North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment

On The War Memorial Trail….. The WW1 Soldier Who Attended Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee

/ On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 1 Comment

March 17, 2022. Last year, we met with Lindsay and Norma Seaman about Lindsay’s uncle, William ‘Alfred’ SEAMAN, a WW2 Chaplain who lost life in France in 1944 during the Battle of Caen. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/06/20/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-ww2-chaplain-who-lost-his-life-in-france-on-his-wedding-anniversary/)

During our visit, Lindsay mentioned that his grandfather William ‘James’ SEAMAN, the father of Chaplain Seaman, served in WW1, and later became the postmaster in Breadalbane, Prince Edward Island.

20210616_162451 Jun 16 2021 Pieter and Seamans with photo of JAMES Seamn

Pieter (standing) with Norma and Lindsay Seaman, and a photo of Lindsay’s grandfather, William ‘James’ Seaman.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

According to his military attestation record, William ‘James’ SEAMAN was born in Wheatley River, Prince Edward Island on August 18, 1874, the son of Thomas and Sophia (nee Andrews) Seaman.

…James participated in Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in 1897!…

In 1893 he joined the 82nd Militia Regiment.  We were intrigued to learn that four years later he was one of four chosen to represent the Regiment at Queen Victoria’s Diamond Jubilee in June 1897. (See https://www.thediamondjubilee.org/queen-victorias-diamond-jubilee and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Diamond_Jubilee_of_Queen_Victoria)

According to family records, James received a decoration from the Princess of Wales, the future Queen Alexandra and wife of the future King Edward VII, at Buckingham Palace.

20210616_160616 JAMES Seaman

William ‘James’ Seaman. (Photo courtesy of The Seaman Family)

On February 6, 1901, James married Sophia Brown and they farmed in Springfield, while raising four children: Lorne, Irene, Alfred (the WW2 Chaplain who died in France), and Cedric (Lindsay’s father).

James enlisted in Charlottetown on March 13, 1916 with the 105th Overseas Battalion. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/105th_Battalion_(Prince_Edward_Island_Highlanders),_CEF)

…Previous stories of Islanders who were aboard the ‘Empress of Britain’ with James Seaman….

In July 1916 he went overseas aboard the SS Empress of Britain. Several Islanders, whose stories have previously been told, were on that same ship.  Among them were:

The ship docked in Liverpool, England on July 25, 1916.

…James had a transport role in England…

Given that he was over 40 years old at the time of enlistment, he was not sent into battle, but was appointed Acting Transport Sergeant with the Regiment in Lower Dibgate, England on August 20, 1916.  Lower Dibgate was about 1.6 km (1 mile) west of the Shorncliffe camp outside of Folkestone and located by the English Channel.

As Transport Sergeant, James had a vital logistical role in ensuring that artillery, food and medical supplies, etc went across the English Channel to the front lines in France and Belgium.

Folkestone.8

From the area around Folkestone, where Lower Dibgate was located, transport across the English Channel was the closest to key locations in France and Belgium.  (Map source: https://www.weather-forecast.com/locationmaps/Folkestone.8.gif)

…James deemed ‘too old’ for trench warfare…

On January 20, 1917 he was transferred to the 13th Reserve Battalion in Witley Camp in Surrey.   On September 18, 1917, proceedings from the medical board indicated that he was not fit for trench warfare, given his age of 44.

A few days later, on September 22, 1917 he was transferred to the New Brunswick Regiment and based in Shoreham while awaiting transport back to Canada.  On November 6, 1917 he left from Liverpool and arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia on November 17, 1917.  On December 5, 1917 he was officially discharged due to being ‘overage’.

…James returned to civilian life…

He returned to his family and the farm.  Later, he was appointed Postmaster in Breadalbane on November 2, 1926, and served until November 3, 1932. (See https://www.bac-lac.gc.ca/eng/discover/postal-heritage-philately/post-offices-postmasters/Pages/item.aspx?IdNumber=6422&)

20210616_160947 Jun 21 2021 James Seaman and wife

James and Sophia Seaman on their 50th anniversary. (Photo courtesy of The Seaman Family)

James died May 8, 1960 and is buried in the Breadalbane People’s Cemetery.

Thank you to to Lindsay and Norma Seaman for sharing photos and information on William ‘James’ Seaman. 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 OnTheWarMememorialTrailinEurope

goodreads-badge-add-plus-71eae69ca0307d077df66a58ec068898Daria’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

On The War Memorial Trail….. The Search For A Photo Of John ‘Clifford’ Rogers Is Successful

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

August 24, 2021. A few months ago, a posting summarized an ongoing search for a photo of WW2 soldier John ‘Clifford’ ROGERS of Hope River, PEI, who is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands.  (See https://bordencarletonresearchproject.wordpress.com/2021/01/18/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-continued-search-for-a-photo-of-john-clifford-rogers/)

Nothing happened for several months, but then Pieter received an email from Janet ‘Jan’ O’Reilly, who wrote that “…Clifford was my uncle, Gladys is my mom, and is still alive….”  Gladys is the sister of John ‘Clifford’ Rogers.

DSC_0547 john clifford rogers

John ‘Clifford’ Rogers. (Photo courtesy of Gladys O’Reilly)

Jan went on to explain that “…We live in Ontario – my mom left the island in the late 1950s, I believe. Her Mom and Dad remained on the island, but her Dad died in the 1960s and my grandma later came to live with us here in Ontario. She died here in 1980 and Mom brought her home to be buried on the island. We all travelled to PEI that Christmas…” This explained why Pieter’s search on the Island was unsuccessful.

DSC_0242 janet o reilly and mother

Jan and Glady O’Reilly.  (Photo courtesy of Janet O’Reilly)

Clifford was born August 19, 1925 in Hope River, Prince Edward Island, the son of Andrew Rogers and Phoebe Gallant. The family later moved to Charlottetown.

On March 12, 1943, he enlisted in Charlottetown, and it was noted that he had served in the PEI Light Horse Regiment (17th Reserve Armoured Regiment) since 1942. At the beginning of April 1943 he was transferred to the Advanced Infantry Training Camp in Aldershot, Nova Scotia.

On October 30, 1943 he was transferred to the Advanced Driving and Maintenance School in Woodstock, Ontario, a facility where soldiers learned to drive and repair military vehicles, motorcycles, and trucks.

….4 Islanders trained together at Coldstream Ranch….

After receiving his qualification, he was transferred to the Canadian School of Infantry, located at Coldstream Ranch in Vernon, British Columbia, arriving on January 27, 1944.  Over 11,000 acres, the training area on the ranch included a log village for village fighting, an obstacle course, a bayonet assault course, a trench blasted from solid rock on the side of hill that gave trainees experience from being fired on from overhead, an ‘English’ type lane with hedges and gates, and a dam for river crossing drills.

