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The brave Van Doo George Patenaude

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 20:14:48 GMT

Corporal George Edmond Patenaude

A short blog about Corporal George Edmond Patenaude.

Corporal George Edmond Patenaude, Royal 22e Régiment.

George was born on 22 January 1920 in Ponoka, Alberta. He lived in Ponoka with his parents, two brothers and one younger sister.

On 25 November 1939 George enlisted in Edmonton and was shipped overseas after his basic training where he joined the Van Doos. In England he met an English lady, Nancy Evelyn Roberts of Caterham, who he married. Together they had one son, Edmond Joseph. In June 1943 he embarked for the Mediterranean and landed in Sicily on 10 July 1943 during Operation Husky.

On 18 July 1943 George earned a Military Medal for bravery which was awarded to him on 28 September 1943. The citation of the Military Medal reads the following:

"On the night of 18/19 July 1943 at Grottacalda, Sicily, Cpl Patenaude displayed bravery and skill in action in driving a carrier when the platoon came under heavy enemy fire. The personnel of the leading carrier were attacked and severely wounded by enemy in a pill box. Cpl Patenaude by skilful covering fire from his Bren enabled the bulk of the carrier section to reach safety. Later, though wounded, he seized a PIAT and rushed the pill box single handed silencing and capturing the post."

George suffered gun shot and shrapnel wounds from this attack and was evacuated from the frontline. He was transported to a hospital where he stayed until 10 August 1943. He was officially promoted to Corporal on 10 September 1943.

On 16 December 1943 disaster struck and George was mortally wounded in action near Ortona. He suffered a mortar wound round in his forehead which penetrated his brain. He succumbed of his wounds on 24 December 1943 and was initially buried at Vasto Military Cemetery. He was later reburied at Moro River Canadian War Cemetery.

Photo sources: Libraries and Archives of Canada, Operation: PictureMe, National Archives London

The Highland Light Infantry in Speldrop

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 19:48:24 GMT

The Highland Light Infantry of Canada and the heavy fighting in Speldrop

In the night of 23 on 24 March 1945 Operation Plunder started. The infantry had to get across the Rhine between Emmerich and Rees and make contact with the Airborne Forces dropped around Hamminkeln, Germany during Operation Varsity. The crossing was a combined British/Canadian assault on the northern part of Germany (often mentioned as eastern side of the Rhine).

The Highland Light Infantry of Canada got orders to get ready to cross the Rhine at 03.45 hours. In their war diary from 24 March 1945 the war diarist noted the following:

"Our order to move came through at 0345 hrs and at 0425 the four rifle companies loaded onto Buffaloes and crossed the "mighty" Rhine. The first Canadian unit crossing was made under sporadic shelling. At 0545 hrs the Command Group and "F" Echelon crossed and landed at MR 026535 (Reeserward). Our guides led us to our assembly area at 044565 (Grietherbusch). On the way to their coy area, "C" Coy picked up 30 Volksturm who were sitting along the dyke. Using their 1913 style rifles apparently did not apeal to the Volksturm and they were pleased when "C" Coy accommodated them and sent them along to the PW cage.

It was found that the forward troops were meeting stiffening opposition and that the original plan was being delayed by the stubborn defense of Speldrop which the 7th Black Watch attacked. During the early morning action the General Officer Commanding of 51 Highland Division was killed by enemy shellfire. (Major General Tom Gordon Rennie)

After three unsuccessful attempts to capture Speldrop the 7th Black Watch were forced to retire. The HLI of C was then assigned the task of capturing the strongpoint.

At 1730 hrs the attack was launched - "B" Coy leading, followed by "A" and "C" Coys and "D" Coy in reserve. To get to the town the unit had to cross a broad flat stretch of field which despite the heavy barrage laid on enemy positionns by our artillery, was still swept by MG fire and pounded by enemy arty and mortar fire. The paratroops holding the town fought fanatically and at 2359 hrs we had succeeded in clearing only a portion of the town.

Weather - clear, bright. Vis - excellent. Morale - good."

The next day, March 25 , the fighting around Speldrop continued and the town was eventually taken:

"The battle continued well on into the morning. Houses had to be cleared at the point of the bayonet and single Germans made suicidal attempts to break up our attacks. "Wasp" flame throwers were used to good effect. It was necessary to push right through the town and drive the enemy out into fields where they could be dealt with. "D" Coy sent a strong patrol out of the town and captured several MG crews who were asleep at their guns. What they had been through in the past 24 hours of almost continual attack had apparently rendered them completely exhausted.

When the last snipers had been cleaned out the Battalion consolidated and was soon relieved by the 7th Black Watch. The unit retired to the Esserden area where we were subjected to heavy enemy artillery concentrations. North Nova Scotia Highlanders and the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders were by this time working their way through the Reeserward area and they were teeing up to attack Bienen and after clearing half the town after repeated attempts had to call a halt. It was at this time that the HLI of C was ordered to capture the balance of Bienen.

Casualties to this date include - wounded - Lieut. J.D. Spohn, Lieut. F. Snyder, Capt J. Ferguson (not evacuated) and 21 ORs; killed - Lieut. B F. Zimmerman, Lieut. D.A. Isner and 11 ORs.

Weather - showers, clearing toward night. Vis poor. Morale - fair."

After capturing Speldrop the fighting kept on going on the 26th of March and according to their war diary the HLI faces fanatic fighting Germans.

From their war diary on the 26th of March :

Progress was very slow as the enemy fought like madmen. Isolated houses had to be cleared and proved most difficult. The enemy arty and mortars poured shells into our tps continually. Again single paratroopers made suicidal charges at our advancing tps. They were consistently chopped down but sometimes not before they had inflicted casualties on our sections.

Also a lesson was learned from their attacks on Speldrop and Bienen:

A lesson learned during the battles for Speldrop and Bienen.

VILLAGE CLEARING

When open ground has to be crossed to attack isolated houses we must make use of our Support arms including an arty barrage, to block off the flanks as well as hitting the objective.

The casualties with the HLI of Canada listed on the 24th are the following:

Corporal Adam Edward Conway, age 23.
Corporal Thomas Henry Corbett.
Private Edwin Harold Hendrickson.
Private Walter Henry Lewis, age 30.
Private Nelson A. Logan, age 20.
Private Roland Anselm Papineau.
Private Keith Allan Beange, age 19.

On the 25th none are listed, but they are all listed on the 26th:

Private William James Carruthers, age 25.
Private Bernard Chattaway.
Private Frederick Morris Dillon, age 21.
Private Jack Edward Kelleher, age 26.
Lieutenant Bruce Frederick Zimmerman, age 24.
Prtivate Adrien Paul Sauve.
Lieutenant Donald Arthur Isner, age 24.
Private David Hugh McMaster, age 27.
Lieutenant George Oxley MacDonald, age 27.

All men are buried at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery. Below some photos of the men who were killed in action.

Just scroll over their photos and you will see their names.

Photo sources: Libraries and Archives of Canada & Operation: PictureMe

The bloody battle of Bienen

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 13:29:14 GMT

The bloody battle of Bienen: The North Novas attacking the town.

A story which we think deserves to be told is that of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders who took a hard beating on 25 March 1945 near the town of Bienen in Germany during Operation Plunder.

After the North Nova Scotia Highlanders had left Materborn Ridge, Germany on the 24th of March 1945 to cross the Rhine they took over the positions of the 7th Battalion Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders (51st Highland Divsion). The Argylls had beaten off two enemy counterattacks against heavy casualties near Bienen, so they had to be pulled back from the front line. The task was given to the North Nova Scotia Highlanders to take Bienen.

Bienen was a vital objective to the Germans because of the road from Emmerich towards Millingen was running through it. The town of Bienen was reinforced with fresh troops of the 115th Panzer Grenadier Regiment who were fighting fanatically to hold this vital objective.

The North Novas set up their Command Post (CP) at a farm which was also in use by the Argylls. The plan was to first fire artillery on Bienen with a fire plan that consisted out of concs and stonks and when the attack was going to be set in several guns would fire smoke to cover the attack. Also in support of the advancing Companies were the Cameron Highlanders of Ottawa with their heavy machine guns.

A-Company of the North Novas had support from Duplex Drive Sherman tanks (amfibious tanks also used during D-Day) from the Essex Yeomanry. Also with each forward company was a section of Engineers and also two six pounder guns with a Forward Observation Officer (FOO).

The assembly area of A and B-Companies was along a dyke near the Altrhein (translated old Rhine) with a view on Bienen. This was also close to their start line and the Battalion was to move off at 07.00 hours. H-Hour, the moment of attack, was set at 09.00 hours, so at broad daylight.

At 08.15 hours both A and B-Companies moved alonge the dyke towards their start line, but A-Company reported ten minutes later that they were already pinned down along the dyke. Heavy machine gun and sniper fire along with mortars were coming down on them. B-Coy was also under the same fire, but managed to reach the start line. Here both companies suffered their first casualties. Just before H-Hour a smoke screen was layed by the artillery.

When it was H-Hour at 09.00 hours both Companies moved of from their start line. Five minutes later B-Coy reported to be completely pinned down in front of the start line. They were out of contact with two of their platoons and suffered heavy casualties. The same fate was happening to A-Coy who lost contact with one platoon and also had severe losses. It was obvious that the Battalion lost the initiative of the attack and contact between the platoons was next to impossible due to the murderous fire and heavy mortars.

The CO of the North Novas saw that it was almost an impossible task to get through to Bienen and twenty minutes after the attack had set in he contacted Major Learment of A-Coy to tee up a new attack immediatelt with tanks and artillery. At 10.30 hours nothing had been tied in because many platoons were out of contact and it was impossible to get messages through to them. In the meanwhile Lieutenants K.L. Mollison of A and W.G. Tulloch of B were wounded. Also reported was that several NCO's were killed in action.

The second attack

Things didn't look good for the North Novas and at 11.45 hour Brigadier Rockingham came to the CP for a quick appreciation of the situation. After reviewing the battleground with the CO the Brigadier decided to start the attack all over again from scratch. For this the two remaining companies (C and D) were used to attack.

To make things a bit "easier" for the North Novas Typhoons were called in to attack Millingen which was on the right flank. An extra troop of Shermans was called in belonging to the 4/7th Dragoon Guards for extra support. H-Hour was set this time at 14.30 hours.

The start line again was the same as A and B-Companies had, along the dyke near the Altrhein on the southwest corner of Bienen.

C-Coy had the Shermans from the 4/7th Dragoon Guards as their supporting arms and D-Coy had the DD tanks as their support. C-Coy also managed to get along a section of Wasp flamethrowing carriers.

Just fifteen minutes after H-Hour C-Coy reported to be at the fringe of the town of Bienen against heavy losses. Five minutes later, at 14.50 hours, D-Coy reported that their CO Major Dickson was wounded and that they also suffered heavy casualties and that they were badly disorganized. To make things all worse, they also had 100 prisoners with them...

The tanks in the meanwhile were also at the fringe of Bienen. Because the advance was slowly in the advantage of the North Novas, the CP went up to the start line which was closer to Bienen with a view on the town. It was also decided that the remnants of A and B-Coys would pass through C and D-Coys. A-Coy reported that they couldn't get beyond C-Coy because of heavy sniper and machine gun fire. In the meanwhile remnants of D-Coy were located by CSM Bishop in a viaduct under the dyke near the Altrhein.

The contacts were established again and the remnants of D were put under command of B-Coy. C-Coy got the orders to clear an objective called Wing which was reached at 17.45 hours. At 18.15 hours C-Coy reported two enemy half tracks or tanks in their objectove and that two of their supporting Shermans were knocked out. An enemy Self Propelled Gun had penetrated pas their leading platoon and they had to fall back on the positions of A-Coy and dig in for a counter attack. This meant that B-Coy, who had their objective named Head, had their whole right flank open.

At 19.15 hours the CO of the North Novas returned from an O-Group and reported that the attack was to be taken over by the Highland Light Infantry of Canada at 23.00 hours. Also an O-Group was held by A and C-Coys and orders were give to take a creamery on the outskirts of Bienen. At 22.00 hours reports came in that the creamery had been taken and that the Companies held their positions until the take over by the HLI of Canada.

The losses for the North Novas were high and a total of 38 men were killed during the whole day. These men are all buried at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery.

The war diarist also made a short summary in their war diary about this tragic day:

"It was a long, hard bitter fight against excellent troops who were determined to fight to the end. It cracked open the bottleneck which had restricted the bridgehead, and from then on expansion was much easier and more rapid. The road to Northern GERMANY and HOLLAND was established. Over 200 prisoners were taken and many killed."

Photos from Bienen as it is today. From left to right:

The former Command Post at Reeserward which was taken over from the 7th Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders.
At the back of the Command Post you can still see battle scars from the fierce fighting.
Monuments at the Bienen church commemorating the North Nova Scotia Highlanders and 51st Highland Division.
Silent witnesses of the battle at the church of Bienen.
A barn full of bullet and shrapnel holes in Bienen.
The wall of a former barn which was destroyed by the battle. The wall still bears the scars of the fierce fighting.
The was as mentioned above, but closer.
The North Nova Scotia Highlanders casualties after the battle of Bienen.

Jeff Nicklin

Sun, 29 Mar 2026 08:28:07 GMT

A Blue Bomber who became a paratrooper

The story of a remarkable Commanding Officer of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion.

Lieutenant Colonel Jeff Nicklin was born on 10 December 1914 in Fort William, Ontario. Before the war Jeff was a football player with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers with whom he won the Grey Cup in 1935 and 1939 (and also lost two finals in between). His mother lived in Winnipeg and he had one sister. His father lived and worked in London, England.

Jeff joined the Active Militia in January 1940 as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Royal Winnipeg Rifles. On 14 August 1940 he was called into active service. On 14 September 1940 he married Mary Eileen Hollingsworth in Winnipeg. He was transferred to the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion on 9 October 1942 and qualified as a paratrooper at Fort Benning, Georgia on 12 December 1942.

He embarked for the UK in July 1943 arriving there on the 22nd of July. At that time Jeff had the rank of Major in the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion. During their time in the UK they trained for the invasion of Europe and in March 1944 he wanted to attend in a football game against American troops in England. This was refused by the Brigadier because Jeff was the 2nd in command of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion and too important that they didn't want to run any risk of losing him due to injuries.

