Hello, My Oosterbeeker grandparents have tended the grave of corporal Alfred Reynolds, 3pt/R coy/1bn/1para brig. He is believed to have fallen on either 18 or 19 September 1944. As far as I can tell there are two versions of his passing. The first is that he was wounded on the first day amidst fighting in Wolfheze. He is said to have been captured and eventually succumbed to his wounds one or two days later. The other version -from paradata.org.uk- states that there are indications he managed to reach the western approach into Arnhem and fell during attempts to pass on to the bridge through the german blocking positions. I have looked into his graves concentration report forms which appear to have been arranged per mass grave. This grave was located at the communal cemetery on the northern outskirts of town. My question is as followed: is there any logic behind the fact that men were buried together in the same grave? I have reason to know that at least one of the men in the same mass grave, a private from 2South Staffs, perished in the same desperate attempts to reach Arnhem bridge on 19 September. W Hopefully someone is able and willing to help me out. Kind regards,
Pegasus1988 It would appear that his body was collected and buried in a mass grave in Moscowa Cemetery after the abortive attempts by 1st, 3rd,11th Parachute Battalions and the South Stafford’s to break through and reach the bridge on the morning of 19th September. Had he been wounded at Wolfheze on the first day then I would have expected him to have been evacuated, along wit the otters early casualties, to the Dressing Stations at the Schoonoord or Tafelberg and if he had succumbed to his wounds there he would have been first buried in or around that location.
Thank you very much. If I understand you correctly, it would be unlikely the germans would have brought him from the vicinity of Wolfheze/Oosterbeek to the Elizabeth Hospital and might have taken his remains to near the Moscowa cemetery? I noticed there were also mass graves near the hospital itself.
Pegasus1988 In the early stages of the battle it looks although the Germans tended to take the majority of their wounded POWs to hospitals/Lazarettes in the Apeldoorn area with a few being taken to Ede not to St Elisabeth Hospital.
Thank you again, horsapassenger. Your input seems to support the hypothesis that Alfred managed to disengage from the battle in the woods parallel to the railway line.