When Pieter spoke with Gladys, she told him that 3 other Islanders were at the Coldstream Ranch at the same time as Clifford: 

Later, Jan reflected that “…Mom remembered him getting along with Pte Blanchard who was also from PEI. There were just four of them and I imagine that created a bond….”

In September 1944 Clifford was sent to the transit camp at Camp Debert in Nova Scotia, in preparation for going overseas.  He arrived in the United Kingdom on November 28, 1944.  On January 8, 1945 he was in Northwest Europe as part of the contingent of reinforcement troops.

On January 26, 1945 he was transferred to the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment.  Not long after, the Regiment travelled just over the Dutch border into Germany for Operation Blockbuster, the last part of Operation Veritable, during the Battle of the Rhineland. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Blockbuster)

….Action in Balberger Wald was fatal for Clifford….

Clifford survived the Battle of Keppeln, in which fellow Islander Barney McGuigan lost his life, but his luck ran out a few days later in the Balberger Wald, a forested ridge southeast of Keppeln.  This area protected the approach to the Rhine with concrete fortifications.

Map

The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment moved into the area on March 1 to support other Regiments in an attempt to clear part of the forest on the eastern side, not easy in a thick forest where German snipers could easily hide. In addition to shells and grenades, many open areas were mined.  With such dense forest cover, it wasn’t difficult to get separated from the platoon.  By the time the area was cleared several days later, 6 members of the North Shore Regiment had lost their lives, including Clifford, who died on March 3, 1945.

The other 5 members of the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment who lost their lives in the Balberger Wald were:

  • Patrick Marshall BUCKLEY, of St. John, New Brunswick, died March 2, 1945.
  • Claude Wilber DERRICK, of Canterbury, New Brunswick, died March 2, 1945.
  • Royden Blake FOURNIER, of Perth, Ontario, died March 2, 1945.
  • Wilfred MELANSON, of Bathurst, New Brunswick, died March 2, 1945.
  • Harold Freeman STEVENS, died March 1, 1945.

Clifford was initially buried in a cemetery in present day Bedburg-Hau and later reburied at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. 

CIMG3331 Oct 5 2019 Groesbeek John Rogers

In 2019, we visited the grave of John Clifford Rogers at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Jan was correct in saying that “…Their family sacrificed so much…” Clifford and his brother Ferdinand (Ferdy) lost their lives in WW2 while a third brother, Walter, had a career in the military.

Gladys O’Reilly “…is the last of their immediate family….”  Walter “…left as a young man as well.  He served in Korea and later lived overseas with his family during his military service for a time in Germany. He eventually settled in Kingston and died there 10 years ago at the age of 82….”

We thank Jan and Gladys O’Reilly for sharing family photos and information about John ‘Clifford’ Rogers.  If you have information to share about Canadian soldiers buried in The Netherlands, memories to share about John ‘Clifford’ Rogers, or the other soldiers mentioned, please email us at dariadv@yahoo.ca, 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://bordencarletonresearchproject.wordpress.com or email me at dariadv@yahoo.ca and ask for an invitation to the blog. 

Screenshot_2021-02-27 On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg

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….. Atlantic Canada Remembers – Part 9

/ On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 6 Comments

April 15, 2021. More of the photos submitted by Atlantic Canadians of soldiers buried overseas are featured in Part 9. Pieter is ensuring that every email is acknowledged, and that the photos of soldiers buried in The Netherlands are forwarded to the appropriate cemetery for their digital archives.

Soldiers buried at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands

Alexis Daigle (Photo submitted by Gilberte Manuel)

After being contacted by Marc Comeau, President of Royal Canadian Legion Branch 45 in Tracadie, New Brunswick, Gilberte Manuel submitted a photo of Alexis D.  DAIGLE on behalf of “…Alfrida Richard, the niece of Alexis Daigle of Pointe-Sapin….”

Born March 2, 1920 in Lower Spain, New Brunswick, the son of Dominique Daigle and Exelda Mazerolle, Alexis was a fisherman before enlisting in Fredericton on August 28, 1941.  After completing basic training, he was attached to the Canadian Army (Basic) Training Centre in Montmagny, Quebec on a Home War Established (HWE) basis as an engineer’s helper.

His service file noted that he was a “…jack of all trades…” and could speak both French and English.  He was described as a “…quiet and non-talkative single young man of above average intelligence...”

In January 1945 he arrived in the United Kingdom and assigned to the Canadian Infantry Training Regiment (CITR).  A month later, on February 24, 1945, he was sent to continental Europe, and on March 1, 1945 transferred to Le Régiment de la Chaudière.

On April 6, 1945, while serving with Le Régiment de la Chaudière in The Netherlands, Alexis was killed in action (‘mort au champ d’honneur‘) near Zutphen, during the Battle of Zutphen.  (For more information on this battle, see https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/zutphen.htm)

According to the Regiment’s war diary for April 1945, the Battalion had “…proceeded on foot to a concentrated area just past Almen, approximately 3 miles short of Zutphen…..”  where they rested until the start of an operation which began “…on the night 5-6 April…”

The attack started at 4:30 am. “… Only slight opposition was encountered up to the outskirts of the town of Zutphen. The objective was C and D companies to seize the ground in between the main highway leading to town and the first row of houses….”

Alexis was in D Company and it’s likely that he lost his life in what happened next.  “…. Between the starting line and the objective there was a canal on which both leading companies were stopped for almost two hours.  First opposition was then encountered from well-sited snipers, machine gun nests, and bazookas...”

Alexis was one of 4 soldiers in the Regiment killed in that operation.  The others were:

  • V. PARE (D Company)
  • S. BOUCHARD (D Company)
  • E. PARADIS (C Company)

Alexis was temporarily buried in Almen, and later reburied in in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten.

(Photo submitted by the Grand Falls branch of the Royal Canadian Legion)

Patrick Côté of the Royal Canadian Legion, Branch 21 in Grand Falls, New Brunswick, submitted a photo of Mathieu MICHAUD. Born November 11, 1921 in Drummond, New Brunswick, he was the son of Achille Michaud and Fébronie Laforest.

