Follow in the footsteps of our past

On September 16, 1944, General Brian Horrocks unveiled the plan for Operation Market Garden in Leopoldsburg. The British commander has not yet fully recovered from serious injuries sustained in North Africa. Horrocks swallows the pain. A day later he launched his ground troops north of Leopoldsburg towards Arnhem.

On Monday morning, September 11, 1944, German soldiers who had come from Leopoldsburg defended the intersection of the Geel-Hamont and Leopoldsburg-Lommel-Luyksgestel roads (via bridge 12 over the Kempen Canal) on Lommel's Kerkplein. They had two 88mm Flak guns set up. The cannon of one gun was pointed towards Stationsstraat. The soldiers behind the other cannon were looking in the direction of Norbert Neeckxlaan.

On September 11, 1944, English reconnaissance vehicles arrived in the Netherlands for the first time. These crossed the border at the Barrier in Bergeijk. People from the area informed them about the German positions. Unfortunately, two civilians died that day. Then, on September 17, Operation Market Garden began here.

In June 1944, Allied troops landed on the Normandy coast. They quickly liberated Paris. This was followed by Brussels and Antwerp. On September 11, the English reached the Dutch border at Valkenswaard. In the nearby villages everyone became quite nervous. Like in Borkel & Schaft where the postman hurried to spread the good news.

Eindhoven, on Tuesday, May 16, 1944, a raid takes place in which a young girl is arrested. Three days later, she and her family will be deported from Camp Westerbork to Auschwitz-Birkenau, where she will also die.

94-year-old Gerrit van Eck lived at 't Eind 10 with his parents and two brothers during the war and liberation. Gerrit was the middle child of the Van Eck family. Gerrit was 14 years old during the liberation and he can still remember a lot about it, especially the bombing and the landing of the paratroopers on September 17, 1944.

Klara von Zitzewitz lost her 18-year-old son, Ernst-Jürgen, during Operation Market Garden. After his death, Klara faithfully visited her son's grave in Ysselsteyn. In memory of her son and other fallen German soldiers, she donated the largest bell of the carillon in 1959. The chimes were expanded to 25 bells through a fundraising campaign.

I have sidewalk chalk hearts drawn on me. But I've also been spit on. I had a lot thrown at me: hailstones, beer, confetti. Even bullet casings, although the war could not drive me away. Because Gemert suits me – and I lie in Gemert. I am the Ridderplein.

From September 18, 1944 there was unrest in the area around Son en Breugel. American soldiers advanced from Eindhoven. German soldiers barricaded themselves in the high church tower of Son en Breugel. Everyone hoped for a quick liberation, but instead it became more dangerous every day: One day the village was in the hands of Americans, the next day back in the hands of the Germans. By order of the Americans, many people, especially children, were evacuated from the area.

'Back to 2008, the year in which I went on deployment at the age of 28 as an aide-de-camp at the ISAF headquarters in Afghanistan. In that position I supported the Air Coordination Director in his daily activities. He was responsible for coordinating all NATO air operations in Afghanistan and building up civil aviation. In that role I even met former President Barack Obama.

A striking twist of fate: A painting English soldier who finds refuge in hiding with an artist from Schijndel.

Between September 17, 1944 and March 30, 1945, Francien Versantvoort, then 15 years old, kept a diary. She started writing the day Operation Market Garden began. Francien is a daughter of Harrie Versantvoort, head of the boys' school in Mariaheide until his death in 1942. He was succeeded by Johan van Son. In September 1944, both the Versantvoort family and Son's family lived in the house next to the boys' school. 

On the day that Market Garden started, bombings were carried out at various places along the intended route to weaken the Germans. One of these was an attack on a train between Uden and Odiliapeel. 15-year-old Piet Adam was called in by NSB mayor Biemans to transport the injured.

John S. Thompson has been part of the 504th PIR since the landing in Sicily and he also participated in the campaign through Italy.

Boy Edgar is a famous jazz musician and a successful medical scientist, but in Heumen they know him as the assistant general practitioner who smuggled Jewish children from Amsterdam to Heumen during the war to hide them with farmers in the area. 

82nd Airborne Division landed near Groesbeek and Overasselt This unit was led by General James Gavin. He was the youngest brigadier general in the US Army and much loved by the soldiers.

The Jewish teenage girl Rose Jakobs went into hiding in Beek and kept a diary, just like Anne Frank. When Operation Market Garden begins, she is free, but not safe. On October 2, she was caring for wounded Americans when she was killed by a splinter bomb. She had just lived in freedom for 2 weeks. 

Jan van Hoof was a boy scout and young resistance fighter. He died while serving as a guide showing the liberators the way in Nijmegen. In doing so, he left a mystery behind: had he or had he not saved the Nijmegen bridge?

When liberation came and joy could be seen and heard everywhere, misery began for Kiek. “The Netherlands was divided into right and wrong, we were wrong. On the way to school, children sang: 'Dirty NSB children, we are not allowed to play with you'. ” During the evacuation, she had to evacuate together with her mother, sister and two brothers. Her father was not there, he worked for the Germans in The Hague at the Arbeidersbank.

''I walked through the rooms. Wounded people were everywhere: in the dining room, in the study and conservatory, in the side hallway and even under the stairs and in the toilet; every bit of space was taken.'' Kate ter Horst (1906-1992)

Jenny van Dinter (19-04-1934), and her family lived near the Rhine when the Battle of Arnhem began. A fire destroyed the house and the family, consisting of 3 girls, father and mother, fled. Months of uncertainty, hunger and fear. Jenny wrote down her story and told it for this project..