WELCOME

WELCOME

During the second World War the Allied and German soldiers, who were killed in Goirle and in the neighbourhood, were buried at the Roman Catholic cemetery from the parish St. Jan in Goirle.

After the war the remains of the German soldiers were reburied in Ysselsteijn (near Venray) and most of the allied soldiers were reburied in Bergen op Zoom (War Cemetery and Canadian War Cemetery) and in Leopoldsburg (Belgium, War Cemetery).

Every year we commemorate the victims of World War II, both soldiers and civilians.
We know their names, but who were the persons behind the names? What were their lives before they died? Where did they come from? How did they die? Under what circumstances?

It is my intention to give the victims a face, to write and keep the story behind the gravestones because we always will remember the soldier who died for our liberty.

We can forget names, but not faces.
I will try to write down all their stories for the next generation so they will know who was commemorated. But how ? Last year november I met Barrie Walters on the internet and together we decided to start the projct Keeping their Memory Alive. (See: But for a stone....)

Maybe you can help us in this matter. Send me or my friend Barrie a letter or an e-mail with additional information, a photograph or a copy of any personal document, which I can use for The Memory Book or a website.

Thank you in advance for your help
Gerrit Kobes
Goirle (Netherlands)
Click here to mail me

Barrie Walters
Rochford Essex (U.K.)
Click here to mail me
Commemoration  2014

Sunday, october 26, 2014. About 180 people visited the Commemoration. 70 years ago Goirle was liberated.
21 photo's of the fallen soldiers were placed near the gravestone. The schoolchildren lay the flowers, given by Gilde St. Mauritius, on the graves.
Fintan Swanton of Ireland, cousin of Eithne (Ina) Swanton, who is burried in Goirle, told us the war-history of the Swanton family.
http://www.goirlesbelang.nl/nw-7833-1/nieuws/1

Mr. Schrijver and mr. Kroes visited the school of the children and told them about the war and the graves in Goirle. After teaching they went to the cemetery and cleaned the stones.

See for photos:
https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=C7F8ACA79A606CB6&id=C7F8ACA79A606CB6!8453

Photos of the commemoration can you see here:

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=C7F8ACA79A606CB6&id=C7F8ACA79A606CB6!8620

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=C7F8ACA79A606CB6&id=C7F8ACA79A606CB6!8737

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=C7F8ACA79A606CB6&id=C7F8ACA79A606CB6!8619

https://onedrive.live.com/?cid=C7F8ACA79A606CB6&id=C7F8ACA79A606CB6!8874