Nicklin's battle honours

On 4 April 1944 Jeff's son David Jef was born. It is not known if Jeff ever had the chance to see his son, but it's likely that he didn't....

On June 5th, 1944 Jeff emplaned in England for Normandy. He parachuted into Normandy on 6 June 1944 during D-Day. He led his men into battle there and got wounded in action on 23 July 1944 due to an exploding landmine. He had multiple penetrating blast wounds on his arms, back, legs and buttocks. After spending some time in hospital he rejoined his Battalion and became acting Lieutenant Colonel on 8 September 1944.

On 9 December 1944 he was promoted to Lieutenant Colonel of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion and went again into action with them on 26 December 1944 in the Belgian Ardennes during the Battle of the Bulge. They stayed in Belgium and the Netherlands until 22 February 1944 when they went back to England to prepare for the next operation.

On 24 March 1945 the next operation was Operation Varsity where they had to jump across the Rhine near Wesel and Emmerich in Germany to secure the high grounds overlooking it. This was to secure that the ground troops on the other side of the Rhine could cross it without too many casualties.

The 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion jumped into DZ-A near Bergerfurth. According to an account in his files he was number 7 or 8 in his stick when he jumped at 10.00 hours. He jumped without incident, but his parachute got entangled in a tree. Before he could release himself he was shot by automatic gunfire and was killed in action. He was initially buried at Bergerfurth (the spot can be seen in the film Path To Total Victory) together with some of his men who got killed at DZ-A as well. Jeff and his men were later reburied at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands.

After his death Jeff was posthumously awarded Officer of the Military Division of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (OBE). He was also mentioned in records of Gallant and Distinguished Service in Northwest Europe.

Photo source: Libraries and Archives of Canada.

Photo below:

Brigadier S. James L. Hill (right), Commander of the 3rd Parachute Brigade, briefs officers of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, Carter Barracks, Bulford, England, 6 December 1943. Major Jeff Nicklin is standing next to him.

Photos left to right:

1. Lieutenant-Colonel G.F.P. Bradbrooke, Commanding Officer of the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, and his Deputy Commander, Major Jeff A. Nicklin, outside Battalion Headquarters, Carter Barracks, Bulford, England, Jan 1944.

2. Lieutenant-Colonel Jeff Nicklin's field grave in Bergerfürth, Germany close to DZ-A where he landed and got killed during Operation Varsity.

3. One of his former comrades (name unknown) at his field grave.

4. Two of his former comrades (names unknown) at his field grave.

The wrong turn/ De verkeerde afslag

Fri, 20 Mar 2026 09:32:01 GMT

THE WRONG TURN/DE VERKEERDE AFSLAG

This blog will be posted in Dutch first, English please scroll down.

De bevrijding van Raalte en Heino

Het is donderdag 12 april 1945 en rond 08.00 uur maken de Canadese troepen zich gereed om op te trekken naar Raalte en Heino. De startlijn van hun opmars ligt ten zuiden van Raalte bij het buurtschap Ramele. Onderdeel van deze opmars zijn de Sherman tanks van het Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment die ondersteuning moeten bieden aan de infanterie-eenheden van de 9e Canadese Infanterie Brigade, onderdeel van de 3e Canadese Infanterie Divisie. Eén van deze Sherman tanks wordt bemand door vier mannen in plaats van de gebruikelijke vijf. Dit betreft Sherman met het nummer CT232450 met als bemanning die dag: Korporaal James Joseph "Jimmie" Gillis (schutter), Trooper Blair Cameron (bestuurder), Trooper James Alexander Morrison (tweede bestuurder en machinegeweer schutter) en Trooper John Raymond Bridges (schutter/operator). De "crew chief" van de tank, Sergeant Hart gaat deze dag met verlof naar Engeland.

De infanterie-eenheden worden bij de diverse squadrons van de Sherbrooke Fusiliers ingedeeld waarbij A-Squadron manschappen van de Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders toebedeeld krijgt. Deze soldaten klimmen op de tanks van de Sherbrooke Fusiliers en bevrijden vervolgens Raalte en stomen verder op naar Heino. Tussen Heino en Raalte worden de Sherman tanks echter opgehouden doordat een brug is opgeblazen ter hoogte van de Beumersbrug. De infanterie klimt van de Sherman tanks af en gaat te voet verder naar Heino terwijl de Sherbrookes moeten wachten tot ze hun weg kunnen vervolgen.

Na enig oponthoud bereiken de Sherbrooke Fusiliers Heino waarbij ze te horen krijgen dat de Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders opgehouden worden aan de noordelijke rand van Heino door fel machinegeweervuur en mortiervuur. De infanterie kan wel wat ondersteuning van de Sherbrooke Fusiliers gebruiken en die schieten hen dan ook letterlijk en figuurlijk te hulp. Twee Shermans krijgen de opdracht van hun commandant om hogere gebouwen onder vuur te nemen, want dit kunnen observatieposten van de Duitsers zijn die daardoor zeer accuraat hun vuur op de Canadezen kunnen leggen.

Uiteindelijk trekken de Duitsers zich terug en klimmen de soldaten van de Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders weer op de tanks om hun weg te vervolgen naar hun doel, de brug over het Overijssels Kanaal bij de Kluinhaarsweg. Daar aangekomen blijkt de brug door de terugtrekkende Duitsers te zijn opgeblazen. De infanterie krijgt de opdracht om defensieve posities aan het Overijssels Kanaal in te nemen en in kleine groepen steken zij het kanaal over.

Ondertussen blijft er één Sherman tank in Heino achter die beide sprockets (tandwielen) moet laten vervangen, de tank van Gillis, Cameron, Bridges en Morrison. Nadat de tandwielen vervangen zijn geven ze via de radio aan hun commandant, Kapitein Marshall, door dat ze onderweg gaan naar de brug over het Overijssels Kanaal. Bij de kruising Zwolseweg met de Dalfserweg nemen ze echter een verkeerde afslag de Zwolseweg op richting Zuthemerweg. Een lokale buurtbewoner, Evert Jonkman, ziet dit gebeuren en springt nog op de weg om de tankbemanning te waarschuwen dat de bossen waar ze op afrijden nog niet gezuiverd zijn van Duitsers. Helaas is het te laat en wordt de Sherman tank uitgeschakeld door een Panzerschreck (bazooka) of Panzerfaust en vliegt in brand.

Kapitein Marshall van A-Squadron probeert contact te krijgen met de Sherman tank, maar krijgt geen gehoor. Hij gaat daarop polshoogte nemen en treft vervolgens brancardiers van de 7e Verkenningseenheid (7th Recce) aan die vertellen dat er één man van de tank is gesneuveld. Kapitein Marshall treft de uitgeschakelde tank op de Zwolseweg aan en ziet op ongeveer 50 meter van de tank het lichaam van Trooper John Raymond Bridges liggen. Kapitein Marshall beschrijft in een rapport dat hij ziet dat Bridges getracht heeft om weg te komen van de brandende tank, maar dat hij door machinegeweervuur is omgekomen. Trooper Bridges wordt begraven in het bijzijn van de militaire aalmoezenier bij de Protestantse kerk in Heino. Tevens krijgt Kapitein Marshall te horen dat Trooper James Alexander Morrison in een eerste hulp post is binnengebracht. Het lot van de andere twee inzittenden, Korporaal Jimmie Gillis en Trooper Blair Cameron is dan nog ongewis. Zij worden dan ook in eerste instantie als "vermist" aangemerkt.

Later blijkt dat de bestuurder Blair Cameron bij de brandende Shermantank is weggekropen en is opgevangen door de familie Jonkman die aan de Zwolseweg woonachtig is. Anna Jonkman-Ruitenberg verbindt de verwondingen van Cameron met een theedoek. Het lot van Korporaal Jimmie Gillis is echter nog steeds ongewis, maar vermoedelijk is ook hij in het heetst van de strijd door brancardiers naar een eerste hulppost gebracht. Hij wordt later namelijk zwaar verbrand overgebracht naar een militair hospitaal in Nijmegen waar hij op 19 april 1945, een week na de aanval op de Shermantank, overlijdt aan zijn verwondingen. Gillis wordt begraven op Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery en zijn maat John Raymond Bridges op Holten Canadian War Cemetery. Troopers James Alexander Morrison en Blair Cameron herstellen van hun verwondingen.

Na de oorlog

Zoon van Evert en Anna Jonkman, Flip Jonkman, is altijd geïnteresseerd geweest in wie de mannen nu waren die in de Sherman tank zaten die door zijn vader gewaarschuwd is voor de Duitsers. Hij doet samen met dorpsgenoten jarenlang onderzoek naar de Canadese soldaten die in Heino zijn gesneuveld die fatale 12e april 1945. Flip Jonkman komt in contact met overlevende Blair Cameron en hij keert uiteindelijk terug naar de plek waar hij heeft moeten vechten voor zijn leven.

Het blijkt dat op 12 april 1945 nog enkele soldaten in Heino en omgeving zijn gesneuveld te weten: Private (soldaat) Jack Ewart Hollingshead die diende in de Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, korporaal Herbert Syvret en Private Brenton Leroy Ringer, beiden diendend in de North Nova Scotia Highlanders. Aangenomen wordt dat zij gesneuveld zijn in de Sherman tank aan de Zwolseweg en op 13 oktober 2021 wordt een monument onthuld aan de Zwolseweg te Heino ter ere van de omgekomen soldaten. De onthulling wordt gedaan door de Canadese Ambassadeur in Nederland samen met Flip Jonkman. De namen van Hollingshead, Syvret, Ringer en Bridges zijn in de gedenksteen gegraveerd en als enige overlevende wordt Blair Cameron's naam in de steen gegrafeerd.

Nieuwe informatie!

In 2025 neemt een familielid van Jimmie Gillis, Tarrah MacPherson uit Canada, contact op met de Stichting D-Day Dodgers. Zij vertelt het verhaal dat haar oom Jimmie op 19 april 1945 in Nederland gesneuveld is en op Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery begraven ligt. Tevens is zij voornemens om Jimmie's graf te bezoeken in Groesbeek.

De Stichting D-Day Dodgers doet onderzoek naar Jimmie Gillis en het blijkt dat hij op 12 april 1945 in Heino zwaar gewond is geraakt en zware brandwonden over zijn hele lichaam heeft. De war diaries (oorlogsdagboeken) van het Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment leveren zeer interessante informatie op omtrent de uitgeschakelde Sherman tank bij Heino. Een bijlage achterin de war diary van april 1945 zit een zogenaamd "after action" rapport van A-Squadron van de Sherbrooke Fusiliers. Hierin wordt beschreven wie op 12 april 1945 de inzittenden van Sherman tank CT232450 zijn en hoe zij in de Duitse hinderlaag op de Zwolseweg zijn geraakt. Ook staat in dit rapport vermeld welke infanterie-eenheden bij de diverse squadrons van de Sherbrooke Fusiliers zijn ingedeeld.

Zoals eerder beschreven blijken de Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders ingedeeld te zijn bij A-Squadron van de Sherbrooke Fusiliers. Vermoedelijk is Private Hollingshead bij de bevrijding van Heino gesneuveld.

Het B-Squadron van de Sherbrooke Fusiliers krijgen de North Nova Scotia Highlanders toebedeeld en het C-Squadron de Highland Light Infantry of Canada. Allen trekken op richting Heino en het Overijssels Kanaal.

Tijdens deze opmars sneuvelen de soldaten Syvret en Ringer net buiten Heino als B-Squadron van de Sherbrooke Fusiliers met ondersteuning van de infanterie van de North Nova Scotia Highlanders een oversteek over het Overijssels Kanaal (door de Canadezen Almelosche Canal genoemd) nabij de Twentseweg bewerkstelligd. Zij worden door Duitse machinegeweer nesten aan de overzijde van het kanaal onder vuur genomen waarbij een "after action" rapport uit het war diary van de North Nova Scotia Highlanders beschrijft dat er twee man van C-compagnie sneuvelen. Dit zijn vermoedelijk Ringer en Syvret.

Alle drie de mannen worden aanvankelijk in Heino begraven nabij waar tegenwoordig de sportvelden van V.V. Heino liggen. Zij worden later herbegraven op Holten Canadian War Cemetery.

De Stichting D-Day Dodgers deelt de nieuw verkregen informatie met Flip Jonkman en besloten wordt dat ook Jimmie Gillis en James Alexander Cameron benoemd moeten worden bij het bestaande monument aangezien zij daar beiden gewond raakten op 12 april 1945. Zoals eerder vermeld overleefd Cameron uiteindelijk de Tweede Wereldoorlog, maar uit een krantenartikel in een lokale Canadese krant blijkt dat hij jarenlang rondliep met de psychische gevolgen van wat hem overkomen was in Heino. Trooper James Alexander Morrison geneest eveneens van zijn verwondingen en overlijdt op 14 oktober 1986 op 66 jarige leeftijd in Vancouver, British Columbia. Van hem is helaas vrij weinig bekend.

Onthulling van het nieuwe monument

Op 12 april 2026 is een tweede monument onthuld in het bijzijn van familieleden van Jimmie Gillis, burgemeester Rob Zuidema van de gemeente Raalte, Flip Jonkman, de Stichting D-Day Dodgers en andere belangstellenden. Op dit monument staan de namen van James Alexander Cameron en James Joseph "Jimmie" Gillis benoemd.

ENGLISH:

The Liberation of Raalte and Heino

It is Thursday, April 12, 1945, and around 8:00 AM, Canadian troops are preparing to advance toward Raalte and Heino. The starting line of their advance lies south of Raalte near the hamlet of Ramele. Part of this advance are the Sherman tanks of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment, which are to provide support to the infantry units of the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade, part of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division. One of these Sherman tanks is manned by four men instead of the usual five. This concerns Sherman number CT232450, with the crew that day being: Corporal James Joseph "Jimmie" Gillis (gunner), Trooper Blair Cameron (driver), Trooper James Alexander Morrison (second driver and machine gunner), and Trooper John Raymond Bridges (gunner/operator). The tank's crew chief, Sergeant Hart, is going on leave to England that day. The infantry units are assigned to the various squadrons of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers, with A-Squadron personnel from the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders being allocated. These soldiers climb onto the Sherbrooke Fusiliers' tanks and subsequently liberate Raalte, advancing further toward Heino. However, between Heino and Raalte, the Sherman tanks are held up because a bridge has been blown up near the Beumersbrug. The infantry dismount from the Sherman tanks and continue on foot toward Heino, while the Sherbrookes have to wait until they can continue their way.

