Private Cecil Wilfred Panter – 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, No 14215647

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Cecil Panter was born on 10th November 1923 in Lavendon. His father was John Panter born in Lavendon and who variously worked as a Horsekeeper, Shepherd and general farm labourer. John was originally married to Mary Ann Johnson, born in Newton Blossomville, with whom he had several daughters – ie Cecil’s half sisters. Sadly, Mary died in 1901 and Mary’s sister, Ellen Johnson who was also born in Newton Blossomville, came to look after the family. Ellen and John eventually married and Cecil was to become the third son out of some 15 siblings (aside from his half-sisters), born between 1902 and 1928. Cecil was baptised by the Rev John Davis at St Michael’s Church, Lavendon, on 22nd April 1928 together with siblings Arthur Raymond, Laura Beatrice and Lenorah Joy. At that time John and Ellen were living with their family at 52 Olney Road, and John was working as a Roadman. Cecil attended the Lavendon and Olney Schools and subsequently worked at an Ordnance Factory.

Cecil joined the Forces in August 1942 and served with the 2nd Battalion of the Lincolnshire Regiment. He was killed in action on the 12th November 1944, two days after his 21st birthday. At that time Cecil’s three other brothers – John, Leslie and Ray – were also serving with the British Liberation Army and a sister was serving with the W.A.A.F. Private Cecil Panter died in the Noord-Brabant region of the Netherlands. He is buried in the Overloon War Cemetery. The commonwealth War Graves commission has written: “The Netherlands fell to the Germans in May 1940 and was not re-entered by Allied forces until September 1944. There was severe fighting in the vicinity of Overloon in October-November 1944, when the Germans were being cleared out of the region south and west of the Maas in preparation for the final attack on the Rhineland. Most of the burials in Overloon War Cemetery are of men who

died during these months. The cemetery contains 280 Commonwealth burials of the Second World War, and one Dutch war grave.”

Private Cecil Wilfred Panter – 2nd Battalion Lincolnshire Regiment, No 14215647

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Above: Overloon War Cemetery where Private Cecil Panter is buried. The town of Overloon is in the south of the Netherlands, approx 40kms to the south of Nijmegen. Below: A memorial notice inserted in the Beds Times & Independent dated 9th November 1945.