John Langford WALKER

On The War Memorial Trail In North Bay….. The WW2 Soldier Who Lost His Life On The Day Hitler’s Death Was Announced

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July 13, 2022. Before we travelled to North Bay, Ontario in May for an Author Talk at the North Bay Public Library, Pieter and Don Coutts prepared a letter to the editor for the local newspapers to see if photos could be found for two North Bay soldiers buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands. 

The two soldiers were: John ‘Jack’ Langford WALKER and Albert Joseph COTE.  The letter ran in the North Bay Nugget on April 19, 2022….

Apr 19 2022 Letter to Editor North Bay Nugget

…Family of Jack Walker contributes a photo…

While waiting for the letter to be published, Pieter continued his research and found an obituary of Jack Walker’s brother, William Joseph Walker, which referred to several family members living in North Bay.  Don Coutts took it from there and was able to get in contact with Sue Love, who said that her brother had a photo.

Jack Walker 2

John ‘Jack’ Langford Walker. (Photo courtesy of the Walker Family)

John ‘Jack’ Langford Walker was born April 3, 1924 in North Bay, Ontario, the son of John Edmund and Angel (nee Gauthier) Walker. Before enlisting on January 6, 1943 in North Bay with the #2 District Depot, he worked for a local plumber, J. M. MacPherson. 

On January 28, 1943 he was transferred to #26 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre (CABTC) in Orillia, Ontario, where he stayed until March 31, 1943.  From Orillia he was sent to Borden, Ontario to the Canadian Armoured Corps Training Centre (CACTC) for advanced training in tanks.

On May 21, 1943 he was transferred to #1 Canadian Armoured Corps Training Regiment (CACTR) and then on August 13, 1943 he left Borden for #2 Transit Camp in Debert, Nova Scotia in preparation for going overseas.

On September 13, 1943, he left for England, arriving on September 19, 1943, where he was transferred to the Canadian Armoured Corps Reinforcement Unit (CACRU). At the end of November 1943 he was sent for a month long wireless course.

… Jack Walker is sent to northwest Europe…

On January 7, 1944 he was transferred to the 21st Canadian Armoured Regiment (The Governor General’s Foot Guards) and sent for further training, before leaving the United Kingdom for Normandy, France with the Regiment, arriving there on July 22, 1944.

In France, the Regiment was part of the 4th Armoured Brigade, 4th Canadian Armoured Division. The Regiment’s first battle was in Falaise in August, and it continued on to fight in northwest Europe, taking part in the Battle of Normandy, the Battle of the Scheldt, and then on to the Rhineland in Germany for the final phase of the war. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Governor_General%27s_Foot_Guards#The_Second_World_War)

…The Battle of Bad Zwischenahn took place in the last days of the war…

On April 20, 1945, the 4th Canadian Armoured Division was ordered to advance on Oldenburg, Germany.  Jack’s Regiment, along with the Canadian Grenadier Guards and the Lake Superior Regiment, were ordered north to the German spa town of Bad Zwischenahn. During the war, the largest Luftwaffe airbase in northern Germany was in Bad Zwischenahn.

This advance north of the Küsten Canal was difficult. Only a single road went across the Küsten swamps to Bad Zwischenahn, and in places the road disappeared. Tanks got bogged down and constant road maintenance was a priority to keep the road open.

badzwischenahncgg

Note the position of the Governor General’s Foot Guards at the bottom on the map.  (Map source: http://www.canadiansoldiers.com)

On April 30, 1945, Bad Zwischenahn was surrounded by Allied troops, and the burgomaster (mayor) was offered a choice of ‘unconditional surrender’ or ‘annihilation’. No formal surrender by the German military commander was made, but he did evacuate Bad Zwischenahn, and well into the night, heavy equipment was withdrawn by the Germans on the 4th Armoured Brigade front.  (See https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/badzwischenahn.htm)

…Booby traps in Bad Zwischenahn ended in death…

In ‘Steady the buttons two by two: Governor General’s Foot Guards regimental history, 125th anniversary, 1872-1997’, by Robert M. Foster and Tim Richter, it was noted that although the enemy garrison withdrew from Bad Zwischenahn and the town was taken without a fight, on May 1, 1945 “… booby traps in the vicinity killed Guardsmen V. P. Hanney and J. L. Walker, the Regiment’s last two battle casualties…”

Jack was 20 years old. Vivian Playster HANNEY, age 32, was the son of Jonathon and Mary Hanney, of Merthyr Tydfil, Glamorgan, Wales.  Like Jack, he is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands.

Ironically, this is the same day that Germany announced the death of Adolph Hitler, who had died on April 30, 1945.  This announcement led to the end of the war in Europe a few days later.  On May 5, 1945, in Bad Zwischenahn, Lt.-Gen. Guy Simonds received the unconditional surrender of those German forces facing the Corps in northern Germany. 

…Jack Walker is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten…

Jack was temporarily buried in Germany before being reburied on March 8, 1946 in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands.

