Pte Gilbert Anderson 3606646

To All,

I have edited the information about the two graves, because of the personal details I had put in it. I did not want to disturb anyone and if I have done so I hope they will except my excuses for it.

Greetings

Tanja

 

To All,

Today the information about my uncle on the website of the Special Forces are amended. This made my father and me very happy.

http://www.specialforcesroh.com/browse.php?mode=viewiroll&rollid=11192

With this I would like you to share in our small positive result.

Greetings

Tanja

 

These are the only photo's I have of my uncle.

I have two schoolpictures, but there he is to young to be reconiszed as a ww2-soldier.

Greetings.

Tanja

 

I have a other one as well.

Greeting

Tanja

 

Hallo Everybody,

Just a update about my uncle Gilbert Anderson.

In june 2011 I started my investigation to my missing uncle.
That was after my father told me about his greatest wish, giving Gilbert a final resting place and his identity back.

I started with reqesting the different roll of honors to replace the wrong photo for a correct photo (Marketgarden, Paradata and Special Air Forces).

I requested for the services records at the CWGC (MOD) in november 2011. I haven't recive anything yet.

Together with the Dutch Red Cross and some others, I have requested for a file-investication by the Dutch BID (organisation who can do identification of missing persons). Based on a lots of information and diverent reports they have sended me an official end-report. Although we will never have a 100% (DNA-research), they told us that there is a big possibility that my uncle is burried in grave 19-C-16 at Oosterbeek. We know that only DNA would give a 100% and that the CWGC will not give permission.

So after reading this repor my father and I went to Oosterbeek on 3 may last week for the commeration and to meet the veterans and some other persons we would like to meet. We have brought our respect by laying flowers down at this grave. My father said it feld good.

Yesterday we have recived the book of Gerrit Pijpers and David Truesdale. We have seen that there are two photo's of my uncle in the book and we feel that he is slowly getting his identity back again.

There are still a lot of quenstions to be answerd. But I will work on this.

Greetings

Tanja

 

May Gilbert Anderson long be remembered. His great sacrifice was not in vain.

"It is foolish and wrong to mourn the men who died
Rather we should thank God that such men lived."
(George S. Patton)

 

Tanja, nice to hear that at last you and your Father feel that some sort of closure has been found.

 

Hello Tanja

Although I can understand that you and your Dad, would be pleased to find his grave, I find it a bit of a gamble that they gave out this information, specially as there are no dental records from this unknown grave, I wonder how they go by this?, grave location?, hair colour?

 

Hello Tanja

Although I can understand that you and your Dad, would be pleased to find his grave, I find it a bit of a gamble that they gave out this information, specially as there are no dental records from this unknown grave, I wonder how they go by this?, grave location?, hair colour?

Hallo Philip,

I do understand your point. We do know that you need DNA or dental-information before there is a 100%. That is why I wrote a 'big possibility'.

They go by information of CWGC, JCCC, father Mc Gowan.
The fieldgraves of Park onderlangs were positivily brought to plot 19 and row A. and C. Between them there are two nameless graves, but know as parachutists. 19-C-16 and 19-C-19. The last grave is of a sergeant with lanyard.

There were 9 fieldgraves. 5 fieldgraves were positivily identificated and their graves have their names. Two man Younger and unknow without disc are not known to CWCG and are not known to be burried at Oosterbeek. The 2 last are 2 pte of parachute regiments (Anderson and Best). Grave 19-C-16 is known as a grave of a pte parachutist. So it could be Anderson or Best.

My father and I discussed this and we said that without DNA and dental-information it could be both of them. So we brought our respect with flowers to this grave.

Greetings

Tanja

 

Hello Tanja

Although I can understand that you and your Dad, would be pleased to find his grave, I find it a bit of a gamble that they gave out this information, specially as there are no dental records from this unknown grave, I wonder how they go by this?, grave location?, hair colour?

