Arnhem Soldier Buried

[Paul Reed]

Found this here:

http://www.mod.uk/DefenceInternet/De...etherlands.htm

World War II soldier honoured in The Netherlands

15 Jun 06

Sixty years after he was killed in action, Leeds soldier Lance Sergeant Edward Hartley of The Border Regiment, has been remembered in a re-dedication service at Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery in The Netherlands today, Thursday 15 June 2006.
Fought for his country; Lance Sergeant Edward Hartley of The Border Regiment.
[Picture: MOD]

LSgt Hartley joined the Border Regiment in 1940 and served in North Africa in 1943. He was reported missing, killed in action, on 20 September 1944, aged 31. He was buried as an unknown soldier in Oosterbeek Cemetery and was identified by the Dutch Army Recovery Team in 2005, using regimental dental records.
Today's service was attended by LSgt Hartley’s daughter, Patricia Summers, and her family. The Honour Guard and Buglers were formed by The 1st Battalion, the King’s Own Royal Border Regiment (KORBR), who accorded LSgt Hartley full military honours. The Band of the Royal Netherlands Air Force provided the music at the ceremony.
In July 2006 The King’s Own Royal Border Regiment (KORBR) will amalgamate with The King’s Regiment and The Queen’s Lancashire Regiment to form the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment. Also today 192 members of KORBR will travel in small groups to the sites of 44 Battle Honours borne on their Regimental Colours (Exercise GLOBAL DRAGON). The visits will take place concurrently, with a small Battlefield Tour and ceremony held at each site.



Following the ceremony at Oosterbeek Cemetery LSgt Hartley's daughter Patricia was presented with a cygnet ring, which was found with her father's remains. She said:

"I felt really honoured that so many people went to so much trouble to make this happen. It's a day I shall never forget."

The King’s Own Royal Border Regiment
Arnhem is one of the most famous of the Battle Honours carried on the Colours of The King's Own Royal Border Regiment. This Battle Honour was granted to the Border Regiment, which amalgamated in October 1959 with the King's Own Royal Regiment (Lancaster) to form the present King's Own Royal Border Regiment. The Border Regiment was formed in 1881 by the amalgamation of the 34th Cumberland and 55th Westmoreland Regiments of Foot, who became the 1st and 2nd Battalions respectively.

The signet ring which belonged to LSgt Hartley was presented to his daughter Patricia at the re-dedication ceremony.
[Picture: MOD]

During WWII the 1st Battalion served with the British Expeditionary Forces in France 1939-40 and was evacuated from Dunkirk. In October 1941 it was converted to a glider-borne role in the 1st Air Landing Brigade of the new British 1st Airborne Division. After training in England the Battalion moved to North Africa in May 1943 and took part in the first ever Allied Glider landings on Sicily on 9/10 July 1943, when over half of the Battalion’s gliders were released too early and crashed in the sea. After serving in Sicily and Italy the Battalion returned home.

After a number of cancelled operations in the summer of 1944, the 1st Airborne Division took part in Operation Market-Garden, the landings on the River Crossing in Holland in September. 1st Airborne Division were to land at Arnhem, capture the main road bridge and other crossings over the River Rhine and hold a defensive perimeter some 3 ½ miles long along the northern bank from Arnhem to the small town of Oosterbeek. The main force took off on 17th September 1944. The role of the 1st Battalion Border Regiment was to secure Landing and Drop Zone areas to the west of Oosterbeek. On the second day they were to move towards the western side of Oosterbeek and provide the defence of the Division's western perimeter.
By 19th September they were defending the perimeter from just north of the main road (the Utrechtseweg) in Oosterbeek down to the Rhine. They fought against overwhelming odds until the order to withdraw was given on the night of 25th September.
After nine days hard fighting, those fit to go made their way down to the Rhine and swam or were ferried in small boats to the safety of the southern bank. Medical staff and others remained behind with the wounded and injured who could not be moved. Over 270 officers and men, many of them wounded, made it to safety, nearly 400 were taken prisoner. 125 officers and men were killed during the battle, or died later of wounds and sickness in POW camps. LSgt Edward Hartley was one of those killed.
Every year since the end of WW2, former members of the 1st Battalion The Border Regiment and their families and friends have gone back to The Netherlands to attend the annual service of Commemoration at Oosterbeek and other Commemoration events in and around Arnhem and Oosterbeek. Many veterans made the effort to go in September 2004 for the 60th Anniversary, when they also unveiled a plaque to the memory of their comrades who fought and died during the Battle of Arnhem.

[Owen]

see also http://www.ww2talk.com/forum/home-fr...therlands.html

[Paul Reed]

Oops, didn't see that. Found out about this one as they have kindly linked to my site.

[spidge]

Worth a second rememberance Paul.