Adegem Canadian War Cemetery Belgium

JANUARY 6, 1945: BATTERSBY, FRANCIS (age 33). St. Helens, Lancashire, England. Corporal (1277445). Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, squadron unknown. Awarded the BEM, British Empire Medal. So far no details about his death. (Maybe brought down during a raid on Hannover, Germany?) Plot 12, Row D, Grave 4.

Info BEM:
In October, 1944, Corporal Battersby and six other airmen commenced work at a town in Belgium on the clearance of hotels and houses required for occupation by the Royal Air Force. They were engaged in buildings comprising about 1,000-rooms and the enemy had drawn the window shutters and removed the electric lighting system. The party worked with hand torches. On the following day 3 of the party were badly injured and a fourth member received severe shock from the explosion of a charge which was detonated by the fouling of a concealed trip wire. Corporal Battersby took charge of the remaining members of the party, until the arrival of his Flight Commander, and continued the work until 1400 hours on the seventh day when the hotels were finally cleared. During this period So enemy mines and prepared charges, ingeniously hidden and laid to be functioned by one or more trip wires, were recovered, neutralised and disposed of. On a previous occasion Corporal Battersby was required to continue this form of work after casualties had occurred among his party. He has displayed high courage and leadership.
(London Gazette - 23 March 1945)
source: rafweb.org

 

JANUARY 13, 1945:
DONOGHUE, JAMES EDWARD (age 24). Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Flight Lieutenant (Navigator) (J/20234). Royal Canadian Air Force, 409 Sqdn. Plot 11, Row G, Grave 11.


MCPHAIL, WILLIAM HECTOR (age 25). Munro, Ontario, Canada. Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) (J/21326). Royal Canadian Air Force, 409 Sqdn. Plot 11, Row G, Grave 9.



"Aircraft landed normally in deep snow, nosed over and pilot evidently pulled control column back hard pulling aircraft into the air where it stalled and crashed from 50-100 ft."

Temporary burial Lesquin, France.

 

When I came across this Private's service records something didn't feel right. In early September 1944 the North Shore Regiment was not in the area where this soldier died of wounds. They were further south, in France. He was shortly before his death transferred to the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders, according to his service records. This regiment was certainly in the area (De Panne, Belgium) where Avard died from a bullet wound to the head.

Commonwealth War Graves Commission confirms after their research that Avard Isaac Northrup G/12239 served with the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada at the time that he died of wounds in Belgium. The commission will correct Avard's profile and headstone. Replacing the headstone can take up to 18 months.

https://www.cwgc.org/find-war-dead/casualty/2083412/northrup,-avard-isaac/

 

Not in Bomber Command.

450106 - Unaccounted Airmen - 06-01-1945

No. 6210 Bomb Disposal Flight.

 

No. 504 Squadron (Spitfire - 76 ops). Credited with 1 enemy aircraft destroyed and 1 damaged.

 

FEBRUARY 14, 1945:
DICK, BENSON GORDON (age 25). Canada. Able Seaman (V/17800). Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve, H.M.M.T.B. 485. Accident occurred in the harbor of Ostend, Belgium. Plot 1, Row D, Grave 4.
DICK, BENSON GORDON | Canadian War Cemetery, Adegem

GAUTHIER, JOSEPH ANDREW RICHARD (age 20). Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. Able Seaman (V/43226). Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve, H.M.M.T.B. 459. Accident occurred in the harbor of Ostend, Belgium. Plot 1, Row D, Grave 5.
GAUTHIER, JOSEPH ANDREW RICHARD | Canadian War Cemetery, Adegem

PURDY, GORDON FRANCIS (age 27). St. Catharines, Ontario, Canada. Stoker 1st Class (V/52969). Royal Canadian Naval Volunteer Reserve, H.M.M.T.B. 462. Accident occurred in the harbor of Ostend, Belgium. Plot 1, Row D, Grave 5.
PURDY, GORDON FRANCIS | Canadian War Cemetery, Adegem

Temporary burial: Stuiverstraat, Oostende, Belgium.

 

29 Canadian MTB Flotilla - 14 Feb 1945

Oostende Naval Memorial

 

FEBRUARY 15, 1945:
STEWART, DONALD GEORGE ALEXANDER (age 27). Kensington, London, United Kingdom. Flying Officer (Pilot) (41624). Royal Air Force, 615 Sqdn. On 15th February 1941 the squadron flew a sweep to Holland. Stewart was shot down in Hurricane I P3231 into the sea off Flushing and was reported 'Missing'.
In April 1941 a body was recovered from the sea and was buried in Zeebrugge, Belgium as 'an unknown flyer'. After the war this was found to be Stewart, identified by a tailor's tab from his tunic. Plot 3, Row AB, Grave 7.

 

Face photo of Thomas Alfred George - RAFVR

 

FEBRUARY 23, 1944: FUDALA, JOZEF (age 24). Kapral/Corporal (P/793550). Polish Air Force, 3 (R.A.F.) Sqdn. Plot 3, Row AB, Grave 12. Crashed or shot down (Typhoon) during an attack on the harbour in Zeebrugge, Belgium.
Temporary burial: Zeebrugge, Belgium.

