YouTube Channel: On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg

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

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December 23, 2023.  2023 has simply raced by, and Pieter is currently preparing his research plan for 2024. 

It was another busy year and yes, Pieter remains committed to this research project.  While several long-standing searches for photos were successful, allowing Pieter to complete his files for those soldiers, many files still remain open.  In most cases, family members were found, but no photo was available for one reason or another. 

A number of these files have been carried over from year to year, with no luck in finding photos, and so we now have a Cold Case Files page on the On The War Memorial Trail website.  Hopefully, by featuring a list of the cold cases, someone will see a name and realize that they have a photo.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/our-cold-cases/)

A research project that began in the fall of 2022 to find photos and family of several soldiers from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment that died on March 25, 1945 during the Battle of Bienen in Germany, and who are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands was completed, with the stories told in a 12 part series that ran between March and May.

New research files were added, and Pieter was able to finish his research for many of the unfinished files from 2022.  As always, there is a lag between him completing his work and me getting a chance to document his research, but that is on my ‘to do’ list for this winter.

He began a new project this fall, to upload photos to the Canadian Virtual War Memorial website, and has earmarked this as his winter project.

This year, we were able to meet several more families, which we very much appreciated.  We were grateful that so many families came forward to share photos and information, and were thankful for continued media interest in helping to find photos.  What follows in the rest of this posting is a summary of what happened in 2023 with this research project.

…Book ‘Holten Heroes: Stories from a Canadian Field of Honour’….

Book cover front and back

Daria and Pieter were the translators for ‘Holten Heroes: Stories from a Canadian Field of Honour’ by Jan Braakman, translated from the original Dutch book ‘Holtense Canadezen’.  For more information, see the press package prepared by the author: https://janbraakman.nl/press-package-holten-heroes/ or the Amazon Canada entry: https://www.amazon.ca/Holten-Heroes-Stories-Canadian-Honour/dp/B0CM25LRD3/ref=sr_1_1?crid=QEQCI0LBFLPK&keywords=holten+heroes&qid=1698840141&sprefix=holten+heroes%2Caps%2C207&sr=8-1

…We received  a 2023 Heritage Recognition Award from the PEI Museum and Heritage Foundation….

A February 9, 2023 letter offered Congratulations and notified us that “… the Board of Governors of the Prince Edward Island Museum and Heritage Foundation has selected you for a Heritage Recognition Award for your powerful research project, ‘On The War Memorial Trail’….”   (See https://www.peimuseum.ca/pieter-and-daria-valkenburg-heritage-recognition-award)

The Heritage Awards ceremony, which celebrates the Island’s heritage and recognition of those who preserve and share it, was held on Sunday, March 12, 2023 at Beaconsfield Carriage House in Charlottetown. Unfortunately we were unable to attend as we were not on the Island at the time.  Jack Sorensen, Chair of the Tryon and Area Historical Society, accepted the award on our behalf.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/05/15/we-receive-a-2023-pei-heritage-recognition-award/)

…We received a Legionnaire of the Year Award ….

On June 10, 2023, we received a Legionnaire of the Year award from the Royal Canadian Legion Branch No. 10 in Borden-Carleton, Prince Edward Island.

CIMG6369 Jun 10 2023 Cropped - Daria and Pieter receive Legionnaire of the Year Award

Pieter and Daria receive a Legionnaire of the Year Award. (Photo credit: Kathy Henry)

…Presentation ‘Up Close With A Halifax Bomber’….

Crapaud Hall Nov 7 2023 Presentation title page

On November 7, 2023, we gave a presentation at Crapaud Hall in Crapaud, Prince Edward Island, ‘Up Close With A Halifax Bomber’ about our tour of a Halifax bomber and a summary of two Island airmen who lost their lives in one. (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/11/09/on-the-war-memorial-trail-presentation-up-close-with-a-halifax-bomber/)

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

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

  • We updated the story of the battle in which WW1 soldier Arthur Clinton ROBINSON lost his life on March 27, 1916 and how the burials in La Laiterie Military Cemetery, where he was buried, included a message in a bottle.
  • We shared a September 23, 1942 letter that WWII airman Joseph ‘Joe’ Charles MCIVER wrote while posted in northern Russia near the Arctic Circle, while serving in RAF Coastal Command.
  • After an 8 year search we received a photo for WWI soldier Joseph ‘Arthur’ DESROCHES of Miscouche, Prince Edward Island, who died after receiving a gunshot wound to the head and is buried in France.

 … WWI Related Stories….

  • We updated the story of what happened when we repatriated to Nova Scotia the portrait of WW1 soldier Lloyd Clifton SHORTLIFF of Barton, Nova Scotia, whose name is inscribed on the Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France.

 … WWII Related Stories….

  • We shared a story about the 2022 candle lighting at graves of Canadian soldiers in The Netherlands.
  • We did a multi-part series about The Faces Of Groesbeek Exhibition – 36 photo tributes by the graves of soldiers at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands. The Exhibition ran from April 30 to May 21, 2023.  Part 1 featured 5 soldiers from Prince Edward Island.  Part 2 featured 4 Indigenous soldiers.  Part 3 featured 8 soldiers from Nova Scotia whose stories were told in 2021’s Atlantic Canada Remembers series. Part 4 featured 6 soldiers from New Brunswick whose stories were told in 2021’s Atlantic Canada Remembers series. Part 5 featured 7 soldiers from the Battle of Bienen series.  Part 6 featured 6 soldiers from photo wish lists.  We also shared some of the feedback received from families whose relatives were featured in the photo tributes.
  • We updated the 2022 story about the search for WWII soldier Wilfred GIROUX who was in Gilze Rijen, The Netherlands in December 1944 and befriended a Dutch couple whose daughter wished to repatriate a photo and two Christmas cards to the Giroux family. This story had a successful conclusion with the photo and cards going to Wilfred’s niece.
  • We did an update to the Battle of Bienen series with a brief feature on the Bienen Memorial and shared the short video we made to honour those North Novies whose stories we told this spring (S4E1 Battle of Bienen on our YouTube Channel).
  • We shared an account of our visit to the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton, Ontario, to tour a Halifax Mark VII Bomber.
  • We shared the story of how a letter written from the POW camp Stalag Luft III by WWII pilot John ‘Hubert’ HALL impacted not only his family, but the family of WWII pilot Elmer Bagnall MUTTART. Both men were from Prince Edward Island.
  • We shared the story about the successful search for a photo of WWII soldier Norman Victor Holgate BUCHANAN, from Manitoba, who lost his life in Germany on February 16, 1945, during the Battle of Moyland Wood, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
  • In a two-part series, we shared excerpts from the WWII letters of Edison Reynolds SMITH, who lost his life in The Netherlands on October 16, 1944 during the Battle of the Scheldt.

…Indigenous Soldiers….

We were able to tell the stories of the service by these WWII Indigenous soldiers:

  • WWII Indigenous soldier John CULBERTSON from Ontario, who was killed in Germany on April 30, 1944 during the Battle of Edewecht.
  • WWII Indigenous soldier Harry Henry DAVIS from Yukon Territory, who died in The Netherlands on January 15, 1945 from wounds received the day before after being shot while on patrol.
  • WWII Indigenous soldier Sanford Steven SAULIS from New Brunswick, who died of a brain hemorrhage in The Netherlands on August 10, 1945.
  • WWII Indigenous soldier George TAYLOR from Ontario, who died accidentally in his sleep in The Netherlands on June 17, 1945.

…. Stories About Servicemen From The Maritimes…

We also featured stories about servicemen from The Maritimes:

  • WWII soldier Ralph Schurman BOULTER from Prince Edward Island, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Charles ‘Marshall’ CARSON from New Brunswick, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII airman John ‘Hubert’ HALL from Prince Edward Island, who was aboard the last flight of Wellington Z1203 when it crashed over The Netherlands on March 29, 1942. All crew members survived, and Hubert spent the remainder of the war years as a POW in Stalag Luft III.
  • WWII airman William Andrew HOOD from Nova Scotia, who was aboard the last flight of Halifax JD215 when it was shot down over The Netherlands on June 29, 1943, with no survivors.
  • WWII soldier Kitchener ‘Kitty’ LANGILLE from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Milton Evangeline LIVINGSTONE from Prince Edward Island, who was fatally shot when a fellow soldier’s gun went off in The Netherlands, while he was reading a Dutch-English dictionary on November 6, 1944.
  • WWII soldier Lawrence Edward LUCAS from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action in Germany on April 23, 1945.
  • WWI soldier Angus Clayton MACDONALD from Prince Edward Island, who served with the 85th Battalion (Nova Scotia Highlanders), and was injured in Belgium during the Passage of the Grande Honnelle Battle.
  • WWII soldier Daniel ‘Dan’ Peter MACKENZIE from Prince Edward Island, who died from wounds received on April 13, 1945 during the liberation of Posterenk in The Netherlands, part of Operation Cannonshot.
  • WWII soldier James ‘Jim’ Andrew MACLEOD from New Brunswick, who was killed in action in Belgium on October 23, 1944.
  • WWII soldier Archibald Phillip ‘Archie’ MCLEAN from New Brunswick, who died from wounds received on April 13, 1945 during Operation Cannonshot in The Netherlands.
  • WWI soldier Merrill Augustus MARSHALL from Prince Edward Island, who was killed in action during the Battle of Vimy Ridge in France on April 9, 1917.
  • WWII soldier Austin Havelock MUNROE from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Leonard William PORTER from New Brunswick, who was killed in action during the Battle of Walcheren Causeway in The Netherlands on November 1, 1944.
  • WWII soldier Joseph ‘Edmond’ ROBICHEAU from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during the Battle of Five Woods in The Netherlands on April 14, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Edison Alexander SMITH from Prince Edward Island, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII soldier John Lewis ‘Ducky’ WALLACE from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.

…. Stories About Servicemen From Outside The Maritimes…

  • WWII soldier Clifford BATEMAN from Newfoundland, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII soldier John Joseph BOHON, from Ontario, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Clive Elbert Steele GEROW, from Ontario, who was killed in action during the liberation of Deventer in The Netherlands on April 10, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Theodor ‘Ted’ HENSCHEL, born in Manitoba, but from British Columbia, who was killed in action during the Battle for Wagenborgen in The Netherlands on April 22, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Adam KLEIN, from Saskatchewan, who died in The Netherlands while crossing the Maas River in January 1945.
  • WWII pilot Jack ‘Douglas’ MACKENZIE, from Manitoba, who died at the controls of his plane, Halifax DT630, after being attacked on February 3, 1943 over The Netherlands.
  • WWII soldier Harold Edward Roy MARTIN, from Ontario, who was killed in The Netherlands during the Battle of the Scheldt on October 14, 1944.
  • WWII pilot George Glenn ‘Dusty’ MILLAR, from Manitoba, who died on September 28, 1944 in The Netherlands.
  • WWII soldier Joseph Hudson PALLISTER, from Alberta, who was killed in action during the Battle of the Leopold Canal on October 6, 1944.
  • WWII soldier Wilfred ‘Willy’ Joseph POWER, from British Columbia, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Louis Allan SEXTON, from Quebec, who was killed in action during the Battle of Bienen in Germany on March 25, 1945.
  • WWII soldier Harry Elwood WRIGHT, from Nova Scotia, who was killed in action in The Netherlands on April 17, 1945.