Patrick provided a translated excerpt from a book, ‘Military Heritage – The Greater Grand Falls Region’, by Jean-Guy Plourde, which explained that “….wanting to emulate his older brother Laurent, he enrolled in the army on December 3, 1942, and received training in Fredericton. From March 10 to July 24, 1943, he was in Valcartier, Quebec before becoming a gunner. The authorities assigned him to Goose Bay, Labrador from August 1, 1943 to June 30, 1944. From November 30, 1944, he made a two week stay in Sorel, Quebec before embarking for the great adventure. On January 10, 1945, he made the crossing to the United Kingdom where he was stationed until March 1, 1945….”

In the UK he was assigned to the Canadian Infantry Training Regiment (CITR).  On March 2, 1945 he left for Northwest Europe, and then transferred to Le Régiment De La Chaudière on March 21, 1945.

He was killed in action (‘mort au champ d’honneur‘) in The Netherlands while part of the Regiment’s Company C and died on April 8, 1945.  According to the Regiment’s war diary, the Battle of Zutphen had ended on April 7 but continued to encounter sniper fire.  Mathieu was one of two soldiers from Company C that died that day.  The other soldier was H. A. MARCHAND.

Like Alexis Daigle, Mathieu was temporarily buried in Almen, before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten.

Soldiers buried at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands

Elbridge Wellington Miller. (Photo courtesy of Elbridge Wellington Miller Family)

Wilmot Tompkins submitted a photo, explaining that “…This is Elbridge Wellington Miller, my great-uncle, buried in Groesbeek. My wife found your interview and your blog while searching for the place my great-uncle lost his life…” Wilmot had seen a list of 28 men listed as having lost their lives in Keppeln, in a posting about a video plea for a photo of Frank McGovern.  (See https://bordencarletonresearchproject.wordpress.com/2020/12/09/the-search-for-a-photo-of-frank-edward-mcgovern-moves-to-youtube/)

Elbridge Wellington MILLER was born in Deerville, New Brunswick, the son of David W and Elizabeth Miller, and was a labourer before enlisting on December 3, 1942 in Fredericton.  By April 4, 1943 he was in the United Kingdom. On August 19, 1943 he was transferred to the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment.

Serving with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, he landed in France on D-Day (June 6, 1944) and was wounded by shrapnel in the left thigh and right ankle during the Battle of the Scheldt on October 13, 1944, resulting in a recovery period in England before rejoining his unit a month later.

He lost his life on February 26, 1945 in Germany during the Battle of Keppeln, during Operation Blockbuster, the last part of Operation Veritable. (For more information, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Blockbuster and https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Veritable)

Eldridge was one of 28 men killed in action that day, as was explained in the posting about Frank McGovern. Another of these soldiers was Barney McGuigan.  (For his story, please see https://bordencarletonresearchproject.wordpress.com/2020/08/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-search-for-barney-reuben-mcguigan/)

Like Frank McGovern and Barney McGuigan, Eldridge was temporarily buried in the Bedburg Military Cemetery, and then later reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.

Alphonse Robert.  (Photo courtesy of the Robert Family)

Armel ‘Mel’ Lanteigne, President of the Caraquet branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, submitted a photo of Alphonse ROBERT on behalf of the Robert family.  Alphonse came from a family of “…9 children…” Mel wrote, “…one died at an early age.  His father Amédée was a veteran of WW1 and after returning to Caraquet, his job was lighthouse keeper on Caraquet’s island, where he lived with his family….”

Born October 23, 1923 in Caraquet, Alphonse was the son of Amédée and Alma Robert, and was a fisherman before enlisting on August 23, 1943.

In January 1945 he was in the United Kingdom, assigned to the Canadian Infantry Training Regiment (CITR).  On March 28, 1945 he was transferred to North West Europe and was serving with Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal when he lost his life on March 30, 1945 in Germany.

Alphonse was temporarily buried in Germany, and later reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.  NOTE:  For an update to this story, please see: https://bordencarletonresearchproject.wordpress.com/2021/10/12/on-the-war-memorial-trail-an-update-on-the-story-of-ww2-soldier-alphonse-robert/

Thank you to Marc Comeau, Patrick Côté, Armel ‘Mel’ Lanteigne, Gilberte Manuel, Alfrida Richard, and Wilmot Tompkins for sharing photos and anecdotes.  Atlantic Canadians remember their loved ones who are buried overseas.

More photos and stories in Atlantic Canada Remembers – Part 10! To share photos or information, please email Pieter at dariadv@yahoo.ca, 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://bordencarletonresearchproject.wordpress.com or email me at dariadv@yahoo.ca and ask for an invitation to the blog.

Missed the previous postings in this series? See:

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….. Atlantic Canada Remembers – Part 7

/ On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 7 Comments

February 22, 2021. We continue to feature more of the photos submitted by Atlantic Canadians of soldiers buried overseas. Pieter is ensuring that every email is acknowledged, and that the photos of soldiers buried in The Netherlands will be forwarded to the appropriate cemetery for their digital archives.  Thank you to the various members of Royal Canadian Legions in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick for their help.

The volunteers at all three Canadian War Cemeteries in Holten, Groesbeek, and Bergen Op Zoom are now active, and Pieter has received wish lists for photos from all three cemeteries.  Submissions for soldiers buried in municipal cemeteries are being held until Pieter gets the go-ahead that those volunteers are active again.

Soldiers buried at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands

Ken Dennis of Yarmouth let us know about the Wartime Heritage Association website, which features some of the soldiers from the area who served in WW2.  One of the profiles, written by Flip Jonkman, was of a soldier on the photo wish list of the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten…. Brenton Leroy RINGER. (See http://wartimeheritage.com/whaww2ns2/wwii_ringer_brenton_leroy.htm)

Born on March 22, 1925 in Northfield, Nova Scotia, the son of Ralph and Alberta Ringer of Clementsport, he was an electrician’s helper when he enlisted, at age 18, with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders in Halifax on January 17, 1944.  He later transferred to the 10th Armoured Regiment on March 27, 1945, and lost his life on April 12, 1945 during the liberation of Heino, The Netherlands, when the Sherman tank he was in was hit on the road to Zwolle. 

There were 5 men in the tank, with one survivor.  The survivor knocked on the door of a nearby farmhouse to ask for help, the home of Flip Jonkman’s parents.  Flip was not born at the time, but always remembered the story, and in 2020, was instrumental in getting a memorial stone placed near the site of the attack.  (See the article in Dutch for more information: https://www.destentor.nl/raalte/vurige-wens-in-vervulling-voor-flip-jonkman-73-uit-heino-nu-gedenksteen-is-geplaatst~a694b86d/?referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fduckduckgo.com%2F)

Another of the names on the photo wish list for the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten was found on the Wartime Heritage Association website…. that of Louis Graham RICHARD. (See http://wartimeheritage.com/whaww2ns/wwii_richard_louis_graham.htm)

Born February 13, 1918, the son of Raphael Daniel and Mary Ann Richard of Londonderry, Nova Scotia, Louis was a store clerk before enlisting with the No 2 Canadian Armed Corps in Halifax on February 17, 1943 as a trooper.  On October 14, 1944 he was sent to the United Kingdom, and then on March 31, 1945 to Western Europe with the 9th Armoured Regiment (BC Dragoons).  

