Yesterday I visited Overloon and with the help of my sister I photographed all headstones at the Overloon War Cemetery. If you need some pictures from there, let me know and I will sent them by e-mail or post them here in this thread. Regards Pieter
Nice work Pieter (and your sister), I am sure there will be quite a few members who will be battering down your proverbial door. Mark
I left some of my friends at Overloon, including my platoon Sgt. Sgt Rees, 2 platoon. Killed along with others just after I left them. Blown up when stacks of regal mines blew...The lot... They had been under mortar fire at the time. It is also where my war ended. Good friends. Lt JK Barnard RE, and another RE Sgt were allso there Sapper
Sappers mates and some video on earlier thread here. http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/war-cemeteries-war-memorial-research/10745-sappers-mates.html
Thanks 51st for reminding us. It is to the eternal credit of the Dutch folk that they take great care of our men's graves. It was the general opinion of the Vets that the Dutch look after our fallen wonderfully well, and the Vets Associations appreciate their care. Sapper
Name: REES, EDWARD HERBERT Initials: E H Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Serjeant Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers Unit Text: 246 Field Coy. Age: 24 Date of Death: 14/10/1944 Service No: 2090074 Awards: Mentioned in Despatches Additional information: Son of John and Constance Rees, of Cardiff; husband of Doreen May Rees, of Cardiff. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: III. C. 14. Cemetery: OVERLOON WAR CEMETERY
Name: BARNARD, JACK KITLEY Initials: J K Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Lieutenant Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers Unit Text: 246 Field Coy. Age: 25 Date of Death: 14/10/1944 Service No: 314365 Additional information: Son of Sidney George and Elsie Barnard; husband of Peggy Ina Barnard, of Cheam, Surrey. B.Sc. (Mining), A.R.S.M., M.I.M.M. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: III. C. 13. Cemetery: OVERLOON WAR CEMETERY
Name: WATTS, THOMAS JAMES Initials: T J Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Serjeant Regiment/Service: Royal Engineers Unit Text: 246 Field Coy. Age: 25 Date of Death: 14/10/1944 Service No: 2064419 Additional information: Son of Leonard Charles and Lillian Watts, of Cardiff; husband of Megan Noreen Watts, of Cardiff. Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: III. C. 12. Cemetery: OVERLOON WAR CEMETERY
I had to retire from a very well paid job 32 years ago. The war caught up with me and the injuries prevented me going further. So I thought that I would carry out the wishes of an old Gentleman that said this. "You old Veterans who took part in the greatest upheaval and the most savage war. have a duty to relate those times, so that the sacrifices of those you left behind will not be forgotten" That is what I have tried to do. Not always successfully. But on the whole fairly accurately. In Sgt Rees case I was able to tell the family all about him .Believe it or not they knew nothing. I was able to tell the granddaughter about him. Her Mother was born while the Sgt was in Normandy. and died in Holland. So she never knew her father. His wife elderly and suffering from **** could tell them nothing. They had visited his grave in Holland. So in a way the many many posts have paid off in several directions and that gives me some satisfaction that it is not all wasted Thanks for the photo's Cheers. Sapper PS I have written the full account of this episode a long time ago. If it cannot be found I will post again on request....
OK; In reply to your request. Mine Clearing. That's twice I ran over that German! It was at this time, right in the middle of the battles for Overloon and Venraij, that we first encountered a new type of German anti-tank mine, we called them Rigler mines, or something like that. Long rectangular boxes, sandy coloured, with a lid that fitted snugly over the top. One of our officers called me in and told me to get a motor bike and give him a lift down the sandy tracks, through the pine woods, to where an officer, two sergeants and a squad of Sappers were lifting these mines in a corner of Overloon. Setting off through the woods with the officer on the pillion there were deep furrows in the sandy soil that the bike wheel could not get climb out of, on the way, I had to run over a recently dead German lying in the centre of the deep rut , I just could not avoid him, nor could I get past him. Squelch! In the corner of Overloon, hundreds of these mines had been lifted and stacked "criss-cross" everywhere, in ditches, on top the ground, all over the place. While we were there a certain amount of Enemy fire was coming down, very dangerous, the place was infested with mines. The officer with me told the other officer to send a reliable man off on his own to try and take this new mine apart, we had no idea if they were booby trapped, or if they had any ' anti-handling devices' that the mines might have been armed with. After talking the matter over for a while, we set off back through the pine woods and had just run over the dead German again. "Squelch" When, from behind us there was a huge explosion. We dragged the bike round and set off back, only to find that all the mines had blown up and everyone with it. We did not know if the officer and NCOs had decided to investigate the mines themselves, or if they had been hit with a mortar bomb, when we arrived at the scene there was nothing, absolutely nothing, one would not have known that anyone had ever existed there before. They were all killed. Some of them at rest in the Overloon Cemetery. Sapper
Yesterday I visited Overloon and with the help of my sister I photographed all headstones at the Overloon War Cemetery. If you need some pictures from there, let me know and I will sent them by e-mail or post them here in this thread. Regards Pieter Please can you send me a photo of the grave of Leslie Shortland died on the 19th october 1944
Hi Sapper, I find that happens so many times familys have no idea what happened to them...Or if they do they only get part of there story.. So what I would like to say to you is keep up the good work... Cheers Tom
The Sappers buried at Overloon are a part of those that died when the mines went up. As you know I was there minutes before then mines blew, and there are other Sappers that died there, as well as Rees Barnard Kitley and Watts. I just wonder what happened to them? Or where they classed as MIA? as the explosion was a mighty blast sufficient to vaporize a human. It was one hell of a explosion. 67 years ago and I recall it very clearly indeed...
Please can you send me a photo of the grave of Leslie Shortland died on the 19th october 1944 Hello Keith, I will have a look when I am home this evening. Do you want me to post it here or send to you by e-mail?
Name: SHORTLAND, LESLIE JOSEPH HORACE Initials: L J H Nationality: United Kingdom Rank: Gunner Regiment/Service: Royal Artillery Unit Text: 7 Field Regt. Age: 25 Date of Death: 19/10/1944 Service No: 5114581 Casualty Type: Commonwealth War Dead Grave/Memorial Reference: II. B. 14. Cemetery: OVERLOON WAR CEMETERY
Or where they classed as MIA? as the explosion was a mighty blast sufficient to vaporize a human. It was one hell of a explosion. I meant as being posted MISSING, my mistake
This is some of those that fell around that area. First my best mate Jock Mathers at Maarheeze. Overloon Harrison Dapkus Edgeley Rusell. Barnard Rees Watts Meirlo Barns Bicketon Davies Newland Sharp Malster Broughton Davies JH More at Venraij