…In Conversation And More….

  • We shared our condolences on the passing of Helen Coutts, sister of WWII pilot Elmer Bagnall MUTTART, in July 2023 at the age of 101.
  • We shared our condolences on the passing of Delbert Carr, nephew of WWI soldier Vincent CARR, in July 2023, and on the passing in April 2023 of Pam Alexander, whose father Reg Alexander was part of the Halifax L9561 crew in which WWII pilot Elmer Bagnall MUTTART lost his life.
  • We shared our condolences on the passing of John Robinson, nephew of WWI soldier Arthur Clinton ROBINSON in November 2023, and on the passing, also in November 2023 of Donald Moore, nephew of WWII soldier Archibald Phillip ‘Archie’ MCLEAN.
  • As part of our Remembrance Week 2023 feature, we shared updates on previous stories and about our visit to the Springhill Cenotaph in Springhill, Nova Scotia.
  • We wrote about the Remembrance Day ceremonies we attended in Borden-Carleton and Kinkora, two Prince Edward Island communities.

…. Interviews To Highlight Search For Photos….

Pieter did the following interviews:

  • Kevin Rollason of the Winnipeg Free Press wrote about Pieter’s search for photos and featured the story of WWII Medic John Lewis HUGHES, of Eriksdale, Manitoba, who died during the Battle of the Scheldt on November 2, 1944, and is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands. The article, ‘A Picture Of Compassion’, ran online and in the print edition on Friday, November 10, 2023.  See https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2023/11/10/a-picture-of-compassion
  • Pieter was interviewed by Fraser Needham of APTN’s Nation To Nation program, about the search for photos of WWII Indigenous soldiers, Benjamin Roy ASHKEWE, from Cape Croker, Ontario, and Charles NANIBUSH, from Shawanaga, Ontario. Both are buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands.  The interview ran on Thursday, November 9, 2023 and was subsequently posted on APTN’s YouTube Channel as ‘Their sacrifice should never ever be forgotten’: Extended interview with Pieter Valkenburg | N2N‘ To watch the 8:24 minute interview:

…. Letters To The Editor For Photo Searches….

Letters to the Editor in various newspapers were written in the quest for a photo for:

  • WWII soldier Austin Havelock MUNROE, who is buried in The Netherlands.  A letter to the editor was published in the Guysborough Journal on November 2, 2022. This search was successful.
  • WWII soldier Thomas Alfred BROWN, who is buried in The Netherlands.  A letter to the editor was published in The Consort Enterprise on April 26, 2023 and on ECA Review on April 27, 2023. This search was successful. (See https://ecareview.com/looking-for-photo-of-ww2-soldier/)

… Successful Search For Photos …..

Many WWII soldiers are buried in cemeteries in Europe.  Pieter continues to work with photo wish lists from Canadian War Cemeteries for WWII soldiers buried in The Netherlands.  This year we also received photos and information on soldiers buried in Belgium. 

Photos of soldiers buried in Dutch cemeteries were forwarded to researchers there for their digital archive. Whenever possible, stories are featured on the blog but there is a backlog due to the success of Pieter’s research.  I can’t keep up! This year, photos were found for:

Buried in Holten Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

  1. Percy Joseph BARRY
  2. Archibald BUNGAY
  3. Harry Henry DAVIS
  4. Theophile DUPERE
  5. Gerald Edward FERGUSON
  6. Arthur G. FLIEGER
  7. Clive Elbert Steele GEROW
  8. Frank GUIMOND
  9. Merle Vincent HAMILTON
  10. Lawrence Edward LUCAS
  11. Neil Roderick MACLEAN
  12. Joseph Taylor MACLEOD
  13. Joseph ‘Felicien’ MALLEY
  14. Stanley Leigh MCBEATH
  15. Archibald ‘Archie’ Phillip MCLEAN
  16. Ralph Foster MCLENAHAN
  17. Sydney Guy MOSHER
  18. Frank Eugene MUNROE
  19. James ‘Gordon’ MURPHY
  20. Seth Everett MURRAY
  21. Herbert ‘Murray’ RAFUSE
  22. Roslyn Ernest SANDS
  23. Sanford Steven SAULIS
  24. George Edward SHERWOOD
  25. Ronald Eugene SMITH
  26. James Edward SULLIVAN
  27. James Oliver THOMAS
  28. Gustav Evald ‘Ernie’ WINSA

Buried in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

  1. Walter Conrad BENJAMIN
  2. Thomas Alfred BROWN
  3. Norman Victor BUCHANAN
  4. Alexander Parke CALDWELL
  5. Cyrille CAISSIE
  6. Tom CHASKE
  7. Henri CORMIER
  8. Raymond Stavely ELLIOTT
  9. John ‘Jack’ Charles FORWARD
  10. Jean FRIGAULT
  11. Edgar M. GUITARD
  12. Lester L. HANLEY
  13. Raymond Arthur HOSSACK
  14. Maxwell KING
  15. Albert Noel LAMONTAGNE
  16. Gordon Archibald MACCALLUM
  17. Leo Alexander MACDOUGALL
  18. Neale Warren MERRITT
  19. Reginald Vincent MOOERS
  20. Austin Havelock MUNROE
  21. Delphis ROY
  22. Lawrence Arthur RUDOLPH
  23. Oxaird J. SAVOIE
  24. Thomas ‘Tom’ Hector SUTHERLAND
  25. George TAYLOR
  26. John Lewis WALLACE
  27. Harry WRIGHT

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

  1. Earl AGNEW
  2. Robert Oswald BLAKE
  3. Gerald Joseph BOUCHER
  4. James Burnes CARRUTHERS
  5. Donald Whitman COOK
  6. Adam KLEIN
  7. Denis Joseph LANDRY
  8. Harold Edward Roy MARTIN
  9. James A. ‘Jim’ MACLEOD
  10. Joseph Edmond NOELAN (NOWLAN)
  11. Ernest Patrick OWENS
  12. John Colin (Jack) POND
  13. Peter William PORTER
  14. Orville ‘Skip’ REEVES
  15. Elmer Daniel SCHOFIELD
  16. Leopold THERIAULT

 Buried in Rotterdam (Crooswijk) General Cemetery in The Netherlands:

  • John PALMER

Buried in Sleen General Cemetery in The Netherlands:

  1. Jack ‘Douglas’ MACKENZIE
  2. Raymond Hepton ‘Ray’ HILL

 Buried in Uden War Cemetery in The Netherlands:

  • George Glenn ‘Dusty’ MILLAR

 Buried in Adegem Canadian War Cemetery in Belgium:

  • Joseph Hudson PALLISTER

 Buried in Ligny St. Flochel British Cemetery in France:

  • Joseph ‘Arthur’ DESROCHES

 Listed On The Canadian National Vimy Memorial in France:

  • Merrill Augustus MARSHALL

Buried in Coriano Ridge War Cemetery in Italy:

  • Millard Emery ALLEN

 Photo Search For Airmen For Air Research Drenthe Foundation in The Netherlands:

One of the projects of the Air Research Drenthe Foundation in The Netherlands is to install information panels near WWII air crash sites. While many of the airmen lost their lives and are buried in The Netherlands or just across the border in Germany, other airmen survived the crash and were in prisoner of war camps until the war ended.  It can be difficult to find photos and families of airmen that survived, but Pieter took up the challenge.  Photos were found for:

  • Barry Matthews GODDEN, of Harbour Breton, Newfoundland, Flight Sergeant on Lancaster ED916, which crashed June 13, 1943. He died December 1, 2002 in Sydney, Nova Scotia.
  • Raymond ‘Ray’ Hepton HILL, of Montreal, Quebec, Air Gunner on Halifax DT630, which crashed February 3, 1943. He died in the crash and is buried at Sleen General Cemetery in Sleen, The Netherlands.
  • André Jean Jules HISETTE, of Cornwallis, Nova Scotia, Air Bomber on Halifax LW461, which crashed January 16, 1945. He died in the crash and is buried at Becklingen War Cemetery in Wietzendorf, Germany.
  • Eric ‘Raymond’ MARQUAND, of Winnipeg, Manitoba, Bomb Aimer on Halifax DT630, which crashed February 3, 1943. He died April 25, 2006 in Winnipeg, Manitoba.
  • Henry ‘Hank’ PANKRATZ, of Ottawa, Ontario, Wireless Operator on Halifax NP945, which crashed December 6, 1944.

… Unsuccessful Search For Photos …..

Not all searches have been successful, for one reason or another.  Below is a listing of some of the outstanding files for which research has been done, but no photo has been found.  If you can help with a photo, please let us know.

