‘Honour the Second World War heroes killed in forgotten battle'
History enthusiasts in Holland have launched a project to commemorate a number of North East soldiers buried in a foreign field where a “forgotten battle” of the Second World War was fought.
Six residents of the village ofOverloonintheNetherlands havestartedaworkinggroupto try to put faces and stories to the names of 281 Allied troops buried in a war cemetery.
The Battle of Overloon in September and October 1944 claimedthelivesof2,500Allied soldiers during the liberation of Europe.
Among the 281 soldiers buried in Overloon CommonwealthWarGraveCommission cemetery, the enthusiasts are seeking to honour two from Hartlepool, one from Sunderland and one from Jarrow.
OscarHuisman,51,andLeo Janssen, 66, from the project believe remembering the men once a year is not enough.
Oscar said: “Our goals are simple,firstaphotograph,second the story behind it. Third, the adoption of the graves.”
The four local soldiers buriedinthecemeteryare:Private John Victor Hawksby, born 1921, of Sydenham Road, West Hartlepool.John(servicenumber 1445252) served with the Lincolnshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion, and was killed in Overloon on October 14, 1944.
Private Harold Lucas (14518628), born 1924, served with the East Yorkshire Regiment, 2nd Battalion and was killed in Overloon on October 16, 1944. His parents lived in Seaton Lane, West Hartlepool.
Private Henry Sproat
(14201340), born 1921, from Grangetown, Sunderland, was killed in south-east Netherlands on November 14, 1944, serving with King’s Own Scottish Borderers, 1st Battalion.
Private George Vickers (4470006), born 1921, from
Primrose, Jarrow, served with South Lancashire Regiment, 1st Battalion. He was killed in Overloon on October 12, 1944.
Leosaidthesoldiersburied in Overloon Cemetery come from more than 20 temporary cemeteries.
"Some bodies were even reburied several times,” he said. “Intheprocess,lotsofinformation disappeared or got lost.
“The Battle of Overloon had more casualties than OperationMarketGardenbutnobody speaks about it. "It is The Forgotten Battle.” Anyone with information can contact the Werkgroep OverloonWarCemeterygroup via Facebook, website https:// werkgroepoverloonwarcemetery.jouwweb.nloremail:overloonwarcemetery@gmail.com