A WW2 war cemetery in the Netherlands has issued a plea to find the families of Greater Manchester soldiers buried there.
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC) based at Venray War Cemetery in the Netherlands is the resting place of 692 soldiers from WW2, who died between 1944-45 – most of whom were killed in the Battle of Overloon and Venray.
Venray is in the south of the Netherlands, close to Germany’s border.
The Foundation of the Venray War Cemetery is looking for the families of eight fallen soldiers, who came from the Greater Manchester and Cheshire areas.
They have set out to ‘put a face to a name’ by contacting the war heroes’ families for photos of the soldiers, to go on their graves and the website.
Tracey Van Oeffelen, a volunteer researcher for the CWGC Foundation in Venray said: “These wonderful heroes aren’t just a name on a headstone. When you see a name and you see their service number and their regiment, it doesn’t tell you anything about them. It doesn’t
say who the man was. We want to say this is more than a name on a headstone.
“These men went over to Europe to free other people from tyranny. They sacrificed their lives and we have to remember that their families sacrificed too.”
At the cemetery, 693 men were buried and only 663 were able to be identified. Of the 693 buried there, 692 were soldiers. The massive search for photos and information about these fallen soldiers has meant that the researchers of the CWGC Foundation of War Graves in Venray, have had to adopt a sweeping approach to find families.
Tracey told Quays News of her process to help find the soldiers’ families. She said: “It could be a service record or something from a newspaper. I use British Newspaper archives a lot and it could be an article saying they have been killed in action.
“We also build trees on Ancestry to try and help us find the families. It tells us for example if they were one of six, and who his family is, so it helps us build a biography for him.”
Theo Vervoort, a volunteer researcher for the CWGC Foundation who resides in Venray, describes what happens once the photos have been found.
He said: “We commemorate the soldiers several times in the year, and then we put the photos on their graves. If relatives are coming over and there is a photo available we will put it on the grave.”
Theo also explained that they are developing a website where they hope to have a page with a photo of each of the soldiers next to the story of who he was and who his family was.
Throughout the year the gardeners of the CWGC maintain the cemetery and members of the local community and the relatives of the fallen soldiers get the opportunity to adopt a grave through the grave adoption scheme. Many of the adopters regularly visit with fresh flowers to pay their respects to the fallen war heroes.
Grahame McGifford, from Stockport, experienced the kindness of the Venray community first-hand when he visited the War cemetery in Venray with his family, to see his Uncle Leslie Thomson McGifford’s grave.
Leslie Thomson McGifford was in the 63rd Medium Regiment in the Royal Artillery and was tragically killed in 1945, at the age of 20.
Grahame said: “We always remember the date he was killed, 20 years of age is no age at all. Especially when your children are older than he is now, you do wonder what kind of life he would have had, but it wasn’t meant to be.
“What is quite incredible is that the graves are adopted by local people. There is a lovely family who looks after Leslie’s grave, their names are Peter and Helmie Wijsman.
“The adoptee families will lay flowers and light a candle on the dates when the servicemen were killed, their birthdays, Easter and Christmas, and at special times such as the service to commemorate the liberation of Venray.
“In doing this his memory lives on with the family and the whole town of Venray, which for us as Leslie’s relatives, is so important and we know his sacrifice will never be forgotten”.
This positive outcome was due to the ongoing support at the CWGC War Foundation.
Grahame explained that it started when he was introduced to Theo Vervoort. He added: “Theo Vervoort became the sort of conduit to get everything we had about Leslie’s very early life and the photograph. And then it sort of evolved into a visit to Venray.”
In 2023, Grahame and his family visited Venray War cemetery for the annual liberation ceremony, which typically takes place on Sunday nearest to the 18th of October, and is held to commemorate the town being liberated by Allied troops and British soldiers.
“The ceremony is part of the incredible work that they do to make sure the whole town of Venray is fully involved in looking after the fallen soldiers,” Grahame added. “Theo came to collect us and said we’ve got some special transport for you. The transport was original World War Jeeps and transport carriers that had been fully restored.
“There was a group of people dressed in uniforms for the commemoration and all the families of the adoptees who adopted the graves were there.”
During the service there were also young people who spoke about their commitment to looking after the graves.
Grahame added: “When the Allies liberated Venray they gave chocolate to all the children so they had Veterans who gave out chocolate to all of the youth of Venray at the commemoration. So they diligently lined up and there seemed to be hundreds”, said Grahame.
“So you can see how committed they are to not only put faces to the names but to include the youth in the service, as they’re the ones who are going to keep the stories of the servicemen alive.”
The cemetery would welcome ‘with open arms’ any of the soldiers’ families who are willing to visit anytime.
Below are the names of soldiers from Greater Manchester, whose families they are trying to find:
● Dennis Bades: 19, DOD:17/10/44, From Bolton, Greater Manchester. Rank: Private in the East Yorkshire Regiment. Service Number: 14675356. Unit : 2nd Battalion. Family Details: son of Richard and Ellen Bades.
● John Chapman: 25, DOD: 19/11/44, From Newton Heath, Greater Manchester Rank: Private in the King’s own Yorkshire light infantry. Service number: 4692447. Unit: 1/4th Battalion. Family details: Son of John and Elizabeth Chapman, from Newton Heath.
● Thomas Corfield: 37, DOD: 23/05/45, From Oldham, Greater Manchester. Rank: Driver. Royal Corps of Signals. Service number: 14298689. Unit 15th Division Signals. Family details: Son of Thomas and Mary Corfield; husband of Hilda Corfield, of Oldham, Greater Manchester.
● Walter Green: 39, DOD: 02/05/45, From Tyldesley, Greater Manchester. Rank: Sapper in the Royal Engineers. Service Number: 2184332. Unit 170 Tunnelling Coy. Family Details: Husband of Lily Green, of Tyldesley, Greater Manchester.
● William Arnold Livesley: 0, DOD: 02/03/45. From Prestwich, Greater Manchester. Rank Warrant officer, in the Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve. Service number: 1451431 .Unit 198 Squadron. Family Details: Son of Lilian Royle, of Manchester.
● Patrick Osborne: 34, DOD: 05/12/44. From Higher Blackley, Manchester. Rank: Lance Corporal, Royal Scots.Service number:14680444. 8th Battalion. Family details: Son of Patrick and Rachel Osborne, husband of Louise Mary Osborne, of Higher Blackley, Manchester.
● William Shawcross: 34, DOD: 21/11/44. From Warrington, Cheshire Rank: Trooper, Reconnaissance Corps, R.A.C. Service number: 14602666. Unit 49th (West Riding Regiment. Family details: Husband of Phyllis Shawcross of Warrington, Cheshire.
● Samuel Turnbull: 25, DOD: 24/03/45. From Salford, Greater Manchester. Rank: Private, Pioneer Corps. Service number: 13083126. Family details: son of Samuel and Violet May Turnbull.
If you are a family member of the soldiers mentioned and want to get in touch, then please send Theo@adoptiegraven-venray.nl a message.