  1. John Frederick BARTLETT of Moreton’s Harbour, Newfoundland, son of Alfred and Jessie Bartlett, died February 27, 1945, aged 47, while serving with the South Alberta Regiment.
  2. Douglas Gordon BLACK of Amherst, Nova Scotia, son of Sherman and Alice Black, died March 3, 1945, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment.
  3. Clifford Alexander BLAKE of Toronto, Ontario, son of William C. and Sarah L. Blake, husband of Ferne E. Blake, died February 16, 1945, aged 23, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
  4. James Lyman CAMERON, born in Victoria-By-The-Sea, Prince Edward Island, son of Edward H. and Susan (Harrington) Cameron, died July 24, 1916, aged 23, while serving with the 7th Canadian Infantry Battalion (1st British Columbia). (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  5. Leigh Hunt CAMERON, born in Albany, Prince Edward Island, son of Anna Cameron, died May 5, 1916, aged 17, shortly after enlisting with the 105th Battalion, C Company. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  6. William Galen CAMPBELL, born in Wellington, Prince Edward Island, son of John G. and Grace Emma Campbell, died April 24, 1953, aged 55, many years after being discharged from the 8th Siege Battery of the 3rd Brigade Canadian Garrison Artillery. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  7. Karl CHRISTENSEN, from Alberta, but born in Starheim, Nordfjord, Norway, son of Kristian Kristiansen Hafsas and Marie K. Hafsas, died April 10, 1945, aged 41, while serving with the 8th Field Squadron, Royal Canadian Engineers.
  8. John Edward COLEMAN of Moncton, New Brunswick, son of Edward J. and Florence Coleman, husband of Della Coleman, died June 17, 1945, aged 32, while serving with the Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers.
  9. Lorne Mart COLFORD of Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, but born in Chezzetcook, Nova Scotia, son of Howard and Jeanette Colford, died April 14, 1945, aged 22, while serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.
  10. Bazil CORMIER, born in Tignish, Prince Edward Island, son of Joseph Cormier and Mary Arsenault, died August 12, 1918, aged 20, while serving with the 26th (New Brunswick) Battalion. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  11. Eric John CRUE of Moncton, New Brunswick, son of John and Margaret Crue, died April 6, 1945, aged 23, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment.
  12. James Frank DOLMAN of Flatlands, New Brunswick, son of Frank Dolman and Lydia Thompson, husband of Henriette Gertrude Lyons, died April 14, 1945, aged 32, while serving with the New Brunswick Rangers -10th Ind. Machine Gun Company.
  13. Samuel George ENGEN of The Pas, Manitoba, died April 23, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment.
  14. Douglas Bernard FARROW of Amherst, Nova Scotia, died April 26, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment.
  15. Clifford Glen FORSYTH born in Brandon, Manitoba, son of Alexander ‘Sandy’ Forsyth and Margaret McDougall, died April 11, 1945, aged 20, while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment.
  16. Ernest Ramey GALLANT, born in Borden (now Borden-Carleton), Prince Edward Island, son of John P. and Mary Blanche Gallant, died May 20, 1943, aged 27, while with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  17. William James ‘Jimmy’ Sutherland HOLE born in Carman, Manitoba, son of William and Eva Alise Hole, died April 22, 1945, aged 20, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
  18. Claude Pearley HUBLEY of Chipman, New Brunswick, son of Joshua and Adelia Hubley, husband of Agnes Myrtle Hubley, died April 25, 1945, aged 29, while serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.
  19. John Lewis HUGHES born in Eriksdale, Manitoba, son of Ebenezer George and Ellen (nee Rogan) Hughes, husband of Irene (nee Goodwin) Hughes of Winnipeg, Manitoba, died November 2, 1944, aged 28, while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corp – 10th Field Dressing Station.
  20. George Mcdonald JOHNSTON of Toronto, Ontario, son of William and Annie Johnston, died April 2, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the Lake Superior Regiment.
  21. Lloyd Edward KITCHING of Winnipeg, Manitoba, son of Robert Burns Lloyd Kitching, and stepson of Eva L. Kitching, died May 1, 1945, aged 25, while serving with the Royal Canadian Artillery – 6th Field Regiment.
  22. Wallace Herbert LARLEE of Perth, New Brunswick, died April 24, 1945, aged 19, while serving with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment.
  23. Logan Elwood LESLIE, born in Oxford, Nova Scotia, died April 9, 1945, son of John J. and Georgie Mary Leslie of Moncton, New Brunswick, while serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry.
  24. Charles W. LOWTHER, born in North Carleton, Prince Edward Island, son of Bessie Lowther, died September 25, 1918, aged 21, while serving with the 25th Battalion, Canadian Infantry. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  25. John Redmond MAHONEY, born in Port Elgin, New Brunswick, son of John J. and Gertrude C. Mahoney, died April 12, 1945, aged 30, while serving with the New Brunswick Rangers-10th Independent Machine Gun Company.
  26. Francis Leslie MULCAHY of Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of Daniel and Mary Mulcahy, died April 24, 1945, aged 21, while serving with the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment.
  27. Archibald Henry NELSON born in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, son of William Henry and Winnifred Frances Nelson, died April 18, 1945, aged 34, while serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment.
  28. Arthur Clinton ROBINSON, born in Tryon, Prince Edward Island, son of Albert J. and Flora P. Scruton Robinson, died March 27, 1916, aged 19, while serving with the 26th (New Brunswick) Battalion. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  29. Harry ROBINSON, born in Augustine Cove, Prince Edward Island, son of Thomas and Sarah Robinson, husband of Clara J. Robinson, died June 27, 1916, aged 34, while serving with the 105th Battalion, C Company. (Listed on the Borden-Carleton Cenotaph)
  30. Charles Patrick SHEFFIED of Sundridge, Ontario, son of Charles and Mrs Sheffield, husband of Bessie Alice Butler from Botwood, Newfoundland, and father of Patrick William Wallace Sheffield, died May 4, 1945, aged 24, while serving with the Algonquin Regiment.
  31. Charles Bernard STAFFORD of Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of Charles Bernard and Blanche Stafford, husband of Winifred Leitha Stafford of Intake, Sheffield, England, died April 18, 1945, aged 28, while serving with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps – 9th Field Ambulance.
  32. Harry WHITE of Halifax, Nova Scotia, son of Wilfred and Mary White, died May 19, 1945, aged 27, while serving with the West Nova Scotia Regiment.

… The YouTube Channel….

In 2023 the following videos were posted on the YouTube channel:  On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter Valkenburg: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJ591TyjSheOR-Cb_Gs_5Kw

  • S4E1 Battle Of Bienen
  • S4E2 The Last Flight Of Halifax JD215

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

As 2023 comes to an end, we would like to thank all who helped with researching these stories and contributed photos. We also thank readers of this blog, and the On The War Memorial Trail column in The County Line Courier, who suggested some of stories you’ve read.  A big thank you goes to Mike and Isabel Smith, owners of The County Line Courier. 

Thank you to all the families that contributed photos and stories. Thank you to Judie Klassen and Shawn Rainville who volunteered their time to help find families of soldiers through newspaper and online searches.  Thank you to Don Smith for answering any aircraft and military flight questions we’ve had. Thank you to Etienne Gaudet for visiting New Brunswick families on our behalf. 

Thank you to the media who helped publicize the search for photos and information – APTN, CBC Radio’s Maritime Noon, ECA Review, Guysborough Journal, The Consort Enterprise, and the Winnipeg Free Press.

Last, but not least, the YouTube channel and videos would not be possible without the invaluable support of post-production editor Wendy Nattress.  Wendy also designed and manages the book website: https://nosoldierforgotten.com/

….Happy Holidays…

Pieter and I wish you all the best for the holidays and in 2024. May we never forget those who gave their lives for our freedom.

Xmas greetings from Pieter and Daria

Pieter’s research work continues. If you have photos or information to share, please email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.  

© Daria Valkenburg

…Want to follow our research?…

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

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/

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On The War Memorial Trail…..‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten’ Is Still Available

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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.

December 19, 2023. We appreciate hearing from readers of ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten’, and love seeing the photos that you send.  In many cases, the only time we know someone has purchased a book is when they write to let us know. 

IMG_2273 Dec 1 2022 Ray Coulsen by John Wales

Ray Coulsen with book. (Photo credit: John Wales)

Ray Coulsen, Curator at the Nova Scotia Highlanders Regimental Museum in Amherst, Nova Scotia, purchased a copy and was able to read about two North Novies featured in the book:

  • James Arthur AFFLECK, buried at Calais Canadian War Cemetery in France
  • George Ashley BARTLETT, buried at Bayeux War Cemetery in France
John Wales

John Wales with book. (Photo courtesy of John Wales)

Until he moved from Amherst, John Wales had been the Assistant Curator at the Nova Scotia Highlanders Regimental Museum, and had also a great interest in the story of Elmer Bagnall MUTTART, of the Royal Canadian Air Force, who is buried in Harlingen General Cemetery in The Netherlands, and whose story is also featured in the book.

CIMG6561 Oct 20 2023 Paulette Ryan with book

Paulette Ryan with book. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Paulette Ryan contacted us after a trip in which she visited the Canadian War Cemeteries in The Netherlands.  We had a chance to meet for coffee as she had brought back a booklet for Pieter from Alice van Bekkum, Chair of the Faces To Graves Foundation Groesbeek.  The Dutch-language booklet contains short stories about some of the soldiers buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek.

CIMG6559 Oct 20 2023 Pieter with Paulette Ryan

Pieter with Paulette Ryan.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

 

20230918_124503 Sep 18 2023 Malcolm John Pres Richibuctu Legion with book

Malcolm John with book.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

This fall we visited the Richibucto Legion Branch No. 30 in Richibucto, New Brunswick, and met the Branch President, Malcolm John.  The Legion had photos of WWII soldier Albert Noel LAMONTAGNE in a shadow box donated by the family of Albert Chevarie.  Malcolm had sent us photos of every item in the shadow box, for an upcoming story in 2024 about this soldier, who is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands.

After purchasing a book last fall, Simone Comeau took the time to write.  “…I have just completed reading your interesting book. Your work and dedication is unbelievable. Thank you very much for all you have done and are still doing so that no one gave their lives in vain. Your efforts are a great relief to the families of the fallen soldiers as many were left just knowing their loved ones had died somewhere in Europe. This includes my family and my uncle’s siblings and their parents…”

Simone’s uncle, WWII soldier Joseph ‘Ambroise’ COMEAU, from Lower Saulnierville, Nova Scotia, was one of 5 soldiers from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders Regiment who drowned in a tragic accident on the Leda River during the Battle of Leer in Germany on April 28, 1945.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/05/17/on-the-war-memorial-trail-a-tragic-drowning-on-the-leda-river-in-germany-part-3/ and https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/11/10/on-the-war-memorial-trail-linking-the-past-with-the-present/)

If you’ve read ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten’ do let us know!  In case you missed an earlier blog posting, ‘Holten Heroes’, by Jan Braakman, and translated from Dutch by us, was published a few months ago.  For more information, see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/11/01/new-book-about-soldiers-buried-in-the-canadian-war-cemetery-in-holten-the-netherlands/

Thank you to Ray Coulsen, John Wales, Paulette Ryan, Malcom John, and Simone Comeau.  Do you have photos or information to share? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or tweet to @researchmemori1.

© Daria Valkenburg

…Previous Postings About The Book…

To read previous postings about ‘No Soldier Buried Overseas Should Ever Be Forgotten’:

….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/

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/ 

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On The War Memorial Trail….. Part 2: The WWII Letters Of Edison Reynolds Smith

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20220903_190017 Wayne and Angela Leighton in Annapolis Valley

Angela Leighton and her husband Wayne at the Lookoff (Blomidon) in Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley. (Photo submitted by Angela Leighton)

December 12, 2023. In Part 1 of the WWII letters of Edison Reynolds SMITH, which had been shared by his niece, Angela Leighton, Edison had enlisted and was in France.  Meanwhile, his family was dealing with the death of Edison’s younger brother Wesley – which Edison was as yet unaware of – and had received a telegram stating that Edison had been wounded.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/12/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-part-1-the-wwii-letters-of-edison-reynolds-smith/)

The telegram had been sent to Edison’s brother, Wesley Smith in Cooks Cove, Nova Scotia, stating that Edison had been wounded on June 9, 1944, but remained on duty with his unit.  However, Wesley did not receive the telegram – he had drowned on May 27, 1944.

