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Ball, William Edward

Date of birth:
November 1st, 1923 (Biston)
Date of death:
January 19th, 1945 (Dieteren)
Buried on:
Commonwealth War Cemetery Nederweert
Plot: III. Row: G. Grave: 6.
Service number:
14247171
Nationality:
British

Biography

At the end of November 1944 the 2nd Battalion The Devonshire Regiment (2nd Devons) was transferred to the 7th Armored Division.
7th Armored Division was located near Sittard at the time, remained part of this unit until the end of the war.
In January 1945 they took part in the bitter battle for the Roer Triangle.

On January 17, the 2nd Battalion The Devonshire Regiment was ordered to continue the advance from Dieteren and Susteren.
The aim was to advance in a North and North East direction to push back or eliminate the units of the German 176th Infantry Division and clear the Roer Triangle.
A large part of the fallen who are buried in Nederweert come from this area of operations.

One of these men was William Edward Ball son of George and Mary Ellen Ball, of Bilston, Staffordshire.
As a private he was part of the 2nd Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment when he was killed in action on 21 January 1945 during Operation Blackcock.
His family went to Nederweert in 1946 to visit the grave.

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Sources

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