trail….. The WW2 Soldier Killed While Lining Up To Attend Church

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20210715_094818 Jul 15 2021 Ken Barkhouse grand nephew of George Edward Mahar

Pieter with Ken Barkhouse (left), grand-nephew of George Edward Mahar.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

August 2, 2021. During a recent stay in Fredericton, New Brunswick, we met Ken Barkhouse, and talked about his grandfather’s brother, George Edward MAHAR, who lost his life during WW2. 

George Edward Mahar Cdn Virtual War Memorial

George Edward Mahar (Photo courtesy of Canadian Virtual War Memorial)

Born in St George, New Brunswick on June 2, 1914, George was the son of Wellington Dorcas Ellen Mahar of Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick. At the time of his enlistment with the 8th Anti-Aircraft Battery in St John, New Brunswick on September 20, 1939, he was married to Freda Augusta and employed as a tin decorator with Connors Brothers, a canning plant in Black’s Harbour.  He and Freda had a daughter, Donna Blanche, born in 1939.  A son, Edward, was born in 1942.

After receiving training as a Gunner, he transferred to the 50th Heavy Anti-Aircraft Battery in Aldershot, Nova Scotia on August 15, 1942, and appointed to the rank of Bombardier.

On February 10, 1944 his request to revert to the rank of Gunner so he could ‘join a reinforcement stream’ was accepted.  He was re-allocated to an Infantry unit with the rank of Private. 

On July 13, 1944 he arrived in the United Kingdom and assigned to the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders Regiment on August 16. The next day he was with the Regiment in northwest Europe, serving in Belgium and The Netherlands.

Screenshot 2021-08-02 at 11-40-25 Project '44

Map shows the area around Beek, where the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders Regiment was on November 26, 1944.  (Map source: https://map.project44.ca/)

On November 22, 1944, the Regiment was in the area of Beek, The Netherlands for a seven day period of training, kit inspections, bath parades, and pay parades. 

November 26, 1944 was a Sunday.  The Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders war diary for that day notes that the “…sun shows signs of being out for awhile today. Mild…” Three church services had been organized that morning.

At 9:50 am, as the “…troops were falling in for first Church Parade, disaster struck. Conflicting reports as to exact missile were received but it is thought either a rocket or bomb struck. It demolished a house across road and broke all windows in Battalion building….”

The war diary notes that “…Anti-Aircraft was active some ten minutes ago so it’s quite likely a plane was responsible for this. One observer reports having seen 4 Foch Wolfs, one of which dropped a parachute, prior to the explosion. Exact casualties not yet known but two little girls were killed. The Battalion casualties are 2 killed and 13 wounded….”

George Edward Mahar was one of the two casualties killed that day.  The other was Douglas Reginald SCHOFIELD of Guelph, Ontario.  Two more men subsequently died. 

George is buried at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. 

Grave of George Edward Mahar

Grave of George Edward Mahar at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.  (Photo source: http://www.findagrave.com)

Thank you to Ken Barkhouse for telling us about his grand-uncle.  Do you have photos or information to share on George Edward Mahar or about the November 26, 1944 incident?  If so, please email Pieter at dariadv@yahoo.ca, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1. 

If you are reading this posting, but aren’t following the blog, you are welcome to do so.  See https://bordencarletonresearchproject.wordpress.com or email me at dariadv@yahoo.ca and ask for an invitation to the blog. 

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

© Daria Valkenburg