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Groesbeek Memorial

Groesbeek Memorial

During the Second World War, many thousands of men and women from all countries of the British Commonwealth and Empire lost their lives in trying to repel the German invasion of the Netherlands and Belgium in 1940. In the ensuing struggle to liberate the occupied countries, some 11,000 of these have their graves in Belgium and nearly 20,000 lie in the Netherlands.

There are 1,068 who have no known grave. Of these, 98 are Canadians. The Groesbeek Memorial stands in Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery about ten kilometres southeast of the Dutch town of Nijmegen. It commemorates, by name, those members of the Commonwealth land forces who died during the campaign in Northwest Europe between the time of crossing the Seine at the end of August 1944 and the end of the war in Europe.

The Memorial consists of twin colonnaded buildings, which face each other across the surfed forecourt of the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, between the entrance and the Stone of Remembrance. The names of the men commemorated are inscribed in panels of Portland stone built into the rear walls. Within each building are inscribed the words:

“THESE WALLS BEAR THE NAMES OF THE SOLDIERS OF THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AND EMPIRE WHO FELL IN THE ADVANCE FROM THE RIVER SEINE THROUGH THE LOW COUNTRIES AND INTO GERMANY BUT TO WHOM THE FORTUNE OF WAR DENIED A KNOWN AND HONOURED GRAVE AUGUST 1944 – 5TH MAY 1945”

Reference: http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/memorials/overseas/second-world-war/the-netherlands/groesbeek

These Canadians are commemorated at the Groesbeek Memorial:

Surname Forename Initials Age Date of Death Rank Regiment Service # Panel Ref
ACE WALLACE JAMES W J 33 31/10/1944 Private Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, R.C.I.C. ‘C/54174’ Panel 10.
BARBOUR VICTOR V 25 20/10/1944 Private Royal Canadian Army Service Corps ‘H/65062’ Panel 11.
BEAUDOIN ELUCIPPE E 16/03/1945 Lance Corporal Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal, R.C.I.C. ‘E/48433’ Panel 10.
BIELER GUSTAVE DANIEL ALFRED G D A 05/09/1944 Major Le Regiment de Maisonneuve, R.C.I.C. Panel 11.
BIGGIN ERIC E 20/10/1944 Private Royal Canadian Army Service Corps ‘D/105708’ Panel 11.
BIRD ERNEST ARTHUR WILLIAM E A W 23 14/09/1944 Private Algonquin Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘B/131989’ Panel 11.
BLAKE CLIFFORD ALEXANDER C A 24 16/02/1945 Rifleman Royal Winnipeg Rifles, R.C.I.C. ‘B/113626’ Panel 11.
BOATMAN LEONARD JOSEPH L J 26 20/10/1944 Private Royal Canadian Army Service Corps ‘A/58587’ Panel 11.
BOURNER ROLAND EDWARD R E 07/04/1945 Sapper Royal Canadian Engineers ‘E/41530’ Panel 10.
BRIAN FRANCIS EARL F E 25 25/11/1944 Private Canadian Scottish Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘G/47164’ Panel 11.
CAMPBELL MURDOCK JOSEPH M J 17/05/1945 Private 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, R.C.I.C. ‘F/97217’ Panel 11.
CARNEGIE WILLIAM RAYMOND W R 17/07/1945 Private Royal Canadian Regiment ‘A/110611’ Panel 10.
CHARRON JOSEPH LIONEL J L 26/02/1945 Private Le Regiment de Maisonneuve, R.C.I.C. ‘C/100457’ Panel 11.
CHOLETTE ERNEST JOSEPH E J 28/11/1944 Corporal Le Regiment de Maisonneuve, R.C.I.C. ‘B/68473’ Panel 11.
CONN ELMER EUGENE E E 27/02/1945 Private Algonquin Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘F/97472’ Panel 11.
CURPHEY ARTHUR WILLIAM A W 01/11/1944 Gunner Royal Canadian Artillery ‘B/22310’ Panel 10.
D’AVIGNON DANIEL YVON D Y 09/01/1945 Lieutenant Le Regiment de Maisonneuve, R.C.I.C. Panel 11.
DECARO GUY G 20 10/11/1944 Gunner Royal Canadian Artillery ‘B/38085’ Panel 10.
DESAUTELS HENRI JOSEPH XAVIER H J X 17/12/1944 Private Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal, R.C.I.C. ‘P/140563’ Panel 10.
DORION ROBERT RAYMOND R R 18 24/11/1944 Private Le Regiment de Maisonneuve, R.C.I.C. ‘C/123301’ Panel 11.
DUGAS REGINALD R 22 20/05/1945 Private Royal Canadian Army Service Corps ‘D/121937’ Panel 11.
DUMAS MAURICE GEORGE M G 22 24/04/1945 Private Le Regiment de la Chaudiere, R.C.I.C. ‘L/1609144’ Panel 10.
EMERY ROBERT MARSHALL R M 22 23/10/1944 Private Canadian Scottish Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘K/69863’ Panel 11.
FREVE ERNEST E 25 14/09/1944 Corporal Algonquin Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘B/55736’ Panel 11.
GIROUX FERNAND F 13/01/1945 Private Le Regiment de la Chaudiere, R.C.I.C. ‘D/107560’ Panel 10.
GOLDIE NORMAN ALEXANDER N A 04/05/1945 Lieutenant Canadian Grenadier Guards, R.C.A.C. Panel 10.
HARRISON ERNEST DAVID E D 27/01/1945 Private Canadian Scottish Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘K/2612’ Panel 11.
HEMPHILL ALLAN STEWART A S 14/09/1944 Private Algonquin Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘B/42044’ Panel 11.
HIGGINSON JAMES STUART J S 14/10/1944 Private South Saskatchewan Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘H/200138’ Panel 11.
HOFFMAN ALBERT SYLVESTER A S 01/05/1945 Sapper Royal Canadian Engineers ‘L/91655’ Panel 10.
HOSSACK RAYMOND ARTHUR R A 27 08/01/1945 Lance Corporal North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘G/60999’ Panel 11.
JOHNSEN AGNOR MARIUS A M 11/12/1944 Private Lincoln and Welland Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘K/1404’ Panel 10.
JOHNSTON HENRY GEORGE H G 29 17/01/1945 Trooper 1st Armoured Personnel Carrier Regiment, R.C.A.C. ‘M/8053’ Panel 10.
