The Wartime Memories Project- Belgium

If you enjoy this site please consider making a donation.     Home     Add Your Story     Events  Features     Airfields of WW2     Allied Forces     Axis Forces     Home Front     Prisoner of War     Secrets of WWII     Ships of WWII     Women at War     Those Who Served     Day-by-Day     The Great War  Submissions     How to add Memories     Add Your Memories     Can you Answer?     Printable Form  Schools     School Study Center     Children's Bookshop  FAQ's     Your Family History     Volunteering     Visit where They Served     Contact us     News     Bookshop     About     Links World War 2 Two II WW2 WWII

Could you help find two British friends whose Lancaster bomber was shot down in the area of Liege before July 43; These two men were collected by us in August and September 43 with MANHAY in the Ardennes; our camp was attacked by the Germans on September 19th 43. The 2 allied aviators, like us has to run away before being encircled. After the war was over they let us know they had been able to get back to England. Are they still alive? They were: Sgt William Palmer, air gunner, of The Yews, Berkswell, Coventry, Warwickshire and Sgt Arthur Beard, navigator of Lorne Street, Stouport on Severn, Worcestershire With all my thanks André VAN GLABEKE of the Belgian Marquis (my nickname was "Simba") When Brussels was liberated on September 3rd,1944, we had a British soldier billeted at our house. This extraordinary man was with Montgomery's staff . His name was Lewis Silver or Sever, S.SM. SEVER. Louis A.L.C. No 10632212 H.Q. Company H.Q. B.A.O.R. His was a sergeant and a great cook, I think he was a chef at the H.Q. kitchens. He would regularly come back from Germany and stay at our place (1944 to 1946). His father was Italian and the name at been changed from Silverini to Silver. Lewis worked as a chef for a very famous hotel in London (Savoy or other) before the war. I would appreciated any information about his whereabouts after the war. S.SM. Louis SEVER and Marshall Montgomery S.SM. Louis SEVER (Portrait) S.SM. Louis SEVER and Jean-Luc Beghin (Can you see the rank on my coat...) I would appreciate any informations about his wherebouts after 1947. Jean-luc Beghin My service days started in about October/November 1942 as I was nearing 18 and would be called up anyway and did not want to be left in a reserved occupation or go down the pits as a "Bevin Boy", they picked out 1 in 10 men who were conscripted. To cut a long story short I was a keen on wireless and a motorcyclist so filled in a form in the Magazine the "Motor Cyclist", the Editor being Graham Walker to volunteer as a Despatch Rider in the Royal Signals and had a medical in November 1942. With the fall of Brussels, we found ourselves located at Brussels, at the old Gestapo Headquarters at the Caserne de Cavalerie. The old Cavalry Barracks was taken over by HQ No 2 (bomber) Group 2nd TAF (Tactical Air Force) The barracks was made up of four buildings with an open square the centre being the parade ground and the main entrance with massive doors and a tower each side as the guard rooms. This exited on the Blvd General Jaques being a duel carriage way ring road with twin tram track running in the centre and the road to Louvain not far off. It was a rather dismal place with old stables used by us as workshops and rudimentary accommodation in large barrack rooms with very high ceilings with ablution facilities being just a long trough with cold water taps at intervals. The mess hall was one of the old stables and all lower floors were cobbled, no heating of any sort of course, so in the winter of 1944/1945 it was bitter with the temperatures falling to minus 0 C plus and out in the open, snow drifts many feet deep "the battle of the bulge" and the German offensive was in full swing with panic by the citizens of Brussels and other countries who had been liberated, we were not too happy either as with the enemy dressing up in American/British/Other /uniforms/captured transport etc. one had to be vigilant or one could be liquidated. We were to remain there until VE-day, 8th May 1945 Dennis Egan   Click here for a related story If you have any recollections of world war two and would like to share them please: Add Your Story The Wartime Memories Project is a non profit organisation. This website is run out of our own pockets and from donations made by visitors. The popularity of the site means that it is far exceeding available resources. If you are enjoying the site, please consider making a donation, however small to help with the costs of keeping the site running. Or if you would like to send a cheque please email us for the postal address.. Website © Copyright MMII - All Rights Reserved