After some delay, the Sherbrooke Fusiliers reach Heino, where they are informed that the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders are being held up on the northern edge of Heino by heavy machine gun and mortar fire. The infantry could certainly use some support from the Sherbrooke Fusiliers, who come to their aid, both literally and figuratively. Two Shermans are ordered by their commander to fire upon taller buildings, as these could be German observation posts that would allow them to aim their fire at the Canadians with high accuracy.

Eventually, the Germans retreat, and the soldiers of the Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry Highlanders climb back onto their tanks to continue their way to their objective: the bridge over the Overijssel Canal at Kluinhaarsweg. Upon arrival, it turns out the bridge has been blown up by the retreating Germans. The infantry is ordered to take up defensive positions along the Overijssel Canal, and they cross the canal in small groups.

Meanwhile, one Sherman tank remains behind in Heino to have both sprockets (gears) replaced: the tank belonging to Gillis, Cameron, Bridges, and Morrison. After the gears have been replaced, they report via radio to their commander, Captain Marshall, that they are on their way to the bridge over the Overijssel Canal. However, at the intersection of Zwolseweg and Dalfserweg, they take a wrong turn onto Zwolseweg towards Zuthemerweg. A local resident, Evert Jonkman, witnesses this and jumps onto the road to warn the tank crew that the woods they are heading towards have not yet been cleared of Germans. Unfortunately, it is too late, and the Sherman tank is disabled by a Panzerschreck (bazooka) or Panzerfaust and bursts into flames.

Captain Marshall of A-Squadron attempts to make contact with the Sherman tank but receives no response. He then goes to investigate and finds stretcher bearers from the 7th Reconnaissance Unit (7th Recce) who report that one man from the tank has been killed. Captain Marshall finds the disabled tank on Zwolseweg and sees the body of Trooper John Raymond Bridges lying about 50 meters from the tank. Captain Marshall describes in a report that he saw Bridges attempt to escape from the burning tank, but that he was killed by machine gun fire. Trooper Bridges is buried in the presence of the military chaplain at the Protestant church in Heino. Captain Marshall is also informed that Trooper James Alexander Morrison has been brought to a first aid post. The fate of the other two occupants, Corporal Jimmie Gillis and Trooper Blair Cameron, remains uncertain at this time. Consequently, they are initially listed as "missing."

It later turns out that the driver, Blair Cameron, crawled away from the burning Sherman tank and was taken in by the Jonkman family, who live on Zwolseweg. Anna Jonkman-Ruitenberg bandages Cameron's wounds with a tea towel. However, the fate of Corporal Jimmie Gillis remains uncertain, but he too was presumably taken to a first aid post by stretcher bearers in the heat of battle. He was later transferred, severely burned, to a military hospital in Nijmegen, where he died of his injuries on April 19, 1945, a week after the attack on the Sherman tank. Gillis is buried at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery and his comrade John Raymond Bridges at Holten Canadian War Cemetery. Troopers James Alexander Morrison and Blair Cameron recover from their injuries.

After the war

Evert and Anna Jonkman's son, Flip Jonkman, has always been interested in the identities of the men inside the Sherman tank that his father had warned about the Germans. Together with fellow villagers, he spent years researching the Canadian soldiers who fell in Heino on that fateful April 12, 1945. Flip Jonkman came into contact with survivor Blair Cameron and eventually returned to the place where he had to fight for his life.

It turned out that on April 12, 1945, several other soldiers were killed in Heino and the surrounding area, namely: Private Jack Ewart Hollingshead, who served in the Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, and Corporal Herbert Syvret and Private Brenton Leroy Ringer, both serving in the North Nova Scotia Highlanders. It is assumed that they were killed in action in the Sherman tank on the Zwolseweg, and on October 13, 2021, a monument was unveiled on the Zwolseweg in Heino in honor of the fallen soldiers. The unveiling was performed by the Canadian Ambassador to the Netherlands together with Flip Jonkman. The names of Hollingshead, Syvret, Ringer, and Bridges are engraved on the memorial stone, and Blair Cameron's name is engraved on the stone as the sole survivor.

New information!

In 2025, a relative of Jimmie Gillis, Tarrah MacPherson from Canada, contacted the D-Day Dodgers Foundation. She recounted the story that her uncle Jimmie was killed in action in the Netherlands on April 19, 1945, and is buried at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery. She also intended to visit Jimmie's grave in Groesbeek. The D-Day Dodgers Foundation is conducting research into Jimmie Gillis, and it appears that he was severely wounded in Heino on April 12, 1945, and sustained severe burns over his entire body. The war diaries of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment yield very interesting information regarding the disabled Sherman tank near Heino. An appendix at the back of the April 1945 war diary contains a so-called "after action" report from A-Squadron of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers. This describes who the occupants of Sherman tank CT232450 were on April 12, 1945, and how they ended up in the German ambush on the Zwolseweg. This report also lists which infantry units were assigned to the various squadrons of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers.

As described earlier, the Stormont, Dundas, and Glengarry Highlanders appear to be assigned to A-Squadron of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers. Private Hollingshead was presumably killed during the liberation of Heino.

B Squadron of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers is assigned to the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, and C Squadron to the Highland Light Infantry of Canada. All advance towards Heino and the Overijssel Canal.

During this advance, soldiers Syvret and Ringer are killed just outside Heino. B Squadron of the Sherbrooke Fusiliers, supported by infantry from the North Nova Scotia Highlanders, has achieved a crossing of the Overijssel Canal (called the Almelosche Canal by the Canadians) near the Twentseweg. They are fired upon by German machine-gun nests on the opposite side of the canal, and an "after action" report from the war diary of the North Nova Scotia Highlanders describes that two men from C Company are killed. These are presumably Ringer and Syvret. All three men were initially buried in Heino near where the sports fields of V.V. Heino are located today. They were later reburied at Holten Canadian War Cemetery.

The D-Day Dodgers Foundation shared the newly obtained information with Flip Jonkman, and it was decided that Jimmie Gillis and James Alexander Cameron should also be named at the existing monument, as they were both wounded there on April 12, 1945. As mentioned earlier, Cameron ultimately survived the Second World War, but a newspaper article in a local Canadian paper reveals that he suffered for years from the psychological consequences of what had happened to him in Heino. Trooper James Alexander Morrison also recovered from his injuries and died on October 14, 1986, at the age of 66 in Vancouver, British Columbia. Unfortunately, very little is known about him. Unveiling of the new monument

On April 12, 2026, a second monument was unveiled in the presence of family members of Jimmie Gillis, Jocelyn Gillis and Tarrah MacPherson, Mayor Rob Zuidema of the Municipality of Raalte, Flip Jonkman, the D-Day Dodgers Foundation, and other interested parties. The names of James Alexander Cameron and James Joseph "Jimmie" Gillis are listed on this monument.

Above you see photos from the headstones of Bridges, Ringer and Syvret at Holten Canadian War Cemetery. Also photos from the visit from Jimmie Gillis' familymembers Pat MacDonald and Tarrah MacPherson in 2025 at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery and at the current monument in Heino. The new monument is not placed here.

Sergeant James Alton Thrasher, the PIAT man

Thu, 05 Mar 2026 22:10:37 GMT

The Canadian tank hunter.

A famous photo from the Canadians in the Italian Campaign in the Second World War is the photo of Corporal James Alton Thrasher standing on a knocked out Hummel self propelled 88mm gun. The photo was taken on 26 May 1944 near Pontecorvo, Italy.

For me it is a photo I wanted to know more about and I started to look for the background on this photo and of course what became of Corporal James Thrasher. In this blog we are going to find out who he was and what he did.

Who was James Alton Thrasher?

James was born on 8 September 1917 in Beachburg, Ontario.

He lived in Hornepayne, Ontario with his parents and he also had two brothers and two sisters. Before the war James worked as a diesel engineer and when the war broke out he joined the Non Permanent Active Militia. He joined the NPAM on 22 November 1940 and was added to the 2nd Battalion Lake Superior Regiment. He only stayed in the NPAM for one month and then left, most likely to move to Vancouver, BC to work there as diesel engineer. He lived in Vancouver for some years and was single.

On 21 January 1943 he enlisted in Vancouver and after completing his basic training he was shipped overseas to the United Kingdom. He disembarked here on 1 September 1943 and was placed in the 1st Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit (1 CIRU).

On 6 November 1943 he was transferred from 1 CIRU to the Westminster Regiment (motor) with whom he embarked for the Mediterranean.

On 27 November 1943 James disembarked with the Wesminster Regiment in Italy as part of the 5th Canadian Armoured Division and they joined the war. The first months were spent on training in the area of Matera in the south of Italy, but mid January 1944 the Westminster Regiment were sent north towards the Sangro River where the battle was raging.

The famous photo of James Thrasher near Pontecorvo.

The photo from the Libraries and Archives of Canada shows a young Canadian soldier with a bandolier around his neck and his PIAT in hand. The caption of the photo is: "Lance-Corporal J.A. Thrasher of The Westminster Regiment (Motor), who holds the PIAT anti-tank weapon with which he disabled the German self-propelled 88mm. gun on which he is sitting, near Pontecorvo, Italy, 26 May 1944"

I went through the Westminsters war diary from May 1944 to see if there was something mentioned about James Thrasher or a knocked out self propelled gun. On 24 May 1944 when the Canadians had crossed the Melfa River near Pontecorvo there was a mention about a German self propelled gun being knocked out by a PIAT from A-Company of the Westminster Regiment. That could only be one man, James Alton Thrasher!

James was the PIAT gunner of A-Company of the Westminsters, only his name isn't mentioned in the war diary on the 24th but there was a reference to Appendix 12 in the back of the war diary. Scrolling through it a newspaper clipping from the famous photo from James standing on the knocked out Hummel self propelled gun was added to the war diary. On the back the caption was mentioned that Private Thrasher knocked out the German SP gun on 24 May 1944 with a PIAT.

To give an idea of the battle that 24th of May 1944 a part of the war diary of the Westminsters is added below:

"At 1420 hrs we were ordered to proceed with all speed to BENEDICTINE just East of the MELFA. Our convoy was very seriously handicapped by the traffic milling around in all directions, for the first half hour the C.O. was out in front of the convoy on foot pushing people out of our way. Soon we ran into a strip of road that was being very heavily shelled and everyone crouched low in their vehicles. A carrier was burning in the middle of the road and ammunition was going off in it and flying in all directions.

Word came down at 1500 hrs that forward troops heavily engaged and we are needed urgently, but it is not until 1600 hrs that we get completely past the milling traffic and can really get moving. At 1645 hrs we reach BENEDICTINE Crossroads. The situation is rather obscure. Tank fighting is still going on and tanks are being knocked out all around us. "A" Coy, we know are across the river, but whether they are being pressed or not, is not known.

In the meantime "A" Coy under command of the Lord Strathcona's Horse, moved off from the assembly area at 1000 hrs. Their carriers were split up, some acting as first aid vehicles and some going ahead of the tanks as recce. The going up for "A" Coy, the first wheeled vehicles past the Hitler Line was extremely difficult. The companies drivers did a wonderful job in keeping the column rolling close behind the tanks. Three vehicles were lost from shelling on the way up. Before reaching the river one of "A" Coy's carriers spotted an S.P. German gun. They hit the ground and engaged it with a 2" Mortar, the third shot being a direct hit, knocking the gun out and killing the crew. Lt-Col. Griffin was very pleased with the work of our carriers both in their co-operation with the tanks and in their first aid duties.

At 1500 hrs the MELFA was reached and the Lord Strathcona's Horse were heavily engaged by enemy tanks, A/Tk and S.P. guns. The Lord Strathcona's Horse tanks stuck right on the job and the crews displayed great courage and devotion to duty, sacrificing themselves in carrying out their orders to get a company across the river. Three "Honey" tanks and a carrier were across the river at 1505 hrs and "A" Coy were debussing preparatory to crossing. The crossing covered by M.G's on the flanks was unopposed, although German mortar fire was coming down consistently on the river bottom. On reaching the West bank "A" Coy platoons fanned out and at once began to run into small pockets of enemy. Quick work was made of these, the Germans showing no real desire to fight after some of their number had been killed. An SP gun was encountered and engaged with a PIAT (see Appx 12) the forward sprocket being hit and the track jammed. The crew streamed out and were soon disposed of. On the right flank a section without a PIAT came across a Mk IV tank, and having no other means at their disposal, knocked it out by throwing Number 36 Grenades down the open hatch, killing the crew.

By 1615 hrs the whole company was across and the bridgehead was getting firmly established. 25 prisoners were already on their way back and a similar number had been killed. One of "A" Coys platoon positions was over run by a troop of tanks and one section wiped out. The platoon was drawn back and the bridgehead was made more solid."

The photo from James on top of the Hummel self propelled gun was taken two days later on 26 May 1944. There is also a second photo taken from the same Hummel which you can see below. The caption of that photo reads the following : "Personnel of the Westminster Regiment, 5th Canadian Armoured Division, examining a self-propelled field Howitzer Hummel knocked out by PIAT gun, near Pontecorvo, Italy, 26 May 1944."

Wounded in action.

On 4 September 1944 James gets wounded in action near Coriano where they had to cross the Marano River in support of the tanks of the 8th New Brunswick Hussars. Here A-Company came under heavy shelling by mortar fire and the war diarist described the following: "Then the shells came like all hell turned loose. For what seemed an eternity, Jerry pounded shell after shell upon the forming up place. Casualties were light but nearly all fatal."

The nature of the injuries are not known as they are not mentioned in his military files. What we do know is that James' remained on duty and at the end of September 1944 he gets promoted to Acting Sergeant.

His last battle.