Walker JL John B137425

Grave of John ‘Jack’ Langford Walker at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten.  (Photo source: Canadian Virtual War Memorial)

Thank you to Don Coutts and Sue Love for arranging for a photo of Jack Walker.  Thank you also to Shawn Rainville and Norma Wall for researching the newspaper archives, and to Vincent Lafond of the Military History Research Centre of the Canadian War Museum for help in researching what happened to the Regiment on May 1, 1945.  Kudos to the North Bay Nugget newspaper for its extensive coverage of WWII soldiers from the time period and for digitizing the newspapers.

Our North Bay adventures continue in upcoming postings. If you know of any soldiers from the North Bay area that are buried in The Netherlands please let Pieter know. You can mail him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or send a tweet to @researchmemori1.  

…Missed the previous postings about our North Bay Memorial Trail visit?…

…Want to follow our research?….

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

Front cover OnTheWarMememorialTrailinEuropeDaria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

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

© Daria Valkenburg

 

On The War Memorial Trail In North Bay….. The North Bay Cenotaph In Memorial Park

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CIMG5568 May 18 2022 Pieter and Don at North Bay Memorial

Pieter and Don Coutts by a section of the Wall of Honour in Memorial Park in North Bay, Ontario.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

June 8, 2022. Whenever we visit a place, the local Cenotaph or monuments are always on the ‘must see’ list. North Bay, Ontario has the largest municipal war memorial in Canada. The 2000 installation of the Honour Wall listed the names of 636 men and women from the area that lost their lives. 

Exif_JPEG_420

Cenotaph in Memorial Park in North Bay, Ontario. You can see the Wall of Honour in the background. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

…Soldiers buried in The Netherlands on the photo wish lists by Dutch researchers…

The names of 6 WWII soldiers from the North Bay area who are buried in The Netherlands were on photo wish lists from Dutch researchers, and four of these were on the Cenotaph:

  • Albert Joseph COTE
  • Cecil Edward GOODREAU
  • Anthony PETTA
  • John Langford ‘Jack’ WALKER

DSCN2391 A J Cote name is at the very bottom

Albert Joseph Cote, buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten. (Photo credit: Don Coutts)


CIMG5565 May 18 2022 North Bay Memorial Cecil Goudreau

Cecil Edward Goodreau, buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)


CIMG5564 May 18 2022 North Bay Memorial Anthony Petta

Anthony Petta, buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)


DSCN2395 J L Walker name

John Langford ‘Jack’ Walker, buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten. (Photo credit: Don Coutts)

All four of these soldiers will be featured in upcoming stories on this blog.  For a list of all known soldiers from the North Bay area who are buried in The Netherlands, see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/05/15/on-the-war-memorial-trail-author-talks-in-north-bay/

….End Polio Now Tulips….

DSCN2414 May 18 2022 Tulips at North Bay Memorial Don Coutts

‘End Polio Now’ Tulips by the Cenotaph in Memorial Park in North Bay, Ontario. (Photo credit: Don Coutts)

While at the Cenotaph, we were surprised to learn that the tulips gracing the monument were ‘End Polio Now’ tulips.  Pieter grows several varieties of tulips in our yard, but this is one we had never heard of, so we asked Don Coutts for more information.

“… In the Fall of 2020, I had seen an article in The Guardian of how the Rotary Clubs on Prince Edward Island and Atlantic Canada had raised funds for Rotary International’s project to eradicate Polio in the world by selling the End Polio Now Tulip Bulb Boxes.

Around 1985 Rotary International took on a project to eradicate Polio throughout the world. My wife Nora’s uncle, Tom Elliott, was quite involved with the Rotary International in getting the project started. Tom was a senior manager with the North Bay Public District Health Unit at the time. At the present time, there are only a handful of Polio cases in the world.

In 2020, proceeds of $43,192 were made by Rotary Clubs on PEI and in the Atlantic Provinces, plus sales of the bulbs that had been made to the public separately. With matching grants, including the Melinda and Bill Gates’ Foundation for the Polio Eradication Programme, the total amount of money raised was $154,715.00 US Dollars.

 In 2021, members of our Rotary District 7010 Rotary Clubs in Ontario bought 665 Tulip Bulb Boxes. The proceeds were $10,267.60 and with matching grants the amount became $30,802.00 Canadian Dollars.

The three (3) Rotary Clubs in North Bay bought 132 Tulip Bulb Boxes and donated many. Other Rotary Clubs in the District bought the Tulip Bulbs and donated them to various organizations as well. 

There is only one supplier of the Tulip Bulbs in the world—–they come from Holland (this was music to Pieter’s ears!) Veseys Seed Company was involved and is the sole Canadian Distributor.  There are twenty-five (25) Tulip Bulbs in each box. (For more information, see https://www.veseys.com/ca/end-polio-now-tulip-76289.html)

Once Polio has been eradicated, the supplier of the Tulip Bulbs in Holland will no longer produce them….”

I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the ‘End Polio Now’ Tulips will be on Pieter’s bulb purchase list for this fall! 

Thank you to Don Coutts for taking us to the Cenotaph.  More North Bay adventures are coming up in the next posting.

Missed the previous posting about North Bay?  See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/06/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-in-north-bay-adventures-in-north-bay/

If you know of any soldiers from the North Bay area that are buried in The Netherlands please let Pieter know. You can mail him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or send a tweet to @researchmemori1.  

