VENRAY, NETHERLANDS — Volunteers in this historic town are appealing for photographs to place on the graves of more than 600 British soldiers killed during World War Two and buried in the local war cemetery. The Venray War Cemetery Adoption Graves Foundation, established in 2020, has located photographs for 440 graves since its inception, often using social media to connect with families.
The search for the remaining images has become increasingly challenging, according to Theo Vervoot, a volunteer with the organization. "A stone with a photo tells you far more. It's a monument for the man," Vervoot said. He added that the effort honors those who "gave their lives for our freedom."
Volunteers are specifically seeking information and images for 11 Welsh soldiers whose photographs remain unfound. One soldier is Maynard Powell, a member of the Welsh Guards killed in Venray in November 1944. His daughter, Margaret Colbeck, 82, of Princetown, Blaenau Gwent, was 10 months old when her father died.
Colbeck learned about her father's grave through a volunteer who contacted her on Facebook. "It means everything, it brings so much comfort, to think that these graves are being cared for, bringing people back to life," she said. This past Christmas, her grandchildren, Mia, 21, and Joseph, 26, surprised her with a trip to Venray to visit the grave.
Mia Colbeck-Jones described the experience as "incredible," noting the difference between hearing about her great-grandfather and witnessing her grandmother see the grave for the first time. Joseph emphasized the importance of passing these stories to future generations.
Another family discovered through the foundation's work is that of James Bumster, who was killed when his daughter, Margaret Jones, 85, of Swansea, was four years old. "We didn't know. I had never heard the name Venray," Jones said. She and her husband visited the grave, which bears the inscription: "he gave his life so his daughter can live."
Julie Jones, 62, Margaret's daughter, said her family was initially surprised by the volunteers' deep interest in their history. Many families remain unaware that relatives rest in the Venray cemetery, she said.
