{"id":941,"date":"2025-04-22T17:55:55","date_gmt":"2025-04-22T15:55:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.adoptiegraven-venray.nl\/?page_id=941"},"modified":"2026-02-08T09:04:13","modified_gmt":"2026-02-08T08:04:13","slug":"onbekende-graven","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.adoptiegraven-venray.nl\/en\/onbekende-graven\/","title":{"rendered":"Unknown soldiers"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Unknown soldiers<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Thirty unknown soldiers rest at Venray War Cemetery.<\/p>

The Grave Concentration Report Forms do contain some information about a number of them; see also: https:\/\/www.adoptiegraven-venray.nl\/historie\/\u00a0<\/p>

These forms show that twelve of the unidentified servicemen were members of the Royal Air Force, two were from the Royal Warwickshire Regiment and one was from the Duke of Cornwall\u2019s Light Infantry.\n\nTwenty-one of the unidentified servicemen were transferred from Margraten. Three had their field grave in Venray, two in Helden, one in Griendtsveen, one in Lottum, one in Maasbree and one in Wanssum.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>

This general information in the Grave Concentration Report Forms usually provides insufficient leads for further research. In a few cases, however, a Grave Concentration Report Form contains information that hints at the possible identity of the unknown grave. Four such cases are outlined below.\u00a0<\/i><\/p>

Plot number IV.E.4.<\/em><\/p>

\u201cWho dares wins\u201d is the motto of the famous British Special Air Services or SAS. Almost the most famous regiment of the British army.<\/p>

On 10 September 1946, the body of a soldier who was initially indicated on the Grave Concentration Report Form as M. Friedmann, army number: 2135982, killed on 6 December 1944, was buried in plot IV.E.4. The data on the Grave Concentration Report Form were taken from the entries on the grave cross that stood on the field grave in Maasbree.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Marcel Friedman was a Frenchman of Jewish descent who was seconded to the SAS as a paratrooper. In 1952, however, his name was crossed out of the Grave Concentration Report with the addition \u201cCase cleared\u201d. Grave IV.E.4. was given the designation \u201cUnknown British Soldier\u201d.<\/p>

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission recently re-examined this case but concluded that there was still reasonable doubt that grave IV.E.4. was that of Marcel Friedmann. Marcel Friedmann's commander reported on 7 November 1944 that Friedmann had been killed the day before. In addition, there is another British soldier (Fusilier Harold Robert Edwards) who was killed on 6 December 1944 near Maasbree and whose remains have never been found.<\/p>

It will therefore forever remain a mystery how the correct details of Friedmann were mentioned on a grave cross in Maasbree, while he was said to have died in Belgium a month earlier.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Plot number VII.C.7.<\/em><\/p>

In plot number VII.C.7. the remains of an unknown soldier are buried on 25 November 1946. The Grave Concentration Report Form initially mentions, among other things, the name \u201cThorn\u201d, the number \u201c25422\u201d and the date \u201c14 April 1945\u201d.<\/p>

Later the name \u201cThorn\u201d was crossed out and \u201cUnknown PW\u201d was added. The number \u201c25422\u201d was added: \u201cThorn PW Camp No.\u201d<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Anyone can request the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to reconsider a case. However, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission applies strict conditions to a so-called \u201cIdentification case\u201d. For example, there must be convincing new evidence that was not available at the time. After all, the starting point is that the researchers had the best starting position at the time of identification. Furthermore, exhuming the remains for the purpose of identification is not permitted. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission believes that the soldiers should be able to rest in peace and that their graves should therefore remain untouched as much as possible.<\/p>

See further: https:\/\/www.cwgc.org\/find-records\/commemorations\/<\/a><\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Thorn, also known as Stalag XXa, was a POW camp in German-occupied Poland. The archives of Stalag XXa are now held at the National Archives in London.<\/p>

According to the archive documents, the number 25422 belonged to Kenneth Feeney, 1st Bn. Green Howards (Yorkshire Regiment). Kenneth Feeney was taken prisoner of war in Norway as early as the spring of 1940. He was probably wounded at the time of his capture. Via Lillehammer and Oslo he ended up in Stalag XXa. Kenneth Feeney spent the rest of the war as a prisoner of war. He may have died during the so-called deathmarches<\/a>.<\/p>

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is currently investigating the case of Kenneth Feeney.<\/p>

In the cases outlined above, the Grave Concentration Report Form provided leads for further investigation. However, other sources may also provide clues to the identity of an unknown grave. This is the case in two \u201cIdentification cases\u201d. \u00a0<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Plot number VII.G.1.\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0 <\/em><\/p>

On April 1, 1947, the remains of an unknown soldier, designated \u201cX-58\u201d, were reburied in Venray in VII.G.1 from the American cemetery in Margraten.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

