On The War Memorial Trail…..We Follow The Route Taken Into Germany By Canadian Troops In 1945

February 6, 2026. Last spring we were in The Netherlands and Belgium for the 80th Anniversary of Liberation Commemoration events. We placed flags at the graves of 383 soldiers in 14 cemeteries, plus visited a number of memorials, museums related to WWII, and even did a battlefield tour. 

We had one last adventure on our 2025 European War Memorial Tour – a trip to Germany to follow the route taken by Canadian troops during the winter of 1945.

We had been in Mook, near Groesbeek, in The Netherlands, as we’d been invited to attend a Faces To Graves Groesbeek meeting, at which we had been surprised with a Faces To Graves Groesbeek ‘coin’ and a certificate for the work done in researching soldiers, finding families, and sharing photos.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2025/05/30/on-the-war-memorial-trail-pieter-and-daria-honoured-by-faces-to-graves-groesbeek-foundation/

Route taken into Germany from Groesbeek to Kleve, Kalkar, Xanten, Bienen (now part of Rees), and Gendringen. (Map source: Michelin Maps)

Instead of returning to Zaltbommel, where we were staying, Pieter decided to drive into Germany and follow the route taken by Canadian troops in the winter of 1945.  We first travelled to Kleve, then went on to Kalkar, from there to Xanten, and then to Bienen, which is now part of Rees.  From Bienen we returned to The Netherlands and made a very brief stop in Gendringen. 

.…Our first stop was Kleve…

Canadian troops would have travelled along this route into Kleve.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Kleve was bombed heavily before being captured by Allied troops on February 11, 1945 during Operation Veritable, as the 21st Canadian Army Group and British troops fought their way through the difficult terrain of the Reichswald Forest.  The goal of Operation Veritable was to reach the Rhine, part of a pincer movement to allow Allied troops to advance towards Berlin. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Veritable)

The dense wooded area of the Reichswald Forest. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

When the Allies crossed the border into Germany they entered the Reichswald Forest, a densely wooded area, as we saw from the road. It wasn’t hard to understand how the Germans had turned the forest into a death trap during WWII. The already natural obstacles of a forested area were heavily reinforced by German troops and rigged with trenches, mortar pits, barbed wire, mines, and anti-tank ditches.

Two major roads provided the only means of an Allied approach, while inside the forest there were no surfaced roads. Zig-zagged paths snaked through the woods, making it ideal for preparing ambushes to trap Allied troops.

Canadian and British troops were forced to advance on a narrow front, with their movements further restricted by bad weather and mud….as well as German ambushes.

On this journey through Kleve and the road bordering the Reichswald, we remembered:

…..Kalkar was the scene of brutal battles in February 1945….

Canadian troops continued from Kleve towards Kalkar.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

About 10 km (6 miles) south-east of Kleve is Kalkar, scene of two terrible battles that Canadian troops participated in during Operation Veritable

First came the Battle of Moyland Wood, which lasted a brutal six days, from February 16–21, 1945, in which several Canadian Regiments, such as the Regina Rifle Regiment, Canadian Scottish Regiment, and Royal Winnipeg Rifles fought to clear German paratroopers from a key position near Kalkar.  (See https://legionmagazine.com/clearing-moyland-wood/

The goal of the Battle of Keppeln, fought on February 26, 1945, was to break the German Siegfried Line during Operation Blockbuster, the last part of Operation Veritable. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Blockbuster) Troops encountered heavy artillery and mortar fire in intense fighting from German paratroopers, and had to make their way through heavy mud and minefields.

The battle finally ended when Canadian troops used flame-throwing Wasp carriers to clear German-held houses in Keppeln. The village needed to be secured as part of a push towards Uedem. The capture of Keppeln allowed Canadian forces to clear the Kalkar Ridge and proceed towards the Hochwald Forest gap, and later to break through to the Rhine.

As we passed Kalkar on our way towards the Hochwald Forest, we remembered:

….The Hochwald Forest was where the Battle of Hochwald Gap was fought….

The road bordering the Hochwald Forest was bleak and lonely on the rainy day we drove on it.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

From Kalkar we turned off the road to go along the Hochwald Forest.  It was perhaps fitting that by this time it was raining, with bleak, grey skies, as so many tears would have been shed here during the winter of 1945.   We were alone on this road, with the Hochwald off in the distance, and the only colour coming from the red poppies growing in the field by the road.

