A volunteer researcher for Uden War Cemetery (UWC) in the Netherlands is appealing to residents to try and find a photo of a soldier from Abbots Langley who died in the Second World War.
Tracey van Oeffelen is searching for a photo of Bombardier Clement Sydney Sharp, also known as Clem, to add a photo marker to his grave at UWC on special occasions, such as Remembrance Day and Christmas Eve.
Tracey is also hoping to remember Clement by placing a photo of him in an updated version of the Faces of Uden book, which features photos and stories of the soldiers buried at the cemetery.
Tracey told ABBOTSnews: “We’ve got loads of updated photos, but it can be really difficult to find any in the Hertfordshire area. It’s not very well represented by the British Newspaper Archive.”
Clement died on November 4, 1944. He was killed instantly by a bomb which was dropped between two army trucks. The battalion had been on their way back from a local swimming pool or public bath.
He was a Bombardier of the Royal Artillery and a Patrol Leader for 1st Abbots Langley Scouts. The son of Walter and Ada Sharp and brother to Walter, he was born in 1921 and lived at 2 High Street. Before the war, he was a printing machine minder.
Tracey said: “It’s all about making sure these heroes are never forgotten. We want to make sure he has a proper story.”
If you have a photo of Clement or any more information about him, please get in touch with one of the initiators of the project, Jimmy Hilgen, at jimmy@ddaydodgers.com
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