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Remembered at Christmas
Four Casualties from Yarmouth Nova Scotia are buried at Holten Cemetery, Netherlands William Howard Grant Private Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, R.C.I.C. Service No: F/64768 Died: April 13, 1945 Age 27 Son of Edward Blake Grant and Mary Regina Grant and husband of Doris Pauline Grant, of Yarmouth North, Nova Scotia. Paul Henry Hubbard Lance Corporal Algonquin Regiment, R.C.I.C. Service No: F/58209 Died on April 18, 1945 Age: 19 Son of Mondie E. and Addie M. Hubbard, of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia Harold Archibald Kenney Corporal Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, R.C.I.C. Service No: G/24242 Died on April 13, 1945 Age 23 Son of Harold Archibald and Eva Lillian Kenney ( Quincy, Mass. US) and husband of Vera Beurle Kenney, of Saint John, New Brunswick. Percy James Robicheau Lance Corporal North Shore (New Brunswick) Regiment, R.C.I.C. Service No: F/8850 Died on April 5, 1945 Aged 27 Son of James and Susan Robicheau and husband of Martha Mary Robicheau, of Yarmouth, Nova Scotia Additional Information: Veterans Affairs Canada
School children go to the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, The Netherlands, on the night before Christmas to place candles on the graves of all fallen soldiers. The flames of the candles keep vigil there until midnight and put the cemetery in an impressive yellow light. This idea came from Mrs. Van Dam, born in Finland and living in Holten. This is a custom introduced from her native country. More than 1,500 candle lights give the cemetery an impressive look. The 1347 Canadians who are buried in Holten nearly all died during the last stages of the war in Holland and during the advance of the Canadian 2nd Corps into Germany.
Remembered at Christmas