This the story of the two brothers Reuben and Granville Heerebout. Both brothers have been killed during the Second World War and because we have been in contact with the granddaughter of Reuben for quite a while we want to dedicate a blog to these two young boys who died way too young. Now who were these two brothers?

Reuben Earl Heerebout.

Reuben was born on 26 September 1909 in Hants County, Nova Scotia. Before the war he was a vulcanizer and was married to Florence Gertrude Cupper. Together they had three children: Robert Earl (born in April 1934), William George (born in October 1936) and Beatrice Jean (born in September 1937). The family lived in Toronto where Reuben enlisted on 21 August 1940.

After his basic training Reuben was added to the Royal Canadian Dragoons. He embarked on 14 November 1941 in Nova Scotia and disembarked in the United Kingdom  on 23 November 1941. Here he spent time training and preparing for a future invasion.

Finally the call came that the Royal Canadian Dragoons were called to go to war. They embarked in the United Kingdom at the end of October 1943 and after a long and dangerous voyage over the Atlantic and through the Mediterranean he disembarked in Augusta, Sicily on 8 November 1943.

In Sicily they trained and excercised and disaster struck the Royal Canadian Dragoons on 17 November 1943 when two Officers and 21 Other Ranks from C-Squadron of the Royal Canadian Dragoons went to examin an enemy naval gun emplacement near Siracusa. A huge explosion occurred and it appeared the gun emplacement was booby trapped. It instantly killed one of the Officers and five more died in hospital that day and fourteen men were injured. Reuben wasn't part of this because he served in B-Squadron of the RCD.

On 17 December 1943 at approximately 16.30 hours Reuben was standing in the box of a truck which was being towed by another truck. Their speed was about 20 miles per hour and Reuben was holding his hands on the cab of the truck. In a sharp turn Reuben lost his balance and fell to the roadway. He was then run over by a rear vehicle and died instantly of multiple injuries and a fractured skull.

Reuben was initially buried at Syracuse War Cemetery and reburied at Agira Canadian War Cemetery on 20 December 1943.

Reuben was awarded the following medals:

- 1939-45 Star.

- Italy Star.

- Defence Medal.

- War Medal.

- CVSM and Clasp.

Granville Murray Hearabout.

Granville was born on 8 August 1912 in Belmont, Nova Scotia and enlisted on 27 July 1943 in Halifax, Nova Scotia. Before the war Granville was a janitor on a local school. He was married to Francis Isabel (last name unknown) and together they had two children, Mary Elizabeth (born in January 1942) and Carol Shirley (born in February 1944) with whom he lived in Truro, Nova Scotia. Granville joined the Non Permanent Active Militia on 4 May 1942 and was added to the 2nd Battalion Princess Louise Fusiliers. He was called in active duty on 27 July 1943. 

Granville embarked in Canada on 21 July 1944 and disembarked on 27 July 1944 in the United Kingdom. Here he was transferred to the 4th Canadian Infantry Reinforcement Unit. He was added to the North Nova Scotia Highlanders after disembarking in France on 16 August 1944.

Granville was killed on 25 March 1945 during Operation Plunder when the North Nova Scotia Highlanders crossed the Rhine and had to attack the well defended town of Bienen, Germany. He was one of the 38 fatalities that day and was initially buried at the 9th Canadian Infantry Brigade Cemetery in Rees, Germany and reburied at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery.

Granville was awarded the following medals:

- 1939-45 Star.

- France Germany Star.

- War Medal.

- CVSM and Clasp.

Why do the brothers have different last names?

Reuben's parents had deceased when they were young. Their mother passed away in 1917 and father in 1928. Their father was born in Brouwershaven, Netherlands and married a Canadian girl.



They had three brothers and two sisters. After the death of their parents younger brother Granville was placed in a Protestant orphanage and sent to Cape Breton when he was 12 years old. He was brought up here, but the family didn't adopt him.

Because the family fell apart after the death of their parents they didn't know much about their brothers and sisters. After Granville was killed in action his wife got information from one of his sisters, Shirley Winney, who lived near him. She even did not know everything about her parents or the whereabouts of the other brothers and sisters. This resulted in the fact that Granville thought his last name was Hearabout, but in fact it was Heerebout, a Dutch name.

Reuben's grandchildren.

In April 2023 our D-Day Dodgers Foundation had the honour to welcome Reuben's granddaughter Rose with her husband in the Netherlands. Here we took her to the grave of her great uncle Granville at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery which was a very emotional visit.

In July 2023, during the 80 years remembrance of Operation Husky in Sicily, the D-Day Dodgers Foundation had placed 462 photos in front of the headstones at Agira Canadian War Cemetery to commemorate the fallen buried at this small Commonwealth War Graves Commission cemetery in the centre of the island. Here we accompanied Rose and her brother to the grave of her grandfather Reuben which was a very emotional visit. It was for both the very first time that they had visited Sicily and their grandfather's grave.