Achtergrondinformatie

Source: GWGC War Cemetery Adoption Graves Foundation

IV.C.10

On August 9, 1949, the remains of Lieutenant Jacques Denis Alexandre Lemoine were

reburied in plot number IV.C.10. Jacques Lemoine was born on 22 September 1914 and served in the 2nd Bn South Wales Borderers. He was killed in action on 23 November 1944. His field grave was located on the Korte Heide in Maasbree. The remains of Jacques Lemoine were exhumed on 16 August 1949 and transferred a few days later to the French War Cemetery in Kapelle. Because Lemoine was a French national, the ban on repatriation did not apply to him. Since then, plot number IV.C.10 has been “vacant”.

VII.C.4

In plot VII.C.4 the remains of an unknown pilot of the Royal Air Force were buried on 22 November 1946. He was later identified as Flying Officer Henri Huynen. Henri Huynen was a pilot in the service of the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and had the Belgian nationality. On 22 March 1945 his Mosquito was shot down near Cologne. Huynen (navigator) and his pilot Flight Lieutenant Walter Henri were killed. The remains of Henri Huynen were transferred to the “Brussels Town Cemetery Belgian Airmen’s Field of Honour” on 20 June 1950. He rests there next to Walter Henri. Since then plot number VII.C.4. has also been “vacant”. In the cemetery it can still be seen that a gravestone is missing in rows IV.C. and VII.C. However, there have also been transfers that are no longer visible.   

VII.G.2.

On 1 April 1947, the remains of an unknown member of the Royal Air Force (designated X1288) are transferred from the American cemetery in Margraten to Venray. He is buried in VII.G.2. In May 1947, the exact date is not legible on the Grave Concentration Report, the unknown is “extracted to (illegible)”. According to a Graves Registration Report Form dated 27 January 1954, grave VII.G.2. is “vacant”.

In 2003, the remains of Warant Officer Evan Tom Davies were found in Broekhuizen.

He was reburied on 9 June 2004 in plot VII.G.2. Evan Davies is the last serviceman to be buried at Venray War Cemetery to date.

VII.D.12. and VII.D.13

On 25 March 1947, the remains of Pilot Officer Andrew Patrick Gilmour and Flight Lieutenant Robert Charles Platt were buried from the American cemetery in Margraten in plot numbers VII.D.12 and VII.D.13 respectively. Just over a month later, on 1 May 1947, they were reburied at the Overloon War Cemetery. There they were reunited with four other members of their crew who were also transferred from Margraten to Overloon on 1 May 1947. That same day, the remains of Walter Green and Patrick McGee were reburied from Margraten in the vacant graves VII.D.12 and V.D.13.

From IV.B.11 to VI.G.8.

Lance Corporal Albert Martin Baker is reburied on 6 September 1946 on plot number IV.B.11. His field grave was located in Oostrum. On 24 September 1946 his grave is moved from plot number IV.B.11. to plot number VI.G.8. The reasons for this are unknown. A little over a week later the remains of an unknown soldier are buried on plot number IV.B.11.

Closure

At present, 693 men rest at Venray War Cemetery. However, on 2 May 1947, this number was 695. On that date, the graves of Henri Huynen, Jacques Lemoine and the unknown in VII.G.2. were still in the cemetery, but Evan Davies had not yet been reburied here. 

Other statistics

Military and civilians

Source: CWGC

The citizen is William Rippon (VIIIE.6). He was a war correspondent for the Peterborough Citizen & Advertiser. William Rippon died in a car accident near Venlo.

Country of service

Source: CWGC

In most cases, the soldiers also had the nationality of the country where they were serving and lived there. But there were exceptions. 

Flying Officer Geoffrey Winslow (VII.F.6) lived in Canada, served in the Royal Canadian Air Force but had American nationality. Robert Stapley (VII.C.3) and Joseph Meilleur (III.D.4) had Canadian nationality but served in British units (respectively the Rifle Brigade and the King’s Own Scottish Borderers).

Flying Officer Louis Piché (I.E.13) was a Canadian national, also served in the Royal Canadian Air Force, but lived in the United States.

The nationality of the thirty unknown soldiers is not known at all.

Age structure

The ages of 660 men are known.  

Source: CWGC/Foundation Adoption Graves CWGC Venray War Cemetery

The youngest serviceman is George Laurie (VIII.D.5); the oldest is William Rippon (VII.F.6). The average age is 25 years and 5 months.

Military units

It is known to which military unit 678 men belonged. In total, this concerns 74 different units

Source: CWGC

Ranks

The rank of 665 men is known.

  Source: CWGC