Now, Edison’s story continues in Part 2…..

Edison Reynolds Smith

Edison Reynolds Smith.  (Photo courtesy of Angela Leighton)

… Edison was transferred to the Canadian Scottish Regiment…

According to his service file, Edison was in the hospital until June 11, 1944, after which he was transferred to the 1st Battalion, Canadian Scottish Regiment, British Western European Forces (BWEF).  In his letters, Edison didn’t mention being wounded.

His first letter from France, dated June 14, 1944 letter to his aunt, Elsie Myers, confirmed he was in the 1st Battalion, Cdn Scottish Regiment, ‘A’ Company. “…I am in France now.  I’ve been here a few days.  The last letter I wrote was before I left the docks in England…. The French people are very nice to us… I am with the Canadian Scottish Regiment and with a pretty good bunch of men.  George is over here too somewhere, I suppose, but he’d be with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders...”  Sgt George MYERS was a nephew of Edison’s uncle, Roland Myers.

On June 26, 1944, Edison wrote to his brother Wesley, still unaware that his brother had died on May 27, 1944.  “…Just a line or two to let you know I am still kicking….It’s pretty noisy here at times. Most of the fellows I’m with are from British Columbia….The days seem pretty long over here longer than they did in England.  I never got any leave or anything when I was in England… There are quite a few cattle over here. They are around our trenches every day….I might be able to get in the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, the same as George is in.  My name is gone in for them anyway…” 

On July 1, 1944, Edison got his wish and was transferred back to the North Nova Scotia Highlanders. 

… Edison was heartbroken to learn that his brother Wesley had died…

In a July 2, 1944 letter to his Aunt Elsie, Edison mentions he was now in ‘C’ Company of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders.  He was shocked to learn about his brother’s death. “…I was just over to see George and Percy.  I just arrived at this unit yesterday and I went to look George up this afternoon and found him, and I also saw Percy….”  Angela believes that Percy referred to Percy LUMSDEN.

 “…I was shocked when George told me about Wes.  Cold chills came over me when he handed me a piece that was cut out of the newspaper telling about the terrible thing that that happened to him. How did it happen?  I can hardly believe it.  I just trembled when I read it. I suppose you sent me the news but I haven’t received it yet because I have been moved around so much. I bet there was a large funeral. I suppose the reserve army was there too….It’s going to be hard on me for a while and all of us…Wes was a friend of everybody’s and was a smart boy too. He died a good soldier….”

Edison then wrote to his sister Dorothy on July 4, 1944. “…It’s hard for me to believe that Wes has been drowned. Charlie MacKenzie was drowned too…”  

… Edison related some of what he was experiencing …

In a July 12, 1944 to his Aunt Elsie, Edison carefully mentioned troop losses. “…We are moving deeper into France all the time.  We have lost a lot of the fellows I came overseas with.…I’ll be glad when we get to Paris…”

On July 15, 1944, he wrote to his cousin Abbie. “…I was down to the beach yesterday for a bath and I saw Percy there…. We are back of the lines now, having a rest after being in the front lines for over a month.  It’s a lot quieter back here and we can have a night’s sleep in peace.  My nerves were getting kind of shook up and a good rest will do a fellow good…”

It was Percy Lumsden who told him that the family had been informed that he was wounded, which he addressed in the letter to Abbie. “…Percy said he got a letter from Ruth and she said it was in the paper that that I was wounded.  I haven’t got a scratch on me.  It must be a mistake I guess…I hope you can make my writing out.  My hand is shakier than it was….”

It’s unclear whether Edison was simply sparing his family, as his service file clearly notes that he had been wounded and briefly hospitalized.

… Edison longed for the war to end …

Edison wondered if he’d made the right decision to enlist in his July 24, 1944 letter to his sister Dorothy. “…War is awful…and you don’t realize it until you get in the thick of it… I wish I had of stayed home and helped Uncle Rollie.  I might have been able to if I had of put in for farming leave early enough, but I was so anxious to get over here and get a crack at Jerry.  I’m not quite so anxious now though…”

Around the same date, he wrote more frankly to his cousin Abbie. “…I’m right in the front line.  I’ve been in the front line since D-Day, the day I landed in Normandy….The only pleasure we get here is getting letters.  We have it pretty tough of course, you can expect that in a place like this.….”

… Edison delighted in getting a care package from home …

Mail and care packages were morale boosters.  Edison’s August 2, 1944 letter to his sister Dorothy reflects this.  “…I got the box you sent me for my birthday. The oranges were rotten, but I found a couple that were fit to eat. The chocolates were in good shape though and so was the cake.  I enjoyed it very much. I gave some of the boys some chocolates and some of the cake…It was a treat for me to get those chocolates because it’s something you don’t see very often over here…”

 … Edison felt the tide of war was turning …

On September 2, 1944, in a letter to his sister Dorothy, Edison noted that France was nearly liberated.  “…We have been moving so fast that I don’t get much time to write.  The weather over here is terrible, wet, raining every day, but I imagine there will be a dry spell after a while… The war looks pretty good now.  Paris has fallen and we are nearing the borders of Germany and Belgium. It makes you feel good when we go into a town and see the streets lined with cheering Frenchmen.  They are certainly glad to see us coming….”

Edison related a close call in a September 7, 1944 letter to his cousin Abbie. “…I’ve had some close calls, but I’m still on the go.  I had a bullet go through my pant leg and a piece of shrapnel hit my steel helmet, so I think that’s close enough ….”

The last letter written by Edison was on October 6, 1944 to his uncle, Roland Myers. “…I am in Belgium now and we are having pretty good weather these last few days, nice and warm.….”   

What Edison was unable to explain was that he was in the midst of the Battle of the Scheldt, which had begun on October 2, 1944. (See https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_the_Scheldt and https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canada-and-the-battle-of-the-scheldt)

On October 6, 1944, Operation Switchback, the second main operation of the Battle of the Scheldt began, with the goal of clearing the ‘Breskens Pocket’ – the German defences around Breskens in The Netherlands. (See https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/breskenspocket.htm)

….How Edison Lost His Life….

Map showing where Edison lost his life

Edison was initially buried between Hoofdplaat and Terneuzen, The Netherlands.  (Map source: ‘No Retreating Footsteps’ by Will R. Bird)

On October 16, 1944, the North Nova Scotia Regiment was in The Netherlands, tasked with attacking a heavily defended dyke.  Sadly, it was the day that Edison lost his life, as was related in a November 17, 1944 letter to his aunt from Captain L.C. Niuhold, ‘C’ Company, North Nova Scotia Highlanders:  “…As second-in-command of the company in which your nephew served, I was present on the 16th of October in the battle in which he was killed. …

It was part of the campaign in the Scheldt in Holland which eventually opened the great port of Antwerp.  On the 16th of October the company was leading the battalion in an attack along a stubbornly defended dyke.  The going was slow and difficult but owing to the courage and determination of your nephew and his pals, the position was eventually taken. 

It was after we had reached our first objective and your nephew was bringing in some prisoners, that a burst of machine-gun fire from another direction hit him and instantly killed him.  The same burst of fire killed his platoon officer and another one of his pals who were with him.

Your nephew was buried, along with the other boys who died that day, in a pretty orchard in Southern Holland, with a funeral service held by our battalion padre.

I wish to extend my heartfelt sympathy to you in the loss of your nephew.  He is missed by everyone in the company as he was one of our best soldiers…”

… Edison is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem…

Edison was initially buried between the towns of Hoofdplaat and Terneuzen, The Netherlands. After the war ended, Edison was reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem, Belgium.  Pieter’s cousin, François Breugelmans visited Edison’s grave with his wife, Mieke de Bie, and ensured a Canadian flag was placed by his headstone.

SMITH and Francois from Mieke

François Breugelmans by the grave of Edison Reynolds Smith at the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem.  (Photo credit: Mieke de Bie)

Thank you to Angela Leighton for providing photos, Edison’s letters, and information.  Thank you also to François Breugelmans and Mieke de Bie for visiting Edison’s grave at the cemetery in Adegem. Do you have a story to tell? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.  

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?….

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

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. 

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On The War Memorial Trail….. Part 1: The WWII Letters Of Edison Reynolds Smith

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December 7, 2023. Whenever Pieter researches someone who has served in the military, we ask if there is any correspondence that the families might have. Sometimes a letter or postcard survives, which is wonderful.

In 2021, in the Atlantic Canada Remembers series, Angela Leighton submitted a photo of her uncle, Edison Reynolds SMITH, who was killed in action in The Netherlands on October 16, 1944, during the Battle of the Scheldt, while serving with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders.  He’s buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Adegem, Belgium.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/01/07/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-1/)

Edison Reynolds Smith

Edison Reynolds Smith.  (Photo courtesy of Angela Leighton)

After the article was posted, Angela wrote us with more information.  “…Edison Reynolds Smith was born May 11, 1924 on Port Hood Island, Cape Breton, Nova Scotia to parents Guy and Grace (nee Watts) Smith.  After his parents passed, Edison and his siblings were taken in by their aunt and uncle, Elsie and Roland Myers, and lived in Cooks Cove, Guysborough County, Nova Scotia from 1929 until 1944….”

Edison’s sense of duty was strong, and he enrolled in the 2nd (Reserve) Battalion of the Pictou Highlanders on August 24, 1942.  “…Edison joined the Militia in August 1942 and worked as a lumberman for his uncle until he enrolled in the Canadian Army on August 30, 1943….”  He enlisted at the No. 6 District Depot in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

20230616_085605_resized Angela Leighton

Angela Leighton, whose mother Dorothy was the younger sister of Edison Reynolds Smith, kept the letters he wrote to family.  (Photo submitted by Angela Leighton)

Angela then mentioned that she had letters that Edison had written during the time of his military service!  The letters reveal an engaging man who had suffered much tragedy in his young life, but never lost his optimistic spirit, even when he encountered more loss.  He was deeply interested in his family and friends, and kept up an active correspondence.  As time went on, he yearned to be back in Nova Scotia, surrounded by those he loved.

This was confirmed by Angela, whose mother Dorothy (Dot) was Edison’s sister.  “…His mother (my grandmother) died on January 11, 1928.  Her husband (my grandfather) died January 30, 1929. …It is no wonder Edison had such a love of family after such tragedy in those years before and really wanted to come back home….”