On 11 December 1944 the Westminster Regiment were at the Lamone River near Villanova. Here they had to cross the Lamone River, but at 10.00 hours the war diarist notes the following:

"At 1000 hrs "C" Coy first reported signs of a counter attack. Tanks were moving up and infantry were observed moving in the area. This attack lasted until 1100 hrs. Two tanks were disabled by PIATS and later bombed by aircraft. "A" Coy was counter attacked at 1015 hrs. The enemy tanks infiltrated the platoon positions though the infantry were driven back. Again two tanks were disabled by PIATS. It was later found from prisoners that the force used against our troops had been brought from the Faenza front as a counter attack element against the Lamone bridgehead. However, their first effort was driven off with only light casualties to us as against heavy casualties in men and equipment to Jerry."

It's not known if James was responsible for knocking out the two tanks mentioned in the war diary. Throughout the 11th of December the Westminsters had to deal with several German counterattacks.

"Shelling and mortaring were very heavy in the forward areas, much of the shelling being done by SPs. At 1500 hrs a second counter-attack was observed forming up but was broken up by the medium and field artillery. Jerry snipers who were in the area killed CSM Salsbury of "C" Coy and wounded others during the day.

A light scale bridge was being built across the Lamone to accommodate priority vehicles of the units which were on the other side. This was to be finished by midnight but was not completed until 0700 hrs. Capt. E.V. Ardagh spent most of the night rounding up vehicles and collecting together the "light scale" group of vehicles.

At 2000 hrs, German tanks and infantry once more attacked and were pushed back. In spite of very heavy shelling however, they were able to recover the four tanks which had been knocked out during the day. Lieut. W.E. Tyler of "A" Coy was badly wounded and his platoon Sergeant, Sgt. E. Thrasher killed while out on a tank hunting patrol with a PIAT. An SP scored a direct hit on the building near which the two were moving. More enemy tanks reported to be moving south towards the Westminster area were kicked around by the medium arty and soon withdrew."

James was killed instantly and it's not known where he was buried in a field grave. He now rests at Ravenna War Cemetery.

Sources: Libraries and Archives of Canada & Project '44.

A real Canadian hero

Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:26:41 GMT

The heroic story of Sergeant Ross Bell, 12th Manitoba Dragoons

Recently I was going through the war diaries of the 12th Manitoba Dragoons . I was searching for something else when I stumbled across the story of Sergeant Ross James Bell and his Staghound reconnaissance vehicle on 30 August 1944.

Ross was born on 21 February 1921 in Firdale, Manitoba. He went overseas to the UK in August 1942 and was with the Manitoba Dragoons when they landed in Normandy.

On 30 August 1944 north of Rouen near the village of Bierville Ross earned a Military Medal for bravery. The citations reads the following:

"This NCO in command of a Staghound armoured car entered Bierville on 30 Aug 1944 behind his troop leader who was in another armoured car. An enemy rear guard was engaged in the village when the troop leader's armoured car was knocked out by an enemy Anti Tank gun.

This NCO pressed forward and got behind the enemy position. He then proceeded on and came to a main road along which enemy infantry, horse-drawn artillery, tanks and self propelled guns were proceeding apparently in the course of withdrawal from Rouen.

With great courage and without regard for the possible consequences, he proceeded down this road in the opposite direction to that in which the enemy convoy was moving, shooting up the convoy generally, inflicting at least two hundred casualties on personnel and destroying a considerable number of horses thereby putting out of action many artillery pieces.

When his ammunition ran low he struck off across country, contacted the Maquis and spent the night with them obtaining from them and bringing back to his squadron the following morning, valuable captured maps and information concerning flying bomb sites.

In this action this NCO showed initiative and courage of the highest quality, inflicted considerable damage upon the enemy and also undoubtly further demoralized the enemy in its retreat."

Ross and his crew were part of C-Squadron of the Manitoba Dragoons. In their war diary the following was mentioned about his actions on the 30th of August 1944:

"C-Squadron encountered little opposition on the left until reaching Bierville (3425) where Lt W.R. Laird lost his armoured car when enemy infantry knocked it out with a Bazooka type weapon from 10 feet range. Sgt Bell, R.J. (H77534) was last seen driving at speed through the enemy position. He has not been heard from up to the present time."

On the 31st the following was noted by the war diarist:

"At 10.30 hours C-Squadron reported having contacted Sgt Bell who had been missing since last evening. He was told to report to RHQ and at 13.00 hours he gave an account of his actions from the time Lt Laird had been knocked out.

He had been unable to turn around and had chosen to try to get behind the enemy by driving at speed through the enemy. He managed to get into the town of Bierville but once in he found too much opposition behind him to allow him to return to our lines. He drove around the town and encountered 60 marching infantry and three A/T guns in a sunken road. He was travelling at 50-60 miles per hour when he struck them. Sgt Bell stated that it was very doubtful if any escaped from the car's path. The A/T guns were knocked off the road and the guns crews made casualties. As he proceeded further down the road he met a Tiger tank head on. They politely made room for each other to pass. No fire was exchanged.

Sgt Bell stated that from his position he saw a convoy of horse drawn guns and carriers moving N.E. on the Rouen - Neufchapel road. The convoy was led by a German officer on horseback. Sgt Bell opened fire on the convoy and the only thing to escape was the officers horse at the lead. He claimed to have killed 70-80 horse and two to three hundred men. The troops in the convoy tried to unlimber an A/T gun but it was knocked out by a 37mm High Explosive shell.

Sgt Bell was forced by ammunition shortage to go into hiding. The FFI took care of Sgt Bell and his men for the night. They contacted their squadron early today.

This was a remarkable piece of work on the part of this NCO and it certainly is worthy of high praise."

Unfortunately it is not known who Ross his crewmembers were. They were also a part of this heroic action behind enemy lines.

Ross Bell survived the war and was married to Jeanie who was from Antrim, Ireland. They had three children, Ross jr, Jennifer and Sharleen. He had four grandchildren and two great granddaughters.

Ross was a succesful self made businessman and real estate investor who had houses in Toronto, Florida and Switzerland. He was an avid golf player.

Ross passed away on 1 September 2015 in Burlington, Ontario.

An amazing story which should never be forgotten in Canadian history...

Wait for Me, David Bayne

duda-wsm@mijndomein.nl — Fri, 08 Mar 2024 16:47:58 GMT

In the long row behind "wait for me, daddy"

We all know the famous photo of the long row of men going to war; "Wait for me, daddy". Some are identified, but it's always interesting to know who are the others on that photo.

Well, a while ago we got in contact with Ron Heffernan and he told us that David Bayne was one of the soldiers in the long row of men. He is the soldier with the red arrow above his head. Ron told us the story of his wife's family and that there were five Bayne brothers who served in the Canadian Army. A very interesting story, so who were they?

The Bayne family were a large family who came from Fife in Scotland and lived in North Grant, Nova Scotia. There were nine sons and four sisters in this family.

At the outbreak of the Second World War five brothers enlisted in the Canadian Army.

Private David Thompson Bayne was born on 14 January 1919 in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. He served with the Westminster Regiment and was killed in action on the 19th of February 1944 near Ortona. He is buried at Moro River Canadian War Cemetery.

David was part of a recce patrol under Lieutenant Edward Marlatt Mackenzie. In the vicinity of a house in the outskirts of Crecchio one of the patrol set off a booby trap. Private Jakel, who was with David and Lt Mackenzie, saw that David was unable to get on his feet due to wounds or concussion. The enemy was approaching from a nearby house and Jakel had to get away to avoid being captured. Lieutenant Mackenzie was also missing and it turned out that both David and him were killed in action.

David lived in New Westminster with his wife Lilian. His family lived on the East coast of Canada in North Grant, Nova Scotia.

David enlisted on the 25th of September 1939 in Mission, British Columbia.

Private Thomas Mitchell “Tom” Bayne was born on 12 September 1921 in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland. He joined the Royal Canadian Artillery and was transferred to the Lanark and Renfrew Scottish Regiment in 1944. He was killed on the 13th of December 1944 near Ravenna and is buried at Villanova Canadian War Cemetery.

According to the Lanarks war diary they were near Naviglio Osteria in the area around Prati, Ravenna. Here the B-Company came under a heavy counter attack at 07.30 hrs in the morning causing many casualties. An hour later the counter attack didn't make any progress and appeared to be dying out. Casualties were coming in all day. It is most likely that Thomas was one of the casualties

Tom's twin brother Wallace also enlisted but got lost during his basic training. He was lost for days and together with his subsequent illness he suffered a nervous breakdown. Back on duty this nervousness stayed and he was eventually discharged from the army.

George had also served overseas and got wounded in action and lost a part of his leg. He had many surgeries to remove the shrapnel in his body. George passed away in 2003.

Robert was the fourth brother serving. He served in Belgium in 1944 and survived the war.

The tragic story about Tom is that there was a written request on the 8th of December 1944 if he could go back to Canada for 30 days because of the serious illness of his father. His father had to be operated and there was a big chance he wouldn't survive this. Before this written request could even be looked at Tom was killed in action 5 days later. Their father passed away in 1967…

Personal story - To whom it may concern

duda-wsm@mijndomein.nl — Wed, 21 Feb 2024 19:22:24 GMT

“To whom it may concern”

A story about my grandfather

By Tjarco Schuurman

Opa

I don't think he ever realized it, but my grandfather influenced my life enormously. When we visited him when I was much younger, I always hoped he would talk about the war. He didn't talk about it much, only every now and then. When he did, he told how he escaped from a train heading to Germany and how he stole eggs from a farm. As far as I remember, he only told the good stories and I'm sure they were mostly the same ones.

My grandfather was born in Deventer in The Netherlands on August 1, 1918. His name is Albertus “Bert” Schoemaker, although I just called him by his official title and that was “opa” (gramps).

The story I want to tell you starts when my grandfather joined the Dutch army in October 1936, became corporal in May 1938 and Sergeant in March 1939 in the 1st Regiment Hussars.

1st Regiment Hussars in 1939

War

As we know now, the Netherlands was on the brink of war and when the Germans invaded the Netherlands in May 1940, his regiment was called up to fight the enemy between a defensive line called the Grebbeberg near Rhenen and Apeldoorn. His regiment also had to blow up bridges along the Apeldoorn Canal which is an interesting fact considering what happened 4 years later. During the German invasion my grandfather was lucky. Apparently, just before the war started, he broke his arm while directing traffic and he wasn’t able to fight on the frontlines. Although the Dutch soldiers were outnumbered and their rifles and guns were outdated, they fought bravely. When the Germans bombed Rotterdam, the Dutch government and army surrendered and my grandfather returned home. Thirty-nine men of his regiment didn’t. They died while fighting for their country.

Because he was no longer in the army, he joined the police and worked in various cities before he and my grandmother moved to the coastal town of IJmuiden in March 1941. This town is the gateway to the port of Amsterdam and during the war also home to the German Schnellboot (speed boats) and torpedo boats.

The train

As a police officer he could get close to places where not many others could. This allowed him to pass specific information to the local resistance group, who in turn informed England. That changed on December 11, 1944, when my grandfather and other police officers were ordered to come to the station in uniform. When they arrived, they were arrested. At first some men thought this was because they were trying to sabotage the Germans. And even though he never talked to me about it, I'm sure he had those thoughts too. He knew that working for and with the resistance was a risk, but he did it anyway.

If that had been the case, they probably would have been shot. Fortunately for the men, that was not the reason. The men were arrested because they were about to be sent to Germany for forced labor (arbeitseinsatz). Some men realized what was happening and fled before they arrived or escaped through windows of the room they were held. Ultimately sixteen police officers, including grandpa, were sent to various locations in the Netherlands before being put on a train to Germany on December 16, 1944.

And then the men made their own history...

The men were sitting in different parts of the train. Still in the Netherlands, in Zwolle the German guards left the train and other German guards took over. It was there when one of the policemen opened a train compartment and a German asked him if he wanted to leave the train. Apparently, the new German guards were unaware that the police officers were arrested. Because they were in uniform and scattered all over the train, the Dutch police appeared to them as guards too. The Dutch quickly discussed a plan and their company leader went to the German officer asking him unto what train station they wanted the Dutch policemen on the train. The company leader said that by now there were enough guards on the train and they were not needed anymore. The German officer agreed and on Almelo station they disembarked the train in column and escaped under the eye of the enemy. From the train station they went to a befriended tailor in town and from there the men went into hiding.

Almelo treinstation before the war. This is more or less how it looked like in 1944. This beautiful building is gone now.

Becoming Canadian

It must have been a difficult time for my grandfather like it was for all citizens in occupied territory. It was winter, the coldest in a long time. Food was scarce and staying in hiding must have been a challenge. The allied forces were occupying the Southern part of the Netherlands and it took them until spring to move further North.

In April 1945, the liberation came closer. Canadian soldiers of the Royal 22nd Regiment (1st Canadian Division) were fighting their way from the East of the Netherlands to the West. Mid-April, they were coming through the area my grandfather was. The war diaries don’t mention him specifically, but they do mention Dutch civilians coming through the lines giving information about the enemy. According to a document an officer of the Canadians wrote, on April 15 ^th , my grandfather joined the Canadian army as interpreter and general duty man. In fact, the letters show that he fought with them, risked his life many times and cared for the wounded. And as he shared earlier in IJmuiden, he again shared valuable information about the Germans.

At that point, the Canadians were just below Apeldoorn fighting the German army and finding a way to cross the Apeldoorn Canal. The same canal on which my grandfather’s unit blew up the bridges in 1940.

It’s typical my grandfather to manage to join the Canadian army. In our family, that part of who he was and how he managed to make things happen is something we always smile about. Especially because he joined this specific unit as an interpreter speaking Dutch, German and English. But the Royal 22 Regiment actually was a Canadian regiment from Quebec so French was the native language to most of the men. And gramps spoke no more than five words of French. The Royal 22 ^nd Regiment, the “Van Doos”, (“English” for the French number Vingt-deux) was home to him for the remainder of the war.

To whom it may concern.

Being a soldier himself and given his character, I am sure he quickly became part of the regiment. The Canadians moved further west and soon the fighting ended and gave way to liberation. They liberated towns like Maassluis and Naaldwijk.

