From the latest issue of the online Birmingham Dispatch
The Dispatch recently received a curious email from a man in Belgium who is searching for the descendants of a soldier from the West Midlands. Ernie Baker wrote to tell us his parents met in Belgium during WWII and they both moved to Birmingham in 1946. His mother Julienne taught French lessons to a widow called Lilian Penn, who relayed to her the tragic story of her son, Ernest E. Penn’s death during the liberation of Venray — Julienne’s home village. Julienne was so moved by the story that she promised to name her first child after her student’s son, which is where Ernie gets his name.
️ Now, Ernie and volunteers at the Venray War Cemetery Adoption Grave Foundation are looking for anyone related to the late soldier. Penn was 27 when he died on 18 October 1944. He was a member of the 1st battalion Herefordshire Regiment, Kings Shropshire Light Infantry, of the 11th British Armoured Division. His parents were Robert Edward and Lilian May Penn and they lived at 146 Hallam Street West Bromwich. Can you help? Reach out to Ernie at [email protected]
If anyone has or finds information then contact the email address above
The Dispatch recently received a curious email from a man in Belgium who is searching for the descendants of a soldier from the West Midlands. Ernie Baker wrote to tell us his parents met in Belgium during WWII and they both moved to Birmingham in 1946. His mother Julienne taught French lessons to a widow called Lilian Penn, who relayed to her the tragic story of her son, Ernest E. Penn’s death during the liberation of Venray — Julienne’s home village. Julienne was so moved by the story that she promised to name her first child after her student’s son, which is where Ernie gets his name.
️ Now, Ernie and volunteers at the Venray War Cemetery Adoption Grave Foundation are looking for anyone related to the late soldier. Penn was 27 when he died on 18 October 1944. He was a member of the 1st battalion Herefordshire Regiment, Kings Shropshire Light Infantry, of the 11th British Armoured Division. His parents were Robert Edward and Lilian May Penn and they lived at 146 Hallam Street West Bromwich. Can you help? Reach out to Ernie at [email protected]
If anyone has or finds information then contact the email address above