Background information

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 with the 2nd Bn South Wales Borderers. He was killed in action on 23 November 1944. His field grave was located at Korte Heide in Maasbree. Jacques Lemoine’s remains were exhumed on 16 August 1949 and transferred a few days later to the French War Cemetery in Kapelle. As Lemoine was of French nationality, 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 unidentified Royal Air Force pilot were buried on 22 November 1946. He was later identified as Flying Officer Henri Huynen. Henri Huynen was a pilot serving with the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve and was of Belgian nationality. On 22 March 1945, his Mosquito was shot down near Cologne. Huynen, the navigator, and his pilot, Flight Lieutenant Walter Henri, were both killed. Henri Huynen’s remains were transferred on 20 June 1950 to the Brussels Town Cemetery Belgian Airmen’s Field of Honour, where he now rests beside Walter Henri. Since then, plot number VII.C.4 has also been “vacant”. At the cemetery, it can still be seen that a headstone is missing in rows IV.C. and VII.C. However, other transfers also took place 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.

5. Militairen versus burgers 

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.

De verdeling naar legeronderdeel van de 666 geïdentificeerde militaire graven als volgt: 539 Landmacht, 125 Luchtmacht en 2 Marine. 

6. Country of service

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.

Van de zesentwintig onbekende militairen kan de “country of service” niet met zekerheid worden vastgesteld. Deze zijn niet meegenomen in bovenstaande tabel.

7. Leeftijdsopbouw

De leeftijdsopbouw van de 667 militairen waarvan de graven zijn geïdentificeerd, is als volgt. 

De jongste militair is George Laurie (VIII.D.5); de oudste  William Rippon (VII.F.6). De gemiddelde leeftijd bedraagt 25 jaar en 4 maanden.

8. Militaire eenheden

De 667 militairen waarvan het graf is geïdentificeerd, behoorden tot 74 verschillende eenheden.

Van de zesentwintig onbekende militairen kan de eenheid niet met zekerheid worden vastgesteld. Deze zijn niet meegenomen in bovenstaande tabel.

9. Rangen

In onderstaande tabel zijn de rangen weergegeven van de 667 militairen waarvan het graf is geïdentificeerd.

Van de zesentwintig onbekende militairen kan de rang niet met zekerheid worden vastgesteld. Deze zijn niet meegenomen in bovenstaande tabel.

NB: De informatie in de voorafgaande paragrafen is grotendeels gebaseerd op de database van de Commonwealth War Graves Commission (www.cwgc.org/find-records/).