Arthur Ferdinand Green
He was a school teacher.
- Family History
- Military history
- Extra information
- Photographs
Son of Arthur and Lily Green; husband of Joan Cora Alfreda Lily Green, of Denham, Buckinghamshire.
Belgium SCHOONSELHOF CEMETERY V. D. 77.
Arthur Ferdinand Green died of wounds sustained during a V2 attack on the Rex Cinema in Antwerp.
On 16 December 1944 (the first day of the Ardennes Offensive), at 15:20, a V-2 rocket fired from The Netherlands (Hellendoorn) by the SS Werfer Battery 500 directly landed on the roof of the Rex cinema during a showing of The Plainsman (starring Gary Cooper). There were approximately 1,100 people inside the cinema and the explosion killed 567 including 296 Allied servicemen (194 further servicemen were injured) and 11 buildings in total destroyed. Up to 74 Belgian children were also killed.
It took nearly a week to dig all the bodies out of the rubble. It was the single highest death total from a single rocket attack during the war. Following the attack all public performance venues were closed and the town council ordered that a maximum of 50 people were allowed to congregate in any one location.
The theatre was re-built in 1947 but closed in 1993 and was demolished in 1995. (Wikipedia)
No photos