Louis was killed in action in The Netherlands during the Battle of Delfzijl Pocket on April 26, 1945, at the age of 27, and was temporarily buried in Wirdum in the province of Groningen, The Netherlands before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten. (For more information on this battle, see https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/delfzijlpocket.htm)

Soldiers buried at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands

Percy Clayton Cromwell photo only

Percy Clayton Cromwell.  (Photo submitted by Ken Dennis)

Ken Dennis submitted a photo of Percy Clayton CROMWELL, explaining that “…I am a member of the Yarmouth Branch 61 Legion…” After receiving a wish list of photos from Pieter, he noticed one name from Yarmouth, Nova Scotia.  “…Having been shown this email, I decided to trace his local roots…”

“…He was a labourer, then for CP out of the Halifax area and upon enlisting moved his family to Yarmouth where they grew up….” CP refers to the Canadian Pacific Railway.

Percy was born in Yarmouth on February 12, 1914, the son of James Alfred and Annie May Cromwell.  He enlisted with the West Nova Scotia Regiment in Aldershot, Nova Scotia on May 14, 1940.

Percy was with the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers when he drowned in The Netherlands on February 8, 1945.  He’d been on guard duty along a canal in the Dutch province of Brabant on a very dark, windy, and rainy night, and it would have been very easy to lose his bearings and accidentally fall into the canal.  His body was not found until March 12, 1945.  He left behind a wife, Lillian Beryl, and four children. 

Frank Lewis Libby photo only

Francis Lewis Libby. (Photo from the New Brunswick Military Recognition Booklet)

Kent Caldwell, a member of the Royal Canadian Legion in New Brunswick, sent an entry on Francis ‘Frank’ Lewis LIBBY from one of the annual issues of the New Brunswick Military Recognition Booklet, explaining that the photo was a copy from a newspaper clipping.  The entry stated that “…Francis served with the Calgary Highlanders in England and Northwest Europe.  He was killed in The Netherlands in 1945…” 

Francis was born February 21, 1918 in Milltown, New Brunswick, the son of Clifford and Mary Christine Libby.  Before enlisting on July 25, 1941, he worked at the Canadian Cottons Plant in Milltown.  On October 4, 1941, he married Dorothy Louise Caswell.  He and Dorothy had a son Francis Brian in 1944 while he was overseas in Europe, and where he transferred to the Calgary Highlanders in September 1944. Francis lost his life on January 5, 1945 after being killed along the Dutch-German border. He was temporarily buried in Nijmegen, before his reburial, on July 30, 1945, in Groesbeek.

Hiram Albion Lord photo only

Hiram Albion Lord. (Photo from the New Brunswick Military Recognition Booklet)

Kent Caldwell, a member of the Royal Canadian Legion in New Brunswick, also sent an entry on Hiram Albion LORD from one of the annual issues of the New Brunswick Military Recognition Booklet, explaining that the photo was a copy from a newspaper clipping.  The entry stated that “…Hiram served with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment during the Second World War and was killed in action in 1945…” 

Born November 7, 1924 in Lords Cove, Deer Island, New Brunswick, the son of Minnie Smith, Hiram was a fisherman before enlisting on November 4, 1943 and served in Canada until his arrival in the United Kingdom on July 21, 1944.   On August 17, 1944 he went with his unit to Western Europe and lost his life on January 8, 1945 near Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Stanley Spray

Stanley Spray. (Photo submitted by Royal Canadian Legion Branch #20 in Digby)

Donna Flaherty, President of Royal Canadian Legion Branch #20 in Digby, Nova Scotia, submitted a photo of Stanley SPRAY, writing “…This picture hangs on our Memorial Wall….”

Born April 24, 1913 in Nottinghamshire, England, the son of Edgar and Edith Spray, Stanley immigrated to Canada, and settled in Digby, Nova Scotia, where he ran a small farm and worked for J. J. Wallis as a printer before his enlistment on July 6, 1940 with the 52nd Anti-Tank Battery.  He was married to Alda May and the father of two daughters, Jean Carolyn and Joan Carol. 

He received several promotions, and was a battery quartermaster sergeant with the Royal Canadian Artillery when WW2 ended.  Stanley lost his life in a tragic vehicle accident near Nijmegen, The Netherlands on July 23, 1945, when he was catapulted out of the back of an army truck that collided with an oncoming military vehicle.

Thank you to Kent Caldwell, Ken Dennis, and Donna Flaherty for sharing photos and anecdotes.  Atlantic Canadians remember their loved ones who are buried overseas. If you have a higher resolution photo of Percy Clayton Cromwell, Frank Lewis Libby, or Hiram Albion Lord, please send it in to us.

More photos and stories in Atlantic Canada Remembers – Part 8! To share photos or information, 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. 

Missed the previous postings in this series? See:

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….. Atlantic Canada Remembers – Part 4

/ On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 7 Comments

January 20, 2021. Responses to the news clips on CTV’s Atlantic Live At 5 on January 4 and 13 continue to come in.  As mentioned in Parts 1, 2, and 3, Pieter is ensuring that every email is acknowledged, and that the photos of soldiers buried in The Netherlands are forwarded to the appropriate cemetery for their digital archives. 

This posting features more of the photos submitted…..      

Soldiers buried at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands

Nelson DesRoches Army

Nelson Desroches. (Photo courtesy of The Desroches Family)

Leo Gaudet submitted a photo of Nelson DESROCHES, on behalf of the Desroches family, and wrote that “…We have a vet buried at Holten from Tignish, whom my wife and I visited in 2014…”

Born May 23, 1915 in Tignish, Prince Edward Island, the son of John Desroches and Elizabeth Doucette, Nelson followed his older brother Merrick into military service.  He was serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry when he was killed in action on April 14, 1945.

Ernest Robert Haynes

Ernest Robert Haynes.  (Photo courtesy of the Haynes Family)

On behalf of the Haynes family, Teri Haynes submitted a photo of her father-in-law, Ernest Robert HAYNES, and explained that “…my Ernie visited the grave many years ago when he was in his teens with his Mother…”

Ernest Robert, born March 17, 1919 in St. John, New Brunswick, was the son of James Edward and Alice Beatrice Haynes.  A dyer in a laundromat before enlisting in 1939, he was married to Opal Bailey and the father of Teri’s late husband, Ernest David.

