Belgian Graves Veterans Nieuwenrode

In September 1914, the first victims of WWI in Nieuwenrood were buried in the cemetery. They were 3 Belgian soldiers, August Julien, Emiel Claes, Gaspard Bertrand and 1 civilian victim Willem Verhaegen.
In October 1919 we read in the register of the city council that a feast in honor of the fallen soldiers is being held. 12 Nieuwenroodse killed (actually 13) and 52 soldiers returned from the war. At that time, the 3 non-Nieuwenrode soldiers are still lying in the cemetery together with Frans Bogaeers, who was repatriated to Nieuwenrode on November 3, 1914.

On April 3, 1923 we read in the same register that 8 fallen soldiers are buried in the cemetery. We do not know for sure who these soldiers were. But it is probably about Karel Carlier, Jan Baptist Nommers and Petrus Troch. Frans Bogaert was already reburied in 1914 and Petrus Jozef Verhaegen was only repatriated in December 1926. So 1 unknown remains if the 3 Belgian soldiers buried in 1914 had not yet been repatriated.

The oldest known veteran is Frans Willem D'Hollander. He died in 1932 and was a war invalid. He is buried in the current veterans' perk.
Jan Baptist Docus died in 1938 and was the second veteran, but he was buried right next to the fallen soldier Frans Bogaert. There was probably no veterans perk at that time. The next person to be buried is Emiel Robberechts. He was killed in Oostkamp in 1940 during WWII and lies to the left of Frans d'Hollander on the veterans' perk.
Afterwards, 14 veterans were buried on this plot, the last being Jan Baptist Carlier in 1980. They were all veterans of WWI, with the exception of Hendrik Jozef Wijns. He fought more in WWII.
The grave of civilian victim Willem Verhaegen, buried in 1914, was excavated in 2013.

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Source

• Text: Informatiebord Begraafplaats
• Photos: Luc van Waeyenberge