The Grave Concentration Report Form offers no leads for further investigation. In the book \u201cFor Your Tomorrow, Volumes 1-3\u201d by New Zealand historian Errol Martin it is suggested that Flying Officer Clement Strang was buried in Venray.<\/p>

The Mosquito of pilot Farrow and navigator James Farrow and navigator Clement Strang crashed on June 26, 1944 near the German town of Ederen. Farrow survived the crash; Strang did not.<\/p>

Strang's army file shows that in 1949 the Missing Research and Enquiry Service (M.R.E.S.) conducted extensive research into the location of Strang's grave. The M.R.E.S. conducted research in Ederen. There they spoke to a resident who buried Strang's remains in the local cemetery after the crash. This German was also present when his remains were later exhumed by an American army unit. The researchers did not find any documentation about this. They were able to establish that all bodies that were exhumed in and around Elderen at the time were transferred to Margraten. By exclusion, the researchers subsequently arrived at the unknown \"X-58\" in Margraten. However, this (indirect) evidence was not considered sufficient. In August 1949, the decision was made that the location of Strang's grave could not be determined. The identity of grave VII.G.1. remained unknown.<\/p>

In 2024, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission reviewed the case but did not reach a different conclusion.<\/p>

\u00a0<\/p>

Plot number VII.E.9-12<\/em><\/p>

On March 27, 1947, the remains of the unknowns X-745, X-746, X-747 and X-748 were transferred from Margraten to Venray and reburied there in VII.E.9, VII.E.10, VII.E.11 and VII.E.12. Here too, the Grave Concentration Report Form contains no clues from which the identity of these men could be deduced.\u00a0\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Warrant Officer Norman Dowler and Flight Lieutenant Sheldon Perry were part of the eight-man crew of Lancaster LM387. Normally the crew consisted of seven people but on this flight a Special Duties Officer was on board. Lancaster LM387 crashed on 20\/21 January 1944 near the German town of Ludwigslust. The entire crew was killed.<\/p>

The files of Dowler and Perry show that this case was also investigated in 1949 by the Missing Research and Enquiry Service. The investigation shows that the remains of the crew were initially buried by the German authorities in the cemetery of Ludwigslust. For unknown reasons, they were exhumed from there in June 1944 by the Germans and reburied in a nearby shooting range; not far from the grave of an American fighter pilot who crashed there in April 1944.<\/p>

The M.R.E.S. researchers determine that the coordinates of the location in Germany where the four unknown graves were recovered are incorrect. The place name mentioned in the American documents does not exist either. However, this place name does resemble the name of a village near Ludwigslust. An RAF officer visits the shooting range where the crew of Lancaster LM387 was buried and finds four empty coffins there.<\/p>

In May 1945, the remains of the fighter pilot were exhumed by American troops and reburied in Margraten. Around the same time, four other graves, known as \u201cunknown X-745\u201d, \u201cunknown X-746\u201d, \u201cunknown X-747\u201d and \u201cunknown X-745\u201d, were reburied in Margraten by the American graves service. In March 1947, these four unknown graves were transferred to Venray. The researchers found indications that these were the graves of the crew of Lancaster LM387. However, these were apparently not found convincing. In August 1950, Perry's mother received a letter informing her that the authorities had not been able to locate her son's grave.<\/p>

The Commonwealth War Graves Commission is currently re-examining the case.<\/p>

Source Grave Concentration Report Forms : CWGC<\/em><\/p>

Anyone can request the Commonwealth War Graves Commission to reconsider a case. However, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission applies strict conditions to a so-called \u201cIdentification case\u201d. For example, there must be convincing new evidence that was not available at the time. After all, the starting point is that the researchers had the best starting position at the time of identification. Furthermore, exhuming the remains for the purpose of identification is not permitted. The Commonwealth War Graves Commission believes that the soldiers should be able to rest in peace and that their graves should therefore remain untouched as much as possible.<\/p>

https:\/\/www.cwgc.org\/findrecords\/commemorations<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Onbekende militairen Op Venray War Cemetery rusten dertig onbekende militairen. De Grave Concentration Report Forms bevatten over een aantal van hen wel enige informatie, zie tevens https:\/\/www.adoptiegraven-venray.nl\/historie\/\u00a0 Uit deze formulieren valt op te maken dat twaalf van de onbekende militairen deel uitmaakten van de Royal Air Force, twee mannen van het Royal Warwickshire Regiment en […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-941","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adoptiegraven-venray.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/941"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adoptiegraven-venray.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adoptiegraven-venray.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adoptiegraven-venray.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.adoptiegraven-venray.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=941"}],"version-history":[{"count":17,"href":"https:\/\/www.adoptiegraven-venray.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/941\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":5451,"href":"https:\/\/www.adoptiegraven-venray.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/941\/revisions\/5451"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.adoptiegraven-venray.nl\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=941"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}