Updated: 19 Oct 22
As part of the Faces to Graves project in the Netherlands, ‘Faces to Canadian War Graves Groesbeek’ LINK is working to publish a short story of each of the Canadian soldiers buried in Groesbeek or included on their Memorial Wall. The stories are being published online LINK as they are written.
We are assisting with the telling of the stories of the 69 Sappers in Groesbeek. To date, we have worked on about one-third of them. Some examples of the Sapper Stories that have been published are:
More of these stories are under research and drafting but the project needs more volunteers. This is a good project for someone who appreciates CME Military Heritage and who enjoys doing research. A Guide for writing a suitable story is attached.
The Service Files and Unit War Diaries form the main references for conducting research on these soldiers. Both sources are now available online so most of the work can be accomplished under pandemic restrictions. If you have a son or daughter in high school, this could be undertaken as part of the “Lest We Forget” project or as a stand-alone project that will provide an educational opportunity during the pandemic lockdowns. Sappers with an interest in their unit’s history might seek to learn about a Sapper from their unit’s past and learn more of their unit’s Second World War heritage.
Please let us know if you are interested in helping with this project. The attached list of the Sappers buried in Groesbeek can help you find a possible relative or help you identify a Unit or Hometown if that is the area of your interest. We can assist with such research with material that we have assembled on some soldiers.
If you are interested in contributing to this research project, contact the CME Historian.
