Lest We Forget

I got this message from Fred this morning.

Fred is living in the south of the Netherlands, near the German border. He is surrounded with War Cemeteries. He told me that where he lives was the German defending line before the Allies entered Germany by crossing the rivers Rhine and Maas.

Nicole Morley, Arthur Horrell’s grandniece, wanted me to contact him.

Hello Pierre,
 
The Horrell/Piché’s Auster was shot down by German FLAK. The Auster was out of course and flew over a battle area at that time.
Operation “Aintree” was going on at that moment. Overloon/Venray are very close to Deurne.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Overloon

If you need anymore headstone pictures of fallen Canadian Heroes just let me know.

Have you heard about the Canadian war cemetery at Groesbeek, Holland?

Memorials at Findagrave

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=horrell&GSiman=1&GScid=2207054&GRid=18397470&

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=Pich%E9&GSiman=1&GScid=2207054&GRid=18397647&

Ysselsteyn monument in front of the church.

Fred had the information about the incident that happened on October 11, 1944.

The Horrell/Piché’s Auster was shot down by German FLAK. The Auster was out of course and flew over a battle area at that time.
Operation “Aintree” was going on at that moment. Overloon/Venray are very close to Deurne.

Now we know what happened!

I did not know a thing about the battle of Overloon.

The battle of Overloon ensued as the Allies in Operation Aintree advanced from nearby positions south toward the village of Overloon. After a failed attack on Overloon by the U.S. 7th Armored Division, the British 3rd Infantry Division and the British 11th Armoured Division took over. Suffering heavy losses the Allies captured Overloon and moved towards Venray. The advance on Venray resulted in heavy losses, especially around the Loobeek creek, which was swollen due to heavy autumn rains and was flooded and mined by the Germans. Casualties were heavy here among the First Battalion of the Royal Norfolk Regiment. During the battle, the village of Overloon was destroyed. In and around Overloon, some 2,500 soldiers died, making it one of the bloodiest battles in the Netherlands during the Second World War. It was also the only major tank battle ever fought on Dutch soil. Dozens of tanks, mainly British, were destroyed.  (Wikipedia)

Nor about the town.

In 1944, Overloon was almost completely destroyed at the Battle Overloon (also known as Operation Aintree), a ten-day tank battle between an American tank division and the German army. The Germans were trying to keep the Allies from crossing the Maas. There were more than two thousand dead. Overloon was liberated on October 14, 1944, but the fighting lasted for some days longer. This is the reason for the establishment of the War Museum, which later became known as the National War and Resistance Museum and then Liberty Park. (Wikipedia)

But now I know why Fred does not want to ever forget Arthur Horrell and Paul Piché.

Lest we forget