'''LIBERATED FROM OBLIVION''' --- '''LEST WE FORGET''' 

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. Allied victims of Goirle who fought for our freedom in or around Goirle during the Second World War. They died as a result of acts of war. G. Kobes wrote in 2016: "I want 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 !!''' John, 'Jack' Gannon is one of them. Died at the age of 20.

General information

Jack Gannon was born c.15 January 1925 in Cheapside, Birmingham, son of Martin and Emily Gannon. Jack came from a family of 6 children (plus 2 stepbrothers).

*Nationality :British *Part : Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) *Registration number : T/14527676 *Rank :Driver 

Jack attended the local school on Rae Street in Cheapside. Jack worked as a butcher at the local butcher shop and was also a driver.

What happened?

When he entered military service, he became a driver. Nothing is known about the circumstances of his death. Vague memories tell that he was driving in a convoy that was bombed.

According to the military diary a report from Monday, February 7, 1944: 'Battalion moved to HAAREN. 14 hours were spent on the road due to diversions, road collapse in places and flooding. One T.C.L. was in an accident and the driver was killed. John Gannon.'

He was then transferred to the British Hospital in Goirle, which was located in the former brothers' house, which is now a Cultural Centre Jan van Besouw. There he died, barely 2 weeks after his 20th birthday.

John Gannon is buried in the section of the Commonwealth War Graves in the cemetery of St. Jan. St. Jansstraat in Goirle. Every year a commemoration is held here for the 27 men and 1 woman, out of respect and so that we do not forget them.

Grave Location:

*Cemetery : Commonwealth War Graves-- RK. St. Jan in Goirle (NL) *GPS Coordinates : Latitude: 51.51874, Longitude: 5.06559 *Grave no. : Row 3 grave 1 *Text on tombstone : ''As we loved him so we miss him. Resting with his comrades who died for us. R.I.P"

Commemorations:

https://www.cwgc.org/find-records/find-war-dead/casualty-details/2766262/john-gannon/

https://nl.findagrave.com/memorial/17940930/john-gannon

https://www.rememberingmysoldiers.be/ceremonies/ceremonies-2018-1/goirle-2018

https://ww2talk.com/index.php?threads/war-diary-5th-battalion-coldstream-guards-jan-oct-1945.57783/

https://wikimiddenbrabant.nl/EREveld_Goirle

Sources

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