Red poppies grew along the road bordering the Hochwald Forest.  (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

The Hochwald Forest was a second, separate defensive line located about 10 km (six miles) east/southeast of the Reichswald, stretching toward the Rhine.  It was where the Battle of Hochwald Gap, part of Operation Blockbuster, was fought between February 28 and March 1, 1945, the final push by Canadian troops towards the Rhine River. (For more information, see https://canadianbattlefieldtours.ca/operation-blockbuster/ and https://civilianmilitaryintelligencegroup.com/10742/the-battle-of-hochwald-gap-one-of-the-largest-armor-engagements-you-probably-have-never-heard-of)

On this bleak and lonely road bordering the Hochwald Forest, we remembered:

….Xanten is now the home of an archeological park…

We followed the road from Kleve to Xanten. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

After detouring onto the road along the Hochwald, we returned to the highway and travelled to Xanten, 26 km (16 miles) from Kleve.  The battle to capture Xanten, near the end of Operation Blockbuster, was the responsibility of Canadian troops of 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, in early March 1945.  (See https://legionmagazine.com/the-taking-of-xanten/)

Beginning on March 8, each brigade was accompanied by two squadrons of flame-throwing tanks, with enemy artillery positions attacked by air support. German troops were desperate to win against the Allies, and fought fiercely, but in the end they evacuated Xanten in the middle of the night on March 10 into March 11.

Poster advertising the upcoming Siegfried Spectacle in Xanten. (Photo credit: Pieter Valkenburg)

Much of Xanten had been destroyed during WWII, but today it’s the site an archeological park, with no reminders of WWII – at least none that we saw. When we drove through the town, we noticed a large poster advertising a medieval festival to honour Siegfried, a hero of Xanten, billed as a reunion with knights, jugglers, and dragons! It was an odd note on this solemn journey we were taking, in which we remembered:

….In Bienen we looked for the memorial plaque honouring North Novies who died during the Battle of Bienen….

We travelled to Bienen from Xanten. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

From Xanten, we began the journey back into The Netherlands, with a slight detour along the way to Bienen, the scene of the Battle of Bienen on March 25, 1945. In 2023 we’d done a multi-part series on several soldiers from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment who had died in this battle. We wanted to see a memorial plaque, which was on a wall behind a church in Bienen.

Pieter beside the memorial plaque behind a church in Bienen. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Alice van Bekkum, Chair Faces To Graves Foundation Groesbeek, had told us that the memorial plaque by the church in Bienen, Germany, commemorating the lives lost by the North Nova Scotia Highlanders during the Battle of Bienen on March 25, 1945, was the …first German/Canadian (Commonwealth) monument in Germany….

It might have been raining while we were by the memorial plaque, but we made sure to remember:

….The final stop on our journey of remembrance was in Gendringen….

Pieter by the memorial in the cemetery in Gendringen.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

From Bienen, we returned to The Netherlands, stopping for a few moments in Gendringen, where 3 soldiers who had been researched by Pieter had lost their lives. Although it was still raining, we wanted to see the memorial, located in a cemetery in Gendringen. 

The text on the memorial means ‘so that we don’t forget’, or, as said more commonly during Remembrance Services in Canada, ‘lest we forget’.  While at the memorial, we remembered:

By now, it was well after 4 pm, with the rain making the skies very grey.  We were tired and still had a long drive back through heavy traffic to our hotel in Zaltbommel.  Luckily, Pieter is a genius at staying calm in traffic, and we arrived safely, in time to enjoy a quiet and relaxing dinner. 

This concludes the stories of the highlights of our 2025 European War Memorial Tour to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Europe.

Our trip is now long over, but the research work continues for Pieter.  If you have photos or information to share about soldiers buried in The Netherlands or Belgium, please email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.    

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?…

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

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

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

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

On The War Memorial Trail….The Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition Part 5: Soldiers Who Lost Their Lives In Bienen

IMG_7596 May 4 2023 RCMP Musical Ride in Groesbeek Ad with 2 mounties

Ad Scheepers with two members of the RCMP Musical Ride in Groesbeek on May 4, 2023. (Photo courtesy of Ad and Noor Scheepers)

May 25, 2023. After a successful exhibition where photos were placed at more than 1,600 graves at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek for three weeks in 2021 to commemorate the Anniversary of the Liberation of The Netherlands, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, which oversees the cemetery, gave permission for photos to be placed by the graves every two years.

