Memorial The Hampshire Regiment Driel

On September 23, 1944, the 7th battalion The Hampshire Regiment was ordered to secure the Neder-Rijn between Heteren and Driel. In this area there is a large flood plain of about 500 meters from the Drielse Rijndijk to the river. The Korevaar brick factory was located in this floodplain. The Germans regularly crossed from their positions in Renkum to occupy this brick factory and the flood plains. This led to several confrontations with the Hampshires. Both sides suffered great losses; On the British side, 42 men died and 111 were injured. On October 3, the battalion was relieved by units of the 101st US Airborne Division.

On the front of the monument it says:

TO COMMEMORATE THOSE MEN OF THE
7TH BATTALION THE HAMPSHIRE REGIMENT
WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THE CAUSE OF
FREEDOM IN THIS AREA
FROM 23RD SEPT 1944 TO 4TH OCT 1944 "

Below it is the "ROLL OF HONOR" with the names of 42 fallen men of the battalion.

The monument was designed by Hampshire veteran Charles Reeves (1924-2015). After the war he worked for many years at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten. The monument is largely built of masonry stones, finished with elements of natural stone. A panel of impala granite has been inserted at the front. This panel features the emblem of The Hampshire Regiment and also the names of 42 men of the battalion who died. The monument is 2.47 meters high and just as wide. However, soon after the unveiling, the panel appeared to show a color difference and the text was largely faded. At that time, measures were taken prior to the commemoration in May 1994.

Opposite the monument - on the other side of the Drielse Rijndijk - is the Korevaar brick factory. Men of the 7th Battalion The Hampshire Regiment fought here from September 23 to October 3, 1944.

The unveiling of this monument took place during a ceremony on Wednesday 4 May 1988. This was done in the presence of veterans of the 7th Battalion The Hampshire Regiment and other invited guests, including the host families where the veterans were housed, the Mayor of Heteren Municipality, Mr. Steven Buddingh and the last Brigadier of The Royal Hampshire Regiment *, Robert Long. The Royal Hampshire Regiment was merged into the Princess of Wales's Royal Regiment in 1992.

The impetus for this memorial was a visit by veterans of The Hampshire Regiment during the commemoration of Operation Market Garden in 1985. A group of about 20 veterans visited the combat area. During their visit they were somewhat disappointed that there was not yet a monument for their part in the fighting, especially since they were one of the first units to enter Heteren. There was therefore a request from one of the Hampshire veterans, Charles Reeves, to the municipality of Heteren to erect a monument to the men - and in particular to those who left it - of The Hampshire Regiment. This proposal was also heard by the local population and that is why the Hampshire Regiment Commemoration Monument was established. Supported by the municipality of Heteren, they set to work to gather the necessary financial resources that were needed to realize the monument. Among other things, a slide lecture was organized, where a voluntary donation was requested. Through these and other donations from private individuals, retailers, the business community, associations and other organizations, the necessary funds were eventually found together.

After the unveiling, the monument was transferred to the municipality of Heteren, now the municipality of Overbetuwe. For years, an annual commemoration was organized here. When the number of veterans decreased, this came to an end. In 2010, however, the Never Forget Them Foundation took the initiative to revive the annual commemoration. Until his death in 2015, this invariably happened in the presence of Charles Reeves.

For current information about the annual commemoration, please visit the website of the Never Forget Them Foundation.

(* In 1946 the regiment was awarded the designation 'royal', with the regiment continuing as The Royal Hampshire Regiment. This was done as a token of appreciation for the regiment's achievements during World War II.)

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Source

• Text: Jeroen Niels
• Photos: Arjan Vrieze