There are 1,394 soldiers buried at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten. They fought for our freedom. Every grave has a story. Take Samuel Wilkie McGowan, for example, buried in plot 12, row H, grave 8.

Samuel Wilkie McGowan began his life in Scotland, but as a young boy, he and his family found a new future in Canada. What followed was an impressive military career in which he rose step by step from soldier to officer and eventually to paratrooper. A paratrooper is a military parachutist. They are deployed for troop distribution, transport, and surprise attacks to capture strategic targets such as bridges.

McGowan returned to the United Kingdom several times, landed in Normandy on D-Day, and took part in major Allied operations that determined the course of the war. Between training, promotions, and front-line service, he also tried to build a family life. In the final weeks of the war, when victory seemed near, tragedy struck unexpectedly when a grenade on his belt detonated. His story ended abruptly, but at his final resting place in Holten, we continue to tell his impressive story of courage and sacrifice.

Read his full story.

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