1943 Edison Smith with Dot and Wesley

Edison (left) with his sister Dorothy and younger brother Wesley in 1943.  (Photo courtesy of Angela Leighton)

… Edison began his army training in September 1943…

After enlisting, Edison was sent to No. 60 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre (CABTC) in Yarmouth, Nova Scotia on September 17, 1943.

On November 19, 1943, he was sent to A14 Canadian Infantry Training Centre (CITC) in Aldershot, Nova Scotia for further training.  He received embarkation leave, from January 22 to February 4, 1944, the last chance he had to see his family.

After returning from leave, Edison remained in Aldershot until February 20, 1944, when he was transferred to the No.1 Training Brigade in Debert, Nova Scotia for final training and preparation for overseas service.

In a March 15, 1944 letter to his sister Dorothy, written from No 2 Temporary Transit Camp in Debert, Edison related one of the experiences and mentioned a friend from back home: “…We just got back off of our three day scheme.  We slept out in the woods two nights and we marched about 26 miles altogether.  I didn’t mind it though. It was a change from sleeping in the barracks…I saw Victor Shea up here the other day, he just came here about three or four days ago….It was terrible cold here right after I came back off of my weekend.  It was about 20 below zero one night.  But it’s a lot warmer now.  We moved today to a different part of the camp…”

An April 1, 1944 letter to Dorothy, also written from Debert, noted that: “…my eyes have been paining me a little lately….I went on sick parade, but they only gave me a few tablets.…”

… Edison left Canada for overseas service in April 1944…

Not mentioned in the letter was that Edison was on his way to the United Kingdom.  On April 6, 1944 he left Canada, arriving in the United Kingdom on April 12, 1944, where he was assigned to No 4 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU).

Edison’s initial impression of England was positive, as he related in an April 14, 1944 letter to his sister Dorothy, written from No 4 CIRU: “…It’s lovely weather over here except it rains once in a while…I spent Easter in the middle of the Atlantic.  It was a nice place to spend Easter, wasn’t it?….I had a good trip coming across but it was a little crowded….”

Not long afterwards, Edison was sent to No 10 Battalion, Canadian Base Reinforcement Group (CBRG), but was still in England.  A poignant May 11, 1944 letter to his aunt, Elsie Myers, reflected that “…Today is my birthday. I hope I will be home my next birthday…”

… Edison loved getting mail from back home…

In a May 25, 1944 letter, written from No 10 Battalion CBRG in England, Edison answered his sister Dorothy’s query about Victor Shea. “…I got two letters today and both from you. There’s nothing cheers me up any more than getting letters…..I haven’t seen Vic for a while.  He is not with me at all now.  He was with me all the time coming across on the ship from Canada and he ate and slept right where I did all the way coming across…” 

Victor SHEA had joined the Canadian Parachute Battalion in 1942.  When more soldiers were needed for battle on the beaches of Normandy after D-Day, he transferred to infantry and was on the front lines, joining the North Nova Scotia Highlanders.   He received France’s Croix de Guerre (Medal of Valour) for his bravery in the liberation of France.

Before ending his letter, Edison assured his sister that he appreciated a parcel she’d sent. “…Thank you so much for the box you sent me.  We get lots to eat but it’s nice to have a change from army grub…”

Dorothy wasn’t the only one to inquire about Victor Shea and other soldiers from their area.  In a May 25, 1944 letter to his cousin Abbie, daughter of his uncle Roland and aunt Elsie Myers, Edison explained that “…Vic Shea isn’t where I am at all now so there isn’t any one from home with me now….They are about the only ones anyways handy from home.  But I know a lot of the boys here by now because I went through all my training in Canada with them….If they send me a box from home, tell them to send me a few apples because I never tasted a bit of fruit of any kind since I came over here…”

… Edison leaves for France and the D-Day invasion with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders…

On June 2, 1944, Edison was assigned to the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, as they prepared to leave the United Kingdom for France as part of the 21st Army Group.

The war diary for the North Nova Scotia Highlanders for June 3, 1944 noted that they “… embarked from G1 Hard, Stokes Bay…..” and were “…lying out in the Southampton waters just outside Netley…” while awaiting clearance to cross the English Channel.

There was a delay in leaving due to heavy winds on June 4, so it wasn’t until June 5, 1944 that the crossing began.  “…At 1400 hours the flotilla moved out to the open sea and formed up with the other craft taking part in the invasion…”  This, of course, was to be what we know as D-Day.

On June 6, 1944, the war diary recorded that “…by 1400 hours all our troops were ashore, but as the Eighth Canadian Infantry Brigade had not found the going as easy as expected, we were unable to get through the town and were unable to assemble at ‘ELDER’, near Beny-Sur-Mer, as planned, and the Commanding Officer decided to assemble in a field….”

D-Day was Edison’s first experience of fighting, but he survived.

… Tragedy strikes but Edison was not yet aware of another loss…

In early June, 1944, a telegram was sent to Edison’s brother, Wesley Smith in Cooks Cove, Nova Scotia, stating that Edison had been wounded on June 9, 1944, but remained on duty with his unit.  A notice of his being wounded is also recorded in Edison’s service file.  However, Edison later stated to his family that he was not wounded.

Edison and Wesley Smith better res

Edison (left) and Wesley Smith. (Photo courtesy of Angela Leighton)

What Edison didn’t know – and apparently neither did the military who sent the telegram – was that his younger brother Wesley, who was in the Reserves, had drowned on May 27, 1944.  He was only 16 years old.

….Coming up in Part 2…

In Part 2, Edison sees active service in France, Belgium, and The Netherlands and learns about the loss of his younger brother.   

Thank you to Angela Leighton for sharing photos and letters written by her uncle.  Do you have information to share about Canadian soldiers, please email us 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/

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 WWII Soldier Killed By Mortar Fire When His Brother Was Two Years Old

/ On The War Memorial Trail With Pieter & Daria / 4 Comments

November 29, 2023.  After posting a photo search request for WWII soldier James ‘Jim’ Andrew MACLEOD on a Restigouche Facebook page, Pieter was contacted by Sheila Braun, who wrote that “…his brother Earle lives on Prince Edward Island…” and she let Earle know about the request. 

Very quickly Pieter and Earle were in touch with each other and we met him and his wife Nancy at their home in Little Sands. “…I was only 2 years old when my brother died...” Earle explained.

CIMG6667 Nov 17 2023 Pieter with Nancy & Earl MacLeod

Pieter with Nancy and Earle MacLeod. (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

… Jim altered his birth year in order to enlist…

Born in Campbelltown, New Brunswick, James ‘Jim’ Andrew MacLeod was the son of John Earle and Christina MacLeod.  According to his Attestation form and Militia documents, he was born on December 19, 1924, but Earl and Nancy explained that he lied about his age and he was actually a year younger.  This matches what was filled out by his mother on the Estate Form, listing his date of birth as December 19, 1925.

When Jim enlisted with the No. 7 District Depot in Fredericton, New Brunswick on July 16, 1943, he had already been in the 2nd Battalion, 103rd Battery Non-Permanent Militia since October 25, 1941.  He also had a full time position as a watchman at Fraser Company, a pulp and paper mill in Campbelltown. 

Jim MacLeod coulourized photo2

James ‘Jim’ Andrew MacLeod. (Photo courtesy of Earle and Nancy MacLeod on behalf of the MacLeod Family.  Photo colourization: Pieter Valkenburg)

The interviewer for his Canadian Army Personnel Selection Record noted that Jim enjoyed “…hockey, swimming, fishing….” and wanted to be in the “…infantry so as to take Basic and Advanced Training in New Brunswick with friends…”

On August 5, 1943, Jim was sent to No. 70 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre (CA(B)TC) in Fredericton for basic training.  On September 28, 1943, his Personnel Selection Record was updated, stating that Jim “…is not satisfied with Infantry.  He had training in the Royal Canadian Artillery Reserve and desires an allocation to that arm…..He had some experience as a truck driver and as a mechanic’s helper. Could be used as a driver i/c …”

On October 8, 1943 he was posted to the A-30 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Utopia, located northeast of St. George, New Brunswick.  After his 5th week of training, his Personnel Selection Record was updated. “…Very good progress in Advanced training (Infantry)….Good stability, well disciplined….Outstanding in platoon….”

… Jim became a driver mechanic…

On December 5, 1943, Jim was sent to Woodstock, Ontario for a Driver Course i/c course at the S-5 Canadian Driving and Maintenance School (CD & M School).  He successfully completed this on January 21, 1944 and was qualified as a Driver i/c Class III.  (The term ‘Driver i/c’ refers to ‘Driver, internal combustion’.  Class III meant he was qualified to drive heavy trucks and armoured cars.)

Jim remained in Woodstock to take a Driver Mechanic Course, and on March 15, 1944 was qualified as a Driver Mechanic Class I.

On March 18, 1944, Jim returned to the A-30 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Utopia in preparation for overseas service.  He received two weeks of embarkation leave, from April 14 to 27, 1944, the last time he would see his family.

The last day at home

James ‘Jim’ Andrew MacLeod on his last day at home.  (Photo courtesy of Earle and Nancy MacLeod on behalf of the MacLeod Family.)

… Jim left Canada for overseas service in May 1944…

On May 1, 1944 Jim left Canada for the United Kingdom.  Upon arriving on May 7, 1944 he was assigned to No 4 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU).

While in the United Kingdom, Jim continued his training, completing a First Aid Course shortly after his arrival, and then qualifying as a Driver i/c (T) Q2 in July 1944.

On September 10, 1944 he was sent to France with the X-L infantry reinforcement troops of the 21st Army Group.

… Jim joined the Algonquin Regiment in Belgium…

Screenshot 2023-11-28 at 11-59-28 Assenede · Belgium with arrows

James ‘Jim’ Andrew MacLeod joined the Algonquin Regiment in Assenade, Belgium, as they travelled towards Brasschaat.  (Map source: Google maps)

On September 19, 1944 he was assigned to the Algonquin Regiment, joining them in Assenade, Belgium, located not far from the Dutch border.  The Regiment had suffered heavy losses during the battles to capture the canals around Moerkerke and needed reinforcements as they slowly advanced towards the Scheldt and the need to liberate the port of Antwerp.

By October 18, 1944, the Regiment was near Westmaele, north-east of Antwerp.  In ‘Warpath The Story of the Algonquin Regiment 1939-1945’, author Major G. L. Cassidy wrote that “… on October 19th, a battalion reconnaissance party went north to Camp de Brasschaet for a look at the terrain where the next day’s battle was to be fought…..” 

… Jim was hit by a mortar shell while on patrol…

Screenshot 2023-11-26 at 13-48-12 Where is Esschen in Belgium

Map shows the location of Essen, Belgium, where James ‘Jim’ Andrew MacLeod lost his life.  (Map source: Google)

That night, orders came to “…advance and capture the town of Esschen, moving along two centre lines in two brigade groups….”

