FREED FROM OBLIVION --- LEST WE FORGET

Rifleman Allan Gordon Gavin (* 1921 - † 19-10-1944 Goirle) (Reg. Nr: 14258557)

Although it has now been more than 75 years since the end of the Second World War, it is still important to commemorate all Allies who were involved in fighting in and around Goirle. These victims of Goirle are people who fought for our freedom in or around Goirle during the Second World War. They died as a result of acts of war. Gerrit Kobes wrote in 2016: "I would like to remind you of the casualties among the Allied forces. To the young men who, far from their homeland, had to pay with their lives for the fight for our freedom. The price is unimaginably high, there is an empty place in millions of families. They, along with many others, gave their lives for our freedom." Allan Gordon Gavin is one of them. He died on 19-10-1944 in Goirle near the border of Belgium, 23 years young.

General info: 

Allan Gordon Gavin, born 1921, son of Gordon Bedford Gavin and Euphemia Paulina Gavin-Marsh of Megham Farm, Alkham, Kent , Dover (UK). He was the youngest in the family of 10 siblings. He was not married.

*Nationality : British *Unit : 2th. Battalion The King’s Royal Rifle Corps K.R.R.C. *Registration number : 14258557 *Rank: Rifleman 

What happened?

The 2nd Battalion took part in the Normandy landings and then fought their way through France through Belgium and entered the Netherlands at the Poppel border. The plan was that a liberation was coming around 6-7 October, but unfortunately they were disappointed.

On Thursday 19 October 1944, the Allies continued their advance. The weather was bad and there were some autumn storms. While they were heading towards Goirle, various things were already being tackled, clearing mines and felled trees that were blocking the road and thus making the passage from Poppel to Goirle and on to Tilburg more difficult. 

From the other side of the Leij the Germans were still resisting. Also on the Regte Heide, near the Shooting Range, they were defending firmly. A heavy artillery barrage could not be avoided and Allan Gordon Gavin lost his life. He was the last of the Alkham Heroes to be killed in the war.

He was first buried near the customs office on the border near Poppel, Later he was reburied on March 7, 1946 with 9 other Allied persons, who had died in and around Goirle, at the Commonwealth War Cemetery near Leopoldsburg in Belgium, together with at least 10 other British Allies. They were all killed in or around Goirle (NL) in the direction of Poppel (B).

Grave location:

*1st Field Grave Location : Near the Poppel customs office on the border between the Netherlands and Belgium. *Reburied : Commonwealth War Graves, Leopoldsburg (B) *GPS Coordinates : Latitude: 51.11271, Longitude: 5.26833 *Grave location : (V) III-B. 04 *Text on grave cross : ''Greater love hath no man than to lay down his life." 

On the war memorial of Poppel the name of Allan Gordon Gavin (A. Gavin) also appears, as well as those of Mac Meakin, Arthur Noble and Michael Halliday. From this it can be concluded that these 4 persons were killed on Belgian territory.

Commemorations:

 https://wikimiddenbrabant.nl/Gavin,_Allan_Gordon

https://www.roll-of-honour.com/Kent/Alkham.html

https://nl.findagrave.com/memorial/14039620/allan-gordon-gavin#add-to-vc

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2109637/allan-gordon-gavin/

Source:

 *Research: G. Kobes and G. v.d. Klundert- Bertens