The Wartime Memories Project - The Second War

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263586 Guardsman John "Jock" Shiells British Army 3rd Btn Scots Guards (d.21st November 1944) John Shiells A recce troop of 3rd Battalion Scots Guards went on patrol on 21st November 1944 (the day before the liberation of Sevenum, Netherlands) to explore "De Vorst", a hamlet of Sevenum. On the Saardijk, Lance Sergeant Brown's tank ran over a mine and the tank driver, John Shiells, was killed. He was only 21 years old at the time. His comrade, guardsman James Gordon (also 21 years old) sustained very serious permanent injury. He was a man with a very strong character and enjoyed life in spite of his injury. Unfortunately, he was only 52 years old when he died. Sergeant Brown and a third (as yet unknown) guardsman remained unharmed. John was buried on the spot where he died in a grave between the houses of the Pauwels family and the Janssen family. The current house numbers are 6 and 7 on the Saardijk in Sevenum. John was buried there until 1st August 1947 when his mortal remains were taken to Mook War Cemetery. Until that day, his grave was adopted and tended by the widow Mrs. Pauwels who lived at the Saardijk in Sevenum. ???Photos - 2 photos are jpegs but 2 are Adobe pdf images which I cannot check/alter John & Crew on their Stuart tank John's temporary grave John's grave at the Mook War Cemetery Piet Snellen Add to this record.  Related Content: 3rd Battalion, Scots Guards Can you help us to add to our records? Add a record to our website. The names and stories on this website have been submitted by their relatives and friends. If your relations are not listed please add their names so that others can read about them Did you or your relatives live through the Second World War? Do you have any photos, newspaper clippings, postcards or letters from that period? Have you researched the names on your local or war memorial? Were you or your relative evacuated? Did an air raid affect your area? If so please let us know. Help us to build a database of information on those who served both at home and abroad so that future generations may learn of their sacrifice. Contact us. Celebrate your own Family History Celebrate by honouring members of your family who served in the Secomd World War both in the forces and at home. We love to hear about the soldiers, but also remember the many who served in support roles, nurses, doctors, land army, muntions workers etc. Please use our Family History resources to find out more about your relatives. Then please send in a short article, with a photo if possible, so that they can be remembered on these pages.

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