While the Algonquin Regiment was in Esschen (Essen in English), Belgium, the October 23, 1944 War Diary entry recorded that “…patrols were sent out during the night.  An ‘A’ Company patrol which went out to recce a bridge east of town came under heavy mortar fire and one man was killed and two wounded…”

‘Warpath’ provided a bit more clarity. “….An ‘A’ Company patrol, sent out to recce a bridge to the east, came under a mortar concentration and lost two men wounded, Ptes J.  Burant and J. Bordignon, and one man killed, Pte J. A. MacLeod….”  Jim was only 18 years old.

… Jim is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom…

Grave of Jim MacLeod in BOZ from Find A Grave

Grave of James ‘Jim’ Andrew MacLeod at the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom. (Photo source: http://www.findagrave.com)

Jim was initially buried in Brasschaat, Belgium, along a road at the entrance to the Sanatorium, before being reburied the following year in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands.

Earle remembers that “…my mother would never put up the Christmas tree before December 19 after Jim died.  That was the first official Christmas day….” Needless to say, this is a family that never forgot the loss of a beloved son and brother.

Thank you to Earle and Nancy MacLeod for providing photos and information.  Thank you also to Sheila Braun for help with contacting family. Do you have a story to tell? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or send a tweet to @researchmemori1.  

© 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/

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. 

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On The War Memorial Trail….. The WWII Soldier From Moncton Who Lost His Life During The Battle of Walcheren Causeway

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November 20, 2023. When Pieter began his research into WWII soldier Leonard William PORTER of Moncton, New Brunswick, he discovered they had something in common, as he wrote to Leonard’s son, Peter Porter.  “…I noticed that he was born on the same day as myself but 26 years earlier, on the 25th of March 1918….” 

This was a promising start to the research, which continued after he quickly received a photo of Leonard after reaching out to Peter, and then we were able to meet Peter and his son Shane.  Asked how he felt about being approached for a photo, Peter said “…I think this is wonderful…”

CIMG6567 Oct 23 2023 Shane Peter Pieter

Shane and Peter Porter with Pieter.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Born March 25, 1918 in Moncton, New Brunswick, Leonard was the son of Andrew and Ella Elizabeth (nee Beers) Porter. 

At the time of his marriage to Kathryn Doris Meaghan on December 6, 1941 in Moncton, Leonard listed his occupation as Sergeant in the New Brunswick Regiment (Tanks), a non-Permanent Active Militia unit.  He didn’t mention that he was also employed by the T. Eaton Company.

….Leonard was in the militia for several years….

Leonard had joined the militia on March 12, 1939, and qualified as a Sergeant on June 20, 1940.  He served in Borden, Ontario, St John, New Brunswick, and Shediac, New Brunswick. As of August 11, 1940 he had been appointed as an Instructor with A & T Staff 19th (Reserve) Army  Tank Regiment.

Leonard William Porter from Peter Porter

Leonard William Porter while serving with the New Brunswick Regiment (Tank) militia.  (Photo courtesy of Peter Porter)

He qualified as a Driver i/c Class III on June 4, 1942, after successfully completing a 6 week driving course at the S-5 Canadian Driving and Maintenance School (CD & M School) in Woodstock, Ontario. This meant he was qualified to drive heavy trucks and armoured cars. 

On June 10, 1942, Leonard was promoted to Squadron Sgt-Major Warrant Officer II (SSM (WOII)). 

On October 3, 1942, he was sent to the A-30 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Utopia, located northeast of St. George, New Brunswick to attend a Mortar and Grenade course.

On January 13, 1943, he was sent to Buctouche, New Brunswick.  While posted there he took a Browning Machine Gun course. 

Leonard and Kathryn’s son Peter James was born on February 19, 1943 in Moncton, New Brunswick.

From March to August 1943 Leonard served in Richibucto and Sussex, then from September until November 15, 1943 he was in Tracadie and Fredericton, all in New Brunswick. 

While he was in the Militia, with the New Brunswick Regiment (Tanks), Leonard also held a full time position for 5 years as a grocery clerk with the T. Eaton Company, a department store, in Moncton.

….Leonard enlisted for active service in the Canadian Army….

On November 16, 1943, he enlisted in the active service force at the No. 7 District Depot in Fredericton, New Brunswick.  In the interview for his Personnel Selection Record, it was noted that Leonard was “...fond of bowling. Does some hunting and fishing. Reads Esquire, Readers Digest, and fiction….”  Peter Porter mentioned that his father also “….played a piano-accordion...”

Although Leonard had spent several years in the Militia, he was still sent for basic training, like any new recruit.  On December 7, 1943, he reported to No. 70 Canadian Army Basic Training Centre (CA(B)TC) in Fredericton. But, he was given a 5 day pass for Christmas leave, from December 23 to 28, the last Christmas he would spend with his family.

On February 15, 1944, Leonard returned to the A-30 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Utopia, located northeast of St. George, New Brunswick.  After his 5th week of training, his Personnel Selection Record was updated.  “….Leadership ability is apparent, exerts influence over his fellows. Quiet, steady, confident… Interested and ambitious…..Watch for promotions….”

Leonard was selected for the 3 inch mortar training course, which ran from April 10 to April 29, 1944.  After receiving his qualification in this course, on May 4, 1944 he was sent to Woodstock, Ontario for a Carrier Driver Course at the S-5 Canadian Driving and Maintenance School (CD & M School).  He had been there in 1942 while with the militia.

On June 14, 1944, he received his qualification as a Driver i/c Class III (Wheeled) (3 inch Mortarman). The term ‘Driver i/c’ refers to ‘Driver, internal combustion’.  Class III meant he was qualified to drive heavy trucks and armoured cars. Wheeled refers to wheeled vehicles.  As a mortarman,  Leonard could not only drive vehicles containing bombs, but also be part of the mortar crew firing them. (See https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/weapons/lightweapons/mortars/3inchmortar.htm)

On June 24, 1944, Leonard returned to the A-30 Canadian Infantry Training Centre at Camp Utopia in preparation for overseas service.  He received two weeks of embarkation leave, from June 29 to July 12, 1944, the last time he would see his family.

… Leonard left Canada for overseas service in July 1944…

On July 20, 1944, Leonard left Canada for the United Kingdom.  Upon arriving on July 27, 1944 he was assigned to No 4 Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (CIRU). 

His stay in the United Kingdom was short, as on September 1, 1944 he was sent to France with the X-L infantry reinforcement troops of the 21st Army Group.

Screenshot 2023-11-19 at 12-54-37 Loon-Plage · 59279 France

Leonard joined the Calgary Highlanders in Loon Plage, France.  (Map source: Google maps)

On September 12, 1944, he was transferred to the Calgary Highlanders, joining them in Loon Plage, France, not that far from the Belgian border.   The Regiment, part of the Canadian 5th Infantry Brigade, was engaged in patrolling operations and needed to be constantly on the alert from the heavily fortified Dunkirk (Dunkerque in French).

The War Diary entry for September 12, 1944 for the Calgary Highlanders reported that “…. during the evening, heavy bombers were heard roaring out toward German territory and heavy shelling and mortaring were heard coming from the direction of Dunkerque….” The situation intensified in the days that followed.  On September 14, 1944, the War Diary entry recorded that “…forty-four other ranks arrived as reinforcements to the Battalion...”  Leonard would have been one of these men.

… The Regiment was in the Battle of the Scheldt…

By September 18, 1944 the Calgary Highlanders had crossed into Belgium and were temporarily based in Wommelgem, just outside Antwerp, while the Regiment was engaged in the preparations for and participation in the Battle of the Scheldt, which began officially on October 2 and lasted until November 8, 1944.

The Battle of the Scheldt’s objective was to free up the way to the Port of Antwerp in Belgium for supply purposes. Canadians suffered almost 8,000 casualties (wounded and dead) in what turned out to be the battle with the most Canadian casualties in The Netherlands. (See https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war/scheldt)

During their stay in the Wommelgem area, several members of the Calgary Highlanders lost their lives, and were temporarily buried there, before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/02/13/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-search-for-soldiers-who-died-in-wommelgem-belgium-in-fall-1944/)

On October 7, 1944, the Regiment left Belgium and arrived in The Netherlands in the early morning, with the War Diary recording that “…at 05:50 hours the group crossed the border into Holland…” and was based at Jansen Farm.

On October 11, 1944, the Regiment moved again, to De Geest, then on October 15, 1944 to Hinkelenrood and based at Van De Maegdenburg’s Farm.  Their task was mainly recce patrol.  On October 22, 1944 the Regiment arrived in Ossendrecht.   Then, on October 26, 1944, the Regiment arrived in Woensdrecht.

… The Regiment was involved in the Battle of Walcheren Causeway…

The stay in Woensdrecht was short, as on October 28, 1944 the Regiment made its way across the isthmus towards South Beveland.  By October 31, 1944, the Calgary Highlanders were to cross the Sloe Channel in assault boats towards the German-held Walcheren Island. 

The original plan to cross the Sloe Channel failed, as the Black Watch of Canada, the troops of the 5th Canadian Brigade that were in the lead, found that assault boats were useless in the deep mud of the channel.

The only route open was the Walcheren Causeway (known as Sloedam in Dutch), a land bridge from South Beveland to the Island. The Causeway was a dyke – 1,600 metres (1 mile) long and just 45 metres (40 yards) in width.

Walcheren2

Map showing troops at the beginning of the Battle of Walcheren Causeway.  (Map source: Wikipedia)

In what became known as the Battle of Walcheren Causeway, part of the larger Battle of the Scheldt, the struggle to cross the Causeway was hampered.  A deep crater on the causeway had been blown by German engineers as an anti-tank obstacle and the surrounding landscape was severely damaged by bombing.

After the Black Watch of Canada suffered heavy losses during the crossing on the evening of October 31, 1944, the Calgary Highlanders sent two companies over in succession, one close to midnight on the 31st and the other just before dawn on November 1. The first attack, on October 31, stalled just past the bomb crater on the Causeway.

In the November 1 early morning attack, carried out under artillery fire, Canadian troops reached the other side of the dam and opened up a bridgehead on the island. The Germans continued to fire upon troops, and it wasn’t until that evening that Canadian survivors succeeded in getting back to the Beveland side.

The November 1, 1944 War Diary entry for the Calgary Highlanders starkly summed up what happened. “…Fighting along the Causeway had been terrific for the last 40 hours and words are inadequate to express all the difficulties that had to be surmounted to make an advance along the ….narrow Causeway.  The memory of it will live long in the minds of the Calgary Highlanders….”

