Brunssum, The Netherlands — The annual Remembrance Service took place at the Brunssum Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery, 11th November, 2024.
Joint Force Command Brunssum (JFCBS) Deputy Chief of Staff, Plans, Major General Mark Pullen, CBE, presided over the event.
The ceremony drew together a diverse group of attendees, including military and civilian personnel from JFCBS, representatives from the Brunssum Mayor’s office, veterans' associations, local schools, and members of the community. The solemn service paid tribute to those who made the ultimate sacrifice, enabling today’s generation to experience peace and freedom — a privilege not always taken for granted.
As part of the Act of Remembrance, Brunssum Mayor Wilma van der Rijt, Major General Pullen, the United Kingdom Senior National Representative Royal Navy Captain Mark Hammon, Dutch Senior National Representative Colonel Bianca Jansen, and representatives from many other organisations each laid wreaths in honour of the fallen.
The origins of this day trace back to the end of World War I, known as the Great War, which concluded 106 years ago on November 11th, 1918, at the eleventh hour. During the 1920s, Armistice Day became a global occasion for remembrance, with pilgrimages to the Tombs of the Unknown Soldier in cities like Paris, London, and Washington, D.C., while local and regional memorials also honoured those who served. Even as the world faced the turmoil of World War II in 1939, Armistice Day continued as a significant reminder of sacrifice. After the end of World War II, November 11th acquired additional meaning, renamed Remembrance Day in British Commonwealth countries to honour soldiers who gave their lives in all conflicts.
Brunssum War Cemetery – information:
There are 328 British soldiers buried in Brunssum War Cemetery, of which one remains unidentified.
The first burials in the cemetery were made by an Advanced Dressing Station and a Casualty Clearing Station that were based at Merkelbeek in November 1944 when the British 43rd (Wessex) Division were engaged in clearing a triangle of land between the Rivers Roer and Maas.
Later, other fatalities were brought to Brunssum for burial. These included 50 men who were killed while clearing mines on the German border in the beginning of January 1945. Overall, soldiers killed in the Geilenkirchen sector account for a significant number of the fallen buried in the Brunssum War Cemetery.
