Village of Beek, Holland : then & now

**Adrian Stevenson** · 05-12-2008, 03:14 PM

Hi Guys, when ever I go to Arnhem, I stay in this village called Beek. It was and is right on the Dutch/German border. It was through here that the first British troops of the BLA entered Germany for the first time in Sept 1944.

The troops were from my local Regt too, the Sherwood Rangers who were part of XXX Corps.

I will show three pics. First is a Stuart light tank with US Paras from the 508th PIR outside the town council office.

Cheers, Ade.

**Adrian Stevenson** · 05-12-2008, 03:17 PM

Looking down the same street two years ago. Not a great comparison. The concrete post shows the old border post site which is covered by the fallen trees in the wartime pic.

**Adrian Stevenson** · 05-12-2008, 03:19 PM

Shermans again from the Sherwood Rangers. They were located on the grass bank on the left in this 2006 photo.

**Ben Evans** · 05-12-2008, 03:27 PM

I was stationed north of there Ade near Weeze, just on the German/Dutch border near Wemb, nice area. Goch was the nearest big town to us, they got a good hammering from some Scottish Regiment when it was re taken. There is a forest/wood there that was flooded called the Reichwald I think, full of battle scars even to this day.

**Adrian Stevenson** · 05-12-2008, 08:55 PM

Hi Ben, it is a nice area. I have been into the Reichswald Forest and done a bit of exploring

Cheers, Ade.

**Ben Evans** · 05-12-2008, 09:38 PM

Its a shame Ade, when I was there I had no interest in collecting militaria, just beer and women (I suppose typical soldier)

**Adrian Stevenson** · 05-12-2008, 09:56 PM

Why do you think I keep going there

That was before I knew Lez of course.

Cheers, Ade.

**ironcross1** · 05-13-2008, 08:52 AM

Awesome guys , cheers Raymond

desarii · 09-17-2008, 02:21 AM

Hello everyone. My last name is Beek, and I was once told that my family came from this village. I am not to sure how true this is, but I have been trying to find some relatives that died in the first world war (for my sons project at school) I was wondering if anyone knew how I could go about that? My Grandfather Raymond Beek was a Lance Corporal in the Second World War as well as the Korean war, and was told that he and my Grandmother came from Scotland to Canada, this information was easy enough to obtain, but I am stumped as to how I am to collect information from the First World War. Any ideas?

Call to arms · 09-20-2008, 06:21 PM

Ade

Great pics

I went into the Reichswald Forest when I was in Arnhem three years ago. It still has many battle scars hidden away but very evergrown in places. This is perhaps one area that is not so well known but there was fierce fighting in and around the forest.

There is a very nice British cemetery of the same name which contains many graves to airmen including some from the Dambusters Raid if I remember correctly. Well worth a visit.

Steve