…The Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition 2023 included almost 2,000 photos…

This year, The Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition ran from April 30 to May 21, 2023, with almost 2,000 photos, just over 350 more than 2 years ago!  All photos submitted by families and volunteer researchers were printed onto an aluminum backing, making them impervious to rain, and reusable.

The many volunteers from Faces To Graves Foundation Groesbeek, of which Alice van Bekkum is the Chair, worked tirelessly to make the exhibition possible.  They also organized the Liberation Day commemoration events.

Pieter has been involved in finding photos of Canadians who are buried in all three Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands since 2014, with many of their stories told on this blog.

This spring we did a 12 part series on soldiers from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment who lost their lives during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945, and are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.

…8 Soldiers Who Lost Their Lives In Bienen Commemorated…

In Part 1, graves and photos of soldiers from Prince Edward Island were featured.  Part 2 featured Indigenous soldiers.  Part 3 featured soldiers from Nova Scotia, whose stories were told in the Atlantic Canada Remembers series from 2021.  Part 4 featured soldiers from New Brunswick, whose stories were told in the Atlantic Canada Remembers series from 2021.

In Part 5, eight soldiers from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment whose stories were told in the Battle of Bienen series are featured.  Part 1 of The Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition series featured Ralph Schurman BOULTER and Edison Alexander SMITH, while Harry William DOUCETTE was featured in Part 3.

IMG_7565 Clifford Bateman from Ad

Clifford Bateman. (Photo courtesy of Ad Scheepers)

Clifford BATEMAN, of La Poile, Newfoundland, was serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders when he was killed on March 25, 1945, during the Battle of Bienen in Germany, at the age of 20. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/03/16/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-battle-of-bienen-part-4-the-wwii-soldier-from-a-small-fishing-village-in-newfoundland-who-lost-his-life-in-germany/

IMG_8944 John Bohon from Alice

John Joseph Bohon. (Photo courtesy of Alice van Bekkum)

John Joseph BOHON, of Toronto, Ontario, was serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders when he was killed on March 25, 1945, during the Battle of Bienen in Germany, at the age of 20. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/03/18/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-battle-of-bienen-part-5-the-wwii-soldier-whose-parents-immigrated-to-save-their-family-from-war/

IMG_8946 Charles Marshall Carson from Alice

Charles ‘Marshall’ Carson. (Photo courtesy of Alice van Bekkum)

Charles ‘Marshall’ CARSON, of Cape Tormentine, New Brunswick, was serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders when he was killed on March 25, 1945, during the Battle of Bienen in Germany, at the age of 23. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/03/12/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-battle-of-bienen-part-3-the-wwii-soldier-from-cape-tormentine-who-lost-his-life-in-germany/

IMG_8963 Marven Harvey from Alice

Marven Glenroy Harvey. (Photo courtesy of Alice van Bekkum)

Marven Glenroy HARVEY, of North Noel Road, Nova Scotia, was serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders when he was killed on March 25, 1945, during the Battle of Bienen in Germany, at the age of 19. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/03/26/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-battle-of-bienen-part-8-the-wwii-soldier-with-7-brothers-who-also-served/

IMG_8959 Kitchener Langille from Alice

Kitchener ‘Kitty’ Langille. (Photo courtesy of Alice van Bekkum)

Kitchener ‘Kitty’ LANGILLE, of New Glasgow, Nova Scotia, was serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders when he was killed on March 25, 1945, during the Battle of Bienen in Germany, at the age of 28. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/03/21/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-battle-of-bienen-part-6-the-wwii-soldier-from-new-glasgow-nicknamed-kitty/

IMG_7560 Marvin McGregor from Ad

Marvin William McGregor. (Photo courtesy of Ad Scheepers)

Marvin William MCGREGOR, of West Jeddore, Nova Scotia, was serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders when he was killed on March 25, 1945, during the Battle of Bienen in Germany, at the age of 20. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/04/02/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-battle-of-bienen-part-9-the-wwii-soldier-from-west-jeddore-killed-in-germany/

POWER Wilfred Joseph - XVII H 02 from Faces To Graves Groesbeek

Wilfred ‘Willy’ Joseph Power. (Photo courtesy of Faces To Graves Groesbeek)

Wilfred ‘Willy’ Joseph POWER, of Rosetown, Saskatchewan and later New Westminster, British Columbia, was serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders when he was killed on March 25, 1945, during the Battle of Bienen in Germany, at the age of 20. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/04/10/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-battle-of-bienen-part-10-the-wwii-soldier-who-wanted-to-be-a-paratrooper/

