News - Page 5 of 9 - Overloon War Chronicles

The fate of the crew of the Short Stirling III WP-M BK718

Written on 22 October 2023.

Short Stirling BK718 Drawing (Ground) copyright Ivan Berryman

It must have been a huge blow, the British Stirling bomber that crashed on 4 July 1944 near the German village of Mehlem, 10 kilometers southeast of the city of Bonn, during their bombing mission in the Cologne region. Six of the 7 crew members of the Stirling were killed. The story of Platt, Gilmour, Freeland, Beard, Smith, Murray, who are all buried in the Overloon War Cemetery.

Very successful presentations by Overloon War Chronicles

Written on 16 October 2023.

It is with great pleasure that we look back on a very successful and well-attended evening at De Pit last Friday, where Kamil Aerts and Piet Peters gave an evening-long presentation. The presentations "Inhabited - Occupied - Liberated" and "The Week of the Americans" by these two members of our Foundation gave an excellent insight of the situation at that time.

Photo’s at the graves in Overloon

Written on 9 October 2023.

This Saturday 14 October 2023 marks exactly 79 years since the liberation of Overloon. We commemorate the servicemen who died for our freedom and are buried at the war cemetery on Vierlingsbeekseweg in Overloon.

Overloon War Chronicles presents two fascinating presentations on the 1944 war in Overloon

Written on 6 September 2023.

Overloon War Chronicles presents two fascinating presentations on the 1944 war in Overloon about inhabitants and the week of the Americans. Kamil Aerts will talk about how the village looked like before and during the German invasion and what happend to the inhabitants. Piet Peters will present the Week of the Americans. The division attempts to break through the German lines to reach Overloon from 30 September to 7 October, but stubborn resistance from the Germans brings the US attack to a final halt.

Edward Swart, a British man with Dutch roots

Written on 27 May 2023.

The story of Edward Cornelius Martin Swart began on 9 October 1920 in the village of Wath upon Dearne, South Yorkshire, near Rotherham in England. He was named after his grandfathers: Edward on his mother's side and Cornelis Martinus on his father's side.As his surname suggests, part of the Swart family history is in the Netherlands. Indeed, father Gijsbertus de Swart was born in Buren, Gelderland, on 6 August 1896. In the family, the story goes that Gijsbertus moved to England to avoid military service.An extraordinary story with a fatal ending in Germany.

War Graves Week 20 – 28 May 2023

Written on 10 May 2023.

CWGC War Graves Week Overloon War Cemetery

For the third year in a row, the Commonwealth War Graves Commission is organising a War Graves Week. This is a week focusing on Commonwealth war graves and cemeteries worldwide. The theme of War Graves Week 2023 is "Discover, Learn, Remember".On the occasion of this War Graves Week, the Overloon War Chronicles Foundation and the Commonwealth War Graves Commission invite you to attend one of the tours planned by the foundation at Overloon War Cemetery.