Historian's plea for info on fallen Dewsbury soldier

A Dutch historian is on the search for information about a fallen Dewsbury soldier as part of his research for a book about the Second World War.

Dirk Paagman, a history teacher in Vught, is compiling information with a view to releasing the book.

He has spent the past couple of years researching the liberation of Schijndel, a town in the south of the Netherlands and where he was born.

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Dirk said: “I have been writing a book for two years now on the liberation of Schijndel during World War Two and the book consists of two parts.

“First of all, it is about American paratroopers of the 1st and 3rd battalion of the 501 Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division.

“The second part of the story is about the 51st Highland Division. That division took the American lines over in October 1944 near Veghel and attacked Schijndel on October 23 during Operation Colin, as a part of Operation Pheasant, with the objective to liberate the rest of the South of the Netherlands.”

The operation became a bloody affair and of the four 
attacking companies, 11 British troops were killed and 60 men were severely wounded. One of the soldiers who was attacking the German positions at Schijndel was Private Jack Lockwood, of Whitley, Dewsbury.

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He was just 18 when he died and he was buried with his friends at a farm near the village of Sint Oedenrode.

He received a temporary grave until 1946.

Dirk added: “I would like to ask you if you can help me to find a photo of Pvt Jack Lockwood.

“It would be an honour if I could incorporate his photo and his story into my book.”

If you have any information or pictures you can email Dirk at [email protected]