JUDGES ARTHUR GEORGE A G 11/12/1944 Private Lincoln and Welland Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘B/115323’ Panel 10.
KAVANAGH JOHN GORDON J G 06/04/1945 Lieutenant Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada, R.C.I.C. Panel 10.
KOTOWICH WALTER W 20 19/02/1945 Private Essex Scottish Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘H/43320’ Panel 11.
LALONDE ELIE E 35 20/12/1944 Private Le Regiment de Maisonneuve, R.C.I.C. ‘D/56357’ Panel 11.
LAMIRANTE JOSEPH ERNEST J E 19 13/09/1944 Private Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada ‘B/158057’ Panel 10.
LAMOUREUX ROLAND YVAN R Y 28/11/1944 Private Le Regiment de Maisonneuve, R.C.I.C. ‘D/143945’ Panel 11.
LARKIN EDWIN EDWARD E E 20/10/1944 Private Royal Canadian Army Service Corps ‘H/37796’ Panel 11.
LECKEY LORNE HUBERT L H 22 09/10/1944 Private Calgary Highlanders, R.C.I.C. ‘G/2207’ Panel 11.
LINDSAY ROBERT ANDREW R A 08/03/1945 Lieutenant Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada Panel 10.
LOYIE ARTHUR A 26/02/1945 Trooper Canadian Grenadier Guards, R.C.A.C. ‘K/69386’ Panel 10.
LULOFF GEORGE WALTER G W 37 15/12/1944 Rifleman Regina Rifle Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘C/100949’ Panel 11.
MADAIRE WILFRED EDWARD W E 07/03/1945 Private Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise’s), R.C.I.C. ‘C/98740’ Panel 11.
MANTYSAARI RALPH ALEXANDER R A 02/03/1945 Corporal Lake Superior Regiment (Motor), R.C.I.C. ‘L/104484’ Panel 11.
MARABELLA ANTHONY ROCCIE A R 13/04/1945 Private Algonquin Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘B/42258’ Panel 11.
MARINELLO LEWIS ERNEST L E 22 08/03/1945 Trooper British Columbia Regiment, R.C.A.C. ‘K/68573’ Panel 10.
MASON ALEXANDER A 25 17/01/1945 Private South Saskatchewan Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘M/60261’ Panel 11.
MEAGHER ALEXANDER A 13/09/1944 Private Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders, R.C.I.C. ‘F/57975’ Panel 10.
MILLER WILLIAM LANGDON (BUD) W L 22 17/01/1945 Lance Corporal South Saskatchewan Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘L/101491’ Panel 11.
MILLON LLOYD FRANK L F 01/11/1944 Sergeant Canadian Army Dental Corps ‘H/3121’ Panel 11.
MORIN GERARD G 23 13/01/1945 Private Le Regiment de la Chaudiere, R.C.I.C. ‘D/107598’ Panel 10.
MORRIS GEORGE JAMES EBERWEIN G J E 23 14/04/1945 Private Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada ‘D/82485’ Panel 10.
MacKINNON GREGORY ALLAN G A 27 13/10/1944 Lance Corporal Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada ‘F/4981’ Panel 10.
McKNIGHT DOUGLAS DELBERT D D 26/02/1945 Trooper Canadian Grenadier Guards, R.C.A.C. ‘D/26661’ Panel 10.
NELAN JOHN JOSEPH J J 01/05/1945 Sapper Royal Canadian Engineers ‘L/41298’ Panel 10.
O’CONNOR BERNARD JOSEPH B J 20/10/1944 Private Royal Canadian Army Service Corps ‘B/97004’ Panel 11.
OSLUND ALBERT LOUIS A L 01/11/1944 Private Calgary Highlanders, R.C.I.C. ‘M/8844’ Panel 11.
OUIMET JOSEPH AVILA ANDRE J A A 20 13/01/1945 Lance Corporal Le Regiment de la Chaudiere, R.C.I.C. ‘D/141713’ Panel 10.
PENLEY WALTER W 27 18/04/1945 Private Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders of Canada (Princess Louise’s), R.C.I.C. ‘B/629177’ Panel 11.
PETTIPAS LEONARD FRANCIS L F 14/09/1944 Private Algonquin Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘F/45042’ Panel 11.
PICKERSGILL FRANK HERBERT DEDRICK F H D 29 14/09/1944 Captain Canadian Intelligence Corps Panel 11.
POWER ARTHUR JOHN A J 26/02/1945 Sergeant 1st Hussars, R.C.A.C. ‘A/134’ Panel 10.
REINHOLD ALEXANDER JAMES A J 19/09/1944 Lance Corporal Canadian Grenadier Guards, R.C.A.C. ‘P/26034’ Panel 10.
RODGERS LEONARD L 22 05/03/1945 Private Canadian Scottish Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘E/110127’ Panel 11