While serving with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, he was sent overseas to the United Kingdom in July 1944, and on June 1, 1945 to North West Europe. Unfortunately, due to a fatal accident with a passing Canadian Army truck near Soestdijk, he lost his life on July 5, 1945, age 26.  He was temporarily buried in the town of Hilversum before being reburied on March 29, 1946 in Holten.

Daniel Pearo

Daniel Pearo.  (Photo courtesy of the Pearo Family)

On behalf of the Pearo family, Colleen Hartling submitted a photo of her uncle, Daniel PEARO, and wrote that “…Daniel was my mother’s brother. She looked up to him as a child and loved him dearly. She said that he was full of fun and you can see the twinkle in his kind eyes. I was born in the 60s so I did not know Daniel…”

Daniel Pearo, son of Samuel and Dasie Pearo, served with the Cape Breton Highlanders and lost his life on May 1, 1945.  (A tribute to him can be found here: http://faculty.uccb.ca/highlanders/DANIEL%20PEARO.htm?fbclid=IwAR1ijEE5uz9tppYwN4dPcHA24DAGhDSAtVfQJUtRAEa21ZIY-zqRZwiUG9I)

Soldiers buried at the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands

Gordon Brewer 2

Gordon Thomas Brewer.  (Photo submitted by Stephen and Hazel Albert)

Stephen Albert submitted a photo of Gordon Thomas BREWER on behalf of himself and his mother Hazel, explaining that his uncle “… was 17 when he enlisted to serve his country.  Killed in action on his 21st birthday on October 25, 1944.  School children at that time adopted a grave. Willamina Proost, a young girl, adopted Gordon’s grave, corresponded with his parents for many years until she married, then stopped writing, so lost contact with her. Gordon’s medals and all letters to his parents were burned in a house fire several years ago, only few photos taken before going overseas still remain. Thank you for taking time to honour the men and women who gave their lives to protect others…”

Hazel Albert, Gordon’s sister, wrote that she was the “…last remaining member of Gordon’s family….”  Gordon was born in Halifax on October 25, 1923, the son of Alonzo Wallace and Mary Ellen (nee Dean) Brewer.  

Gordon served with the Essex Scottish Regiment and lost his life during the Battle of the Scheldt.  (See https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war/scheldt)

Soldiers buried at the Montecchio War Cemetery in Italy

Felix Gaudet

Felix Gaudet.  (Photo submitted by Leo Gaudet)

Leo Gaudet submitted a photo of his uncle, Felix GAUDET, born May 30, 1923, son of Joseph J. and Mary Gaudet of Tignish, Prince Edward Island. After enlistment, he left Halifax for the United Kingdom in July 1943 and was transferred to the Canadian Infantry Reserve Unit a few days after his arrival.  On March 26, 1944 he was sent to Italy, and on May 13 transferred to the Cape Breton Highlanders.

On August 30, 1944 he lost his life during the battle to take a knoll on the Gothic Defence Line.  Another soldier from PEI, Albert Eugene Arsenault, also with the Cape Breton Highlanders, lost his life the same day.  (See https://bordencarletonresearchproject.wordpress.com/2020/10/09/the-ww2-soldier-killed-in-action-while-crossing-the-foglia-river-in-italy/)

“The Allies began the day of August 30th with an air bombardment against German positions at dawn. At 5.30 p.m., the Perth Regiment attacked the end of a ridge northeast of Montecchio, while a knoll at the west end of the town and the high ground beyond were the objectives of the Cape Breton Highlanders. Both units faced incessant fire from the heights as well as minefields along the flat lands. The Perths managed to break through the line first, reaching and passing their objective. The Cape Breton troops had the support of tanks from the 8th Princess Louise’s (New Brunswick) Hussars, which helped three of their companies make it to the base of the knoll. After each attempt, however, they were driven back to the Foglia, with casualties totalling 19 members killed and 46 wounded. The Irish Regiment, which had been in reserve, was moved through the path of the Perths. Tanks and artillery guns were not yet available here and as a result the regiment lost 19 killed and 31 wounded.” (Source: https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/overseas/second-world-war/italy/montecchio)

The Gaudet family made a tribute to Felix last year, on what would have been his 97th birthday.  It was so special that it’s shared here:

Felix Gaudet tribute by Aunt Cathy

Tribute to Felix Gaudet submitted by Leo Gaudet.

Thank you to Hazel Albert, Stephen Albert, Kent Caldwell, Colleen Hartling, Teri Haynes, and Leo Gaudet for sharing photos and anecdotes.  Kudos to CTV’s Atlantic Live At 5 for helping to get the word out on this quest of remembrance. Atlantic Canadians remember their loved ones who are buried overseas.

More photos and stories in Atlantic Canada Remembers – Part 5! If you have photos or information to share, please email Pieter at dariadv@yahoo.ca, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1. 

Missed the previous postings in this series? See:

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

The Search For A Photo Of Frank Edward McGovern Moves To YouTube

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December 9, 2020.  In telling the stories of individual soldiers, sometimes it turns out that the connections between them leads to a bigger story.  In 2017, when we were in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands, we laid flags down at the graves of soldiers who had been identified by Dutch researchers as coming from Prince Edward Island.

We also laid flags down at the grave of Lance Corporal Frank Edward MCGOVERN, of Chipman, New Brunswick, at the request of our friend and neighbour Brenda Graves.  McGovern was her uncle.

CIMG3334 Oct 5 2019 Groesbeek Frank McGovern

Grave of Frank Edward McGovern in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

McGovern was born April 26, 1925, the son of Hugh and Wilma McGovern.  Brenda’s mother Pearl was Frank’s sister.  He enlisted with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, and was killed during the Battle of Keppeln on February 26, 1945.  Keppeln is in Germany, just over the Dutch border, and after WW2 ended, he was reburied in The Netherlands.

In 2019, we again visited his grave when we were in The Netherlands.  In the spring of 2020, Pieter researched the story of Barney MCGUIGAN, and that’s when a connection was made.  He too was in the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, and also died in the Battle of Keppeln on February 26, 1945.  (See On The War Memorial Trail…..The Search For Barney Reuben McGuigan)

In researching McGuigan’s story, Pieter learned that 28 soldiers from the North Shore Regiment were killed in action that day, in the same battle.