Philip

Knowing the person at the BIDKL who undertook this investigation I am certain that he would not have provided a response in such definitive terms unless he was absolutely certain of his facts. In reaching his conclusion, after what I know was a very thorough investigation, he obviously had access to a significant amount of information relating to the exhumations and reburials that took place in 1945 which cannot be made available to the general public. It may be that those records do not allow for the 100% identification that the MoD require, and which Tanja and her family would obviously wish for, but are sufficient for him to say that "it is reasonable to believe that the grave contains the remains of either Gilbert Anderson or the other person".
I think that it is the best possible outcome after all these years and that the BIDKL should be congratulated, not criticised, for the thoroughness of their enquiries and making this information available to the family.

John

 

Tanja have send you a pm

 

Philip

Knowing the person at the BIDKL who undertook this investigation I am certain that he would not have provided a response in such definitive terms unless he was absolutely certain of his facts. In reaching his conclusion, after what I know was a very thorough investigation, he obviously had access to a significant amount of information relating to the exhumations and reburials that took place in 1945 which cannot be made available to the general public. It may be that those records do not allow for the 100% identification that the MoD require, and which Tanja and her family would obviously wish for, but are sufficient for him to say that "it is reasonable to believe that the grave contains the remains of either Gilbert Anderson or the other person".
I think that it is the best possible outcome after all these years and that the BIDKL should be congratulated, not criticised, for the thoroughness of their enquiries and making this information available to the family.

John

you are very popular knowing so many people

 

Perhaps you should stop to consider why you're not so fortunate

 

you probably got longer brown elbows, and next time stay on the subject, your life most be very poor, checking all my posts and see if you can comment on anything, get a life and if you think you such an expert start writing a book!!

 

you probably got longer brown elbows, and next time stay on the subject, your life most be very poor, checking all my posts and see if you can comment on anything, get a life and if you think you such an expert start writing a book!!

Philip

I think that you will find that it was you that deviated from the subject. As a matter of fact I have a very full and interesting life undertaking research for a variety of people that write books - not plagiarise other people's work

John

 

Tanja

Having pointed out why, sorry for this, and look forward to hear from again

 

Philip

Knowing the person at the BIDKL who undertook this investigation I am certain that he would not have provided a response in such definitive terms unless he was absolutely certain of his facts. In reaching his conclusion, after what I know was a very thorough investigation, he obviously had access to a significant amount of information relating to the exhumations and reburials that took place in 1945 which cannot be made available to the general public. It may be that those records do not allow for the 100% identification that the MoD require, and which Tanja and her family would obviously wish for, but are sufficient for him to say that "it is reasonable to believe that the grave contains the remains of either Gilbert Anderson or the other person".
I think that it is the best possible outcome after all these years and that the BIDKL should be congratulated, not criticised, for the thoroughness of their enquiries and making this information available to the family.

John

Hi John and Philip,

I am sure that the BIDKL did a good job.
I do not know the person of the BIDKL in person, but I have had serveral contacts with others before my request was handed to them.
My request was supported by the Dutch Red Cross.

After I received this report I let others (who I trust and respect) read the report and they told me it was solid. So I am not jumping into conclusion by my own, knowing that I am just learning about WW2 and will still have to learn a lot yet. My contacts are also very well informed about Marketgarden.

Like I said. I already had figured some of the information out and these were confirmed by this report. Other information I had no knowlegde of are founded by offical documents of the CWGC and JCCC.

So I have no reason at all to believe that the investigation was not done serieus. I think that if the outcome had been worse they would have told me to. I would have appriciate that as well.

Further it is still possible that the remains of two persons are resting in this grave. That is why DNA or dental-information is so important.

I am sharing my information with you all, because discussions like this can help me and give me new idea's. I understand the reaction of Philip because it helps me to keep to the facts and not emotions or feelings.

Greetings

Tanja

 

Tanja

I do not think that there is any question that there might be two bodies in this grave. It contains the remains of Gilbert Anderson or the other soldier, not both.
Sadly the CWGC policy is that the remains cannot be disturbed so a DNA test is not possible.

John

 

Hoi John,

No of course there are no two bodies in that grave. I know it is one person.

I know, but I do believe in miracles and I am a bit hard headed.

Thanks for your help.

Tanja

 

Half dutch/half British thats very hard headed Tanja