We are travelling to Holland in 6 days time to re-visit our great uncle's grave who is buried in Leopoldsburg. Edwin Owens was part of the RA during Op Market Garden we have tracked him down to having been hit by a panzer that was crawling up the canal path in Son en Breugel whilst the Allies were crossing a Bailey Bridge for the push for Market Garden in Sept 44'. Does anyone have any more info that we can work on ?? he wasn't killed initially but died in the 19th field hospital ,does anyone know where the field hospital may have been during the fight ?? Ironically Edwin's brother Raymond was fighting not far away with the RWF 4th Btn. and was granted special leave to go and see Edwin but he had died by the time Raymond arrived. Raymond lived a fantastic life living on Holyhead mountain on Anglesey as a farm hand and died some 10 years ago, he was such a part of our family he loved our son Sion who was only 2 when he died but Sion still talks about Raymond today and is so looking forward to visiting Holland in the next week, any further help would be much appreciated. Thanks GaztwrO.
I see from CWGC he was in 20 A/Tk Regt who were part of 3 Div. The most likely sources of additional information will be the war diaries for: 20 A/Tk Regt WO 171/913 (no battery diaries) 19 Gen Hosp WO 177/1209 or 19 Field Dressing Station WO 177/904 or 19 Casualty Clearing Station WO 177/655 There are no clues to the theatres in which those medical units served. The Trux pages on here may help - I will try to have a look later.
2nd 21st Anti-Tank Regiment / Unit "Q" (Sanna's Post) Anti Tank Battery R.A. 19 September 1944: Resume advance, crossing WILHELMINA CANAL at SON just before 0900 hrs. Advance without incident to area where HQ and 'C' Tps again came under comd of Gren Gp for WAAL crossing at NIJMEGEN. Moved in support 3 Coy (reserve coy) to the PLOEG. 'C' Tp (less one tank) sent to support 4 Coy on southern approaches to road bridge in NIJMEGEN returning 0830 hrs 20th Sep. Battery less detached troops harboured MALDEN. 'A' Echelon moving up under 5 Gds Armd Bde control attacked by enemy infantry and tanks on SON bridge. A. 6 3-tnr Z casualty. Gnr. H.D. SMITH killed. L/Bdr KERFOOT, Gnrs HURREN, ASPINALL and OWENS wounded.
If you are in that area there is a very good museum (which has a very good restaurant) - Wings of Liberation Museum | WW2Talk TD
