Northumbrian Gunner: Arnhem - Arnhem Oosterbeek Cemetery

Tuesday, 19 March 2013

Arnhem - Arnhem Oosterbeek Cemetery

Arnhem Oosterbeek Cemetery

The Arnhem-Oosterbeek cemetery contains the graves of most of those killed in the fighting during the attempt to capture the bridge at Arnhem, as well as those subsequently killed in the area , including Northumbrian Gunners.

ARNHEM OOSTERBEEK WAR CEMETERY

The cemetery contains 3 Victoria Cross graves

Lt JH Grayburn VC

F/Lt DSA Lord VC DFC

Capt. LE Queripel VC

Gronert Twins

Thomas and Claude Gronert

Cluade and Tomas Gronert grew up and worked as tin miners in the Redruth area of Cornwall before enlisting into the Parachute Regiment. They were serving with 6 Platoon of B Company 2nd Battalion, when they were dropped into Arnhem.

As their platoon advanced to Arnhem Bridge they came accross Nazi SS troops who pretended to surrender. When Tommy and three others moved out into the open to take them prisoner, the Germans opened fire.

Hearing badly wounded Tommy scream, Claude rushed to help but was hit 3 times in the head.

Pvt C. Gronert

Pvt T. Gronert

Pvt T. Gronert Pvt C. Gronert

2nd Battalion Parachute Regiment Army Air Corps

Captain WN Barrie DFC

Capt WN Barrie DFC
Glider Pilot Regiment

William N Barrie was born on 12th October 1918. He was educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School, Hexham. He was made a Kings Scout in May 1935 and played regularly for Tynedale RFC. He trained as an accountant, the war interrupting his final exams.

Enlisting with 4^th RNF (TA) before the outbreak of war he deployed to France in 1940 as part of the 51st Highland Div. He was fortunate to avoid capture, during the evacuation from France. On return to the UK , his unit was deployed in the home defence role at Wylam. He was promoted to Lieutenant and posted to the Durham Light Infantry.

When the Glider Pilot Regiment was formed in early 1942 Lt Barrie was among the first officers to volunteer for flying duties with the new airborne unit. He took part in the glider operations in Sicily, where he won the DFC, and in Normandy.

During Operation Market he was serving with G Squadron, the majority of their Horsa gliders carried the Light Guns, Jeeps and gunners of the 1st Air landing Regiment Royal Artillery. On landing the Wing regrouped and deployed as the divisional reserve, and was given the task of providing local protection to the gun batteries of the Air landing Regiment RA.

Captain Barrie was killed in an action trying to knock out a German gun with a hand grenade.

Capt WN Barrie DFC

Capt WN Barrie DFC
Glider Pilot Regiment Army Air Corps

He is commemorated on Hexham War Memorial

ROYAL ARTILLERY

Unknown Gunner

Gnr. G Gray 1st Airlanding Light Regiment RA

Gunner George Gray was killed 20^th September 1944 served with 1^st Air landing Light Regiment Royal Artillery aged 25. He was the son of George and Isabelle Gray and the husband of Constance Mary Gray of Gosforth, Newcastle.

He is commemorated on the Gosforth War memorial.

Gnr G. Gray

Gnr G. Gray
1st Air landing Light Regiment RA

74th (Northumbrian) Regiment RA (TA)

L/ Sgt J. Ottino Capt RB Hutt Lt JT Bryant

L/Sgt James Ottino

L/Sgt Ottino pictured front left

L/Sgt J. Ottino

L/Sgt J. Ottino
74^th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA)

Capt RB Hutt

Capt RB Hutt

Capt RB Hutt
74^th(Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA)

Captain Raymond Barnes Hutt was killed 17^th April 1945 exactly one month after his 29^th birthday whilst serving as the adjutant of 74^th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA).

He was killed in the village of Wageningen, 10 miles west of Arnhem. The war diary of 74 Regiment records:

Rest of day spent regrouping in Arnhem.
Regt passed through area on which 1st Airborne Div fought and found many signs of their grim fight-parachute-harness-containers-jeeps etc. The Regt buried several "Men of Arnhem" after getting their identifications and found some communal graves with inscriptions in German. Capt R.B. Hutt RA (Adjutant) killed and major R. Hudson (2IC) wounded in the eye when jeep in which they were travelling went over some R mines. Major Hudson evacuated but not seriously wounded.

His wife Julia Marie vowed never to remarry and visited her husbands' grave every year on March 17, his birthday, to lay a bouquet of white flowers. Julia Marie died in 1991, and her ashes are buried in her husbands' grave.

He is commemorated in the Book of Remembrance 74 Regiment, St Michaels and All Angels South Shields

Lt JT Bryant

Lt JT Bryant
74^th(Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA)

Lieutenant John Trevor Byrant was killed 7^th October 1944 aged 26. Commissioned in September 1942 he was serving with 74^th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA).

The war diary of 74 Regiment records:

7 October 1944: Lieut J.T. Bryant RA killed at OP

He is commemorated in the Book of Remembrance 74 Regiment, St Michaels and All Angels South Shields.

Lt JT Bryant

Lt JT Bryant
74^th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA)

74th (Northumbrian) Regiment RA (TA)
Arnhem Oosterbeek Cemetery

124th (Northumbrian) Regiment RA (TA)

Capt WA Wood MC

Capt WA Wood MC
124^th(Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA)

Captain William Angus Wood was killed 25^th September 1944 serving as a FOO with 124^th (Northumbrian) Field Regiment RA (TA).

Capt. Wood was serving with 72^nd Field Regiment RA (TA) when he was captured in Libya in May 1942. Originally reported as missing, he was later found to be a prisoner of war in Italian hands.

He was imprisoned in Campo 21, Chieti. When the Italians signed an armistice with the Allies, the camp was taken over by Germans who evacuated the POW’s to Germany. During this move Capt Wood escaped and made his way south to the British lines. For this action he was awarded the Military Cross.

He joined 124 Regiment fighting through Normandy and Belgium before being killed in Nijmagen area.

Capt. WA Wood is commemorated on the war memorial at Wall and on the Officers Mess fireplace, Alexander Road TAC, Gateshead