Bevrijding Dieteren WWII

Anthony Thomas Clarke Met dank aan:/Thanks to: Ivo Wilms and Jim Tuckwell

Anthony Thomas Clarke is een zoon van Thomas Michael en Alice uit Bishop Stortford, Hertfordshire, England.
Als Brits soldaat maakte hij als Private onder nummer 14669718 deel uit van de 9th Bn. The Durham Ligth Infantry.
Hij sneuvelde 21 januari 1945 in Sint Joost en werd in eerste instantie begraven op de militaire begraafplaats in Dieteren en 26 september 1946 herbegraven op de War Cemetery in Nederweert.

War memorial te Sint Joost.

Zijn naam staat ook genoemd op oorlogsgedenkteken/war memorial te Sint Joost.

De laatste gevechtshandeling staan beschreven op een Engelse site over de Durham Light Infantry.
Bron:/Source: https://durhamlightinfantry1920-46.weebly.com/north-west-europe-44-45.html

CUT OFF! 13 PLATOON ‘C’ COMPANY 9TH DLI The men ‘lost’ in the ‘C’ Company advance met many different fates this is just one of them and was based on an account by 1496288 Pte Sidney Webster. Pte Webster stated his group consisting of himself, 14669718 Pte Anthony Thomas Clarke, 4462019 Pte Clifford Holmes, 5437939 Pte W J McCarthy and 4277192 L/Cpl A D Wear were all part of No 13 platoon. They had taken shelter near some outbuildings which they believed to have been part of their units objectives.
As they hugged the shadows a noise was heard from within the buildings, one of the ‘Durhams’ threw a hand grenade into the building silencing the ‘occupants’ who had been a group of horses which had been stabled there for the night! The ensuing commotion drew concentrated fire but Webster‘s small group managed to escape in the darkness and took refuge in a hayloft with the intention of lying low and slipping away when the opportunity arrived. The straw was warm and the group were glad to be out of the bitter cold and took the joint decision to spend the night in this building.
Early next morning they were awoken by the noise of shells as the British resumed their bombardment their luck at this point ran out when they were discovered by German civilians who raised the alarm. Webster looked out of the window and saw a German Tiger?! Tank approaching .The German‘s were firing into the loft setting fire to the straw and wounded 5437939 McCarthy in the arm/hand, McCarthy had been wounded previously at Lingevres on the 14th June 1944 . A shell, German or British, hit the building collapsing the walls and roof onto the occupants Webster,Clarke and Holmes were partially buried and it was L/Cpl Wear who cleared the debris from them. Pte Holmes could not feel his legs and was asking for water.
Cpl Wear told the group they needed to surrender to get help for Holmes and Clarke, Clarke according to Cpl Wear had almost had it, blood from the pair was all around them. Webster, McCarthy and Wear busied themselves looking for rags to bind their comrades wounds but the Germans opened up again with tracer rounds re-igniting the straw. In the smoke and flames of the collapsed loft Clarke and Holmes died. Webster, Wear and McCarthy were taken prisoner but taking advantage of the confused situation managed to return to the British lines. Webster hid in a water tank and slipped away once the Germans had gone. How and when McCarthy and Wear returned to the British lines is not yet known.

Grafsteen Anthony Thomas Clarke op Nederweert War Cemetery

Misschien zijn er nog mensen die informatie hebben over die tijd zoals verhalen of foto's. Neem dan contact op met de webmaster info@deetere.nl wellicht kan het bijdragen aan de geschiedschrijving van onze streek en mogelijk ook van belang voor familieleden van onze bevrijders!

In memory of those who fought for our freedom Herinnering aan onze bevrijders Private Anthony Thomas Clarke:
Legeronderdeel: Nummer: Geboren: Overleden: Begraafplaats:	9th Battalion Durham Light Infantry 14669718 ca 1925 21 januari 1945 Nederweert III.B.10
Anthony Thomas Clarke Met dank aan:/Thanks to: Ivo Wilms and Jim Tuckwell Anthony Thomas Clarke is een zoon van Thomas Michael en Alice uit Bishop Stortford, Hertfordshire, England. Als Brits soldaat maakte hij als Private onder nummer 14669718 deel uit van de 9th Bn. The Durham Ligth Infantry. Hij sneuvelde 21 januari 1945 in Sint Joost en werd in eerste instantie begraven op de militaire begraafplaats in Dieteren en 26 september 1946 herbegraven op de War Cemetery in Nederweert. War memorial te Sint Joost. Zijn naam staat ook genoemd op oorlogsgedenkteken/war memorial te Sint Joost. De laatste gevechtshandeling staan beschreven op een Engelse site over de Durham Light Infantry. Bron:/Source: https://durhamlightinfantry1920-46.weebly.com/north-west-europe-44-45.html CUT OFF! 13 PLATOON ‘C’ COMPANY 9TH DLI The men ‘lost’ in the ‘C’ Company advance met many different fates this is just one of them and was based on an account by 1496288 Pte Sidney Webster. Pte Webster stated his group consisting of himself, 14669718 Pte Anthony Thomas Clarke, 4462019 Pte Clifford Holmes, 5437939 Pte W J McCarthy and 4277192 L/Cpl A D Wear were all part of No 13 platoon. They had taken shelter near some outbuildings which they believed to have been part of their units objectives. As they hugged the shadows a noise was heard from within the buildings, one of the ‘Durhams’ threw a hand grenade into the building silencing the ‘occupants’ who had been a group of horses which had been stabled there for the night! The ensuing commotion drew concentrated fire but Webster‘s small group managed to escape in the darkness and took refuge in a hayloft with the intention of lying low and slipping away when the opportunity arrived. The straw was warm and the group were glad to be out of the bitter cold and took the joint decision to spend the night in this building. Early next morning they were awoken by the noise of shells as the British resumed their bombardment their luck at this point ran out when they were discovered by German civilians who raised the alarm. Webster looked out of the window and saw a German Tiger?! Tank approaching .The German‘s were firing into the loft setting fire to the straw and wounded 5437939 McCarthy in the arm/hand, McCarthy had been wounded previously at Lingevres on the 14th June 1944 . A shell, German or British, hit the building collapsing the walls and roof onto the occupants Webster,Clarke and Holmes were partially buried and it was L/Cpl Wear who cleared the debris from them. Pte Holmes could not feel his legs and was asking for water. Cpl Wear told the group they needed to surrender to get help for Holmes and Clarke, Clarke according to Cpl Wear had almost had it, blood from the pair was all around them. Webster, McCarthy and Wear busied themselves looking for rags to bind their comrades wounds but the Germans opened up again with tracer rounds re-igniting the straw. In the smoke and flames of the collapsed loft Clarke and Holmes died. Webster, Wear and McCarthy were taken prisoner but taking advantage of the confused situation managed to return to the British lines. Webster hid in a water tank and slipped away once the Germans had gone. How and when McCarthy and Wear returned to the British lines is not yet known. Grafsteen Anthony Thomas Clarke op Nederweert War Cemetery Misschien zijn er nog mensen die informatie hebben over die tijd zoals verhalen of foto's. Neem dan contact op met de webmaster info@deetere.nl wellicht kan het bijdragen aan de geschiedschrijving van onze streek en mogelijk ook van belang voor familieleden van onze bevrijders!