In the book ‘Fields Of Valour’ by Ken Smith, he explains that “… Keppeln was a small town in Germany’s western frontier and a part of the supposedly impenetrable Siegfried Line.  As an ongoing part of Operation Veritable, the North Shore Regiment was ordered to attack Keppeln on February 26, 1945.  No apparent fortifications or troop concentrations were noted, so it was assumed, wrongly, as it turned out, that the village, being so lightly held, would fall quickly....”

It was a trap, and the North Shore Regiment was caught in it, as the Germans waited patiently.  Smith describes what happened.  “.…Camouflaged expertly were the machine gun pits and the fearsome 88mm guns, some mounted on well hidden tanks….”  50 yards from their line, the Germans “…opened up on the North Shores…. The North Shores were cut to pieces, many getting killed outright, and scores of others suffering terrible wounds...”

Among those killed was Frank Edward McGovern.  Brenda has been looking for a photo of her uncle, with no success. Lou Daley, whose uncle Aloysius DALEY lost his life in the same battle, sent a newspaper clipping in which McGovern’s death was announced.  Unfortunately, Brenda has not been able to find the paper in which the notice was published, or who sent it in.

She contacted the Chipman Legion, again with no success.  She recently received an email from a Legion member, saying that “…I can’t get the info you requested because we had a pipe break in the Branch and all of our Archives and other info have been destroyed and irrecoverable.  We have no WW2 Veterans left….”

Brenda Graves

Brenda Graves during the filming of the On The War Memorial Trail video.

With one door closing after another, Pieter decided to feature Brenda’s quest for a photo on our new ‘On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg’ YouTube channel.  With so many roadblocks in finding family and photos, the YouTube channel is one way to reach an audience that might not read this blog or our newspaper articles, or hear Pieter on the radio.  You can watch the video here:

28 men from the North Shore Regiment were killed during the Battle of Keppeln…..

Per ‘Fields Of Valour’ by Ken Smith, the following are the 28 men from the North Shore Regiment killed on February 26, 1945 during the Battle of Keppeln:

  • Richard Paul BEAZLEY
  • Gerald Albert BECK
  • Thomas Clinton BEERS
  • Aloysius John DALEY
  • Eldon Alexander DUCHER
  • Thomas Mitchell GEMMELL
  • George Luckett GRAHAM
  • William Edward HARBOUR
  • Albert Percival HEBERT
  • Emidia Austin HICKEY
  • Frederick Clarence HULL
  • Donald Charles JAGOE
  • John Albert LAFAVE
  • Hubert Ivan LUTES
  • Donald Rae MACPHERSON
  • Frank Edward MCGOVERN
  • Barney Ruben MCGUIGAN
  • Elbridge Wellington MILLER
  • Reginald Vincent MOOERS
  • Ervin Alfred MUNROE
  • Gerald Bruce MURRAY
  • Willard Bruce PARKER
  • Millard Arthur PATTERSON
  • John Giddeon PAYNTER
  • Patrick John POWER
  • Waldo Leroy RICHARDSON
  • Carol Kenneth TITFORD
  • Raoul VADEBONCOEUR

Thank you to Brenda Graves for sharing information about her uncle, and to post-production editor Wendy Nattress, who made the YouTube video a reality. If you have photos or information to share about Frank Edward McGovern or any of the other men killed in the Battle of Keppeln, please email Pieter at dariadv@yahoo.ca or comment on the blog.

On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw

© Daria Valkenburg

On The War Memorial Trail…..The Search For Barney Reuben McGuigan

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August 7, 2020.  In many cases it is very difficult to find a photo of a soldier from WW1 or WW2.  Last year, a request was made for photos and information on PEI soldiers from WW2 who were buried in The Netherlands.  (See Photos and Info Requested For WW2 Soldiers From PEI Buried In The Netherlands)  One of these soldiers, buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, was Bernard ‘Barney’ Reuben MCGUIGAN.

Over the past months, Pieter was lucky in finding photos from family members for:

One last soldier from PEI who is buried in one of the three Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands is still without a photo: Bernard ‘Barney’ Reuben MCGUIGAN, who is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.  At 16 years of age when he lost his life, he is the youngest soldier in the cemetery.

Barney Reuben was born on May 14, 1928, the son of Thomas McGuigan and Sarah ‘Sadie’ Bisson, and baptized on June 17, 1928 at St. Paul’s Church in Sturgeon. Unfortunately his mother died in 1936 and he was brought up by his grandparents, Bernard McGuigan and Rose McGee.

On July 9, 1943 he enlisted in Charlottetown and claimed to be 18 years old, not his actual 15 years of age.  He went on to say that he “…attended rural school in PEI, completing grade 7 at age 16 in 1941, but left school because no teacher was available in the district…” He stated that he was a fisherman at the time of enlistment.  His grandmother Rose is listed as his foster-mother on his enlistment documents.

Under military rules, no one under 19 was to be sent overseas.  As a supposed 18 year old, Barney was sent for training, first to a training camp in Aldershot, Nova Scotia.  In January 1944, he was sent for infantry training in Vernon, BC.  In November 1944, he was sent overseas, arriving in the United Kingdom on November 28, 1944.

On January 8, 1945 he left the United Kingdom for continental Europe, as part of reinforcement troops.  On February 12, 1945 he joined the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment.  Then, on February 26, 1945 he lost his life in Germany, just over the Dutch border, during Operation Blockbuster, the last part of Operation Veritable. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Blockbuster)  He was only 16, not 19, years old.

He was initially buried in the Bedburg Military Cemetery, and then later reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.

Screenshot_2020-08-06 Google Maps Bedburg Germany

Black X marks the location of Bedburg, Germany, where Barney McGuigan lost his life.  (Map courtesy of Google maps.)

After Barney’s death, his father wrote to the Canadian Military, asking why his son had been sent overseas when he was underage.  At the time of enlistment Barney was 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighed 133 pounds.  The military replied to his father, explaining that since Barney had said he was born in May 29, 1925, he was sent overseas based on that information.  Until his father wrote, unfortunately after Barney’s death, no correction to acknowledge his actual date of birth had been made.

In October 2019 we visited the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek and Pieter laid down flags at graves of Islanders, including Barney McGuigan.  (See On The War Memorial Trail…..Our 2019 Visit To The Canadian War Cemetery In Groesbeek)

CIMG3336 Oct 5 2019 Groesbeek Barney McGuigan cropped

Grave of Barney McGuigan in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

With no luck finding a photo, Pieter was recently interviewed by Angela Walker for CBC Radio’s Mainstreet PEI about his quest…  Link to interview:

 https://drive.google.com/file/d/1VMIbebs8kn2zQv9Al4Ndoy3gezMcWHPK/view?usp=sharing

Following the interview, he was contacted by Regina Faithfull, Barney’s cousin.  She had a photo of her father, in which Barney could be seen behind a door in the background.

