My name is Dirk Paagman, I am a teacher of history at Maurick College, in Vught, Holland. I was born in Schijndel where many relatives and friends of mine currently live. I have been writing a book for two years now on the liberation of Schijndel during World War II. Excuse me for my English, I depend on, for example, google translate.

The book consist of two parts. First of all, it is about American paratroopers of the first and third battalion of the 501 Parachute Infantry Regiment of the 101st Airborne Division who landed on the moorlands of Schijndel during Operation Market Garden, 17 september 1944. The objective of the 501 PIR was to defend the bridges in Veghel and make sure the corridor was safe. The 501 PIR fought very hard in the vicinity of Veghel and they went to Schijndel on 22 and 23 September to fight against the Germans (among which the 59th German 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 23 October 1944, during Operation Colin, as a part of Operation Pheasant, with the following objective: to liberate the rest of the South of the Netherlands.

Operation Colin was a part of operation Pheasant to liberate the area between Veghel, Schijndel and Sint Oedenrode to s '-Hertogenbosch and Tilburg and to the river Maas in the South of the Netherlands. One of the fighting units (a regiment of the 51st Highland Division) was the 5th Queen Own Cameron Highlanders.

They were given the task of taking the German positions west of Schijndel from midnight at the small village of Wijbosch. It became a bloody affair. Of the 4 attacking companies, 11 British troops were killed and 60 men were severely wounded, of whom unfortunately more men died from their injuries within a few days. One of the officers who led the attack on the German positions at Schijndel was corporal William Ronaldson Hoggan (2939700). He was the son of Thomas and Jean Hoggan. They lived in Dunfermline, Fife. William Hoggan was 29 years old when he died (near the railroad by bullits of a German machinegun, leading the attack) and he was buried with his 11 friends at a farm near the village of Sint Oedenrode. He received a temporary field grave until 1946. Then he was reburied at the Uden War Cemetery in Uden.

I would like to ask you if you can help me to find a photo of corporal William Hoggan. I would really like to know how he looked like. It would be an honor if I could incorporate his photo and his story in my book about the liberation of Schijndel. Can you help me with the question whether someone, as a local historian from the Netherlands, can help me with looking for family members or photo's. I reckon it would be of a great historical importance to visualize the story by showing the men who actually liberated Schijndel (everybody can always send me a mail).

Looking forward to hearing from you soon.

Kind regards,

Dirk Paagman

D.Paagman@maurickcollege.nl (work email)

0031-614754924 (phonenumber)