Olsen | Geoffrey Robert
Biography
Geoffrey Robert Olsen (Service No. 14337870) was killed in action on 28 October 1944 in the vicinity of Overloon and Venray. He was aged 20 and a Gunner in the Royal Artillery, 33 Field Regiment. He was initially buried at Cemetery Huijsmans, Rieterdreef, Overloon and re-interred on 12 May 1947 in Grave I. E. 3 at the CWGC Cemetery in Overloon. His inscription reads “May the good God bless you have you in his keeping and give you his peace.”
Geoffrey was the son of David Herbert and Alice Jessie Olsen (nee Ayres) who were living at “Hedworth”, Cowes Road, Parkhurst on the Isle of Wight after his death. They had married in London in 1919.
Geoffrey’s Father’s Family
David Herbert Olsen came from a military family. His father, also called David, was born in 1868 in Paris but was naturalised as British in 1870. He enlisted (Service No. 65105) in the Royal Artillery on 12 December 1887 and was a Gunner. He had previously been employed as a baker. He married Elizabeth Allum on 16/12/1892 in Wandsworth, London. She had been born in 1870 in Lambeth. David’s military record shows the birth of his first son, David Herbert Olsen, on 28/7/1894 and then his second son, Henry Oscar Olsen, on 8/9/1896. Both were baptised at Shoeburyness. David was posted within the UK until 22/2/1897 when he was posted to Gibraltar until 11/12/1897. Elizabeth came to live with him at his base on 20/7/1898. On 1/12/1899 he signed up to complete 21 years of service, an increase from the initial 12 years. A child, Dorothy Elsie, had been born in Dover in 1899, but died the same year. Another daughter, Elise Valentine, was born on 16/2/1901, again in Dover. In 1901 the family were living in Dover Castle in Kent along with other soldiers and their families. David was a Gunner in the Royal Garrison Artillery. With them were three surviving children. They had a fifth child, George, in Plymouth in 1903 who sadly died the same year. David was posted to 49 Battalion on 3/11/1904. It is thought that this may have been at Fort Westmorland on Spike Island in Cork Harbour, Ireland as that is where he was discharged on 11/12/1908 having served 21 years. His conduct was described as exemplary. His intended place of residence was 39 Portslade Road, Wandsworth Road, London.
In 1911 the family were living at 74 Crimsworth Road SW, Lambeth, London. David (Snr) was working as a Carman and Elizabeth was working as a charwoman. David, Henry and Elise were all with them. Young David, aged 16, was working outside as a Porter and 14 year old Henry as a Compositor, Duplicate Typing.
At the outbreak of WW1, David Olsen (Snr), now aged 46 and working as a Handyman, was enlisted as a Reserve in the Royal Garrison Artillery (Service No. 3863) on 19/10/1914. He had been considered fit, but for home service only, on 14/10/1914. However, he was discharged on 27/1/1915 as it was considered that he was not likely to become an efficient soldier. At the start of his service Elizabeth was given as his next of kin, living at 2 Louisa Cottages Gladiator St., Hanor Oak Park but by the end she was at 365A Kennington Road, London. Sadly, David died on 21/12/1915 at Sydenham. Elizabeth was awarded a pension of 20s per week for herself and her child.
Geoffrey’s Mother’s Family
Alice Jessie Ayres was the youngest child of Phineas Ayres and Elizabeth Ann Froom who had married in Bristol in 1875. Phineas was a horse keeper, born in 1856 in Axmouth, Devon. Elizabeth was born in Exeter, Devon in 1853. They seem to have had twelve children between 1879 and 1894, all born in Bristol. In 1881 they were living at 7, Moon Street, Bristol with their first two children, Melita Pamela aged 4 and Frederick William aged 1. In 1891 they were at 2, Red Cross Street, Bristol. With then were Melita, Florence Matilda, Lilian Georgina, George Robert, Arthur Edwin and Edith Elizabeth aged between 1 and 14. Melita was working as a servant. Frederick, aged 11, was not at home. He was living on board HMS Formidable which was lying half a mile of Portishead. He was described as “under detention”. This was a training ship for boys. Sadly, a son called Sydney was born and died in 1891. In 1901 the family was living at 12, Pritchard Street, Bristol. All of their surviving children except Frederick were with them, including Mark Phineas who had been born in 1892 and finally Alice Jessie who was born in 1894. By 1911 Phineas and Elizabeth were living at 84 Wilder Street, Bristol but only their daughters Edith, aged 21, and Alice, aged 16 were with them. Edith was working as a Machinist and Alice as a Box Packer. Phineas died in 1916 in Bristol.
Geoffrey’s Birth Family
David Herbert Olsen married Alice Jessie Ayres in 1919 in Lambeth in London. She was using her maiden name, and was living at 27 Wilder Street, Bristol while David was living at 365 Kennington Road, London.
Alice had previously married Hubert E Brooks in 1916 in Bristol. They had a child, Alice E Brookes in 1917 in Bristol. Hubert seems to have been a Private (No. 206299) in the Bedfordshire & Hertfordshire Regiment having previously served as a Private (No. 3210) in the 5th Somerset Light Infantry. He was awarded a Territorial Force War Medal. He probably survived the war but must have separated from Alice.
