A Dutch serviceman has described how he feels a "personal bond" with a Suffolk-born soldier buried in a Netherlands war cemetery and is hoping to speak to the soldier’s relatives to find out more about him.
Emiel Cools is trying to shed some more light on the life of Cavendish-born Gunner William Tharby, who is buried in Overloon War Cemetery, after adopting his grave.
So far, he has made attempts to track down Mr Tharby’s family via social media and has left private messages for them, but has not had a response.
Mr Cools said he leaves a flower whenever he visits the site, which he maintains himself, while he also lights a candle on the anniversary of Mr Tharby’s death.
He added: “I would like to know more about William Tharby because I felt that connection from the first moment I walked into the cemetery in Overloon and walked straight to his grave, not even knowing exactly where his grave was.
“Being a pretty down-to-earth person, I immediately felt a bond with William as crazy as that may sound.
"I visit him regularly and tend to his grave, I think of him almost daily. I light a candle on his death anniversary and at Christmas. He became part of my life.”
Mr Tharby served in the 75th anti-tank regiment Royal Artillery during the Second World War and was believed to have been aged 38 at the time of his death from the effects of diptheria in a British military hospital in Germany on July 24, 1945.
He was first buried at the American cemetery at Margraten, before being transferred to Overloon in 1947.
He married Daisy Ellen Playle in 1936, possibly in Newmarket, and the couple may have had three daughters - Daphne, Noreen B and Margaret.
Mr Cools, who has served in the Dutch army since leaving school, believed that Noreen had married an Edward A Penry in 1966 and the couple had two sons - David John and Edward Craig Penry, both born in Sudbury.
Meanwhile, Margaret married Peter Johnson and lived in Newmarket. The couple may have had a son named Ian Michael and a daughter Lesley Barbara Johnson.
Mr Cools would like to know if his relatives could share stories about Mr Tharby in order to build a full picture of his life and he would also like to meet his family.
He said: “I wonder if anyone has a picture of William on their wall? Does anyone ever think of him or does anyone ever talk about him because they know stories from grandpa or grandma? Do people know that William is buried in the Netherlands?
“Does anyone in his family still have photos, cards or perhaps letters from William in an old shoe box?”
Anyone with information can email Mr Cools on emielcools@gmail.com
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