Advertisement

Rifleman Alexander James Douglas

Advertisement

Rifleman Alexander James Douglas Veteran

Birth
Upton Park, London Borough of Newham, Greater London, England
Death
27 Oct 1944 (aged 31)
Goirle Municipality, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands
Burial
Bergen op Zoom, Bergen op Zoom Municipality, Noord-Brabant, Netherlands Add to Map
Plot
19. A. 7.
Memorial ID
View Source

Service No: 6852159

Age: 31

Regiment/Service: King's Royal Rifle Corps, 2nd Bn.

  • Son of Alexander and Ann Douglas; Husband of Hilda Emma Lydia Douglas, of Barking, Essex.

On Friday 27 October 1944, Goirle and Tilburg were liberated in the course of the afternoon. In Goirle, the Allies were still present in abundance. In the meantime, the Germans had left or fled. In many areas, however, there are still landmines left behind by the Germans – the so-called German "shoe-mines". They caused the Allies, but also the citizens of Goirle, a lot of inconvenience and even worse casualties. So it was for Alexander James Douglas. He died here at the age of 31 on the day of the liberation of Goirle and Tilburg. 

Alexander James Douglas was initially buried in a field grave, located in a meadow. Here he lay with John Wilton Hall Rice, from Barking, Essex, and Thomas Kennedy from Barking, Essex. All served in the same battalion, died on the same day, in the same place.

After the Second World War, there were small cemeteries everywhere: 'field graves'. They were often on the spot where someone had been killed. Those graves were cleared after the war and then it was customary for them to be transferred to a central location. So are these men. They were reburied on 29 May 1946 at the Allied War Cemetery in Bergen op Zoom (War Cemetery).

Service No: 6852159

Age: 31

Regiment/Service: King's Royal Rifle Corps, 2nd Bn.

  • Son of Alexander and Ann Douglas; Husband of Hilda Emma Lydia Douglas, of Barking, Essex.

On Friday 27 October 1944, Goirle and Tilburg were liberated in the course of the afternoon. In Goirle, the Allies were still present in abundance. In the meantime, the Germans had left or fled. In many areas, however, there are still landmines left behind by the Germans – the so-called German "shoe-mines". They caused the Allies, but also the citizens of Goirle, a lot of inconvenience and even worse casualties. So it was for Alexander James Douglas. He died here at the age of 31 on the day of the liberation of Goirle and Tilburg. 

Alexander James Douglas was initially buried in a field grave, located in a meadow. Here he lay with John Wilton Hall Rice, from Barking, Essex, and Thomas Kennedy from Barking, Essex. All served in the same battalion, died on the same day, in the same place.

After the Second World War, there were small cemeteries everywhere: 'field graves'. They were often on the spot where someone had been killed. Those graves were cleared after the war and then it was customary for them to be transferred to a central location. So are these men. They were reburied on 29 May 1946 at the Allied War Cemetery in Bergen op Zoom (War Cemetery).


Inscription

PEACE TO HIS ASHES


Sponsored by Ancestry

Advertisement