 

FEBRUARY 28, 1945: THERIAULT, LIONEL (age 27). River Valley, Ontario, Canada. Gunner (B/16579). Royal Canadian Artillery, 17 Field Regt. Awarded one Good Conduct badge. Was active during the Italy campaign. Disembarked in France on 25 February, 1945. Died accidentally. "B16579 Gnr Theriault, Lionel was killed while attempting to climb out of the turret of a Sherman tank which was loaded on a flat-car, while the train was in motion. His had had apparently struck a log hanging obstruction, quite possibly an overhead bridge." Plot 11, Row F, Grave 11. Temporary burial, Lille Sud, France.

 

MARCH 4, 1945: ROY, ARMAND LEO (age 27). Chauvin, Alberta, Canada. Craftsman (M/15523). Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, 1 Gen. Troops Workshop. Died, Diphtheria. Plot 11, Row D, Grave 3. Temporary burial, Gent, Belgium.

 

MARCH 6, 1945:
CHILDS, EDWARD MACK (age 31). Woodstock, Ontario, Canada. Captain. 48th Highlanders of Canada, R.C.I.C. formerly of Highland Light Infantry of Canada, R.C.I.C. Died as a result of injuries sustained in a road accident. Plot 10, Row G, Grave 9. Temporary burial, Gent, Belgium.

 

BELL, VANEGMOND ROBERT (age 26). Seaforth, Ontario, Canada. Flight Lieutenant (Pilot) (J/11349). Royal Canadian Air Force, 107 (R.A.F.) Sqdn. Awarded the Operational Wings. Plot 11, Row G, Grave 5.

DAVIDSON, CHARLES GRANT (age 32). Glencoe, Ontario, Canada. Flight Sergeant (Navigator) (R/209219). Royal Canadian Air Force, 107 (R.A.F.) Sqdn. Awarded the Operational Wings. Plot 11, Row G, Grave 2.

Temporary burial, Cambrai, France.

On the night of 5/6th March 1945, twelve aircraft of 107 Squadron were detailed to carry out railway patrols over areas in Germany. The aircraft returned to base at 00.35 hrs and since visibility had considerably deteriorated the pilot requested G.C.A. He was informed that it was not immediately available and he was to proceed to point "Y" and stand by for thirty minutes. Contact was lost at 01.40 hrs. Aircraft RS533 was found at p.m. on 6th March at a point half mile south of Marquette, France. Both occupants were dead and there has been no indication as to the cause to the crash.


BELL, VANEGMOND ROBERT



DAVIDSON, CHARLES GRANT

 

This CWGC cemetery holds mostly Canadians. Thank you for putting this thread together.
Lest we forget.

 

MARCH 7, 1945: DEVEREAUX, SANFORD FRANCIS (age 38). Jacquet River, New Brunswick, Canada. Lance Corporal (B/28643). Royal Canadian Engineers, 2 Drilling Coy. Awarded One Good Conduct Badge. Drowned while off duty. Plot 10, Row D, Grave 9.

 

March 10, 1945: MCCOOL, JOSEPH EMERSON (age 29). Chichester, Quebec, Canada. Gunner (B/110288). Royal Canadian Artillery, 1 Survey Regt. Awarded One Good Conduct Badge. Served during the Italy campaign. Died of a puncture wound in the forehead at or about 1230 hrs 10 March, 1945 at 29 Kattestraat, Kuurne, Belgium. The wound was caused by the discharge of a .380 Smith & Wesson revolver held very close to the forehead. For the past 2 months Gnr McCool has shown signs of being greatly worried about something of an unknown nature. Plot 11, Row D, Grave 2.
Temporary burial: Gent, Belgium.

 

MARCH 12, 1945: GAUTHIER, JOSEPH FIRIA JEAN PAUL (age 28). Montreal, Quebec, Canada. Private (D/127017). Royal Canadian Army Service Corps, 1 Motor Amb. Awarded One Good Conduct Badge. Served during the Italy campaign. Wounded in Italy on August 27, 1944. Died of accidental head injuries in Belgium. Plot 11, Row D, Grave 1.
Temporary burial, Gent, Belgium.

 

MARCH 14, 1945: SCHMIDT, WALTER BERNHARDT (age 26). Glenworth, Saskatchewan, Canada. Corporal (L/74902). Royal Canadian Electrical and Mechanical Engineers, attd. 16 Cdn. A.A. Operating Sig. Sec.
Royal Canadian Corps of Signals. Died as a result of coronary occlusion. Plot 10, Row F, Grave 2.
Temporary burial, Gent, Belgium.

 

MARCH 16, 1945:
BRENTON, KENNETH STICKNEY (age 28). Belleville, Ontario, Canada. Flying Officer (Navigator) (J/38742). Royal Canadian Air Force, 409 Sqdn. Plot 11, Row G, Grave 7. His brother Edwin Swayne (J/7466) 31 (R.A.F.) Sqdn, Royal Canadian Air Force also died on service.



LONG, RICHARD HARTLEY (age 22). Toronto, Ontario, Canada. Flying Officer (Pilot) (J/19116). Royal Canadian Air Force, 409 Sqdn. Plot 11, Row G, Grave 8. His brother Gordon (R/89074) Royal Canadian Air Force also died on service.


Crashed during a test flight near Annoeullin, France.