Memorial Fallen Canadians Almen

During the liberation in 1945, many young Canadian soldiers were killed in our region and especially around Zutphen. A place for a temporary cemetery was found in the garden of Het Elger in Almen. 40 soldiers were buried here and in 1946 they were transferred to the Canadian Cemetery in Holten.

In 2014, a surviving relative of the killed Canadian soldier Otto Helmer comes to Mark Veldhuis and asks if he knows where the temporary burial site has been. Mark Veldhuis, teacher at the SG Canisius in Tubbergen, already had many contacts with Canada, partly due to an exchange program with a school in Canada about WW2.

He comes to Almen with that next of kin and discovers the temporary cemetery in the garden of Het Elger. When he then returns with relatives to Almen, who, with the permission of the Verheij family, are allowed to take photos of and in the garden, Mark plans to place a memorial plaque somewhere in Almen, so that Canadian relatives can use it in the future. come to Almen, can also find the temporary cemetery.
If the garden turns out to be unsuitable, the meadow / walking path next to the garden comes into the picture. Everything is gaining momentum and at the beginning of 2015, a design is made by Mark, Bouwbedrijf Geers and Steenhouwerij Hesselink and some members of the historical association De Elf Marken. Due to the long delivery time of the material, the installation on 4 May 2015 was not feasible and the choice was made for spring 2016.

Thanks to the financial support of a Canadian veterans organization of the North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, the proceeds from the lecture of the Winter Lecture Committee and De Elf Marken, which resulted in a lot of donations from mainly Almense individuals, the monument was created.

It was solemnly unveiled on April 8 with the presence of many interested parties by the mayor of the gem. Lochem and the Representative Colonel M. Hogan from the Canadian Embassy.

The names of the fallen Canadians:
ARSENAULT, WELLY Le Regiment de la Chaudiere, R.C.I.C. 14-04-45
ATKINSON, HUBERT FENTON BOOTH Sherbrooke Fusiliers Regiment, R.C.A.C. 06-04-45
BAILEY, ROBERT EDWARD Royal Regiment of Canada, R.C.I.C. 04-04-45
BELANGER, JEAN PAUL Le Regiment de Maisonneuve, R.C.I.C. 05-04-45
BENZ, JOHN Royal Regiment of Canada, R.C.I.C. 04-04-45
BERNIER, ARMAND Le Regiment de la Chaudiere, R.C.I.C. 07-04-45
BOUCHARD, STANLEY Le Regiment de la Chaudiere, R.C.I.C. 06-04-45
BOYLE, JAMES WILLIAM North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, R.C.I.C. 05-04-45
CAVANAGH, PETER ALLISTER North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, R.C.I.C. 06-04-45
CLEVELAND, JOHN PATTERSON North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, R.C.I.C. 07-04-45
COLELLO, FRANK Royal Regiment of Canada, R.C.I.C. 04-04-45
CUNNINGHAM, RAYMOND J. Royal Regiment of Canada, R.C.I.C. 03-04-45
DAIGLE, ALEXIS D. Le Regiment de la Chaudiere, R.C.I.C. 06-04-45
DAUDELIN, RICHARD Le Regiment de la Chaudiere, R.C.I.C. 06-04-45
DUNCAN, JOHN LYONS Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, R.C.I.C. 05-04-45
FRENETTE, EMILE GEORGE North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, R.C.I.C. 06-04-45
HELMER, OTTO North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, R.C.I.C. 05-04-45
HENDERSON, JOHN MCLEOD Royal Regiment of Canada, R.C.I.C. 04-04-45
HOBBS, MAXWELL DEARDEN Royal Regiment of Canada, R.C.I.C. 04-04-45
JEANETTE, HENRY JOSEPH Royal Regiment of Canada, R.C.I.C. 03-04-45
JEWETT, EDWARD CARL North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, R.C.I.C. 06-04-45
JOURDAIN, GERARD Le Regiment de la Chaudiere, R.C.I.C. 06-04-45
LAFORCE, JOHN Royal Regiment of Canada, R.C.I.C. 04-04-45
LEGER, ALPHONSE JOSEPH North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, R.C.I.C. 05-04-45
LOCKE, WILLIAM HARRY KENNETH Royal Canadian Artillery 03-04-45
MacINTYRE, DAVID Royal Regiment of Canada, R.C.I.C. 04-04-45
MARCHAND, HENRY A. Le Regiment de la Chaudiere, R.C.I.C. 08-04-45
MENDELSOHN, HARRY Royal Regiment of Canada, R.C.I.C. 04-04-45
MICHAUD, MATHIEU Le Regiment de la Chaudiere, R.C.I.C. 08-04-45
PAGEAU, HERVE Le Regiment de la Chaudiere, R.C.I.C. 06-04-45
PARADIS, ERNEST Le Regiment de la Chaudiere, R.C.I.C. 06-04-45
PARE, VIATEUR BRUND Le Regiment de la Chaudiere, R.C.I.C. 06-04-45
ROBICHEAU, PERCY J. North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, R.C.I.C. 05-04-45
SCOUTEN, REGINALD BOOTH Royal Regiment of Canada, R.C.I.C. 04-04-45
SHEPHERD, REGINALD ALASTAIR North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, R.C.I.C. 05-04-45
STEWART, JOSEPH SMITH Royal Regiment of Canada, R.C.I.C. 03-04-45
STROM, LLOYD S. Royal Regiment of Canada, R.C.I.C. 03-04-45
TENKLEI, EDWARD S. Regina Rifle Regiment, R.C.I.C. 05-04-45
VAILLANCOURT, ALFRED Le Regiment de la Chaudiere, R.C.I.C. 06-04-45
WILSON, REGINALD Toronto Scottish Regiment (M.G.), R.C.I.C. 05-04-45