IMG_7573 Louis Sexton from Ad

Louis Allan Sexton. (Photo courtesy of Ad Scheepers)

Louis Allan SEXTON, of Maria East, Quebec, was serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders when he was killed on March 25, 1945, during the Battle of Bienen in Germany, at the age of 22. You can read his story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/03/23/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-battle-of-bienen-part-7-the-wwii-soldier-from-quebec-who-has-never-been-forgotten-by-his-family/

Thank you to Alice van Bekkum and Ad Scheepers for sending these photos. The Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition series concludes in Part 6, where the graves and photos of more soldiers whose stories we’ve told will be featured.

If you have a photo of a soldier buried at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek or one of the other cemeteries in The Netherlands, Pieter encourages you to email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1.

© Daria Valkenburg

…Previous postings about The Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek…

…Want to follow our research?…

Follow our blog

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

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

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

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

On The War Memorial Trail….. The Battle of Bienen – Part 10: The WWII Soldier Who Wanted To Be A Paratrooper

April 10, 2023.  On a list of 39 soldiers from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment who were killed during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945 and are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands, photos were missing for 12 names. 

The date of the battle haunted Pieter as he was “…exactly one year old when this battle occurred.  I was born on March 25, 1944!…

One of the names on the list of missing photos was Wilfred ‘Willy’ Joseph POWER.

….Willy was born in Saskatchewan but grew up in British Columbia….

Born September 17, 1924 in Rosetown, Saskatchewan, the son of Francis ‘Frank’ and Annie Power, Willy grew up on the west coast of Canada after the family moved to New Westminster, British Columbia in 1928.

Before enlisting on August 3, 1943 at the XI District Depot in Vancouver, British Columbia, Willy worked as a seaman with the CPR (Canadian Pacific Railway) Steamship in Vancouver. Before signing on as a deck hand, he had worked as an electrician’s helper in New Westminster.

Wilfred Power

Wilfred ‘Willy’ Power. (Photo courtesy of Brian Power.  Photo restoration by Pieter Valkenburg and Duane MacEwen.)

Willy had three brothers and one sister, and his nephew Brian Power submitted a photo of his uncle.

….Willy was interested in joining the paratroops….

In an interview for his Personnel Selection Record, it was noted that Willy liked reading “…mystery stories…” and in his spare time enjoyed “…tennis, basketball, baseball, swimming, fishing, and hunting…” He also liked “…dancing and movies, pool, and cards…”  One asset was that he could “…drive cars and trucks up to three tons…

He was assessed as having a “…high learning capacity....” and that he was “...very anxious to join the paratroops...” His interviewer concluded by writing “…generally impresses as a good prospect for paratroops and consideration therefore is recommended…”  For whatever reason, a path towards the paratroops never happened.

On September 1, 1943, Willy was posted to No. 133 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre (CA(B)TC) in Wetaskiwin, Alberta for two months.  From there he was transferred to No. A16 Canadian Infantry Training Centre (CITC) in Calgary, Alberta. This centre provided reinforcements for the Calgary Highlanders and the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada.

….Willy was sent overseas in February 1944….

On February 14, 1944, Willy left Canada for the United Kingdom, arriving on February 25, 1944, and assigned to No. 1 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU).

On March 13, 1944 he was transferred to the Calgary Highlanders, training with them until July 2, 1944, when the Regiment left the United Kingdom for Normandy, France as part of 21 Army Group. The Calgary Highlanders arrived on open beaches near Courseulles-sur-Mer and spent several days in the cramped bridgehead behind Caen, under constant threat of air attack, while they prepared for battle.

Willy was with the Calgary Highlanders only for the start of their Normandy campaign, as on July 10, 1944 he was transferred to the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, joining them in Caen, France. 

Courseulles and Caen

Map showing Courselles-sur-Mer on the coast of France, near Caen.  ‘La Manche’ in French is what we call the ‘English Channel’.  (Map source: https://www.viamichelin.fr)

Willy was with the Regiment through Northwest Europe, including the Battle of the Scheldt,  receiving promotions to Lance Corporal on August 1, 1944 1944, Corporal on December 25, 1944, and then Lance Sergeant on February 25, 1945. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Scheldt)

The Regiment reached Kellen, Germany near Kleve, just on the other side of the border with The Netherlands, on February 12, 1945.  On February 14, using amphibious vehicles, the North Novies evacuated Warbergen as they made their way to Emmerich.

