Guardsman John "Jock" Shiells
British Army 3rd Btn Scots Guards
(d.21st November 1944)
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
