Bevrijding Dieteren WWII

Joseph Cox. Met dank aan/Thanks to: Dennis Cox

Joseph Cox werd op 17 december 1914 in Londen (Poplar) Engeland geboren in het gezin van William en Elizabeth. In 1938 huwde hij met Lily Grace Timothy, uit dit huwelijk werden 2 dochters geboren Christine en Josephine.
Joseph begon zijn militaire loopbaan op 1 juli 1940 bij “The Buffs” waar hij bij verschillende eenheden diende en promoveerde. Op 20 september 1944 werd hij ingedeeld bij “The Queen's Royal Regiment”. Hij was tijdens operation Blackcock ingedeeld bij de 1/5th Bn. Queen's Royal Regiment. Nadat hij gewond raakte op 23 januari 1945 bleef hij in actieve dienst totdat hij een week later sneuvelde op 29 januari 1945.
Enkele jaren na de dood van haar man Joseph Cox hertrouwde ze in 1948 met Bernard William Nippard.
Op 29 januari 1945 sneuvelde hij in Posterholt, lees hieronder meer over deze gebeurtenis.

Groepsfoto met Joseph Cox tweede rij van boven derde vanaf rechts. Met dank aan/Thanks to: Dennis Cox

Joe met zijn echtgenote Lily in hun tuin aan Victoria Road in Engeland. Met dank aan/Thanks to: Dennis Cox

Dennis Cox son of a brother of Joseph provided the following information regarding the last action from his uncle.
He was a Lance Sergeant and led a patrol to undertake street clearance in Posterholt, Holland. The patrol came under fire by sniper, general gun fire and grenade attack. The outbreak of fire was heard back at his HQ. Joe was hit in the chest just above the heart and was carried into a house. It was clear that the patrol was in serious difficulties and he instructed them to leave him and make their way out. When the patrol failed to return to HQ a second patrol was sent in search. They found Joe’s body but no trace of the remaining members of his patrol. Joe’s body was recovered and buried in Dieteren just north of Sittard and then moved to a War Grave Cemetery in Nederweert, Holland.
Joseph was married to Lily and had two daughters (Christine and Josephine - Christine died quite young but Josephine married). When she died Lilly's ashes were put in Joseph's war grave in Nederweert.
Our family lost another member in WW1, Herbert Cox, on 1st October 1916 in the Somme battle. The week before he had been awarded the Military Medal. His body was never recovered, but he is recorded on the Theipval Memorial.

Brief van Major Lilley aan weduwe Lily over laatste missie Joseph Cox. Met dank aan/Thanks to: Dennis Cox

Transciptie van deze brief:

CDM, So major coLilley,
1,5 Queen's Royal RegT,
B.n.A.
10 Feb. 45

Dear Mrs. Cox,
It is with very deep regret that I have
to inform you of the death of your husband 4Sgt. Cox. J.
on the 28th Jan 45 at Posterholt Holland.
The following are the circumstances that
led to his death. At 1800 hrs on 28th Jan. 45 your
husband led a Patrol into no man's Land. At 1900 hrs
a considerable amount of M.G. fire and explosions of
grenades was heard to come from the direction the Patrol
had taken. At 2000 hrs having received no word from
the Patrol another one was sent out to ascertain the
trouble but were unable to locate the first patrol.
The following morning an attack was
put in on the enemies positions and, your husbands
body was in a house that the enemy had been
driven from. He was immediately evacuated and buried
with full military honours at Dieteren Holland. The
remainder of the Patrol have been reported missing believed
Prisoner's of War.
All the Officer's N.C.O's and men of my
Company mourn the death of so Jallant an N.C.O and send
their condolences to you at such a heartbreaking and
Trying time as this.

Very sincerely yours,
coLilley

Ter vergelijking hieronder een transcriptie van de War Diary van de 1/5th Bn. Queen's Royal Regiment uit die tijd.
Verslag(War Diary) van de 1/5th Bn. Queen's Royal Regiment van 28 en 29 januari 1945

Date	Hour	Summary of events and information
28		Some shelling of Bn area during morning
29	2400-0500	Standing patrol to 805831, ambushed these, 8 missing, 1 killed, 2 escape, is replaced by another patrol
	0500	A + B Coys start attack to clear PAARLO, 8184 + HOLST 8183 with indirect object of persisting enemy to blow bridge at VLODROP, 843830.
	0620	B Coy report HOLST 8183 clear} opposition met, nestasing causes 8 casualties, enemy
	0655	A Coy report PAARLO 8184 clear} withdraws over R.ROER
	1430	D Coy move to clear areas 8083 + 8084 rep to R.ROER
	1545	D Coy contact enemy near River and after sharp fight clear houses at 800843
	1610	Enemy having retired to North bank of R.ROER, D Coy return
	2200	A Coy heavily shelled + mortared
	2220	Counter attack on A Coy by approx 50 enemy, crossing river by rubber boats, commences, some infiltration and confused fighting occurs in North of PAARLO 8184 where 1 pl is overrun but contenues to fight back.

Als Brits soldaat maakte hij deel uit van The Queen's Royal Regiment (West Surrey) onder nummer 6293051.
In eerste instantie werd hij begraven op de militaire begraafplaats in Dieteren en 27 september 1946 werd hij herbegraven op de War Cemetery in Nederweert.

Grafsteen Joseph Cox in Nederweert

Misschien zijn er nog mensen die informatie hebben over die tijd zoals verhalen of foto's. Neem dan contact op met de webmaster info@deetere.nl wellicht kan het bijdragen aan de geschiedschrijving van onze streek en mogelijk ook van belang voor familieleden van onze bevrijders!