British war veteran Len Brereton who participated in the liberation of Belgium in 1944 died aged 100 just days before Remembrance Sunday last weekend.
Born in West London, Brereton joined the army in 1943 aged 18. He participated in many major battles in France and Germany after landing on the European mainland just eight days after D-Day.
He contributed to the liberation of Belgium in September 1944, serving with the 3 Royal Tank Regiment.
Shortly after in November 1944, he was billeted with a local family in Poperinge, West Flanders, while his regiment awaited new Comet tanks to arrive from Brussels.
He stayed with the Lemahieu family, striking a strong friendship with his hosts. Brereton described that winter in Belgium as "perishingly cold" but said that he was warmly received by the Poperinge family.
British WW2 veteran Len Brereton with a tank during the war
In 1945, him and the other soldier who was staying with them, Don Branche, left Poperinge and they lost contact.
Brereton said that after Poperinge, his tank unit moved to Ghent and Antwerp and then to the Ardennes offensive. He later ended up in Hong Kong, where he served for 8 years.
'Fairytale' reunion
Remarkably, Brereton was reunited with a member of that family in 2021. Decades later, Nelly’s niece carried out research and solicited the help of Talbot House, who was able to reconnect them after 76 years.
Nelly was nine years old when Brereton stayed with them, and in 2021 the two spoke over Skype. She described finding him again as an "unbelievable" Christmas and New Year's present when speaking to local Flemish media at the time.
The reunion was facilitated by Talbot House, an association based in Poperinge inside a historic soldier’s refuge which opened in December 1915. It served as an "every man’s club" during both world wars for British soldiers of all ranks. Today it is a museum and guesthouse.
Back in 2021, Nelly told Radio 2 West Flanders that Brereton preferred eating with her family rather than at Talbot House "because the food was better".
They often went out together, including to Lyssenthoek, the large First World War cemetery in Poperinge. She described him as a big brother, recalling how he had also bought her a toy car.
In 2023, Nelly travelled to Britain to visit the retirement home where the veteran was living in Hertfordshire. At the time, Brereton said it was "absolutely brilliant" to be reunited with Nelly after almost 80 years, while she said it was "like a fairytale" to meet him again, according to the Daily Telegraph.
A tribute to Len Brereton by Talbot House in Poperinge
The centenarian veteran had also said he was "surprised and touched" by the gifts and messages he received from the people of Poperinge, thanking him for his service and his role in ensuring their freedom.
After learning of his death last Thursday, the town paid special tribute with a special ceremony.
"Tonight, Talboutousians gathered at the Guards Chapel for a Remembrance Concert. The Grenadiers played and our Talbot House sang," the museum said on a social media post.
"When the Last Post was played, we all thought of him. The end of an era. Thank you for liberating Talbot House. Thank you for your service. We will remember you."
