Relation with Lake (class): Lake Casualty Cemetery (LCC)  
Total nr. of casualties buried here (TC): 0 end WW2, today: 2620. 
Lake casualties, initially, end WW2 (LC-I): 0
Unknown today: 22 of which 8 airmen.
of which unknown from Lake (LC-U): no info.
of which unknown from North Sea (NS-U): no info.
Initial burial site in WW2: no.
Post war burial site for collection and reburial from other sites: yes 
Cemetery with Lake casualties today: yes (LCE).


              
GROESBEEK CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY

Groesbeek is 5km south of Nijmegen. From here started (8th Feb 1945) Operation 'Veritable': the attack eastwards into Germany, through the Reichswald and the cities Kleve and Goch, towards the river Rhine. In the summer of 1945 until 1947 the Canadians retrieved their dead from the battlefield, buried temporarily on German territory, and brought them to Groesbeek. Of the 2620 casualties, 2340 are Canadian, the others are most from the UK. In total 200 airmen rest here. Of the 22 non-identified, 8 are airmen.

   

Dutch name cemetery: Canadese Oorlogsbegr. pl. Groesbeek.  
Full name: Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery.
Address (usable for car navigation):
Zevenheuvelenweg 38, Groesbeek - Nijmegen.

For reaction or comments; send us an email,
see address and info at CONTACT.
Please use as subject title: 'Groesbeek'.










Post war, airmen were brought to here from other grave sites in the Netherlands that were cleared. Groesbeek got a Lake IJsselmeer (Old Zuyder Sea) connection when 2 airmen came from Wervershoof (South of Medemblik). They washed ashore there in February 1944.

Groesbeek is also an open cemetery for casualties from aircraft wrecks that were found post war and today (Plot XIX and XXII).

Photo below: When today an aircraft wreck is found, it is possible that remains are buried in plot XIX, in the last free positions in row E (13-16) and the empty row F. On below photo plot XIX is in the background left. Looking over this plot, through the opening in the fence, the German border is visible. 






















































 

Lancaster R5512 Amsterdam 1962

In October 1962 the wreck of a Lancaster was encountered during road work in Amsterdam-Noord (North), in a park named the Volenwyck, in constructing the approach to the new IJ-Tunnel.

It was Lancaster I R5512 of 97 Sqn, P/O W.N. Eales, crashed there in the night of 20 December 1942. That December 1942, 3 men were recovered and buried in Amsterdam. During the recovery of the aircraft in 1962, the other 4 crew member were found and some months later interred here in Groesbeek, plot XIX, back row.

Today the crash location of this Lancaster is better known, especially to drivers fined for speeding on their speeding-ticket, as "Nieuwe Leeuwarderweg, t.h.v. Meeuwenlaan". 



































Graves of Lancaster R5512

View on the last row of plot XIX. The in 1962 recovered crew from lancaster R5512 from Amsterdam are on the last row, between the 2 plants. From right to left: F/Sgt. A. Mortimer (Canada), pilot F/O W.N. Eales, Sgt. J. Donald and Sgt. S.V. Deed. The 2 headstones most right are the graves of airmen recovered in Rotterdam. Grave positions 14, 15 and 16 are free. It is not impossible that these will be used for a future military funeral when another aircraft will be recovered. 











































































GROESBEEK CEMETERY PLAN





















































WERVERSHOOF

On plot XII, row A, are the 2 airmen that crashed in lake IJsselmeer (Old Zuyder Sea) in February 1944. They washed ashore on the North-Western dike and were originally buried in Wervershoof, south of Medemblik. Today they rest here. In the city centre of Wervershoof is a plaque on the city hall that  commemorates also Sgt. C. Brown and F/Sgt. Lister. On the old plaque (below left), Lister's name was not known yet, but the sculpturer of the plaque left stone to add his name later. Today the plaque is renewed and made complete (see our file on 'Former Cemetery Wervershoof').














































 
Plot XXII - Wellington HE346

Plot XXII row E and F are 'recent' burial positions. One headstone (photo right) has a story to tell:

In the night of 25/26 June 1943 an unknown aircraft crashed in the foot of the Wadden Sea dike in North-Friesland, between the Dutch villages Holwerd and Ternaard. The bomber disappeared completely in the clay. Only thing found was a glove with the name "Priestley".

In 1977 the recovery team of the RNLAF tried to excavate the wreck, but it was to deep under the dike. The remains of one airman could be recovered, but he could not be identified. He was buried here on plot XXII, see photo right. 

On the dike a plaque was erected for this crew. There were:

Wellington HE346, 166 Sqn, 25/26 June 1943

F/Sgt. C.A. Mattress (RAAF, Australia)
Sgt. A. Mortimer
Sgt. J.P. Priestley
Sgt. N.R. Parry
Sgt. T. Ball

One of them is buried in this grave. 


























GROESBEEK MEMORIAL

Photo below: View from back Plot XIX, row E, towards the entrance. In the building left is the Groesbeek Memorial. Here are commemorated 1029 Commonwealth soldiers that went missing in action between crossing the Seine river end August 1944 until the end of the war. 
























































Cemetery entrance. 

































































































   © ZZairwar (Zuyder Zee Air War).
  





















































































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