This morning we paid our respect in a beautiful and very moving ceremony to WWII veteran Stanley Williams who died Wednesday 12, 2020 at the age of 96. He was the last Antwerp-British to free our regions from the Germans.

Stanley  was born in 1923 in Oswestry in Wales (Great Britain). At the age of 19 - the Second World War had been going on for two years - he joined the British Army. In 1944 he set foot as a corporal in artillery on Sword Beach in Normandy. Later, Williams, who was stationed with his unit in Kallo, was also involved in the liberation of Belgium. During that period, Williams got to know Angela Onghena from Antwerp, whom he later married.

Williams’ wife Angela died in 2000. But the loss of her did not stop the spirited veteran from signing up at the many commemorative ceremonies about the First and Second World War. During the November 11 celebration of 2018, he was honoured by Antwerp mayor Bart De Wever. And Williams was also an important guest at the celebration of the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Antwerp this fall.

The sympathetic war veteran recently spent time in the Sint-Bavo rest home in Wilrijk, where he pasted away last Wednesday.