(For more information, see https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Walcheren_Causeway and https://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/battlehonours/northwesteurope/walcherencauseway.htm)

… Leonard lost his life in the Battle of Walcheren Causeway…

Location Lewedorp on google maps

Leonard was initially buried in Lewedorp.  (Map source: Google maps)

64 members of the Calgary Highlanders were either killed or wounded in this battle.  One of them was Leonard, who died on November 1, 1944, aged 26.  He was initially buried on Walcheren Island in Lewedorp, behind the Roman Catholic Church.

Lewedorp,_de_Rooms_Katholieke_kerk_in_straatzicht_foto4_2015-09-29_17.19 from Wikimedia

The Roman Catholic Church in Lewedorp.  (Photo source: Wikipedia)

The Germans surrendered the area on November 5, 1944.  Today, the Causeway that caused so many casualties no longer exists. Land on both sides of the dyke has been reclaimed and the Sloe Channel is now farmland. However, remnants of German concrete fortifications still exist both on Walcheren Island and South Beveland.

… Leonard is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom…

Leonard was reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands in 1946.

Grave of Leonard Porter from Findagrave

Grave of Leonard William Porter at the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom. (Photo source: Find A Grave)

Leonard’s widow never remarried.  Her son Peter explained that “….my mother was a hairdresser, and owned her own business.  She became president of the Ladies Auxiliary of the Royal Canadian Legion and was involved in the Poppy Campaign.  She also used to send money to people in The Netherlands who were adopting graves…”

Peter reflected that being involved in the Legion was his mother’s “…way to commemorate.  Every September until November 11, she was busy….” 

Thank you to Peter Porter for providing a photo and information about his parents. Do you have a story to tell? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog.  

© Daria Valkenburg

….Want to follow our research?….

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

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. 

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On The War Memorial Trail…..Remembrance Week 2023 – We Remember

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November 12, 2023.  After a hectic week of activities, Remembrance Week is over for 2023.  However, in the Valkenburg household, remembrance of those who served continues all year round through Pieter’s research and the documentation of as much of his research as possible.

Here’s a whirlwind tour through some of the activities on Prince Edward Island in which we participated over this past week….

…Flags placed at graves of veterans….

On November 3, 2023, Pieter, along with fellow veteran Mario Henry, and Mario’s son Laurie, placed Canadian flags at the graves of veterans buried in 9 cemeteries, and at 4 cenotaphs, in the area covered by the Royal Canadian Legion’s Borden-Carleton Branch #10.  This has been done annually for over 20 years.

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Pieter Valkenburg (left) and Mario Henry at Bedeque Cemetery. (Photo credit: Laurie Henry)

 …Remembrance Week presentations at three schools….

Three Island schools were visited on November 6, 2023 – Somerset Elementary and Kinkora Regional High School in Kinkora, plus Amherst Cove Consolidated in Borden-Carleton.  Kinkora Regional High School even provided a delicious lunch! 

CIMG6592 Nov 6 2023 Somerset Elementary in Kinkora

Somerset Elementary School in Kinkora. Left to right:  Arthur Ranahan, Pieter Valkenburg, Kathy Henry, Sea Cadet Makia MacLean, Roger Leboeuf, Air Force Cadet Alessandria Recio, George Palmer, Sea Cadet Olivia Bulman, Mario Henry, Abigail Bulman, Trish Taylor, PEI (17th Recce) Canada Cadet Thomas Palmer, Dawn Gradwell.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

CIMG6603 Nov 6 2023 Somerset Elementary in Kinkora children with poppy posters

Children at Somerset Elementary in Kinkora presented poppy posters to the Legion members.  Pieter and Dawn Gradwell hold up two of the posters.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

CIMG6601 Nov 6 2023 Somerset Elementary in Kinkora children with poppy posters

Poppy poster presented by one young artist to Pieter.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

…Remembrance Day in Borden-Carleton….

November 11 was bitterly cold this year, with intermittent rain throughout the day, and light snow flurries in the afternoon.  Luckily it stayed dry during the two Remembrance Day ceremonies in which Pieter participated.

In the morning we were at the Remembrance Day ceremony in Borden-Carleton.

CIMG6623 Nov 11 2023 Borden Carleton Pieter Valkenburg & Danny Bernard with Canada wreath

Danny Bernard carried the Government of Canada wreath which Pieter placed at the Cenotaph outside the Borden-Carleton Legion.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

CIMG6634 Nov 11 2023 Borden Carleton Cenotaph

Cenotaph at Borden-Carleton Legion with the official wreaths.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

…Remembrance Day in Kinkora….

It was so cold that we went home to warm up before going on to Kinkora for the Remembrance Day ceremony in the afternoon.

CIMG6636 Nov 11 2023 Kinkora Valkenburg Hall MacDonald Dean

A chance to warm up before the service in Kinkora began. Left to right:  Pieter, RCMP Cst Nicole Hall (ret), The Honourable Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, Rev William Dean of the North Tryon Presbyterian Church.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

CIMG6641 Nov 11 2023 Kinkora Heath lays wreath that Pieter carried

The Honourable Heath MacDonald, MP for Malpeque, and Pieter after laying the wreath in Kinkora.  Flag bearers: Roger Leboeuf (left) and Arthur Ranahan (right).  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

Following the ceremonies we were very happy to return to our warm house and reflect on how lucky we are to live in a country where we could return to a pleasant home, free of war and strife.  May we never forget the sacrifices made by so many, and may we never forget that so many people today live in a war zone and are experiencing death, uncertainty, and insecurity in not knowing what will happen next.  Lest we forget is never more appropriate.

Do you have a story to tell? Email Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or send a tweet to @researchmemori1.  

© 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/

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. 

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On The War Memorial Trail…..Remembrance Week 2023 – Updates To Previous Stories

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1200x600-remembrance-day-1-1024x512

November 10, 2023.  When we write a story on the blog, we often receive additional information.  As we reflect on the service and sacrifices made by those who’ve served, it’s a good time to provide updates on previous stories and share our visit to the beautiful Springhill Cenotaph in Springhill, Nova Scotia.

…Update to the story about WWII pilot Jack MacKenzie….

After reading the story about WWII pilot Jack MacKenzie, from Winnipeg, Manitoba, who died at the controls of his plane, Halifax DT630, after being attacked on February 3, 1943 over The Netherlands, Yannic Wethley, a board member for the Air Research Drenthe Foundation (Stichting Luchtoorlog Onderzoek Drenthe) contacted us.

Memorial panel Halifax DT630

Memorial panel honouring the crew of Halifax DT630.  (Photo courtesy of Stichting Luchtoorlog Onderzoek Drenthe – http://www.slodrenthe.nl)

The Foundation, which began in 2015, had installed a memorial panel for the crew of Halifax DT-630 near the crash site, and to explain the circumstances of what happened.  (See Halifax Mk.II DT630 VR-T – Stichting Luchtoorlog Onderzoek Drenthe.)

You can read Jack’s story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/02/19/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-pilot-killed-at-the-controls-of-his-halifax-bomber/ and about the 2022 Christmas Eve candle lighting ceremony at Sleen General Ceremony, where Jack is buried, at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/12/26/2022-christmas-eve-candle-lighting-in-the-netherlands/

Several photos of crew members were missing, and Yannic explained that the panel would be updated once pictures of all crew members were found.  “…We are still searching for the pictures of Warrant Officer Second Class Raymond Hepton ‘Ray’ Hill and Sergeant Eric Raymond Marquand...”

Hill was from Montreal, Quebec, and Marquand was from Winnipeg, Manitoba, and we offered to help the Foundation in their photo search quest.  A newspaper photo of Hill was subsequently found.  Jamie Nelson-Dixon, the granddaughter of Eric ‘Raymond’ MARQUAND’s sister Louisa, provided a photo of her great-uncle.

Eric Raymond Marquand

Eric ‘Raymond’ Marquand.  (Photo courtesy of Jamie Nelson-Dixon)

With all the photos of the crew members of Halifax DT630 now found, the memorial panel will be updated, likely in 2024.

…Update to the story about WWII soldier Adam Klein….

After we did a story about WWII soldier Adam KLEIN, from Disley, Saskatchewan, who died in The Netherlands while crossing the Maas River in January 1945, , and is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom, The Netherlands, we heard from Peter-Willem Langebeeke of the War Museum in Veen, The Netherlands.

“…Nice to read your story about Adam Klein. We also have contact with the family, two sisters and their daughters…. Adam’s story is also an important part of our battlefield tour….” Peter-Willem wrote. (Translation from the original Dutch) 

We asked if tours were available in English as well as Dutch, and the answer was yes.  It’s on our ‘must visit’ list for our next trip to The Netherlands! For more information, please visit their website: www.oorlogsmuseumveen.nl or send an email to oorlogsmuseumveen@gmail.com.

Adam’s story was told in this posting: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/07/20/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-wwii-soldier-from-disley-who-lost-his-life-while-swimming-across-the-maas-river/  

His story was close to home as Pieter and I are very familiar with the location where he lost his life.  Many of Pieter’s ancestors are from this area and we have been there many times over the decades in tracing his family history. 

Adam’s great-nephew Mike Wilson wrote on behalf of himself and his mother Joyce: “…Thank you so much or including Adam Klein in your project and blog. We are very honoured and moved by your work…”

…Family member of WWII soldier Robert Theodore Cole contacted us….

We love hearing from family members and very much appreciated it when Susan (Cole) Getson contacted us through our blog about Robert Theodore COLE of Coles Island, New Brunswick.  Robert’s story was briefly told as part of the Atlantic Canada Remembers series we did in 2021 (see https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/01/27/on-the-war-memorial-trail-atlantic-canada-remembers-part-5/).  He’s buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands.

“…I sincerely appreciate all the hard work you do. Mr. Robert Theodore Cole which you have listed is my great uncle. My father was only 8 when his uncle died but the stories of Uncle Robert have lived on. I have his medals and his military records which I cherish. My own grandchildren know of their 3x great uncle and his sacrifice and as a family, we go to the monument in our area which lists his name and place flags and poppies for him and other relatives who served. Thank you so much for your hard work, I for one truly appreciate it....”

…Family members of WWII soldier Sanford Saulis visited Holten….

We were delighted to hear from Conrad Saulis, nephew of WWII soldier Sanford Steven SAULIS of Maliseet, New Brunswick, who is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/02/27/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembering-sanford-steven-saulis/)

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The Saulis family at the grave of Sanford Steven Saulis in Holten. (Photo courtesy of Conrad Saulis.)