Photo of McGuigans from Jeanie Faithfull

Also listening to the CBC broadcast was Charlotte MacAuley, reporter for the ‘Eastern Graphic’ newspaper.  As Barney was from the area the newspaper covered, she was interested in doing a story.  Perhaps that might generate a photo in which Barney could be seen more clearly?

CIMG4292 Jul 22 2020 Charlotte & Pieter at Eastern Graphic

Pieter with Charlotte MacAuley at the Eastern Graphic office in Montague.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Pieter agreed to an interview, which you can read here: (EAG-A12-080520.K War researcher looking to connect with family of Barney McGuigan).

Pieter by Charlotte MacAuley

Pieter with a copy of the telegram sent to Barney McGuigan’s family, advising of his death. (Photo credit: Charlotte MacAuley)

So…. the search for a photo continues…will Pieter be able to fulfill his quest? If anyone has more information or a photo for Barney Reuben McGuigan, please contact Pieter at dariadv@yahoo.ca or comment on the blog.

Thank you to Angela Walker of CBC PEI Radio and Charlotte MacAuley of the ‘Eastern Graphic‘ for helping to publicize this search. Thank you also to Regina Faithfull for submitting a photo of the McGuigan family, Jane Scott for the link to the radio interview, and to Father Art O’Shea, diocese archivist at the Roman Catholic Diocese of Charlottetown, for confirmation of the date of birth and baptism for Barney McGuigan.

© Daria Valkenburg

On the War Memorial Trail ….. PEI Soldiers Buried In The Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek

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December 30, 2017.  During our first visit to the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek in The Netherlands, we were able to place flags at the graves of three PEI soldiers buried there.  In the last blog entry we told the story of George Preston SMITH of Kinkora, who was with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, and the accident in which he lost his life. (See On the War Memorial Trail ….. At The Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek) Our thanks to Alice van Bekkum of the Faces to Graves Project, who shared an eye witness account that was recorded by Will Bird in his 1963 book about the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment.  (See https://books.google.com/books/about/North_Shore_New_Brunswick_Regiment.html?id=Iz7WAAAAMAAJ)

Will Bird account of what happened to George Preston Smith

Excerpt about George Preston Smith from Will Bird’s book about The North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment.

Before returning to place flags at the rest of the known soldiers from PEI, we stopped by a memorial marking the route on February 8, 1945 where soldiers marched into Germany on their way from Groesbeek, as part of Operation Veritable.  This was the northern part of an Allied pincer movement that took place between February 8 and March 11, 1945 during the final stages of the Second World War.

The operation was conducted by Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery’s Anglo-Canadian 21st Army Group, primarily consisting of the First Canadian Army under Lieutenant-General Harry Crerar and the British XXX Corps under Lieutenant-General Brian Horrocks. Their objective was to clear German forces from the area between the Rhine and Maas rivers, east of the German/Dutch frontier, in the Rhineland.

CIMG8998 Sep 15 2017 Pieter by memorial showis where soldiers marched into Germany from Groesbeek operation veritable

Pieter at the memorial for Operation Veritable in Groesbeek. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

CIMG8996 Sep 15 2017 memorial shows where soldiers marched into Germany from Groesbeek operation veritable

Close-up view of the text on the memorial for Operation Veritable in Groesbeek. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

On our second visit to the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek we were joined by Pieter’s former colleague in the Dutch Foreign Service, Ad Scheepers, and his wife Noor, who live in Groesbeek.

CIMG9023 Sep 16 2017 Groesbeek Cemetery Ad & Noor Scheepers with Pieter by Gaudets grave

Ad and Noor Scheepers with Pieter by the grave of Cpl Arthur Gaudet. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Ad was a fountain of information about the cemetery, and noted that it was along the Liberation Route, which one can take to visit the many monuments and memorials in this part of The Netherlands.  The cemetery, on a road called Zeven Heuvelenweg (Seven Hills Way), is the largest war cemetery of the Commonwealth Graves Commission in The Netherlands.

Most of the soldiers buried here fell during the fighting on the Lower Rhine between February 8 and March 26, 1945.  It’s called the Canadian War Cemetery and we’d always assumed all of the burials were Canadian, but it’s not true.  By number and nationality, the 2,617 soldiers buried here are from:

  • 2,399 from Canada
  • 267 from Great Britain
  • 3 from Belgium
  • 2 from Poland
  • 2 from Australia
  • 1 from New Zealand
  • 1 from Russia
  • 1 from Yugoslavia
  • 1 from The Netherlands

Inscribed on the Groesbeek Memorial in the cemetery are the names of 1,103 soldiers reported missing in action between August 1944 and May 1945. Only a few have been identified since the memorial was put up. Unfortunately, most are still listed as MIA (Missing In Action).

Ad told us he’d read that the Cross of Sacrifice in the cemetery was positioned where it was so it could be clearly seen from Germany, a stone’s throw away from the border.  It’s likely true, as one prerequisite that Canadian Officers had in selecting land for the cemetery was to have a view of Germany.

In a Dutch reference we read that construction on the cemetery began in 1945 by six Canadian soldiers. The location of the cemetery, on a hilltop, was chosen by Groesbeek Mayor Grotenhuis van Onstein for its view on the German border from the cemetery. The Cemetery was officially opened on May 4, 1947 by the Dutch Queen Wilhelmina. When the cemetery opened, the headstones were made from wood, as was the Cross of Sacrifice.  Later, the headstones were temporarily replaced by metal versions, and beginning in 1950 the headstones and Cross of Sacrifice were replaced by stone designs.