In 1921 David and Alice were living at 27, Wilder Street, Bristol. David had been working as a Mechanical Engineer, Fitter and Turner for Messrs Stother & Pitts (Bath) Steam Crane Maker – but was out of work. Alice’s child, also called Alice, from her first marriage was present, now referred to as Alice Olsen. So too was David and Alice’s own first child, David S Olsen, born in 1919 in Bristol. Alice’s widowed mother, Elizabeth Ayres was living with them. She later died in Exeter in 1924.
Geoffrey Robert Olsen was born in 1924 in Marylebone in London, implying they had moved to London between 1921 and 1924.
In 1927 they were living at 21 Park Mews, Cambridge Road, Kilburn and in 1930 and 1931 at 18 Annesley Close Neasden NW10.
By September 1939 they were living at 22 Ashby Avenue, Kingston Upon Thames, Surrey with their own children David and Geoffrey, but not young Alice. Alice (Jnr) had married Hugh JE Hutchings in Willesden, Middlesex in 1938 and went on to have five children between 1929 and 1948. David (Snr) was still working as an Engineer’s Turner. Their son David was working as a Capstan Lathe Hand. Living with them was David’s widowed mother, Elizabeth Olsen.
David S Olsen married Hilda P Oliver in Surrey North Eastern in 1943. They had a child, Gillian A Olsen, in 1944 in the same area. They emigrated to South Africa in 1947 where they had another child, Marilyn J Olsen.
Military Career
It isn’t known at what point Geoffrey joined his regiment. He is likely to have been called up around 1942. The 33 Field Regiment of the Royal Artillery landed on Sword Beach on D-Day as part of 3 Division. They were involved in heavy fighting in Normandy and in the bombardment fired before Operation Goodwood on 18 July 1944. At the beginning of September, they left for Belgium and Holland, acting as right-flank protection for Operation Market-Garden, the attempt to smash a way across the Rhine by way of Eindhoven, Nijmegen and Arnhem. The Allied advance was outrunning its supplies, and for a while the Division had to eat German rations: “The honey biscuits and frozen vegetables were approved, but the meat was not popular”. After the failure of Market-Garden, in October 1944, 3 Division was involved in the successful capture of the village of Overloon, a costly and bloody battle. For the next four months, 3 Division held the bank of the River Maas from Cuijk to Vierlingsbeek. However, on 28 October 1944, German counter-battery fire struck 33 Field, with over a hundred shells raining down on the 25-pounder gun positions. Geoffrey Robert Olsen, aged just 20, was one of those killed that day. He was initially buried in the Cemetery Huijsmans, Rieterdreef, Overloon together with four others in 33rd Field Regiment who were killed on the same day and who were later re-interred in Plot 1, Row E at the Overloon CWGC Cemetery: Lieutenant Aylmer Penrose, Lance Bombardier Allan Conrad Pearce and Gunners Derek Charles Langham-Mason and Hubert Raymond Perrins.
Aftermath
It seems that Geoffrey’s parents did not know where he was buried until October 1946. On 14 October 1946 David Olsen of “Hedworth”, Cowes Road, Parkhurst, Isle of Wight wrote the following to the Burgomaster of Vierlingsbeek in the Netherlands:
“Dear Sir,
I wish to find out the place of my son’s grave. He was killed by a German shell near Oploo on October 28, 1944. I cannot get any real information from the War Office over here. They only tell me every time that the matter is being attended to. I have heard from a friend who was in the army with him that he was buried in a small temporary burial ground near Overloon.
Can you tell me if this is right? Also, can you get somebody to put a wreath or some flowers on his grave on the date October 28? If you will tell me the cost, I will send over the money. Please have a card marked “From Mother and Father”.
Is there any British war cemetery where I could write to inquire, and, if so, can you give me the full address? Thank you in advance.
I remain yours sincerely, Mr D Olson.
Son’s name etc. 14337870 Gunner G.R. Olsen 33rd Field Regt. R.A.”
The letter was passed to Harry van Daal who replied as follows:
“Dear Sir,
The Burgomaster passed your letter, wherein you ask particulars about your son’s grave, on to me.
I can inform you that your son is buried in a meadow along the road Overloon – Oploo, close to a farmhouse. This place is a temporary cemetery and the graves (there are 14 graves on said cemetery) will be removed shortly to a permanent British Cemetery at Overloon.
The farmer and his family tend the grave of your son very well and all the graves always are in good order. The people of Overloon, although heavily distressed and now living in cold, concrete, emergency houses, don’t forget the graves of their liberators. Many times I saw flowers on the graves also on the grave of your son.
The farmer’s name is: C. Huysmans Address Overloon, C. 214., Prov. Noord – Brabant (Netherlands)
I will ask him to put a wreath or some flowers on the grave on 28 October, and I’m sure, he will do so.
Will you be so kind as to thank this farmer when you eventually correspond with him.
I wish you and yours all the best.
Yours sincerely. H van Daal , Overloon, C. 98, Netherlands.”
No doubt, receiving this letter was a great comfort to his parents.
Geoffrey’s grandmother, Elizabeth Olsen, died on 11 February 1949 in Bromley in Kent. She was living at 28 Celtic Avenue, Shortlands, Kent. Her son, Henry Oscar Olsen, a Printer’s reader, administered her estate.
His father, David Herbert Olsen, died on 27 October, 1955 in Frank James Memorial Hospital, East Cowes, Isle of Wight. His address was given as Lindens’ Cambridge Road, East Cowes, Isle of Wight. His wife, Alice Jessie Olsen administered his estate. Alice Jessie Olsen herself died in 1986 in Bristol.
