Bernard Oakley Memorial Gardens

OAKLEY, BERNARD JAMES

Private 4034754 of  King's Shropshire Light Infantry

Died: 16/10/1944 Aged: 25                       

The Netherlands fell to the Germans in May 1940 and was not re-entered by Allied forces until September 1944.

The town of Overloon lies in the south of the Netherlands approx 40kms to the south of Nijmegen. There was severe fighting in the vicinity of Overloon in October-November 1944, when the Germans were being cleared out of the region south and west of the Maas in preparation for the final attack on the Rhineland. Most of the burials in Overloon War Cemetery are of men who died during these months, including Bernard Oakley who was killed in action on 16th October whilst trying to take a German machine gun nest.

The 3 acre Dutch ornamental style gardens were presented to the Borough of Halesowen by Mr & Mrs James Oakley on Saturday, 27th June 1953 at a ceremony attended by Mr Anthony Schrader, Secretary of the Netherlands War Graves Committee.  The main gates consist of ornamental iron mounted on York stone pillars with 2 inscribed memorial plates.