Next, the Regiment participated in Operation Blockbuster.  (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Blockbuster). 

…Willy lost his life in the Battle of Bienen ….

By March 20, 1945, Allied troops were on the banks of the Rhine River for Operation Plunder, a military operation to cross the Rhine on the night of March 23, 1945. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Plunder) They got as far as Bienen, when troop movement stopped due to blown bridges across the Rhine in that area.

Plunder 015 Aerial of Bienen from 23 March 45, just prior to the Rhine Crossing (Courtesy Becker) ww2talk

Aerial view of Bienen taken on March 23, 1945, just prior to the Rhine Crossing (Map source: http://www.WW2Talk.com and identified as ‘Courtesy Becker’)

On March 25, 1945, the Regiment’s task was to pass through the 7th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders who had been stopped in front of Bienen.  The problem with Bienen? The road through it was the only access point.  In ‘No Retreating Footsteps’ author Will Bird explained that it was “… an isthmus of solid land about half a mile wide with one road, the main Rees-Emmerich highway, which passed through Bienen exactly at the narrowest point…

It was Palm Sunday, one week before Easter.  It was a battle that began in the morning and didn’t end until late that evening. 

In the article ‘Too Close To The Guns!’ in Canadian Military History, Volume 12, Numbers 1& 2, Winter/Spring 2003, pp.5-28, author Lee Windsor explained that, contrary to expectations of many Allied military planners, the Germans who were defending German villages “were extremely well-motivated considering their homeland was collapsing all around them. First Parachute Army received Germany’s last fresh draft of replacements several weeks before the battle. These were not old men, but teenagers newly-turned 17 or 18, most with Hitler Youth exposure to military training and Nazi ideology…” They were well-trained and would not give up ground.

In ‘Operation Plunder and Varsity: The British and Canadian Rhine Crossing’ author Tim Saunders noted in Chapter 9 that “The attack was divided into two phases, with H Hour at 0900 hours. The first problem was to get the attacking troops across three hundred yards of open country and to help with this support by heavy artillery fire, including plenty of smoke fired by both field guns and the battalion’s 3-inch mortars…

By late afternoon, the North Novies “….methodically set about the task of clearing each and every building in the main part of the village. It took the remainder of the day, yielding a mixed bag of Fallschirmjäger and Panzergrenadier prisoners….”  (Note: ‘Fallschirmjäger’ are ‘Paratroopers’.  ‘Panzergrenadier’ are ‘Armoured Infantry’)

The one day battle was devastating in terms of casualties, both dead and wounded, including Wilfred ‘Willy’ Joseph Power.  As we don’t know which Company Willy was in, we don’t know the circumstances of his death. 

…Willy is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek ….

Like Clifford BATEMAN, John Joseph BOHON, Ralph Schurman BOULTER, and Charles ‘Marshall’ CARSON, Marven Glenroy HARVEY, Kitchener ‘Kitty’ LANGILLE, Marvin William MCGREGOR, and Louis Allan SEXTON, Willy was temporarily buried on Monday, March 26, 1945 in the military cemetery in Rees, Germany before being reburied the following year in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands.

When Brian Power contacted us, he explained that he had included a “….picture of my Uncle Willy. This was a mass card given out at his memorial many years ago….

Wilfred Power pic

Mass card submitted by Brian Power.

After seeing the mass card, we noted that Willy stated he was Roman Catholic in his attestation form when he enlisted.  This suggested that Willy was one of the soldiers whose funeral on March 26, 1945 was one of 15 that had been presided over by Honorary Major Donald A. Kerr, Senior Chaplain (R.C.) in the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. 

In a letter to the parents of Louis Allan SEXTON, who also died that day, H/Major Kerr wrote that “…It was indeed a sad day for me to bury fifteen of my fine Catholic boys, some of whom I knew so well…

POWER Wilfred Joseph - XVII H 02

Grave of William ‘Willy’ Joseph Power at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek. (Photo courtesy of Faces To Graves Foundation.)

Thank you to Brian Power for submitting photos and to Duane MacEwen for help in photo restoration.

Thank you to all who have helped Pieter to find family members of North Novies killed in this battle. Coming up in Part 11: John Lewis Wallace.

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

© Daria Valkenburg

….Previous stories about North Novies killed during the Battle of Bienen and buried in Groesbeek….

…Want to follow our research?….

Follow our blog

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

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

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

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