Belgian Gravesite Memorial Mathieu Deprez

On this location brigadeer Mathieu (Tony) DEPREZ (31 yrs) was wounded in action when defending the ventilation shaft.

After he had delivered munition for the canons of the fort, he volunteered to defend the ventilation shaft. The fort was heavily under fire of artillery and Stukas. He manned a machine gun and defended the bunker underneath the shaft. He got severely wounded when he got hit with a 20 mm antitank bullet, and later on died of the sustained wounds. (More about the ventilation shaft.)

On the grave he is referred to as Mathieu, on the two other monuments on which he is commemorated he is referred to as Tony.

This not the real grave site Mathieu Deprez (he was temporarily buried at Barchon, but is unknown if this is the site). He is buried at the field of honour at the cemetery of Bois-de-Breux (15 km SW). Posthumously he was awarded the Knightscross King Leopold II.

Mathieu Deprez also is remembered on the monument at fort Barchon. Also he is remembered at the monument for two fallen soldiers of fort Barchon at Rue du fort at Barchon.

The date of death (22-11-1940 photo 4 and 5) on the grave in the field of honor of the Bois-de-Breux cemetery is incorrect.

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Source

• Text: Ed Lewandowski
• Photos: Ed Lewandowski
• www.balenbevrijd.com/maart-2022.html