Naaldwijk is especially special to me because I worked at a flower auction there a few years ago. During my research on him I discovered that his regiment stayed in the auction buildings during the last days of the war. Unfortunately, the old buildings have disappeared and a kind of semi-modern building has taken their place. But I was standing on the same ground as him. And that made me proud.

It is also typical of my grandfather that he managed to get his superiors to write documents about his role in the police and in the Canadian army. The two Canadian letters I now possess begin with “to whom it may concern.” And that particular phrase is one I've thought about for a long time. Naturally he tried to have his work documented, which was smart just after the war. This way he could prove what he did.

The phrase “to whom it may concern” was probably not intended for us as his family, but the fact is that it does concern us. Maybe unintentionally. These documents make him a hero. It makes him the person I look up to and it makes him the person who planted the seeds in my brain for becoming a World War Two ‘historian’. He helped me shape my life into what and who I am today. And I am grateful for that.

After the war, Bert Schoemaker became a police officer again until his retirement.

In his footsteps

I miss him. I miss going to the Chinese restaurant with him. I miss the dry meatballs he used to make. I miss the fact that we were allowed 10 small candies per child, even though he knew we didn't count the candies in our mouths. I miss his calls asking me to come over and fix something he messed up on his computer, knowing that he actually wanted the company. But most of all, I miss not being able to tell him he is my hero. That I can't ask him anything anymore. And show him my gratitude for what he did. My grandfather died in 2001. Although he didn’t speak much about the war, doing research and walking is his footsteps feels like I am closer to him than before.

Sources:

Family documents

Book: De Velser Affaire from Guus Hartendorf

War Diaries Royal 22nd Regiment

Ministry of Defense (Netherlands)

Sytzama.nl

https://www.facebook.com/SchnellbootbunkerIJmuiden/

http://www.toenwasalmelonogmooi.nl/

https://archieven.coda-apeldoorn.nl/

Battlefield story - The Ireland brothers in arms

duda-wsm@mijndomein.nl — Wed, 14 Feb 2024 20:30:41 GMT

The Ireland brothers in arms

By Jimmy Hilgen

We all know the movie “Saving Private Ryan” based on true events about the four Ryan brothers of whom three were killed and the fourth had to be saved. A Hollywood classic, but many of these stories were in Canadian families throughout the Second World War where multiple brothers have been killed in action.

Also the story of the five Ireland brothers from High Prairie, Alberta. Their father DeCourcy Ireland was a World War I veteran. He lost his wife Mary in April 1938 and stayed behind with his five sons and two daughters. When the War broke out the “boys” all enlisted in the Canadian Army and only the oldest, Charlie who was already 40, stayed in Canada in the Currie Barracks in Calgary. His second son, James who was 39, served overseas with the Calgary Highlanders. His third son George (33), fourth son Thomas (30) and fifth son Frank (21) all served in the Loyal Edmonton Regiment.

George and Frank both enlisted on 6 April 1940 in High Prairie.

Operation Gauntlet

While staying in England during the war George, Thomas and Frank were part of Force III, the commando raid on the island of Spitzbergen where coal mines operated by Norway and the Soviet Union were active. Both Norway and the Soviet Union agreed the destruction of the mines and evacuation of the personnel from the mines. Also the infrastructure like the ports, equipment and weather station would be destroyed by the commando force to prevent it being taken by the Germans. This operation was called Operation Gauntlet and took place from 25 August 1941 until 3 September 1941. Operation Gauntlet was a complete success and all personnel (800) from the mines were rescued and all targets destroyed against zero casualties. The evacuation and destruction took 10 days in complete daylight as it doesn’t get dark in Summertime on this side of the World, but the Allied troops were not noticed by the Germans. George, Thomas and Frank were all part of this Operation which was a combined operation from Canadian, British and Norwegian troops.

Infantrymen of The Edmonton Regiment taking part in Operation GAUNTLET landing at Barentsberg, Spitsbergen, 25 August 1941

Operation Husky and the advance in Sicily

After returning to England the long waiting and training began again. Until June 1943 came and George, Thomas and Frank had to embark for a new destination. They didn’t know where they were heading and many options were mentioned. Eventually it became obvious that they would head to the Mediterranean where they had to take part in Operation Husky, the landings in Sicily.

On 10 July 1943 all three landed on the shores of Beach 57 on Sugar Green beach between Pachino and Ispica. Besides a man falling into the sea when embarking their landing craft and some men with seasickness the landing went without incidents. The man in the sea only got a wet uniform and was rescued. Sugar Green beach was a scene of orderly confusion and the units quickly organized and went inland against little opposition. In the afternoon the Loyal Edmontons had a brief skirmish with Italian soldiers and after a short burst of the Bren guns 35 Italians surrendered.

The next day the boys with the Loyal Eddies got the order to take the town of Ispica. After a long and tiring march in the boiling Sun Ispica was taken without any opposition. A considerable number of prisoners surrendered during the night and the Battalion moved outside of the town in a defensive position.

During this time the recovery was made of three Italian trucks. The transportation situation was serious due to the sinking of the ship on which the Loyal Eddies’ transport was loaded. Especially George who was the driver of Jack Birmingham´s mortar platoon was in need of transportation.

The war diarist noted that it was a fortune that the town of Ispica capitulated without fire as it would have been a costly operation to have taken it by force. The high cliffs made the town impregnable. The only difficulties the Loyal Eddies encountered were enthusiastic greetings of the civilian population and the frantic endeavours of the military population to surrender.

The Loyal Eddies went through towns where they have never heard of before: Modica, Ragusa, Grammichele and Caltagirone. On 16 July 1943 Frank got seriously wounded when they were approaching another of those towns: Piazza Armerina.

At about five kilometres south of Piazza Armerina a smoke signal was seen from a house on a hillside. Investigation revealed nothing, but when the advance was continued the first action of Canadian troops against the main German rearguard commenced.

Three German machine guns opened fire and a crater was blown in the road ahead of them. A recce was made but very accurate mortar fire was laid down on the road which halted the column. From the high features around town 88mm guns also opened fire on the Canadians. Their own artillery was too far back and only the 3'' mortars and anti-tank guns were brought forward. One of the anti-tank guns managed to take out a German machine gun position and another 6 pounder was taken out of action. During this attack four men were wounded by mortar fire. Frank was one of the wounded with a gunshot wound in the hip, buttock and right arm. He was transported to a field dressing station and later to a hospital where he stayed until October 1943 and he rejoined the Loyal Eddies in November 1943.

The Lost Battalion

George and Thomas were still with the regiment and were involved in the capture of Valguarnera and also in the Battle for Leonforte which took place on 21 and 22 July 1943. Here two platoons of C-Company and one platoon from D-Company were cut off from the rest of the Battalion and the fear of the headquarters of the Loyal Eddies was that they were annihilated. The buildings held by the Loyal Eddies were fortified and it took the Germans some time to locate the exact spot of the fortification. They sent a single tank quickly followed by others and started shelling the buildings the Canadians were in. Signallers tried to get in contact with Battalion Headquarters by going to the rooftops, but without luck.

The Loyal Eddies kept their positions during the night, but in the morning it became clear that without support they couldn’t hold their position. Lieutenant Colonel Jefferson, who was also in these buildings wanted to ask for help and out of nowhere young Antonio Guissepi appeared. Lieutenant Colonel Jefferson gave little Antonio all the money he had and wrote a note which he asked the little boy to bring to Brigadier Vokes. Antonio disappeared in the night and was later picked up by a Canadian patrol and was brought to Brigadier Vokes who felt his heart leap when he read that the men were still alive.

During the night of the 21 ^st of July the Sappers of the Royal Canadian Engineers' 3rd Field Company managed to build a Bailey Bridge across the gully which the Loyal Eddies had to take on the 20th of July. The bridge itself was blown by the enemy.

A force consisting out of one troop of tanks, 90th Anti-Tank Battalion and 1 platoon of C-Coy and one of Battalion HQ of the PPCLI mounted on quads of the 90th Anti-Tank Battalion went through Leonforte. They relieved the cut off Loyal Eddies, consisting of around 30 men of all ranks in centre of town, at 09.30 hours in the morning. The Loyal Eddies were completely out of contact with the rest of the Battalion. Machine guns from the Brigade Support Group (Saskatoon Light Infantry) provided covering fire against snipers from the escarpment on the east side of town. The relieve of the Loyal Edmontons was a complete success and three enemy tanks in town were brewed up. The men from C-Coy then pushed forward through town against stiff opposition and occupied the area around the railway station. The C-Coy of the PPCLI was the counter attack Company for the Battalion and were placed under Loyal Edmonton command. A and B-Companies of the PPCLI moved forward mounted on Shermans.

It is very likely that both George and Thomas were part of either the platoons encircled in Leonforte or with the relieve party.

After the Battle for Leonforte was over the Loyal Eddies stayed in the area around the town itself and took over positions from other Regiments who were fighting the enemy near Nissoria.

Agira

On 27 July 1943 the Loyal Eddies were back in action again and they had to take the strategic town of Agira. At 18.30 hours the Loyal Edmonton Regiment came through the Seaforths positions and advance towards Agira.

At 19.00 hours the Seaforths had time for some tea and a smoke but were still shelled and fired upon with mortars and machine guns. They remained on the southern side of the road towards Agira.

B and D-Coys of the Loyal Eddies attacked Cemetery Hill but met heavy opposition encountered by both Companies. The enemy were in possession of mortars, machine guns, rifle grenades and hand grenades. Close counter fighting ensued and it was not until the enemy were engaged with the bayonet that the situation began to clarify itself. Heavy fighting resulted in the complete capture of the hill.

Major William Gledstanes Bury, OC of D-Coy was killed by mortar fire and three officers, Captain Gilchrist and Lieutenants Turner and Saville were wounded.

A-Coy were engaging at close range at Monte Caprilzza and covering the road approaching from the east towards Agira. The Regiment were then ordered to hold ground and they were relieved the next day by the Princess Patricia’s Canadian Light Infantry.

Salso Valley

After four days of rest and relaxing at Cemetery Hill where George, Thomas and the Loyal Eddies were treated on a cloud burst which saw all ranks joyously stripping to take the pelting downpour on the bare skins, another operation was about to start. This time the operation would be on Battalion scale and the Eddies got the tough task to take the rough terrain northeast of Agira and north of Regalbuto.

The Loyal Edmonton Regiment made a couple of recce patrols through the night. One under Lieutenant Swan and under Sergeant Robertson of C-Coy. They were sent out to recce the Salso River Valley and Point 736 if there were enemy troops dug in there. They reported that there were no enemy troops, but that the trails were unusable for vehicles. They took the dry riverbed of the Salso River where no vehicles could proceed.

They received orders to take Point 736 to the north of Regalbuto under the cover of darkness.

During the afternoon a large number of mules were collected with pack saddles for ammunition, heavy weapons, rations and water. The whole party of mules took off around midnight towards Point 736.

The next day the Regiment moved into the Salso Valley north of Agira and Regalbuto. The troops moved forward without incidents, but their advance was slowed down several times when enemy aircraft dropped flares lighting up the countryside. Combined with the difficult terrain progress was slow.

A and B-Coys were ordered to move forward and seize a high ground in the Salso Valley. They came under very heavy mortar and machine gun fire. Both Companies held their positions for the remainder of the day and were taking shelter under rocks and cliffs. There were no opportunities to dig slit trenches.

The enemy had occupied Point 736 and its approaches and defended it with a considerable force. Mule trains had difficulties to move forward due to shelling and were badly scattered. The machine gun platoon from the Saskatoon Light Infantry lost their machine guns as a result of the enemy shelling.

On the 3 ^rd of August 1943 the Loyal Eddies were advancing through pretty rough terrain north of Agira and Regalbuto in the Salso Valley. This valley exists partly out of dry riverbed with rocks.

They sent out a recce which showed out that Point 736 could be more easily attacked from the southeast rather than the west. These moves took considerable time as care was taken to keep the enemy in complete ignorance of the change of plan.

The plan developed as a three-phase attack and at 23.30 hours C-Coy was ordered to take the first objective, Point 349.

The 3 ^rd of August is also the day that George Ireland was mortally wounded which was most likely in the night from 2 on 3 August 1943 on Point 736. George was officially listed as died of wounds received in action, but he never made it to a hospital and most likely died in the Field Dressing Station. George served in No. 3 Platoon of the Support Company of the Loyal Eddies with Sergeant Jack Birmingham.

George was initially buried in a field grave near the Salso River and later reburied on Agira Canadian War Cemetery. That day the Eddies lost 10 men in total who were killed in action.

In the night of 4 on 5 August the regiment had difficulties in holding Point 736 which changed hands several times. They did manage to hold it eventually.

At 04.30 hours C-Coy captured the first objective in face of a considerable enemy opposition and spent the remainder of the day in consolidation and active patrolling. Ammunition, rations and water were sent up by mules.

A and B-Coys moved east along the Salso Valley and occupied a forming up position ready to attack Monte Revisotto.

The Loyal Edmonton Regiment's C-Coy attacked and captured its second objective in the morning, a high ground. The troops were exhausted and regiment was asked for fresh troops to continue the attack. Two platoons of D-Coy were sent forward.

Major Donald was the CO of C-Coy and made a plan to take Point 736 but found that the Forward Observing Officer (FOO) was unable to establish contact from a forward Observation Point (OP). Major Donald then directed the artillery fire himself.

At 16.30 hours two platoons of D-Coy under Lieutenants Christie and Dougan attacked and successfully drove the enemy from the feature. Lieutenant Christie was killed while Lieutenant Dougan was wounded. Their seconds in command, Sergeant Hammell and Sergeant McEwan were also killed. C-Coy rushed up to consolidate what was gained.

On the Monte Revisotto front A and B-Coys attacked and got well forward but met heavy opposition being halted on the slopes of feature 333. Their ammunition was running low and the opposition was considerable. It was decided to hold them there an plan and attack supported by artillery

On 5 August Thomas Ireland was the only one still fighting for the regiment. Considering the fact that his brother George had died of wounds two days earlier must have made him more determined to fight the enemy forces. He was captured by the Germans during one of the counter attacks which were made by the enemy that day. It is unknown where the enemy had captured Thomas to, but it is certain that he survived the Second World War.

