Plea over 11 'forgotten' WWII heroes buried at Dutch cemetery

Welsh soldiers buried at a war cemetery in the Netherlands "should not be forgotten", say volunteers working at the site.

Campaigners in the historic town of Venray in the south-east of the country are appealing for images to be placed on the graves of more than 600 British soldiers killed in World War Two.

Hundreds have already been found via social media, but the search for the remaining soldiers is proving more and more difficult.

Volunteer Theo Vervoot, who is part of the Venray War Cemetery Adoption Graves Foundation, said they were searching for information about 11 Welsh soldiers whose images have not yet been found.

"A stone with a photo tells you far more. It's a monument for the man," he said.

"We're looking for the photos because we should not forget them.

"They gave their lives for our freedom, and we owe that to them."

One of the identified soldiers is Maynard Powell, a member of the Welsh Guards who was killed in Venray in November 1944.

His daughter, Margaret Colbeck, 82, from Princetown, Blaenau Gwent, was only 10 months' old at the time.

"It means everything, it brings so much comfort, to think that these graves are being cared for, bringing people back to life," she said.

"They call the soldiers 'their boys'.

"I've always known that my father was buried there, but of course, there are still very many people who don't know."

She said she was contacted by a volunteer from the Netherlands on Facebook.

"It was a shock. He wanted to know all the background, the family history, photographs," she said.

"I had a wonderful surprise this Christmas, where my grandchildren, Mia and Joseph, surprised me by saying they were going to take me to Venray to see my father's grave.

"It was so emotional."

Mia Colbeck-Jones, 21, said the trip to see the grave was "incredible".

"It was one thing to hear about my great-grandfather and be able to pay our respects to him, but it was a whole other special thing to see our nan seeing the grave."

Her brother, Joseph, 26, added: "I think it's really important to us, as great grandchildren of Maynard, that those stories can then be passed on through future generations."

It took decades for Margaret Jones, 85, from Swansea, to discover that her father, James Bumster, was buried in Venray after he was killed when she was four.

"We didn't know. I had never heard the name Venray," she said.

"My husband and I went first of all, that was quite emotional.

"On his grave, it's written, 'he gave his life so his daughter can live'."

She said it "meant the world" that Theo Vervoort had adopted his grave.

Margaret's daughter, Julie Jones, 62, said the family were "perplexed" that the volunteers had taken such an interest in their family's history.

"Families like ours are connected by these heroes, as the people of Venray see them, who gave their lives so they could be liberated," she said.

"There will be families out there, no doubt, that have no idea that there will be an uncle, or a nephew, or a cousin that is resting in Venray.

"If I had a message to give, it would be, that these people did give their lives, so check your family history."

Theo Vervoort said he visited the cemetery every week, adding: "I'm busy cleaning, throwing away flowers.

"My dad told me a lot about the war, and it fascinated me.

"My thoughts were, 'I have to do something for these guys, who came to a foreign country, didn't know our area, and they gave their lives for us, for our liberation'."

He said it saddened him that some soldiers had not been identified.

"It means that the families don't know where their boys are," he said.

"Behind every grave is a very sad story at home. The youngest are 17, 18 and also young fathers.

"We started in 2020, we have now found 440 photos, and it's getting more and more difficult.

"We have a lot of friends in the UK who help us, and they are very good people who are looking in archives, looking in newspapers, visiting relatives.

"It gives you such a good feeling. It's a special feeling."

The volunteers are appealing for the images of the following 11 Welsh soldiers:

• Edward David Davies, from Carmarthen
• Mervyn Hopkin Davies, from Maesteg, Bridgend
• Joseph Frederick Davies, from Mountain Ash, Rhondda Cynon Taf
• Evan Owen Davies, from Wrexham
• Albert Joseph Harries, from Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire
• William Edgar Large, from Pontypridd, Rhondda Cynon Taf
• Norman Peter Lilja, from Caerphilly
• William Burne O'Donnell, from Glamorgan
• Frederick Sydney Scott, from Glamorgan
• Albert Henry Wheeler, from Clydach, Monmouthshire
• David George Williams, from Swansea

Additional reporting by Tony Brown.