…Want to follow our research?….

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

Front cover OnTheWarMememorialTrailinEuropeDaria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is now available.  For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

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

© Daria Valkenburg

Article In ‘De Telegraaf’ – Quest For Faces (Zoektocht naar gezichten)

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Sep 16 2017 Groesbeek Cemetery Pieter by grave of WA Cannon

Caption in De Telegraaf: Pieter Valkenburg: “No soldier who died abroad during war should be forgotten.” OWN PHOTO (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

May 4, 2022.  Sometimes the unexpected happens.  Last month, a search for family and photos of WW2 soldiers Albert Joseph COTE and John Langford WALKER, who are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands, began. 

On April 18, 2022, a letter to the editor written by Pieter and North Bay resident Donald Coutts was published in the North Bay Nugget. (See https://www.nugget.ca/news/researcher-seeks-information-on-fallen-city-soldiers)

Shortly afterwards, Pieter was contacted by Marcel Vink of De Telegraaf, a newspaper in The Netherlands.  He’d read the letter to the editor.  Would Pieter be willing to do an interview? Pieter agreed, and the article was published today, May 4, 2022 – which is Dodenherdenking (Remembrance Day) in The Netherlands. This day commemorates Dutch civilians and military who have died in war since the beginning of WWII. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Remembrance_of_the_Dead)

…De Telegraaf article published May 4, 2022…

For those who can read Dutch, please see PDF of the article (De Telegraaf article Zoektocht naar gezichten). An English translation is below:

Quest for faces

Pieter Valkenburg is fully committed to fallen Canadians

by Marcel Vink

PRINCE EDWARD ISLAND • It started as a helping hand, but grew into a true mission. Pieter Valkenburg has been passionately committed to giving fallen war heroes from Canada a face for years. The 78-year-old Dutchman, who lives in Canada, realizes how important it is emotionally for relatives to get clarity about their deceased loved ones, even 77 years after the Second World War. 

Valkenburg worked for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs for many years and was posted to various locations around the world, including in Ottawa.  

After his retirement, he decided to continue living in the North American country with his Canadian wife Daria, where he discovered that many families often no longer know in detail what happened to relatives that didn’t come back during the Second World War. About 7600 Canadians are buried in the Netherlands who fought for our freedom. 

“At the beginning of 2014 I read an article about the Canadian war cemetery in Holten, one of the military cemeteries in The Netherlands,” says Valkenburg. 

“There are 1,355 Canadians lying there, and not much was known about some of them at the time. Therefore, around that time, a project was started that strived to literally find the face for every name. I find that very important myself. No soldier who died abroad in war should be forgotten.”  (NOTE:  there are 1,394, not 1,355.) 

‘Reactions from next of kin are priceless’ 

Background

The native of Leerdam was captivated by the subject and delved into the matter. First in the background with only a few names, but then more and more.

Over the past five years, I have helped researchers at Canadian war cemeteries in the Netherlands in their quest to give each grave a face, and thus also a story. It is quite a puzzle, but the reactions of relatives when it succeeds are priceless. Those involved really appreciate it when they realize that they have never been forgotten. They gave their lives in the struggle for our freedom, in a country foreign to them. It’s much more meaningful when you stand by a grave to pay your respects if you know what the person looked like.” 

Investigative Work

While his search was initially limited to the fallen from Prince Edward Island – the western province where he lives – he now focuses on many more areas in Canada. Valkenburg uses the old-fashioned manual search, but also uses many digital sources.  (NOTE:  Prince Edward Island is on the east coast of Canada!) 

Relatives are often emotional about it, he noticed. After he found the family of Lieutenant Norman James Nixon – killed in the Battle of Delfzijl in April 1945, in which twenty Canadians of his regiment were killed, his son called this ‘a total surprise’. “I am immensely grateful,” said the man, who named his own son after his dead father, in tears. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/03/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-ww2-soldier-from-st-stephens/) 

The work of Pieter and his wife Daria is highly appreciated in the Netherlands as well as in Canada. He has already received several awards. Sometimes he finds new ‘assignments’ in a miraculous way. 

“Once we were at a hotel in New Brunswick Province, when a receptionist asked what we were doing. After I told about our searches, he indicated that his great-uncle had also died in the war, and that his grave should be in The Netherlands. Other than that he had no idea. I immediately got to work and found him at the cemetery in Groesbeek. I also found a photo on the Canadian Virtual War Memorial.” (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/08/02/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-ww2-soldier-killed-while-lining-up-to-attend-church/) 

In this way, this man also got his face back. “With these results, I say, Canadian-style: this makes my day. I’m 78 now, but as long as I can keep up with this, I will. Because there is still a lot of work to be done.” 

This very proud wife thanks Marcel Vink for writing the article about Pieter and De Telegraaf for publishing it on this day of remembrance and commemoration.

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

...Want to follow our research?….

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

Front cover OnTheWarMememorialTrailinEuropeDaria’s book ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten‘ is available in print and e-book formats.  For more information see https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

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

© Daria Valkenburg