A FORMER Wallyford resident is continuing her cross-Channel quest to commemorate soldiers from the Musselburgh area who were killed in action during the Second World War.

Maggie Tervit is ensuring that war heroes from the Honest Toun and Wallyford are remembered by paying her respects on behalf of the local community at their graves and memorials in the Netherlands, where she now lives.

February 18, 1945 is the 76th anniversary of the death of Corporal Robert Turner, of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, and Wallyford. He was 27.

Maggie and her son Jamie visited his grave at Milsbeek Cemetery on Christmas Eve and also lit candles at the Groesbeek Memorial in tribute to two Musselburgh soldiers who lost their lives in the conflict, and whose bodies have not been found.

Last year, on behalf of the people of Musselburgh, Maggie said a poignant ‘thank you’ to a Dutch woman who, for 75 years, tended the grave of Trooper William Edmond, from Musselburgh, who died in Operation Market Garden – a plan to seize and hold bridges over the major waterways in the Netherlands and then enter Germany.

Maggie laid flowers and a card at the grave of Willemien Rieken, who had looked after Trooper Edmond’s final resting place since she was nine.

Willemien, who is buried at Oosterbeek, near Arnhem, passed away last July at the age of 85 and was one of the last-known Flower Children from 1945, who laid flowers on soldiers’ graves after the war.

Maggie, a former pupil of Musselburgh Grammar School, lives at Nijmegen, about 25 minutes from the Arnhem Oosterbeek War Cemetery, where Trooper Edmond is buried, and made the journey with her son Jamie to also lay a tribute at his grave.

She has now made contact with the families of three other soldiers from the Musselburgh area who lost their lives in the war, including Corporal Turner, the son of George and Christine Turner, who was born at Smeaton and moved with his family to St Clements in Wallyford.

He had two brothers, James (known as Jim) and John, and two sisters, Mary and Jane (known as Jeanie).

Maggie is in touch with Robertha Leslie, who is married to Corporal Turner’s nephew, James Leslie. The couple live at Kippielaw, Easthouses.

Maggie and Jamie visited Corporal Turner’s grave on Christmas Eve, although commemorative events at war cemeteries had been cancelled due to the coronavirus pandemic.

They also paid their respects by placing candles at the Groesbeek Memorial in memory of two other soldiers from Musselburgh.

Tank driver Peter Samuel Nisbet, of the Royal Engineers, died on October 20, 1944, aged 30, at Izendijke in the Dutch province of Zeeland but, as his body was never found, he is commemorated on the memorial in Groesbeek and also the Memorial Zeeland.

His parents, Peter Samuel and Jessie Thomson Nisbet, lived at 88 Campie Road, Musselburgh.

His wife Charlotte Nisbet, who was originally from Glasgow, received a telegram to say he was missing presumed dead when his daughter Joyce, who now lives in Port Seton, was four and a half years old and daughter Peterina was six weeks old.

The family lived at 94 Campie Road.

Peterina, who was named after her dad, lives in Biggar.

Silvia Hill – Joyce and Peterina’s cousin – who lives in Joppa, said: “It is well documented within the family that Peter was a lovely, kind man, so much so that his wife Charlotte never remarried.”

Peter was a good footballer and played semi-professionally for Wallyford Bluebell and Bonnyrigg Rose.

Also remembered at the Groesbeek Memorial is Corporal George Dorward Penman, of the King’s Own Scottish Borderers, who died on June 1, 1945, at the age of 26.

His parents were Philip Dorward and Catherine Jane Penman, and his wife was Agnes Penman, from Musselburgh.

He was killed on the road to Oschersleben in Germany and buried at Oschersleben.

His daughter Nancy and her husband Alex Ritchie, who live at Fisherrow, visited Oschersleben but could not locate the grave. They contacted the War Graves Commission, which had no information or record of him being moved from there.

Maggie said: “These men died for us.

“I hope to be able to commemorate both Remembrance Day and the anniversary of Operation Market Garden – certainly one of these events every year.

“The contact with remaining family members is lovely and connects me with my birthplace.”