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:

Reference: Commonwealth Graves Commission