Reusel Holland/belgium Border

[gaztwrO]

My fathers uncle, Raymond Owens was involved in a battle in a town called Reusel which was in Holland right on the border of Belgium just south of Tilburg and Eindhoven. Raymond was an infantry man with the Royal Welch Fusiliers, from my fathers talks with our late uncle he told my father that it was feirce fighting for the town, at one point both allied and german soldiers were within the towns church on oppsoite ends fighting. He also told my father that there had been a sniper in the belfry of the church which was queitened when a tank round went through it destroying the belfry. Is there anyone else out there who has info on the battle at Reusel we think it would have been around August/Sept time of 44'

Also has anyone got experience on how to go about recovering information from the National Archives in London, regarding lost relatives of WW2. Raymond's brother was killed not far from Leopoldsburg he was a member of the 20th Anti Tank Royal Artillery, we visited his grave in March of this year but we would like to try and identify exactly where he was killed, i've been told by Paul REED that the archives may hold more info of each Regimants losses, anyone got any tips ......!!!

[Drew5233]

Hi,

I don't know if this site will help? It may be a little later than what you are looking for but the guy appears to have a wealth of knowledge plus its a great site.

Remember September '44

Goodluck

[gaztwrO]

thanks drew i'll take a look at it

[Philip,ABRG]

Through personal circumstances I don't have much time at the moment, but I have someting about the WD in my papers ready for my webpage

[Philip,ABRG]

At the 20th the Battery was a Petit Breugel, but no mentioning in the WD of any casualties.

[gaztwrO]

thanks philip that's great information i take it from your reply that the 20th anti tank was at petit breugel on the 20TH sept 44'.....???
Further from my father he has examined Edwin's service papers and it states that he was admitted to the hospital on the 19TH but his recorded death was for the 20TH.
would love to hear any more information you have for the 20th AT at that date.
very much appreciated......Thankyou.

[gaztwrO]

Can anyone assist with the location of Petit Breugel or what does it mean...?

[Rich Payne]

Kleine-Brogel is the Flemish name that you'll find on modern maps. It is a current Belgian Airforce base.

It is a feature of British maps of the period that they replicated the French language names supplied by Brussels regardless of the language of the local population.

Sometimes it's obvious like De or La Panne and Ieper or Ypres.

Now that Belgium is administratively divided on language grounds, wartime accounts can be quite confusing to those of us who have never learned the French names.

[gaztwrO]

thank you for your reply rich much appreciated

[gaztwrO]

Hello all,

After speaking to my Dad i've got more info, Edwin was admitted to the feild hospital on the 19th of Sept it is believed that his Bren Gun carrier was hit by an 88' round. He was by all accounts alive when he arrived at the feild hospital and pleaded that a message be passed to his brother Raymond who was not far from the hospital. The message eventually got to Raymond (RWF) who was on the frontline at the time, his C.O allowed him to take a vehicle to the feild hospital to see Edwin. According to Raymond the vehicle was a comandeered German officers car!!
By the time Raymond arrived at the hospital Edwin had died of his injuries and was then buried in a feild along with the other dead in a feild behind the feild hospital.
Raymond told my father that Edwin was later moved to the Leopoldsburg CWG.
Can anyone assist further with the location Kleine-Brogel, were the Royal Welch Fusiliers of the 20th Anti Tank in the area around the 18TH-20TH of Sept 44'....??

Kleine Brogel is a lot closer to Leopoldsburd which would make sense i suppose but i'm no expert!

Thank you Phil and Rich for your leads so far.