The British Expeditionary Force was involved in the later stages of the defense of Belgium following the German invasion in May 1940, and suffered many casualties covering the withdrawal to Dunkirk. Commonwealth forces did not return until September 1944, but in the intervening years many airmen were shot down or crashed during attacks on strategic targets in Belgium, or while returning from missions over Germany. In early September 1944, Geel was the scene of some of the heaviest fighting encountered by Commonwealth forces since leaving Normandy. The 50th (Northumbrian) Division and the 15th Scottish Division were both involved here in forcing the crossing of the Albert Canal and the Maas-Scheldt Canal, necessary for the advance to the Netherlands. Some of the casualties they suffered were originally buried in a meadow near the center of the parish, and some in St. Dymphna's civil cemetery; these graves were later moved to the Geel War Cemetery. The cemetery contains 400 Commonwealth war graves from the Second World War, six of which are unidentified. The cemetery was designed by the Commission's chief architect, Philip Hepworth, FRIBA.

Source: Commonwealth War Graves Commission

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KWBiker

May 9, 2021

During the Second World War, Geel had a hard time, especially during the Battle of Geel. This battle between British and German forces took place between 8 and 23 September 1944 and was by far the most bloody and fierce battle during the liberation. On September 13, 1944, the German troops withdrew behind the Kempen canal and into the Geelse sub-village of Ten Aard. This village was fought hard until its final withdrawal on September 23.

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🇧🇪 Herwig Aertbeliën

May 26, 2024

The military cemetery in Geel is a cemetery for British and Canadian soldiers who died during the crossing of the Scheldt-Maas canal and during later operations by the Second British Army.

History
During the Allied Liberation Offensive of 1944, there was heavy fighting in the Geel area, when in September an attempt was made to cross the Albert Canal and the Maas-Scheldt Canal (Kempian Canal). This crossing was necessary for the liberation of the Netherlands. The '50th (Northumbrian) Division and the '15th (Scottish) Division' in particular suffered heavy losses in the Geel area.

Some of the dead were provisionally buried in a meadow near the center of Geel or in the civil cemetery of the Sint-Dimpna parish (just west of the current British military cemetery). Later they were reburied in the newly constructed British military cemetery. The cemetery now contains 400 dead of the Second World War, including two British airmen. This concerns 393 identified and 6 unidentified deaths from the United Kingdom and one Canadian. The cemetery was designed by Philip Hepworth.

Source: inventaris.onroerenderfgoed.be/erfgoedobjecten/52386

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Location: Geel, Turnhout, Antwerp, Flanders, Belgium

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