A name without a face – Winnipeg Free Press
1000’s of kilometres and fewer than two years aside each a soldier serving within the Second World Struggle and his spouse at house died by drowning.
Now, a retired Dutch diplomat, is looking for the soldier’s photograph — and the photographs of 11 different Manitobans who died within the warfare, earlier than their photographs are misplaced to historical past.
Pieter Valkenburg, who now lives in Prince Edward Island, is working with the Faces of Graves venture on the Canadian Struggle Cemeteries within the Netherlands to create a digital archive with a photograph and biography of each Canadian soldier interred in that nation. One of many individuals he’s specializing in is Rifleman Tom Chaske of the Royal Winnipeg Rifles.
Valkenburg stated the 24-year-old Chaske, who was from the Lengthy Plain First Nation but in addition lived for a time on the Roseau River First Nation, was a part of a crew of troopers being transported to restore a street, however drowned with six others once they had been pinned beneath a automobile they had been in when it slipped off a dike and flipped over right into a flooded area on Dec. 12, 1944.
He stated Chaske’s spouse, Marjorie, tragically drowned within the Roseau River in southern Manitoba only a yr and a half later.
Valkenburg stated they’ve tried, however to this point haven’t been capable of finding any dwelling family. The couple’s solely little one, Elizabeth, died earlier than the warfare’s finish.
As nicely, Chaske’s dad and mom, Tom and Nyjookwah, of Edwin, Man., his six sisters and a brother all predeceased him.
“It’s arduous to seek out somebody when their household has died,” Valkenburg stated.
“Once I do the analysis I have a look at the army service file. I am going on Ancestry and thru Library and Archives Canada, and I name Legions. Then it’s a must to ask the general public.”
Valkenburg stated he considers what he’s doing a mission as a result of he’s nonetheless grateful the Canadian Armed Forces helped liberate his nation from the German military.
He estimates he has helped discover the photographs of virtually 200 Canadians, however there are about 1,950 soldier grave websites nonetheless needing photographs. There are 7,650 Canadian troopers buried within the Netherlands who had been killed throughout the warfare.
“Throughout time individuals will be capable of see {a photograph} of the soldier and details about them with out going to Europe,” Valkenburg stated.
“They wish to put a face to each grave.”
Different Manitoba troopers he’s at the moment searching for are:
- John Lewis Hughes, of Eriksdale, who was 28 when he was killed on Nov. 2, 1944. He labored as an orderly for a dozen years on the E.M. Crowe Memorial Hospital in Eriksdale, his spouse was Irene, his dad was E.G. Hughes, and he had two brothers, three sisters, and two half sisters;
- Alfred James Flett, of Stony Level, of the twelfth Manitoba Dragoons, died on Feb. 8, 1945;
- Stewart L. Anderson, of Bagota, served with the twelfth Manitoba Dragoons, 18th Armoured Automotive Regiment. He died on April 19, 1945;
- Roy C. Coates, of Morris died on Might 2, 1945. He had been serving with the Royal Canadian Military Service Corps;
- Samuel G. Engen, of The Pas died on April 23, 1945, whereas with the Lake Superior Regiment;
- William J. Gap, of Carman died on April 22, 1945, whereas serving with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles;
- Lloyd Edward Kitching, of Winnipeg, died on Might 1, 1945, whereas serving with the Royal Canadian Artillery;
- Edward A. Munro, of Birch River, died on Oct. 6, 1945, whereas serving with the Royal Canadian Military Service Corps;
- Norman W. Robinson, of Souris, died March 31, 1945, whereas serving with the first Canadian Parachute Battalion;
- Alphonse L. Skalicky, of Magnet, died on April 14, 1945, whereas with the Saskatoon Gentle Infantry;
- And James O. Thomas, of Hodgson, died on Might 2, 1045, whereas serving with the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada.
If a photograph is discovered, Valkenburg might be reached at memorialtrail@gmail.com
kevin.rollason@freepress.mb.ca
Kevin Rollason
Reporter
Kevin Rollason is without doubt one of the extra versatile reporters on the Winnipeg Free Press.
Whether or not it’s overlaying metropolis corridor, the regulation courts, or basic reporting, Rollason might be counted on to not solely reply the 5 Ws — Who, What, When, The place and Why — however to do it in an fascinating and accessible approach for readers.
