Eighty years after WW2 war hero's death a clue leads back to Liverpool

A WW2 hero being buried today in Arnhem was only identified when a Liverpool University tie was found with his body. Lieutenant Dermod Anderson was killed during the Battle of Arnhem 80 years ago, in September 1944. He took the tie with him overseas, tucking it away in a pocket, and when metal detectorists found his remains last year, they discovered the tie.

Initial inquiries showed the body was probably that of Dermod, who studied architecture in Liverpool before the war, and DNA tests later confirmed it. His great nephew, Lieutenant Colonel Julian Anderson, is attending his funeral in Holland today. Dermod was honoured with a military funeral in the Netherlands held by soldiers and officers of The Royal Yorkshire Regiment and the Army Air Corps.

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Lt Col Anderson followed his great uncle into the British army, and serves with Nato’s Joint Support and Enabling Command based in Ulm, Germany. On one of four previous trips he made to Arnhem, he had walked 50m from where his great uncle’s body was buried without knowing it.

In an exclusive interview with Mirror Online, Lt Col Anderson said: “When they found his remains last year they found his University of Liverpool tie put away in the pocket of his parachute smock. That gave them a clue to his identity. He had studied architecture at Liverpool before the war. They gave me a call and said they may - may - have found his remains.

“They asked for a DNA test. I gave them a cheek swab and they checked it with DNA from his left femur and it was a match. His body was first found by metal detectorists who were searching in the area.”

He explained: “Dermod was my great uncle - my grandad’s brother. There was always a photo of him in the study when I was growing up. He was a glider pilot listing as ‘missing’. He had always wanted to be a glider pilot but he was originally turned down because he had ear problems but eventually they let him in. He was on Operation Overlord before being involved at Arnhem."

“I joined the British army in 1992. I had taken part in four battlefield study trips to Arnhem and we worked out later I had been within 50m of where his body was buried which is quite astonishing.”

Earlier today, the funeral of Private Henry Moon was also held in the Netherlands. His family were at the funeral this morning which was attended by around 250 people - many of them locals. His niece Tina Snowden, 73, a retired teacher from Sunderland, said: “I was actually born in Henry’s house in Speeton near Filey. He was only 21 when he died.

”It’s been wonderful how many people have turned out for his funeral - we can’t thank them enough. We found out last year and a DNA match was made. Henry had three brothers Robert, John and Arthur - my dad. They didn’t really talk about him much - I think it was a different generation thing.”