CIMG8945 Sep 15 2017 Groesbeek cemetery Pieter at Cross for remembrance

Pieter by the Cross of Sacrifice at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

In alphabetical order, here are the known soldiers from PEI that are buried in the cemetery:

  • L/Cpl Ralph Schurman BOULTER, North Nova Scotia Highlanders, from West Point
  • Pte Lawrence BULGER, North Nova Scotia Highlanders, from Foxley River
  • Major John Weston CAMPBELL, North Nova Scotia Highlanders, from Clermont
  • Cpl Preston D. CAMPBELL, Algonquin Regiment, from Coleman
  • Rifleman William Alfred CANNON, Regina Rifle Regiment, from Pownal
  • Cpl Arthur GAUDET, Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal, from Mont Carmel
  • Sapper Joseph Edmond HENNEBERY, Corps of Royal Canadian Engineers, from Morrell
  • Cpl George Ivan MACKINNON, North Nova Scotia Highlanders, from Mt. Albion
  • Cpl Robert Bruce MACNEILLL, North Nova Scotia Highlanders, from Charlottetown
  • Pte Barney R. MCGUIGAN, North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, born in Souris
  • Cpl Stephen A. MCKINNON, Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, from St. Peter’s Bay
  • L/Cpl Edward Gabriel PERRY, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise), from St. Nicholas
  • Pte John Clifford ROGERS, North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, born in Hope River
  • Pte Ralph K. SILLIKER, Lake Superior Regiment, from O’Leary
  • Sgt Edison Alexander SMITH, North Nova Scotia Highlanders, from West Point
  • Pte George Preston SMITH, North Shore Regiment, from Kinkora
  • Pte William L. WEATHERBIE, Royal Regiment of Canada, from Charlottetown

Do you have photos or information on any of these soldiers?  If you know of other soldiers from PEI, please help the researchers at the Faces to Grave project by sharing that information. Photos and stories can be sent either through their website at http://facestograves.nl/index.html or by email to info@facestograves.nl.  Alternatively, you can contact us and we will forward your info for you.

Comments or stories?  You can share them by emailing us at dariadv@yahoo.ca or by commenting on this blog.

© Daria Valkenburg

On the War Memorial Trail ….. At The Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek

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December 25, 2017.  During lunch with members of the Royal Canadian Legion in The Netherlands, we mentioned that we would be going to the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek to lay flags at the graves of PEI soldiers, and one from New Brunswick.  Although we had a list of 17 soldiers, only one was listed on the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Legion Carleton, George Preston SMITH of Kinkora, who was with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment.

Placing flags at the grave of a soldier from New Brunswick was at the request of our friend, Brenda Graves of North Tryon, in memory of her uncle Frank Edward MCGOVERN. He also was from the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, and died February 26, 1945 at the age of 19. Brenda, who is researching her family history, unfortunately has only a poor quality photo of her uncle.  Can anyone help put a face to this name?

Just outside the cemetery, by the parking lot, is a banner asking people for help in the Faces to Graves Foundation project.  The project was begun by members of the Royal Canadian Legion in The Netherlands to create a virtual memorial for all who are buried at the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery or listed on the Groesbeek Memorial.  2,338 soldiers are buried here.

CIMG8926 Sep 15 2017 faces to grave banner at Groesbeek cemetery

Faces to Graves Foundation banner. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Many of the war dead were brought to this cemetery from nearby Germany. Fallen Canadian soldiers from WWII, who were buried in German battlefields, were reinterred here (except for one who is buried in Reichswald Forest War Cemetery in Germany). General Harry Crerar, who commanded Canadian land forces in Europe, had ordered that Canadian dead were not to be buried on German soil.

CIMG8928 Sep 15 2017 Daria at Groesbeek cemetery

Daria at entrance to Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, with flowers to place at the grave of Frank Edward McGovern. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

CIMG8937 Sep 15 2017 Groesbeek cemetery grave of Brendas uncle FE McGovern

Grave of Frank Edward McGovern at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

George Preston Smith (2)

George Preston Smith. (Photo courtesy of Canadian Virtual War Memorial)

Private George Preston SMITH was born September 3, 1923 in Kinkora, the son of William Wilfred and Mabel Smith.  A store clerk before enlisting on April 1, 1943, he served in England, France, and Belgium, before meeting his death in Belgium in an unfortunate accident on November 12, 1944.  Smith was accidentally killed while trying to take his Stengun out of the back of a military truck. The gun was under a pile of greatcoats. He grabbed it by the muzzle and gave it a hard pull, causing the cocking piece to be pulled back far enough. When he let it go, the cocking piece went forward again with enough pressure to push a round into the chamber and fire it.

On November 15, 1944, he was buried in the Civil Cemetery in Malden, Belgium.  In 1946, his remains were exhumed and he was reburied in the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery.

CIMG8940 Sep 15 2017 Groesbeek cemetery Pieter at the grave of George Preston Smith

Pieter by the grave of Private George Preston Smith. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

After paying our respects to McGovern and Smith, Pieter placed flags on two more graves of PEI soldiers.  We had been invited by Alice van Bekkum, of the Faces to Graves Foundation, to participate in a special ceremony, along with members of the Royal Canadian Legion in The Netherlands.  Wish Of A Lifetime Canada (see https://wishofalifetime.ca/), an organization that fulfills seniors’ dreams and shares their stories to inspire those of all ages, had granted a wish that had a PEI connection.

Harriet Jenereaux, born in West Point, PEI, now living in Nova Scotia, wanted to see the grave of her father, Sgt Edison Alexander SMITH, who is buried in the cemetery in Groesbeek.  Harriet and her husband Keith were flown to The Netherlands, members of the Royal Canadian Legion provided a colour party, and Alice van Bekkum paid for a bugler to play The Last Post at the grave.   (See https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BgXkld9BUIA)

CIMG8948 Sep 15 2017 Groesbeek cemetery bugler with Yvonne and Berry Swarthoff providing colour parade

Bugler with Royal Canadian Legion’s colour party of Yvonne and Berry Swarthoff at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Before Harriet arrived at the cemetery, Pieter made sure that Canadian and PEI flags were placed at her father’s grave, and that of her uncle, L/Cpl Ralph Schurman BOULTER, her mother’s brother.  Smith, aged 32, and Boulter, aged 28, were in the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, and were both killed in battle while crossing the Rhine on March 25, 1945.

CIMG8952 Sep 15 2017 Groesbeek cemetery Alice van Bekkum

Alice van Bekkum arranged for a photo of Smith to be placed by his grave. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

As Harriet neared her father’s grave, she called out to her husband Keith, “There’s Daddy!”  It was a poignant moment for us, the Dutch members of the Legion, an astonishing amount of reporters and press photographers, plus a representative of Phillips, the Dutch sponsor of Wish of a Lifetime.

CIMG8950 Sep 15 2017 Groesbeek cemetery Harriet Jenereux at her fathers grave

Harriet Jenereaux kneels at her father’s grave. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

After the ceremony and greeting Harriet, it was time for us to enjoy a cup of coffee and a piece of Dutch apple cake.  We’d return to place flags at the graves of the other 14 soldiers from PEI once all the commotion regarding Harriet’s visit had diminished.

Do you have relatives buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery?  If so, please consider participating in the Faces to Graves project by submitting photos and stories either through their website at http://facestograves.nl/index.html or by email to info@facestograves.nl.  Alternatively, you can contact us and we will forward your info for you.

Comments or stories?  You can share them by emailing us at dariadv@yahoo.ca or by commenting on this blog.