A rededication service was held on Wednesday 13 September at 11am at CWGC Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery, Netherlands, for Lance Corporal William Loney, The Parachute Regiment A.A.C.

L/Cpl Loney was killed on 17 September 1944 during intense fighting as part of Operation Market Garden, which was an allied operation that planned to land 30,000 British and American troops behind enemy lines to capture the eight bridges that spanned the network of canals and rivers on the Dutch/German border. Research submitted by the Royal Netherland Army’s Recovery & Identification Unit has led to William’s grave being identified after 72 years.  William was dropped on 17 September 1944 onto DZ-X at Heelsum as part of Operation Market, C-Company, 2nd Parachute Battalion. In the evening, whilst entering Arnhem via the Utrechtsestraat as one of the lead scouts of No. 8 Platoon, C-Company, L/Cpl William Loney was killed by German machine gun fire on the doorstep of what nowadays is No. 65 Utrechtseweg. His body was transferred to Oosterbeek War Cemetery in 1946 as “Known unto God”. The identification was established through a joint effort by the RIU (case-owner Lieutenant Patric van Aalderen) and Messrs. Marcel Anker and David van Buggenum. The UK MOD concurred with their findings.

A 95 year old Para veteran who landed on the first day of the Battle for Arnhem read a very moving poem and then some local schoolchildren laid a single white rose on his grave.

The service has been organised by the Joint Casualty and Compassionate Centre (JCCC) and attended by members of the British and Dutch military, local dignitaries and the general public. The CWGC will be providing the new headstone.