67 Years

Today marks the 67^th anniversary of the passing of Merrill Perez Lloyd. He is my third cousin and the closest relative to have died in WWII. Like most Canadians who gave that ultimate sacrifice in the world wars, he is buried near where he perished, in the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, in Nijmegen, Netherlands. It is a short, 2 hour, 240 km drive from where I now live in Belgium.

Most of those buried in GROESBEEK CANADIAN WAR CEMETERY were Canadians, many of whom died in the Battle of the Rhineland, when the 2nd and 3rd Canadian Infantry Divisions and the 4th Canadian Armoured Division took part in the drive southwards from Nijmegen to clear the territory between the Maas and the Rhine in February and March 1945. Others buried here died earlier or later in the southern part of the Netherlands and in the Rhineland.

Wanting to know a little bit about this distant relative, I researched his name through the Commonwealth War Graves Commission. (http://www.cwgc.org). This is what I found.

Rifleman MERRILL PEREZ LLOYD, who died on February 26, 1945
Service Number: F/7471 Age: 24
Force: Army
Unit: Queen's Own Rifles of Canada, R.C.I.C.

Additional Information: Son of Perez Merrill Lloyd and Eva Verba Lloyd, of South Waterville, King's County, Nova Scotia; husband of Lenora Blanche Lloyd, of South Waterville; father to Garnet and Grant.

            Commemorated on Page 535 of the Second World War Book of Remembrance.

His name is four from the bottom on the left

Further research took me to the history of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada, written by W.T. Barnard. Originally a militia regiment, I believe my cousin may have enlisted through Camp Aldershot, which was a large training depot during the war. Records indicate he was K/A (killed in action) and based upon that and the date he died, I was able to pinpoint the exact battle in which he was killed.

Briefly, Allied forces entered the Netherlands on 12 September 1944. Airborne operations later that month established a bridgehead at Nijmegen and in the following months, coastal areas and ports were cleared and secured, but it was not until the German initiated offensive in the Ardennes had been repulsed that the drive into Germany could begin.

Operation Blockbuster, as it was named, called upon the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada (QORC) to push back the enemy troops that were well-entrenched at the Schlieffen Line. At 4 a.m. on the morning of 26 February 1945, the barrage began. It was very difficult going and the casualty rate was very high. Ultimately, the battalion would be successful with all objectives met by 3 o’clock that afternoon.

A quote from the history of the Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada

            “Thus, in the face of the most violent opposition, the battalion had performed its allotted task. There is no doubt that, in the long history of the regiment, studded as it is with memorable engagements, 26 February 1945 will rank as the date of one of its finest achievements. The fighting was Homeric and to emerge victorious the battalion had to rise to great heights. That it did so is a tribute to the leadership shown by everyone from Corporal to Commanding Officer and to the magnificent elan of the riflemen. “

Turkish Delights

Work recently took Perry to Izmir, Turkiye. Izmir is located in the west on the Aegean Sea. I opted to tag along.

We arrived in Izmir late Tuesday afternoon. The conference and spousal program would start the next morning. I would have two days to consume as many Turkish delights as possible. Fortunately, the 'menu' had been predetermined.

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Some of the security detail

Our group of 13 spouses, with the same number of security personnel (required by the attendance of an American 4* general wife) started out by bus at 830. Our security detail ensured we didn't stop at any red lights.

Our first stop was at the final home of the Virgin Mary in Ephesus. It is widely believed that she was brought there by Apostle John and she lived there until her Assumption.

The location came to light at the beginning of the 19th century, when Anne Catherine Emmerich, a bedridden Augustinian nun in Germany, reported a series of visions in which she recounted the last days of the life of Jesus, and details of the life of Mary, his mother, including the location of the house.

The site contains a small shrine. We were able to light candles. A spring on the site is reported to have healing properties, and visitors are encouraged to make wishes for health, good fortune and happiness.

 

Second course was a stop at the ancient city of Ephesus.  Archeologists have been able to uncover the ruins of a number of buildings and streets. The city has been under the control of both Greeks and Romans over its long history and each civilization has contributed greatly.

Visible ruins include the Library of Celsus, the agora, latrines, a brothel and an amphitheater capable of holding 25,000 spectators.




This open-air theater was used initially for drama, but during later Roman times, gladiatorial combats were also held on its stage. We stood on the stage and 'tested' the acoustics. The sound reverberated and was amplified throughout the whole theater.

Arcadian Street is situated between the Harbour Baths and the great theatre. One of the three main streets in the city, it stretches half a kilometer. Entering from the port, traders and sailors would first arrive in this street, so it was designed to impress with marble slabs and colonnades.

Our group spent about 2 hours here touring the ruins. We had a knowledgeable Turkish young woman, named Selda who guided us.

The main course was leather. Our hosts had arranged a visit at a leather fashion house, where we were entertained with a fashion show and then an opportunity to browse the line. The manufacture of leather goods is a billion dollar industry in Turkiye.

 Dessert was ‘served up’ at a ceramic factory. Again we were afforded a demonstration and then given free rein of the show room. I found two pieces to purchase – a large platter (loved the red) and a wall plate depicting The Seven Churches.

 

And after all that 'food', a nap was required. Where else but at a government-sponsored carpet weaving school. Keeping traditional skill alive. It was incredible to watch. One of the key markers of quality is the number of knots per square meter. Naturally, a silk carpet would have a higher knot count and the price would reflect that. The hours spent creating these masterpieces certainly justifies the high cost.

This was our final stop for the day. We would have the following morning at the Kemeralti Bazaar.

The entrance to the bazaar is marked by the Clock Tower. It was built in 1901 to commemorate the 25th anniversay of Abdülhamid II's accension to the throne. The clock itself was a gift of Wilhelm II of Germany.

The streets of the market are narrow and crowded with a constant barrage of vendors hawking their wares. Sometimes, almost overwhelming, especially if you made eye contact or were identifiable as foreigners.

A lunch committment cut our market visit shorter than we would have liked, but I managed to return to the market that afternoon with Perry and one of his colleagues and was able to share the Turkish shopping experience, Turkish tea and all, with the two of them. We returned from Turkiye with some leather and 2 small Turkish carpets.