RODRIGUES GEORGE G 26/05/1945 Signalman Royal Canadian Corps of Signals ‘D/116199’ Panel 10.
ROHERTY LESLIE JOSEPH L J 20 26/09/1944 Sapper Royal Canadian Engineers ‘G/6257’ Panel 10.
ROLAND ROBERT MURRAY R M 31/12/1944 Lance Corporal North Nova Scotia Highlanders, R.C.I.C. ‘M/7557’ Panel 11.
ROSS REGINALD R 20 11/12/1944 Private Lincoln and Welland Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘K/386’ Panel 10.
ROULSTON LORNE EDGAR L E 23 20/10/1944 Private Royal Canadian Army Service Corps ‘H/87456’ Panel 11.
ROY VICTORIEN V 13/01/1945 Private Le Regiment de la Chaudiere, R.C.I.C. ‘H/43095’ Panel 10.
RUTLAND ARTHUR JAMES A J 24 12/10/1944 Corporal Royal Winnipeg Rifles, R.C.I.C. ‘H/41489’ Panel 11.
SABOURIN ROMEO R 14/09/1944 Lieutenant Canadian Intelligence Corps Panel 11.
SANDISON WALTER JOHN W J 25 20/10/1944 Private Royal Canadian Army Service Corps ‘H/37730’ Panel 11.
SERRE LAWRENCE RADOLPH L R 27/10/1944 Private South Saskatchewan Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘A/109551’ Panel 11.
SHAW HEDLEY MORDEN H M 32 11/02/1945 Corporal Lake Superior Regiment (Motor), R.C.I.C. ‘B/119052’ Panel 11.
SIMMONS JAMES ARTHUR J A 21 14/09/1944 Private Algonquin Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘A/108941’ Panel 11.
SIMS RICHARD VERNON R V 21 14/09/1944 Private Algonquin Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘B/42065’ Panel 11.
SKINNER RALPH R 20 03/01/1945 Private Highland Light Infantry of Canada, R.C.I.C. ‘F/57761’ Panel 10.
SPIERS VERNON EVERETT V E 26 14/09/1944 Lance Corporal Algonquin Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘B/55130’ Panel 11.
STANIULIS JOSEPH PETER J P 26 09/10/1944 Corporal Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada ‘D/131537’ Panel 10.
STEPHEN PHILIP CRIGHTON P C 23/09/1944 Private Algonquin Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘K/1416’ Panel 11.
STOKES STANLEY JAMES S J 25 26/01/1945 Private Lincoln and Welland Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘B/115471’ Panel 10.
TANNIS ELIAS MICHAEL E M 11/12/1944 Private Lincoln and Welland Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘C/115064’ Panel 10.
TAVERNER JAMES ROY J R 11/12/1944 Corporal Lincoln and Welland Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘B/110401’ Panel 10.
TAYLOR JOHN ANDREW J A 23 28/02/1945 Private Lincoln and Welland Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘A/58390’ Panel 10.
TAYLOR STANLEY ELMER S E 30 28/02/1945 Private Lincoln and Welland Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘H/50654’ Panel 10.
THORNTON WILLIAM EDWARD W E 22 03/01/1945 Corporal Highland Light Infantry of Canada, R.C.I.C. ‘A/104277’ Panel 10.
TIETLEBAUM NATHAN N 13/10/1944 Sergeant 17th Duke of York’s Royal Canadian Hussars, R.C.A.C. ‘D/3384’ Panel 10.
TOBIAS HARRY BRUCE H B 26/02/1945 Trooper Governor General’s Foot Guards, R.C.A.C. ‘B/133066’ Panel 10.
TUCKER HARRY JAMES H J 19 23/10/1944 Private Lincoln and Welland Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘B/158417’ Panel 10.
VANANCE ARTHUR A 15/02/1945 Private Lake Superior Regiment (Motor), R.C.I.C. ‘H/46291’ Panel 11.
WALLIS GEORGE WILLIAM G W 30 01/11/1944 Private Calgary Highlanders, R.C.I.C. ‘B/146469’ Panel 11.
WATCHORN LORNE AUBREY L A 26/01/1945 Private Lincoln and Welland Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘B/157757’ Panel 10.
WHALLEY CHARLES MELVIN C M 25/10/1944 Private Algonquin Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘B/65757’ Panel 11.
WILLIAMS CLIFFORD LORNE C L 25 20/12/1944 Private Canadian Scottish Regiment, R.C.I.C. ‘F/16288’ Panel 11.
WILSON RICHARD NORMAN R N 23 02/10/1944 Lieutenant Royal Canadian Infantry Corps Panel 10.

Reference: Commonwealth Graves Commission