Conrad wrote us, saying “…Woliwon. I’m sending you some pics from a trip I made this July to the Netherlands, in particular to visit my Uncle Sanford’s grave. It was very emotional for sure. I thought about my dad as we stood at Sanford’s grave playing a Wolastoqey honour song…”

Crew at Holten welcome centre

The Saulis family at the Holten Canadian Cemetery Information Centre. (Photo courtesy of Conrad Saulis)

“…We had good talks with the folks from the Welcome Centre in the ‘Crew’ pic.  (L to R) Robert (a volunteer for the Centre) – my sister Vickie, her hubby Terry, their daughter (my niece) Torie, Jan (from the Centre), me and my son Garrett. The folks from the Centre were so welcoming to us and helped us in so many ways including Robert’s wife Rosa…” 

…We visited the Springhill Cenotaph….

Every year we try to visit a memorial or monument honouring a soldier or airman whose story we told.  This past summer we visited Springhill, Nova Scotia, home of the Anne Murray Centre.

CIMG6421 Jul 8 2023 Pieter by Anne Murray Centre

Pieter outside the Anne Murray Centre. The singer is a favourite of his! (Photo credit:  Daria Valkenburg)

Down the street from the Anne Murray Centre is the Springhill Cenotaph. (See https://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/national-inventory-canadian-memorials/details/467)

CIMG6423 Jul 8 2023 Pieter by Springhill monument

Pieter by the Springhill Cenotaph. (Photo credit:  Daria Valkenburg)

We were there to pay our respects to Lt Donald Charles MACKENZIE of Springhill, Nova Scotia, who lost his life on April 22, 1945, during the Battle of the Delfzijl Pocket, while serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.   Donald was initially buried in Loppersum General Cemetery in Groningen, before being reburied in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands. 

For more information on Donald, please see:

Jul 8 2023 Pieter by Springhill monument with MacKenzie name

Pieter by the listing for Donald Charles MacKenzie on the Springhill Cenotaph.  (Photo credit: Daria Valkenburg)

…Looking for a photo of one name listed on the Springhill Cenotaph….

WWII soldier Logan Elwood LESLIE is also listed on the Springhill Cenotaph, but unfortunately no photo for him has been found to date.  He was born in Oxford, Nova Scotia, the son of John J. and Georgie Mary Leslie who moved to Moncton, New Brunswick.  Logan died April 9, 1945, while serving with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, and is buried in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands.  

Thank you to Yannic Wethley of the Air Research Drenthe Foundation for letting us know about the memorial panel for the crew of Halifax DT630.  Thank you to Jamie Nelson-Dixon for sharing a photo of her great-uncle, Eric ‘Raymond’ Marquand.

Thank you to Peter-Willem Langebeeke of the War Museum in Veen, The Netherlands for letting us know that Adam Klein is remembered in the battlefield tours.  Thank you also to Adam’s great-nephew Mike Wilson. 

Thank you to Susan (Cole) Getson for contacting us about Robert Theodore Cole.  Thank you to Conrad Saulis, nephew of Sanford Steven Saulis, for sharing photos of his family’s visit to Holten.

If you can help with the photo search for Logan Elwood Leslie, or have a story to tell, please let Pieter know. You can email him at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or send a tweet to @researchmemori1.  

© 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/

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. 

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On The War Memorial Trail….. Presentation ‘Up Close With A Halifax Bomber’

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Crapaud Hall Nov 7 2023 Presentation title page

November 9, 2023.  On November 7, 2023, we gave a presentation at Crapaud Hall in Crapaud, Prince Edward Island: ‘Up Close With A Halifax Bomber’ about our tour of a Halifax bomber and a summary of two Island airmen who lost their lives in one: Elmer Bagnall MUTTART and Rowan ‘Bunky’ Charles FITZGERALD.

70% of Canadians in Bomber Command flew in a Halifax bomber, which explained why so many of the casualties that Pieter has researched over the years were in a Halifax.  It was one of the reasons why Pieter was so interested in touring a Halifax bomber at the National Air Force Museum of Canada in Trenton, Ontario.  (See https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/09/23/on-the-war-memorial-trail-if-only-it-still-flew/)

When Connie MacKinnon asked if we would do a presentation at Crapaud Hall in Crapaud, Prince Edward Island, giving an overview of our tour was what we chose as the topic.

image_6487327 Nov 7 2023 Daria presenting at Crapaud Hall

Daria was the presenter for ‘Up Close With A Halifax Bomber’.  (Photo credit: Connie MacKinnon)

Elmert Muttart

Elmer Bagnall MUTTART was the pilot aboard Halifax L9561 when it was shot down on October 12, 1941 just outside the village of Wons, The Netherlands.  He was the sole fatality. You can read about him here: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2020/01/31/he-died-that-we-might-live-video-is-now-on-youtube/

Bunky FitzGerald

Rowan ‘Bunky’ Charles FITZGERALD was the navigator aboard Halifax W1175 when was hit by shellfire and crashed into a sandbank in the Wadden Sea, off the Dutch coast, on June 28, 1942.  There were no survivors. You can read about him here: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2022/10/12/on-the-war-memorial-trail-well-never-forget-uncle-bunky/

Nov 7 2023 Pieter and Daria answer questions at Crapaud Hall

Pieter joined Daria during the question and answer period following the presentation.  (Photo credit: Connie MacKinnon)

A lively question and answer period followed the presentation, with several attendees also sharing stories. It was an enjoyable experience for all of us!

CIMG6616 Nov 7 2023 Daria & Pieter With Edison Smith photo Kathy Henry

Daria and Pieter with Edison Smith.  (Photo credit: Kathy Henry)

Among the attendees was Edison Smith, grandson of WWII soldier Edison Alexander SMITH, who lost his life on March 25, 1945 during the Battle of Bienen in Germany. We very much appreciated the opportunity to meet him in person.  (You can read Edison Smith’s story at https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2023/03/04/on-the-war-memorial-trail-the-battle-of-bienen-part-1-the-wwii-soldier-whose-body-shielded-a-wounded-major/)

Do you have a story to share?  Please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, comment on the blog, or send a tweet to @researchmemori1. 

© 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/

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….. A Monument In St Claude Led To A Photo Of A WWII Soldier

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November 8, 2023.  Sometimes Pieter needs a break from extensive research. This past winter he decided to help the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek, The Netherlands find photos of a few soldiers for which research had already been done, but no photo could be found.  It seemed like a relatively simple project, but there was a reason no photos were available – they were hard to find!

One of the soldiers whose photo search he undertook was that of Norman Victor Holgate BUCHANAN of Miami, Manitoba.  Born October 25, 1914, Norman was the son of Elizabeth ‘Lizzie’ Oakes and his birth certificate was registered with the surname Oakes. He received the surname Buchanan after Lizzie married Jim Buchanan, who adopted him. (You can read Norman’s story here: https://www.facestograves.nl/LifeStories/BUCHANAN%20Norman%20Victor%20Holgate-JLE-bio-EN.pdf)

N. Buchanan 3 from Gordon Warren

Grave of Norman Victor Holgate Buchanan at the Canadian War Cemetery in Groesbeek. (Photo courtesy of Gordon Warren)

….The search for a photo of Norman Buchanan had many roadblocks….

Norman had many half-siblings – Jeff, Archie, Cliff, Tom, Barney, and Hazel – and it was a reasonable assumption that somewhere in that extensive family a photo of Norman would be found.  Unfortunately, every descendant of Norman’s family that was contacted did not have a photo. 

Pieter then began to look at Norman’s wife, Lillian Warren, from St Claude, Manitoba.  They had married on Christmas Eve in 1941, while Norman was on furlough.  They were not long together as Norman left Manitoba in March 1942 for further training, and then, following a brief leave in November, was sent to the United Kingdom for overseas service in December 1942. 

While serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles, Norman lost his life on February 16, 1945, after receiving a gunshot to his head during the Battle of Moyland Wood in Germany. (See https://legionmagazine.com/clearing-moyland-wood/) 

Lillian and Norman had no children, and research showed that Lillian never remarried.  Pieter was at a standstill where to look next and so we asked Judie Klassen, who has helped with really tough cases in the past, if she could take a look. 

…. A monument in St Claude led to a photo….

Judie ran into the same roadblocks, but did find a poor resolution photo of Norman from a March 3, 1945 Winnipeg Free Press announcement of his death. But Judie didn’t give up!  She let us know that she had “….contacted the St. Claude library about a photo for Norman Buchanan, wondering if they could connect me to a museum/historian in the area….”

She received a note from Robert De Smet of the Societe Historique St Claude.  “…I am a member of the St Claude Historical society, which also cares for our veterans monument here. We unfortunately don’t have any photo of Norman. In fact we were not even aware that Norman had lived in St Claude. Norman’s story is quite remarkable, all the way from losing his father at 2, assumedly a Mr Brissenden, all the way up to his heroic service  during the war.….”

He went on to explain that “….Lillian was well known in St Claude, and that Norman and Lillian were married on Christmas Eve, 1941 in Rathwell, Manitoba while he was on furlough….”  He explained that Lillian had a son. “….Gordon Warren was born in 1936…” 

Then Robert continued, saying “…I have worked with Gordon Warren at the veterans monument in St Claude…”

I called Robert De Smet, who said he would speak with Gordon Warren and ask if there was a wedding photo, or perhaps other photos, of Norman Buchanan.  He explained that Gordon was the contractor who had renovated the war memorial in St Claude! (See http://www.mhs.mb.ca/docs/sites/stclaudewarmemorial.shtml)

 “…Gordon is still working (at 86 years) with his son at Portage Memorials in Portage la Prairie…” Robert noted.  (See https://portagememorials.ca/about/)  He visited Gordon, who did have a photo! Success! 

N. Buchanan 2 from Gordon Warren

Norman Victor Holgate Buchanan. (Photo courtesy of Gordon Warren)

We invited Gordon to also send a photo of himself, which he kindly did.

Gordon Warren

Gordon Warren.  (Photo courtesy of Gordon Warren)

Thank you to Judie Klassen and Robert De Smet for helping in the search for a photo.  Many thanks go to Gordon Warren for sharing photos. Norman’s photo will be included in the 2025 Faces of Groesbeek Exhibition, where for 3 weeks in May photos of soldiers are placed by their graves.

Do you have a story to share?  Please contact Pieter at memorialtrail@gmail.com, or comment on the blog. 

© Daria Valkenburg

….Previous story about a soldier who lost his life during the Battle of Moyland Wood….

Another soldier who lost his life during the Battle of Moyland Wood, and whose story was previously told on this blog, was Alfred Louis PITAWANAKWAT (PITWANAKWAT).  You can read his story at: https://onthewarmemorialtrail.com/2021/09/06/on-the-war-memorial-trail-remembering-ww2-soldier-alfred-louis-pitawanakwat-pitwanakwat/

….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/

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.