LIER BELGIAN MILITARY CEMETERY
Antwerpen
Belgium
GPS Coordinates Latitude: 51.12384 Longitude: 4.54894
Picture © Werner Van Caneghem
Location Information
The cemetery is located to the south of the town off the R16 ring road. Take the E313 which runs between Antwerpen and Lier. Turn off at junction 19 Massenhoven, onto the N14 following signs for Lier. At the junction with the ring road R16, turn right onto this and follow round to the junction with N14 again which goes to Mechelen. Turn right here onto the Mechelsesteenweg and the cemetery is along here on the left just past the church at the junction with Rode Kruislaan. The Commonwealth war graves are located amongst the Belgian graves.
Historical Information
The British Expeditionary Force was involved in the later stages of the defence of Belgium following the German invasion in May 1940, and suffered many casualties in covering the withdrawal to Dunkirk. Commonwealth forces did not return until September 1944, but in the intervening years, many airmen were shot down or crashed in raids on strategic objectives in Belgium, or while returning from missions over Germany.
Burials were made in Lier Belgian Military Cemetery from a military hospital set up in a school at Lier after the liberation of the town on 4 September 1944; the wounded brought to that hospital included casualties from the fighting around Arnhem in the Netherlands.
Lier Belgian Military Cemetery contains 41 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War. There are also 420 Belgian graves of the First World War.
Commonwealth Burials: United Kingdom 32, Canada 9. Total 41.
3607020 Corporal
William Charles Ralph Bonner
49th (West Riding) Regiment, Reconnaissance Corps, R. A. C.
4th October 1944, aged 21.
Plot IV. A. 2.
Son of William and Gladys Bonner, of Liverpool.
His headstone bears the inscription "Let Us Not Speak Of the "Dead" There Are No Dead, We Cannot Die"
William Charles Ralph Bonner
49th (West Riding) Regiment, Reconnaissance Corps, R. A. C.
4th October 1944, aged 21.
Plot IV. A. 2.
Son of William and Gladys Bonner, of Liverpool.
His headstone bears the inscription "Let Us Not Speak Of the "Dead" There Are No Dead, We Cannot Die"
2878901 Bombardier
Edwin Cowie Brooks
62 Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
23rd October 1944, aged 33.
Plot V. A. 14.
Son of Alexander R. Brooks and of Jessie Brooks (nee Cowie); husband of Catherine A. Brooks (nee Grant), of Kincardine-O'Neil, Aberdeenshire.
His headstone bears the inscription "You Have Left A Beautiful Memory You Died, As You Lived, Everyone's Friend"
Edwin Cowie Brooks
62 Anti-Tank Regiment, Royal Artillery
23rd October 1944, aged 33.
Plot V. A. 14.
Son of Alexander R. Brooks and of Jessie Brooks (nee Cowie); husband of Catherine A. Brooks (nee Grant), of Kincardine-O'Neil, Aberdeenshire.
His headstone bears the inscription "You Have Left A Beautiful Memory You Died, As You Lived, Everyone's Friend"
|
|
K/67388 Corporal
Lionel Gerald Dupuis
Le Regiment de Maisonneuve, R. C. I. C.
1st October 1944, aged 24.
Plot II. A. 2.
Son of Tom and Annie Dupuis, of St. Anselme, New Brunswick, Canada.
His headstone bears the inscription "Born In 1919 In St. Anselme New Brunswick"
First picture of Lionel on leave at St.Anselme, N.B. Canada (shown with younger brother Lorenzo) and the second shows
Lionel (the tall one) prior to enlistment in Vancouver, B. C. in 1940.
Lionel Gerald Dupuis
Le Regiment de Maisonneuve, R. C. I. C.
1st October 1944, aged 24.
Plot II. A. 2.
Son of Tom and Annie Dupuis, of St. Anselme, New Brunswick, Canada.
His headstone bears the inscription "Born In 1919 In St. Anselme New Brunswick"
First picture of Lionel on leave at St.Anselme, N.B. Canada (shown with younger brother Lorenzo) and the second shows
Lionel (the tall one) prior to enlistment in Vancouver, B. C. in 1940.
D/135671 Private
Joseph Gerald Godfrey
Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada
1st October 1944, aged 24.
Plot II. A. 3.
Son of Automile and Rae Godfrey. of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.
His headstone bears the inscription "We Only Find Ourselves In Serving Others Till We Meet Mom, Dad, Phyllis And Arnold"
Click on image to enlarge
Joseph Gerald Godfrey
Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada
1st October 1944, aged 24.
Plot II. A. 3.
Son of Automile and Rae Godfrey. of Montreal, Province of Quebec, Canada.
His headstone bears the inscription "We Only Find Ourselves In Serving Others Till We Meet Mom, Dad, Phyllis And Arnold"
Click on image to enlarge
Images in gallery below © Werner Van Caneghem
|
|
M/51199 Trooper
Alvin Emmanuel Lick
27th Armoured Regiment, Sherbrooke Fusilers Regiment, R. C. A. C.
29th October 1944, aged 28.
Plot V. A. 6.
Son of Gustave and Sophia Lick.
His headstone bears the inscription "The Lord Upholdeth All That Fall, And Raiseth Up All Those That Be Bowed Down"
Alvin Emmanuel Lick
27th Armoured Regiment, Sherbrooke Fusilers Regiment, R. C. A. C.
29th October 1944, aged 28.
Plot V. A. 6.
Son of Gustave and Sophia Lick.
His headstone bears the inscription "The Lord Upholdeth All That Fall, And Raiseth Up All Those That Be Bowed Down"
B/126190 Private
Herbert H. Stevens
1st Bn. Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada
4th October 1944, aged 25.
Plot II. B. 5.
Son of William A. and Bertha A. Stevens, of Burlington, Ontario, Canada.
His headstone bears the inscription "Till We Meet Again In That Beautiful Land On High. Mom, Dad And Family"
Herbert H. Stevens
1st Bn. Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada
4th October 1944, aged 25.
Plot II. B. 5.
Son of William A. and Bertha A. Stevens, of Burlington, Ontario, Canada.
His headstone bears the inscription "Till We Meet Again In That Beautiful Land On High. Mom, Dad And Family"
|
|
L/8036 Private
Harold K. Whitford
Royal Canadian Army Service Corps
21st November 1944, aged 25.
Plot V. A. 1.
Son of Frederick and Emma Whitford, of Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada.
His headstone bears the inscription "He Giveth His Beloved Sleep"
Harold K. Whitford
Royal Canadian Army Service Corps
21st November 1944, aged 25.
Plot V. A. 1.
Son of Frederick and Emma Whitford, of Battleford, Saskatchewan, Canada.
His headstone bears the inscription "He Giveth His Beloved Sleep"
|
|
D/47060 Trooper
Leonard M. Williams
27th Armoured Regiment, Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment, R. C. A. C.
8th October 1944, aged 21.
Plot IV. B. 1.
Son of Harold and Susie Williams, of St. John'S, Newfoundland.
His headstone bears the inscription "Heaven Now Retains Our Treasures, Earth The Lonely Casket Keeps"
Leonard M. Williams
27th Armoured Regiment, Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment, R. C. A. C.
8th October 1944, aged 21.
Plot IV. B. 1.
Son of Harold and Susie Williams, of St. John'S, Newfoundland.
His headstone bears the inscription "Heaven Now Retains Our Treasures, Earth The Lonely Casket Keeps"