The Commander of the Eighth Army, Lieutenant General Sir Bernard Montgomery, watches troops (48th Highlanders) as they pass through the streets of Reggio

Operation Baytown and the advance in Italy

The 1 ^st Canadian Infantry Division where the Loyal Edmonton Regiment belonged to got some rest after they were taken out of battle in Sicily, but this time without the three Ireland brothers. They were taken to places far away from cities and towns and got some relaxation and rest in the very hot Sicilian Summer. They went out for swims in the Mediterranean, but were also training for their next operations. Replacements were shipped in and the regiments were brought back to strength again.

On 3 September 1943 their next amphibious landing was planned; Operation Baytown. The Allied troops were landing on the Italian mainland near Reggio di Calabria. The 1 ^st Canadian Infantry Division was part of the landings and encountered little resistance capturing all their objectives on the first day. From here the Canadians went up the Italian boot towards towns like Campobasso (Canada Town) and along the Adriatic Coast.

Personnel of The Loyal Edmonton Regiment digging out Lance-Corporal Roy Boyd, a comrade who was buried alive for 3 1/2 days in the wreckage of a demolished building, Ortona, Italy, 30 December 1943

Ortona

On 11 November 1943 Frank Ireland rejoined the active service force and was added to the Loyal Edmonton Regiment again. They went up to a town which was unknown to the Canadians; Ortona. This turned out to become Canada’s own Stalingrad, but under different conditions than on the Russian front. The Battle of Stalingrad in Russia was a bloody city war where literally every building was either a stronghold from the Russians or the Germans which had to be capture against a high loss. It was here that Frank became the second of the Ireland brothers who lost his live in the Second World War.

On 26 December 1943 the Loyal Eddies war diarist wrote the following about the Battle of Ortona:

“House to house fighting continues throughout the day. Tunnels, which the enemy were using to change positions quickly, were discovered by our forward platoons. These tunnels were quickly put out of use, the exits being blown up by our Pioneers. The enemy in his determination to stop our advance used a flame thrower again today but failed to accomplish his purpose. Several more city blocks of flats were cleared and occupied by our troops.

The 12 CTR (Three Rivers Regiment) lost two tanks in their support of us, one by a beehive and one knocked out by a 50 mm gun which was later destroyed. Anti-tank guns, 6 and 17 Pounders firing over open sights, were of great assistance in knocking down buildings occupied by the enemy. The Regiment now controls the entrances to "Cathedral" square, the third and last major city square.”

On the 27 ^th of December, the day that Frank lost his life, the following was noted by the war diarist:

“One hundred reinforcements arrived during the night and the majority have been posted to re-form 'C' Coy in order that the regiment can operate on a four rifle coy basis. Captain P.G. Wright, who joined the battalion on 25 December 43, took over command of 'C' Coy. A large percentage of these new men have come from the Cape Breton Highlanders, the regiment which the Minister of National Defence, Colonel R.L. Ralston, commanded in the last war. 'C' Coy may now be called the "Bluenose Coy".

The enemy being unable to stop our daily advance attempted a new act of terror to discourage us from occupying buildings. Early this morning the Huns sent a small patrol out to determine our occupation of a building. This being established, the enemy returned to their own lines and in the matter of a very few minutes blew the building up. One Platoon consisting of one officer, Lieutenant E.B. Allen, and twenty-three men were trapped and buried in the rubble before they had a chance to make an escape. Not being satisfied the Hun continued to harass the area with grenades but this did not stop our Pioneers from continuing their efforts in an attempt to rescue the buried men.

By nightfall four men were rescued and evacuated and the body of one man was removed. In retaliation 'A' Coy blew up two buildings in which Germans were heard talking, in one of the buildings a Bosche Officer was issuing orders. The CO, Lieutenant Colonel J.C. Jefferson DSO ED, laid on an area shoot for our 3" Mortars which proved to be a field day 1100 High Explosive bombs being expended. Since we now control by fire the third city square, opposite the domed cathedral, the end of the battle is now in sight. The Hun has not many remaining buildings from which to manoeuvre or make a major stand.”

Frank was initially buried near the Communal Stadium of Ortona and later reburied at Moro River Canadian War Cemetery.

Below from left to right:

Frank Lawrence, Thomas William, George John, James Richard

Sources:

- A city goes to war by Lieutenant Colonel G.R. Stevens OBE.

- Loyal Edmonton Regiment war diaries.

- Libraries and Archives of Canada (photos).

- Wikipedia.

- Ancestry.

- D-Day Dodgers Foundation.

Battlefield story - History around the corner

duda-wsm@mijndomein.nl — Mon, 22 Jan 2024 20:30:17 GMT

History around the corner

By Tjarco Schuurman

Europe is an open-air museum. Everywhere you go, you follow in the footsteps of our ancestors. It’s fascinating if you think about it; The things we cannot see are hard to imagine, but keep in mind that once people stood on that exact same location and saw things you cannot see now. And yet, you also see what they saw. Roads are still the same, houses are still there and rivers still there. The only difference between then and now is time. They lived in wartime, you live freedom.

We are the 'lucky' ones living in this digital age. We don't just depend on the stories of our grandparents; Stories about what it used to be like. Since the moment photo and video were invented, we have been able to actually look back into history. A video or photo is by definition history, whether you took it a second ago or a year ago. The risk is that a photo becomes a still of that specific moment. Without the story and context of what happened in that particular shot, it will just be a picture of the past.

The Archive contains many photos and videos from the Second World War. Each individual photo is taken in a specific place at a specific time and we like to find out where it was to bring back history to the corner of your street. It takes a lot of time and energy to be searching on Google, read the War Diaries and study the old maps. Sometimes you are lucky and others have done the work for you, but searching for the locations is a way of exploring the past which makes it an amazing journey.

“Those who do not remember the past are condemned to repeat it”.

As a group of researchers, we work to commemorate the history of the Second World War for future generations. Together with many other groups and individuals, we believe it is important to keep history alive. The war was 80 years ago and the people who lived through it are fading away. If we stop telling the stories, we will forget the men who rest beneath those white limestone and marble headstones. All that's left is a name we don't even remember. A story that is forgotten. A history that is being erased.

Not a great way to thank the people who brought us the freedom we have.

Then & Now

Oisterwijk

We are taking you to Oisterwijk in South of The Netherlands. A town where Lieutenant William Alexander Gunn died when his company was shelled by the enemy. His unit, The Seaforth Highlanders, were filmed in Oisterwijk while advancing through town. William himself is buried in the local graveyard. They were part of Operation Pheasant, the liberation of the province of Brabant. After Oisterwijk the soldiers moved on to the west and a day later they entered the city of Tilburg.

Nieuwstadt

This video is taking you to Nieuwstadt in the South-East of The Netherlands. On the first IWM picture you see Lieutenant P. Bickepsteth of the 1 ^st Battalion Rifle Brigade briefing his men during a patrol in the village. The Brigade was part of the 22nd Armoured Brigade, 7th Armoured Division. The pictures are taken on January 3rd, 1945 when Nieuwstadt was on the frontlines. We follow the path they took, step by step.

Sittard

Another one is the City of Sittard in the South-East of The Netherlands. In these streets, tanks were driving through town on the same street you are walking to go shopping. On this picture you see a Cromwell tank of the 7th Armoured Division (King’s Own Hussars) of the British Army.

The Division took part in what is known as Operation Blackcock. Operation Blackcock was an operation to clear German troops from the Roer triangle, formed by the towns of Roermond and Sittard in the Netherlands and Heinsberg in Germany. It took the British Army 2 weeks, from 13 January until 27 January 1945.

The area brings you lots of fascinating historical places. Many then & now pictures can be found there and when you read the war diaries you can follow these men step by step.

Bergen op Zoom

Four Canadians, Captain Alexander Carron Scrimger, Lieutenant Jean Marc Guyot, Trooper Tip Orlando La Foy and Trooper Dennis Hoare from the South Alberta Regiment (29th Armd. Reconnaissance Regiment) were among many others buried in a temporary cemetery in Bergen op Zoom in the South-West of The Netherlands. Nothing there reminds us of that temporary burial ground except the pictures taken. Nowadays it’s a parking lot with shops and houses. But history is still there. You just have to take a good look and remember.

World War Explore takes you back in history.

Our historians and researchers are working to give men and women a face and a story again. We're working to find the locations of historic photos so that history is right around the corner again. And we will continue to help you remember the past. We want to help prevent this from happening again. And we just want to say 'thank you' to the men and women who gave their lives for our freedom.

Sources:
Operation PictureMe

IWM

Veterans.gc.ca

Battlefield Story - John William Stephens

duda-wsm@mijndomein.nl — Sun, 14 Jan 2024 12:07:59 GMT

The story of John William Stephens

By Jimmy Hilgen

A family photo with a man in uniform and his family around him. The little girl standing at the back door from the car is Barbara Stephens and next to her is her older brother Edward and her uncle. She seems to be talking to her mother. Barbara´s grandmother is standing with her younger brother Ken on her arms. The man in uniform is Barbara’s father, at that time still Sergeant John William Stephens serving with the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps and on the right from him is his wife Voy. He says goodbye and will be brought to the train station in Brighton, Ontario where John will take the train back to his military barracks. Little did they know it was the very last time they ever saw their dad again….

John served in the reserve formation of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps with No 16 Field Ambulance from July 1940 until 2 June 1941. The following day he was called up for active duty and he officially enlisted on 3 June 1941 in Toronto.

John stayed for two years in Debert, Nova Scotia and when he heard he had to embark for England he said he couldn’t and wouldn’t go before he could call home and “memorize” the voices of his beloved wife Voy and their four children; John, Edward, Barbara and Kenneth. There was a time difference between Debert and Toronto and the four children had to be awakened by their mother to speak to their daddy. Then it was time for John to embark on the ship which should bring him across the dangerous Atlantic towards England.

John left Halifax on 26 September 1942 and arrived at the port of Liverpool on 7 October 1942.

In the meanwhile, John was promoted to Lieutenant at the end of May 1943, so a couple of weeks before he embarked for Sicily on June 16, 1943. John was a Lieutenant in the 5th Field Ambulance of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps. John’s cousin was on the same ship and later told his wife that John was leading the exercises on board. The young lads liked him very much because he exercised too and never let the boys do anything he wouldn’t do either. John was considered an “oldy” by the younger men on board.

On board of the ship towards the Mediterranean John wrote four letters home (which his wife Voy got after she officially heard that he died) and because of the censor of the letters he couldn’t tell everything. Below some parts of his letters:

“News is scarce and our routine is pretty much the same every day. Zero day is approaching and we are all set for it. You can depend on it, love, that we will give a good account of ourselves. Don’t worry, love, will you. I will be o.k.

My whereabouts are security, so even if you surmise, don’t discuss it with anyone, for a while anyway.

Recess for now, tea-time, and us soldiers must have our tea, so will be back shortly, a big kiss for you while I am away. Always keep in mind that my greatest aim in life right now is to get this over with and get home to you, so you can rest assured I will look after John W. Somehow I feel quite detached from all this. Physically I am here, but nothing ruffles me very much and I seem to get things done much better. My thoughts are with you always. I often sit down and conjecture just what you might be doing and all the little trials and tribulations of the children. The ocean is a little choppy right now.”

“We passed some land last night and it was the shoreline of Africa, just where I do not know. Our convoy is well protected and several subs are sorry they attempted to interfere. Our score is 3-0.

I am quite disillusioned about the blue of the Mediterranean it is quite a different shade than the other water we passed through but still not quite what I expected.”

“Our reason for being here of course you will read about and will probably have heard about over the air before this reaches you. Please don’t worry about it love, as I will be quite safe. I am glad this time has come because it means I will get home to you that much sooner.”

“We will quite likely be in action soon. I don’t want you to worry about it as I will be perfectly safe and only too glad to be doing something to hurry this crazy business along to a quick conclusion. Let’s hope it’s over soon love, so we can resume where we left off or have you got so used to not having a grouchy husband under foot...and are quite happy as you are.”

“Pleasant dreams and may I be in them. Keep smiling”

Then came the 10 ^th of July 1943 when John landed on the beaches south of Pachino. He was with the 5 ^th Field Ambulance during the Sicilian Campaign and went through towns with names he probably never heard of before: Ispica, Ragusa, Grammichele, Caltagirone, Valguarnera and then Leonforte on 21 July 1943.

All regiments in the Canadian Army had their own war diaries where a day to day description was given about what happened. This went from logistical problems to promotions to heavy battles and recommendations of soldiers. On 21 July 1943 John was mention in the war diary of the Loyal Edmonton Regiment:

“At 1600 hours, as the Seaforths deployed to lead the attack, the Edmontons closed up to follow through. Unfortunately a salvo of the preliminary shoot (friendly fire) fell on Colonel Hoffmeister’s (Seaforth) Orders-Group, while it was tying in the last details of the assault. War Diary 5th F.A. – “Lieutenant J. W. Stephens of B Company was wounded while attending an O-Group with the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada.”

John’s son John jr spoke to one of his father’s commanding officers, Major Maclean, in 1976 and he told him the following story regarding his father’s death.

Major Maclean of the RCAMC:

Major Maclean reported a different incident to me in 1976. Because of his direct contact with my father, I feel this more accurately describes what really happened to John and has convinced me that he was not in fact at the O-Group (orders group) meeting. Furthermore because both events happened at the same time, I can understand how there might be confusion behind the lines as to where people were injured.

Major Mclean - “We ran into stiff resistance from German Panzer troops who had retreated to a strong position in Leonforte, which was on a rocky prominence at the north end of a valley. At the southern end of the valley was Valguarnera, where the section of the 5th Field Ambulance, of which I was in charge (and your father was attached), set up an evacuation centre for wounded coming back down the valley. At one point the action was very heavy and our contact with the Edmonton’s Regimental Aid Post was cut off. Your father and a driver went forward in a Jeep-Ambulance and were preparing to return with casualties.

Johnnie was evacuated to my Ambulance Post on his own Jeep-ambulance.

Naturally it was a great shock to see him wounded and near death, especially as I had been speaking to him just an hour before.

Johnnie was evacuated down the line.”

