A man from Liverpool has described meeting the Dutch volunteer who cares for his father's World War Two grave in the Netherlands as "absolutely marvellous".
Sgt Leslie Heath, of the Royal Army Service Corps, was 30 years old when he died in February 1945 in Venray, a town in the southeastern Netherlands, during the liberation of the country from Nazi occupation. He is buried at the Venray War Cemetery.
His son, also named Leslie Heath, traveled to the Netherlands to meet the volunteer, identified as a local woman who has tended the grave for years as part of a Dutch program to adopt and care for war graves. The meeting took place in May 2026, ahead of the 81st anniversary of Sgt Heath's death.
Mr Heath said he was deeply moved by the volunteer's dedication, noting that she had maintained the grave with care and respect, often leaving flowers. The story highlights the ongoing bond between British families and Dutch volunteers who ensure the memory of fallen soldiers is preserved.
