Author: Arno van Dijk
 
The Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in Overloon, popularly known as the English cemetery, contains 281 graves. Each with its own story. In this report series, the Overloon War Chronicles Foundation highlights such a special story every time. This time

Known unto God (? – 1943?)
Grave number 4, section IV, row A
 
Known unto God (? – 1943?)
Grave number 5, section IV, row A
 
Known unto God (? – 1943?)
Grave number 6, section IV, row A

The mystery of the three airmen

 “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing a prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.”
(Source: King James Bible, Paul’s letters to the Philippians, chapter 4, verse 6)

One of the mysteries at the Overloon War Cemetery concerns three British airmen buried next to each other in section IV.
But the identities of these three men remain unknown.
As far as is known, they crashed near the German city of Mönchengladbach in 1943.
It is also known that these three men were temporarily buried at the American cemetery in Margraten (South Limburg) and that they were transferred to Overloon after the war.
 
The story goes that the names, and therefore the identities, of these three men were known when they were buried in Margraten, but that something went wrong during the transfer to Overloon, so the names were not linked to their respective graves. As a result, the words “Known unto God” can still only be found on their headstones.
 
Who are these men? Can their names be traced somewhere? Where exactly did they crash and under what circumstances? And why did things go so wrong with the administration during their transfer to Overloon?

Read the full study below.

For all sources, see the full list in the study above.