The 5 ^th Field Ambulance of the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps also kept their war diary and the following was mentioned in it:

War Diary, 5th Field Ambulance – “Lieut. Stephens was evacuated to 4th Field Ambulance and 1st Field Dressing Station at Valguarnera and was operated on by doctors of the 1st Field Surgical Unit.”

Two other Lieutenants from the Royal Canadian Army Medical Corps recalled the following:

Lieutenant Cal Forward – “John was seriously injured in action at the front and was brought to our hospital for emergency treatment. He insisted he would be all right and that some others should undergo treatment first. That wish was denied and he received priority treatment.”

Lieutenant Bob Godtel – “He was not the only one hit at the time, but insisted that others around him be looked after first - quite unselfish about it, which was typical about him in all respects.”

“I arrived again at midnight. He was sleeping but woke up and spoke. I told him he would be OK and he said ‘sure, sure’. He was badly smashed up- compound fractures of the left thigh, left forearm and right hand smashed, head injury and lots of minor shrapnel wounds all over his body.”

The Padre of the Seaforth Highlanders describes the situation at the Regimental Aid Post:

“The jeeps roar up to the door, stretchers with their moaning load brought in and put on upturned boxes. Bloody bandages cut away, tunics and pants cut up, chloroform, tea, and plasma. Doctor works smoothly.

In the hospital at Valguarnera

The Canadian Hospital in Valguarnera is mentioned in the book: Canadian Medical Services (CMS)

July 19, 1943 , Sicily - “With the leading infantry now engaged in levering the enemy from positions covering the road running northwards from Valguarnera towards Leonforte, 4th Field Ambulance and 1st Field Dressing Station, with 1st Field Surgical Unit attached, opened conjointly an advanced dressing station and advanced surgical centre in Valguarnera. The building occupied was a large school that had been in use as an Italian hospital. It contained large stocks of medical supplies, including surgical instruments and dressings. But also inherited were some 60 enemy patients (civilian and military) whose condition, along with that of the building, was recorded as ‘indescribable’.”

It was here that John lost his life and where he was initially buried in a temporary burial site near the school building. Later he was reburied at Agira Canadian War Cemetery.

His wife and children received the terrible news that their beloved father and husband had died as a result of enemy actions. John’s wife never remarried and cared for her children until her death.

John’s daughter Barbara wrote some beautiful poems regarding the missing of her father:

Poems by Barbara Cooke:

Barbara, The Little Girl.

My father was killed,

Buried in land Sicilians tilled,

In the Second World War,

When I was four.

The same year I remember

My whooping cough sounded so bad,

But I have never remembered my Dad.

Mom told me he was so dear,

Story after story,

So each November 11th, I remember

His story and his glory.

Barbara, The Teenager.

By friendly fire, my mom was told.

He was killed by our own troops, not the others

“Our own” makes them belong to me and my brothers.

I don’t want them to be the ones to maim,

Because who in the hell can I blame.

Barbara, The Adult.

I must rethink...let this new death-story unfold,

Not by “friendly fire” as we have always been told,

His Jeep-ambulance, hit by a shell,

The cause, he died later, forever he fell.

It was war, “War is Hell”

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

World War II in darkness July 10, 1943

In darkness, our father, Lieutenant John Stephens, of the Canadian Army Medical Corps,

Left his ship, walking through the water, with all the Canadian soldiers, towards their secret landing on the shores of Sicily...Operation Husky, World War ll.

July 21, 1943, he was killed and buried in Sicily. My mother never loved again.

World War II in darkness July 10, 1943

Assault vehicles, like garbage trucks

Discarded soldiers in deep water

To attack a Sicilian Beach at dawn.

Waves attacked Johns rifle.

In combat boots,

He marched toward shore.

The water fought his every step.

His children darted underwater,

This way and that,

Bare feet fluttering

The dog-paddle and the deadman’s float.

He faced bullets

So real that his worst nightmare paled

As the sun rose

And revealed the men and their secret invasion.

Seagulls screeched, but

His children’s laughter drowned the sound

As they ran on hot white sand

As if there was no tomorrow.

But tomorrow did come

And so did the dreaded telegram

Lieutenant John William Stephens

Has died of wounds.

In Canada, the Sicilian invasion

Was on the News-Of-The-World film clip

At the neighbourhood show for

Johns widow to see for 35 cents.

His fatherless children kept playing

But their innocence ended.

He is buried in Sicily

Under the same sky as his children.

By Jimmy Hilgen - This story was made with help from the Stephens family who approved it before release.

Battlefield story - The weight of four flags

duda-wsm@mijndomein.nl — Mon, 25 Dec 2023 18:28:38 GMT

The weight of four flags

By Tjarco Schuurman

‘So Brave you were, so tender and so true’ are the words engraved in the headstone of the son of Fred and Agnes Vanderlip from Van Nuys, California. Their son, Wilfred Wallace Nigel Brownlee-Lamont is buried at Kasterlee War Cemetery in Belgium. An absolute beautiful cemetery. Small, but very scenic. Tall trees and a small hill make you feel surrounded by mother nature; it makes you feel like you are a lonely soul on that small piece of planet and yet you feel you are not alone because you are surrounded by heroes.

An American with Canadian roots, Wilfred Wallace Nigel Brownlee-Lamont joined the Canadian Army and became an officer in the British Army (actually in the 15 ^th Scottish Division). Representing more nations than many other soldiers, the weight of the Canadian, American, British and also the Scottish flags was on his shoulders.

Walking the cemetery, you will find only a few Maple Leafs on the headstones. And although Brownlee-Lamont is the only one in the row with a Maple Leaf on his headstone, the lieutenant is not a stranger to the men surrounding him. He is accompanied by two men he knew on each side. Where the Canadians have a Maple Leaf, the British men have their unit insignia engraved on their headstones. All four men have the specific ‘Highlanders’ deer on their headstones, in this case that of the 2 ^nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders. The unit Lt. Brownlee-Lamont was an officer in.

Note: Because the British Army faced a shortage of officers, the CANLOAN (Canada Loan) program was created during the war to loan officers from the Canadian Army. Canadian officers who were in this program were placed in British units.

And it’s not a coincidence they are next to each other. Because these men fought side by side. They were killed in the same fight on the same small piece of land in Belgium and now they rest together at that beautiful cemetery.

Standing in front of his grave, on his right side:

- Lance Corporal William Philip

- Corporal George Walker

And on his left side:

- Private Samuel Wilson Graham

- Private George Matthews

But happened to Lieutenant Brownlee-Lamont and his men?

This specific story begins on September 11 1944, when the Gordon Highlanders moved to the towns of Humbeek and Nieuwerode, just North of Brussels. While the Battalion moved into the area, B company was ordered to guard a lock over the Albert Canal and moved out. On the 12th the rest of the battalion was ordered to move out to follow up to support B company. While the battalion settled in for the night in a town called Zoerle Parwijs, D-company was sent forward to assist B company.

On September 13, the battalion moved to an area in Oolen and in that small town plans were made to go over the canal and occupy the area of the lock. Somehow the higher command didn’t consider it to be necessary at that time and the battalion less B company moved out again to Meerhout and set up defensive positions. One man was killed in action that day; Private John Heap.

Two days later, on September 15, crossing the canal became important again. The preparation for what is now called “The Battle for the Locks” were in full swing. At the Bocholt-Herentals Canal there are several locks and Bridges which were essential targets for the 15th Scottish Division. A reconnaissance was sent by the Gordon Highlanders to find a suitable crossing of the canal. They went off to a lock that is called SAS 6 (LOCK 6) which lies just North of Mol. Along the canal other battalions in the Division were ordered to do the same. During the recce they were fired on by machine guns and rifles. The German were evidently aware of the importance of the locks. Unknown at that time, the Nazi high command had ordered the German units to prevent the Allies from crossing that important barrier.

Before the recce had returned, at battalion HQ the battalion was ordered to cross the canal. All seemed ok and the men were getting ready to go at 22:00, but when the recce came back, they told the commanding officers they had discovered backwater behind the lock. Maps didn’t show this backwater and because of it, things got more complicated so the crossing was postponed a couple of hours.

The next day, on September 16th, C company under the command of Lieutenant Brownlee-Lamont was ordered to move at 2:00. Barges and planks were brought up by a platoon of A Company to be able to cross the backwater and the assault platoon was ordered to use sandbags over their shoes and leave unnecessary equipment behind. In the area of the locks, the assault platoon was fired on by a sniper but managed to place the barges and planks and covered them with sandbags to mute the sound as much as possible. After crossing the backwater, the company was pinned down by machinegun fire on that small island between the backwater and the canal. When dawn was breaking, the remainder of C company and B and D companies crossed the backwater too but were also pinned down. During a reconnaissance, Serjeant James Robert Uttley was killed by a German sniper.

West of the locks A company tried to cross the canal by boats but were pinned down too by machinegun and rifle fire from the far bank. The only way across was to cross the lock doors to the other side. The lock itself is not very wide, but the well dug in enemy knew the men were coming. Lieutenant Brownlee-Lamont and men from his company were the ones who made an attempt to cross. Machinegun fire from across the lock, from a farm building, killed him and four of his men. Crossing the lock seemed impossible and the battle for SAS6 was over. The men were buried next to the lock and were brought to their final resting place in Kasterlee in June 1945. And that’s where they still are. Side by side. The way they lived together, the way they fought together and the way they departed this life together .

A reconnaissance was sent over to the area where the Kings Own Scottish Borderers and Royal Scots Fusiliers held a small bridgehead over the canal at Tenaard. During the 16th and 17th of September the German troops had been preparing counter attacks. Some ground was lost but in general de attacks were beaten off and after some bitter fighting the Scottish troops regained the ground they lost. One of the objectives of the Germans was the factory near where the bridge had been but they didn’t succeed. The factory is still there and in town, you still see the scars of battle on some of the buildings as a silent witness of the fighting that took place there.

The Germans then opened the floodgates, which meant that the risk of flooding of the bridgehead was very high, but it was decided to hold on. Two more Canadians were killed during the fighting on the Bridgehead; Lt. Kenneth Coats of the 6th Battalion King's Own Scottish Borderers and Lt. Jackson Stewart of the Royal Scots.

To the Gordon Highlanders September 17th 1944 was not that different from any other day. But at 13:30 they faced an Airborne armada flying overhead. The men in those planes would go down in history as the heroes of Operation Market Garden. To the general public, the story of Lieutenant Brownlee-Lamont would fade into history. The contrast of that well known operation and the fighting the Gordon Highlanders did at the locks is huge. But it’s up to us, the readers of this blog, the people who read books and watch movies, the teachers that teach in schools, the historians that continue to speak about history; it doesn’t matter if you were fighting for locks or were dropped out of airplanes that day. The fighting for freedom didn’t start or end with “operations”. They were individual men who fought in platoons, companies, battalions and regiments. Not fighting to become famous, but fighting because they were there. And because their comrades were there.

A few days later, the 15th Scottish Division did end up in Operation Market Garden. Compared to the Airborne units, little is written about their part in that operation. Many men would get wounded or got killed; their war was far from over. This story ends here, but that of the 2nd Battalion Gordon Highlanders didn’t. They had many more fights ahead. And all of these men deserve our eternal gratitude and respect, just like any other person who fought for freedom.

Writing this story, I wondered what it felt like for him; Lieutenant Wilfred Wallace Nigel Brownlee-Lamont died while carrying the weight of four flags. Did he realise it? Was it a burden or a blessing? Did it make him proud or was it just the way it was? All we know is that he died for us. So now, it’s up to us to carry him on those flags for eternity. Because men like him are the people that connect us and help us to protect the freedom and peace they died for.

Source reference:

CWGC

War Diaries 15 Scottish Division

Battleforthelocks.be

Battlefield story - Lester Cudmore

duda-wsm@mijndomein.nl — Sat, 28 Oct 2023 20:43:16 GMT

4 Generations at the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery

By Blake Cudmore

Once a year on November 11th in Canada we remember all the brave men and women who gave their lives protecting us. My Grandfather - Lester Cudmore was one of these people. In our Family there is not a day when we don’t think about these sacrifices but until 3 generations of our family visited Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery in September 2023 with Tjarco and Jimmy (from the D-Day Dodgers foundation) I did not completely understand (I think this true for many Canadians).

Our day began at the Cemetery where for the first time (after 78 years) my father (Carl) visited his father’s grave. Dad was just 4 years old when my Grandfather gave his life so that we could live the lives we have. My uncle (Brian) and son (Zach) rounded out our group 6 on this journey. For my uncle this was his second visit to the cemetery and a special trip for him as he was going to learn about a father he never got to meet.

Tjarco and Jimmy had a full day planned for us but before leaving the cemetery we took time to walk the cemetery and pay our respects. We saw the grave of another fallen Canadian from Northern Ontario who won the Victoria Cross (Aubrey Cosens) who single handedly captured a farmhouse fortified by 21 German Soldiers.

After a quick lunch in Groesbeek we began to trace the steps of the last 8 days of my Grandfather’s life. We set out across the border into Germany, stopping at a small church where Grandpa was buried before being moved to Groesbeek. The Canadian Armed Forces did not want our soldiers buried in Germany. We travelled through fields and small villages that the Canadians travelled in the Winter of 1945. Many of the farm houses that became German strongholds still bear the scars of war. Bullet holes can be seen everywhere in these brick buildings. To truly appreciate what it was like we stood in these fields and looked out on flat land (like that of the Prairies in Canada) and saw very little trees or any other natural formation to hide behind to avoid being shot at by the German Soldiers in the brick farm buildings. It is amazing that anyone made it across these fields alive and more amazing what Aubrey Cosens accomplished only to be shot heading back across these fields to report in at Headquarters.

We continued across the fields arriving at the Hochwald forest where Grandpa spent the last hours of his life on March 3, 1945. He and 12 other brave Canadians lost their lives in this area on this day. As we walked into the forest it was easy to see how easily a German soldier could hide. On this Day Grandpa and Canadians he was with were in this forest when they walked up on a hidden machine gun nest. All but one Canadian died here including the Germans operating the gun. What was amazing about this was we also saw the trenches at the edge of the forest looking out across the fields we had just come across and again we wondered how did the Canadians even get into this forest.

After retracing Lester Cudmore’s (Grandpa) steps and standing in the forest where he died I truly understood for the first time the true sacrifice of the soldiers who fought here and continue to fight around the world. It caused me to pause and wonder how any leader of any nation could think this is the solution to any dispute but again made me thankful for all the men and women who chose to protect us even when leaders make bad decisions.

My son’s question at the end of this journey summed it up. “Why are we not taught this in schools?” Tjarco and Jimmy showed us that we do not do enough to remember the sacrifices our soldiers make. They took the time to make us understand why we can never forget. November 11th and every day forward will never be the same. I will never forget and I encourage you to not just remember but learn more about why we need to. Thank You Tjarco and Jimmy for opening our eyes.

Anne Frank

duda-wsm@mijndomein.nl — Thu, 26 Oct 2023 18:39:41 GMT

The Anne Frank House and Anne Frank's house

By Tjarco Schuurman

The Anne Frank House is one of the “must go” placed when visiting Amsterdam. You won’t be alone; hundreds of thousands of people come there every year. Located at the Westermarkt 20 in Amsterdam you will find the modern looking museum. Years ago, the old canal houses next to Otto Frank’s company were torn down to make place for the museum. Don’t let the modern look fool you. The original company building is still like it was then. Just around the corner, on Prinsengracht 263, you will find it like Anne, her sister and her parents saw it for the last time.

Anne Frank’s story is a both beautiful and sad one. A young girl, full of life had to hide from the Nazi’s with her family and others on the secret annex behind her father’s company. And now, more than 80 years later we walk in the same rooms as they did, seeing the walls they saw, hearing the squeaking of the floors like they heard it.

There is a lot to say about the Anne Frank House in Amsterdam. Enough to write a blog about, but not for us. We just want to give you a tip; go there when you can. Experience it and remember this brave family, the other people that were hiding there and the ones who helped them. And give Anne just one more thought. About how lucky we are with what she gave our world. Her dream came true in becoming a famous writer and we are the lucky ones that can learn from her.

Like the title of this blog says, we are writing about the Anne Frank House and about Anne Frank's house. What many people don’t realize is that there is so much more to see and experience. The secret annex was just their hiding place. It was a building behind Otto’s company. Before that the family actually lived somewhere else in Amsterdam. Not in the city center but in what is called the ‘ Rivierenbuurt’.

Anne was 4 years old when the family moved from Frankfurt am Main in Germany to the Merwedeplein 37-2 in Amsterdam. They lived there from December 1933 until July 1942. The Merwedeplein, which is a triangular square, was home to Anne and her friends. Jacqueline van Maarsen, one of her best friends, said ‘It was her square’ when a statue of Anne was unveiled in 2005. Many pictures were taken there with Anne and her family and friends on it. We added some to this blog but there are more to find online.

The beauty about history is that it's always there. Only time passed but a lot of things are still the same. So, being able to walk there, to see the buildings and the neighborhood brings you close to what Anne actually saw. The area changed over the years. Trees grew and the streets are filled with cars now but the buildings are still there. The small stairs where she walked on is still there. The house she actually lived in is still there.

Not far from their home was her school. Anne went to the ‘6 ^th Montessori School’ which is on walking distance and easy to find. This 10-minute walk leads you on the sidewalks Anne walked. Again, you are seeing what she saw.

The school itself is not accessible to the public. It still is in use as a primary school. After the war, the Sixth Montessori School was given the name of Anne Frank. One classroom at the Anne Frank School still looks the same as it did in Anne's time, and photos in the school commemorate her. In 1983 an artist painted texts from Anne’s diaries on the facade of the school. This way she will be remembered on a daily basis.

If we can give you some advice; take a tram and go to the Merwedeplein. And when you want to know some more, please let us know. We might be able to help.

How it all started

duda-wsm@mijndomein.nl — Mon, 23 Oct 2023 15:12:06 GMT

Volti di Agira was born!

By Jimmy Hilgen

Where do I start this most incredible journey which had its highlight in July 2023?

A good question, so I think it’s best to start at the beginning!

In the Summer of 2019 I was on holiday in Sicily reading the book “Operation Husky”. It was about the first major Allied landing where the Canadians took part in during the Second World War after the ill-fated Dieppe raid in August 1942. I always sensed an interest for Operation Husky but why? I think because it was one of the lesser known campaigns during the war. Most of the stories and movies are about the well-known battles and operations like Market Garden, D-Day, Battle of the Bulge, Pacific and so on.

During the holiday in Sicily it made me curious to see the places like Pachino, Enna, Agira, Assoro, Leonforte etc to see and feel where the boys had been during the campaign in Sicily. I also wrote down the names mentioned in the book, so I could look their graves up at Agira Canadian War Cemetery. To be honest, I had never heard of Agira let alone about the Canadian War Cemetery there. I live in The Netherlands which was liberated for the largest part by the Canadians and near my hometown is a large Canadian War Cemetery.

I tried to find some online information about monuments and places where the Canadians had been during Operation Husky. Surprisingly there wasn’t a lot to be found online, so I needed to do it with the information from the book. Luckily my wife, who doesn’t have any interest in war history and sometimes hopes to go to places where the Second World War didn’t take place, wanted to join me to the various places mentioned above.

After seeing the places and being blown away by the beauty of Agira Canadian War Cemetery I decided to set up a Facebook group called Agira Canadian War Cemetery. Back in The Netherlands there were various groups online where photos from the men buried at for instance Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery were shown. I always missed the additional information with the photos. I wanted to know more about the lads and not only to see a photo with a name, so that’s why I started this page to dig in deeper in the stories of the “Agira men”.

Back home I started collecting photos from the lads buried at Agira Canadian War Cemetery. At first with little information which was available online but later I had found out that there were websites with all the military files. What surprised me was that there was quite some interest in the Facebook group mainly from Canada, but also from Italy and other countries.

Somewhere in January 2021 one of the followers of the Facebook group, Mr Roger Chabot from Canada, sent me a message that he wanted to talk to me during a video call about a plan he had. Of course I was interested and Roger told me that he made documentaries about Canadian soldiers in the Second World War. Roger, a former Canadian soldier and also a war artist, and I had a very nice first conversation online. Roger asked me if I was able to come to Sicily in November 2021 when he was planning to go there with a film crew to shoot documentaries about Operation Husky and the Canadians in Sicily and later on Italy. He wanted me to be there with my knowledge about the men buried at Agira Canadian War Cemetery. Of course I couldn’t refuse such an offer, but going there with my wife wasn’t going to give her a pleasant stay there.

Just some months before Roger’s offer I had teamed up with my buddy Tjarco Schuurman who I knew from earlier meetings we had at our favorite B&B in the Belgian Ardennes. We both shared the same interest in the Second World War and Tjarco often went to the Ardennes with his father Simon to visit commemorations and search for places where the Americans had fought. Tjarco was also following the Agira Canadian War Cemetery Facebook page. We had been doing some battlefield research in the area around Nijmegen where Operation Veritable took place too, so I asked him if he would like to join me in November 2021. This was something he didn’t want to miss too, so plans were made and together we had several online meetings with Roger. One small thing; Tjarco didn’t know anything about Operation Husky (yes only that it took place in Sicily).

In the Summer of 2021 Tjarco and I thought about doing “something” for November 2021 to make it extra special. We had been at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery in The Netherlands several times during Faces to Graves. This Dutch based organization places photos in front of the headstones on the cemetery. We knew this was also done at other Commonwealth war cemeteries in The Netherlands, but we had never seen this in Italy. Here the seed was planted for Faces of Agira.

We had collected over 350 photos from the “Agira men”. I write “about” because we forgot to count the exact amount of photos… Anyway, all photos were printed, but needed to be cut out and laminated too. This was something we did on a Sunday in September when we got help from Simon to complete our Faces of Agira photos.

In the first week of November we went to Sicily and it was Tjarco’s first time there. Despite it being November the weather was ok and we went to a hotel near Enna where Roger and his crew also stayed. Another Canadian who we also met online a couple of times, Mr Steve Gregory, was also there. We knew that Steve had done several large commemorations in Sicily in 2013 and 2018. Meeting Steve, Roger and the film crew was amazing and we felt we had a mission to give more attention to the Canadians in Sicily.

We also met our Sicilian friends Santino and Salvatore for the first time and later on our friend and retired general Mario too.

Roger and Steve had asked us to do a Roll Call at Agira Canadian War Cemetery during a commemoration and we had picked one soldier from every Canadian Province. To give it a Dutch twist we also added one of the two Dutchmen buried at the cemetery to the list; Sergeant Ted Kroon. In the meanwhile we had placed the 350 photos in front of the headstones for the ceremony. Due to severe weather predictions the commemorations at the cemetery were cancelled and held in a sports facility in Agira.

After the commemoration in Agira we went with the Canadians to the cemetery and this was a very emotional moment. Roger and Steve were touched by seeing all these photos, but what made the most impression on us all was the fact that the two gardeners of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission came to us and told us in Italian that they worked there for many years and for the first time they saw a face to the grave they cared for…

We promised to try and find all 490 photos for the 80 years remembrance in July 2023 and place these.

When we were back in The Netherlands we started with the help of volunteers and Regimental Associations to find more photos from the Agira men. Oh and before I forget, we also set up an official foundation: D-Day Dodgers Foundation as an honour to the so called D-Day Dodgers, the Allied soldiers in Italy.

In March 2022 we went back to Sicily for a battlefieldtour on the island but this time also the British and American sectors. A week with many impressions and meeting new and old friends on the island. To our surprise the photos were still there while we had an arrangement with the CWGC that they would only remain there for two weeks in November 2021.

July 2023 seemed so far away, but we did a lot of searching and contacting people in Canada and the UK for photos. We also thought if would be nice if the lads buried at both Catania and Syracuse War Cemeteries weren’t forgotten, so with help from our volunteers we found many photos from these cemeteries too (over 800 in total). Tjarco also came in contact with the relatives of Sergeant Ted Kroon who was original from Hillegom, Netherlands. He visited the nephew (named after his uncle) and niece and told them about their uncle. We got a photo from one of their family albums for our collection. If you want to know more about Ted, go to our Facebook pages or maybe we will make a blog about him in the near future.

Before the Summer of 2023 we had the photos of the Agira men printed on special foam plastic boards and shipped to one of our local friends in the Agira area. We didn’t want to do the same like in November 2021 when we had one suitcase filled with photos and wooden sticks to place the photos in the ground.

Then the big week came in July! Something we had looked out to for a very long time!

It was supposed to be the icing on the cake. The kick off wasn’t like we had in mind due to a fire on Catania airport and some inconveniences which you don’t want to have when starting a trip.

The inconveniences didn’t hold us off from having a fantastic and unforgettable week! In the prelude to the whole commemorations we had many video calls with Steve Gregory and his team and we had brought him in contact with the pipers and drummers of the 48 ^th Highlanders of Holland and the re-enactors of “A Canadian Soldier” both from The Netherlands. Both groups were wearing uniforms of the 48 ^th Highlanders of Canada, one of the regiments who fought in Sicily in July and August 1943. Two amazing groups of people!

We attended at various commemorations organized by Steve Gregory and his Walk For Remembrance and Peace team where we were also a part of with our D-Day Dodgers Foundation. A march had taken off at 10 July on the beaches south of Pachino all the way in the footsteps of the 1 ^st Canadian Infantry Division. In every town liberated by the Canadians commemorations were held for both the local Sicilian casualties as the Canadian ones.

Our stay in Agira was one we won’t ever forget. The locals were very open and helpful to us and the re-enactors who stayed in barracks of the Civilian Protection got food and drinks every night (grazie Bennie and Gabriel). We had asked the re-enactors and Bennie and Gabriel of the Civilian Protection if they were able to help and even a lady from Scotland, whose uncle in buried at Catania War Cemetery and who we came in contact with while looking for photos from Catania men, came over to help us placing the photos in front of the headstones at Agira Canadian War Cemetery. It was amazing to see that the re-enactors of A Canadian Soldier were there in the heat in their original khaki drill uniforms and after the placing of the photos, 474 in total, we had goosebumps despite it being 43c on the cemetery… It was so special to be seeing all these photos in front of the headstones!

We also had the idea of placing electric candles on the headstones on the day of the big remembrance which would take place on July 29.

During our week in Sicily we did so many unforgettable things like taking the re-enactors to an abandoned building in the middle of nowhere which was a Canadian Aid Station in July 1943 during the Battle for Monte Assoro. We reminded the re-enactors that they were possibly the first men in Canadian uniforms in that building since July 1943. The building itself was nothing more than a carcass with cacti growing out of the roof, but the silent witnesses were still there with bullet and shrapnel holes.

What we will never forget either was the meeting of relatives of Canadian soldiers buried at the cemetery. For the first time they had visited the graves of their loved ones; Private Emile Banville, Trooper Reuben Earl Heerebout, Lance Corporal James Frederick Giggey. It was special to be standing at their side when they kneeled down for the first time at their loved ones graves…

Also unforgettable were the commemorations in Leonforte, Assoro, Enna, Agira, Catenanuova and Nissoria. Last but not least was our trip with the Kroon family who had made the trip to Sicily too and stayed in the same B&B as we did. They had never been to Sicily before and had never visited their uncle’s grave. Ted Kroon’s nephew (82) and niece (86) saw their uncle’s grave for the first time in their life. A very emotional moment to be a part of. At the end of the week we took them on a battlefieldtour towards the spot near Ispica where their uncle was killed during an air raid by the Italian Air Force.

All in all it was an epic week which we won’t ever forget and where we are very proud of.

Did I forget something? Oh yes, the commemoration on July 29!

On July 29 in the afternoon the large commemoration at Agira Canadian War Cemetery took place. Many people were there to attend and place the candles at the headstone and a roll call was held by Steve Gregory. Each and every name was called on the cemetery and people standing at the grave had to say: “present!” After the sun had set the view of all the candles was magical.

The icing on the cake wasn’t for me unfortunately. Due to cancellation of my flight the next day I had to go back home when the candles ceremony took place. With mixed feelings I boarded the airplane towards The Netherlands, but looking back it was good. We had done so many beautiful things and witnessed so many beautiful moments that it was ok to be going home again and have vacation with my family.