** World War II liberastion of the southern Netherlands North Barbant
World War II: Liberation of the Southern Netherlands--North Barbant (September 1944)
Figure 1.--The Allies reached Eindhoven (September 19, 1944). The people lined the streets to welcome their liberators. There were wild celebrations and dancing in the street. The city partied for much of the day. Here a little Dutch boy with his goat cart, with probably his siblings seated in it, is out on the streets, on the corner Stratumseind, Geldropseweg (Einhoven) to the amusement of the passing British soldiers (possibly the 2nd Welsh Guards) in a Bedford QLT truck. By the afternoon, the mood changed. The Germans were not retreating. TThere were rumours the Germans were advancing from the direction of Nuenen and Helmond.Later at night (Septenber 19/20) this street and the surrounding area were severly bombed by the Luftwaffe. It was the only Luftwaffe bombing strike durung Fall 1944. The Luftwaffe targeted the roads being ysed by the Allies: Aalsterweg, Stratumsedijk, Stratumseind, Rechtestraat, Wal, Emmasingel, Hertogstraat and the surrounding area. The vehicles had nowhere to go. Loaded with ammunition and fuel, many caught fire and exploded. There were fires everywhere. The number of casualties among civilians was high. 41 people died on the Biesterweg, when the shelter they were in took a direct hit. In total, 227 people died on that day. Photo: E.G. (Capt) (Photographer) No. 2 Army Film and Photo Section, Army Film and Photographic UnitCaption: Imperial War Musum.
Many areas of Western Europe after the Normandy breakout (late-July 1944) were liberated after the Germans fled back behind the West Wall. North Barbant was not one of them. There was fierce fighting for the southern Dutch province. The Duchy of Brabant was a State of the Holy Roman Empire established (1183). This is rationalization for German nationalists in the 19th and 20th centyry to make the Netherlnds part of Germany. The Dutchy developed from the Landgraviate of Brabant and formed the heart of the historic Low Countries, part of the Burgundian Netherlands (from 1430) and of the Habsburg Netherlands (from 1482), It was partitioned as part of the Dutch War for independence. Modern North (Noord) Brabant (Staats-Brabant) was ceded to the Generality Lands of the Dutch Republic as a result of the Peace of Westphalia (1648). The the reduced duchy remained part of the Southern or Spanish Netherlands until it was conquered by French Revolutionary (1794). The Duchy's former territories, apart from exclaves, are now part of Belgiu, except the Dutch province of North Brabant. North Barbant is located in the south central part of the Netherlands on the Belgian border. The largest city in North Barbant is Eindhoven which is the is the fifth-largest city and a municipality of the Netherlands. The city was largely untouched by the war until RAF bombers with Mosquito bombers attacked the Philips electronics factory (December 6, 1942). The low-flying Mosquitos were used because they were more accurate than high alditude heavy bombers and it was a Sunday attack. Still 148 civilians wre killed. North Barbant changed from quiet sector of the War, to a key location when Field Marshal Montgomery chose Eindhoven as the southern jumping off point for his Market Garden drive north to Arnhem and a Rhine Crossing. Market Garden would cut through Nord/North Brabant. Einhoven was the first large Dutch city liberated (September 19). There was widespread rejoicing and dancing in the streets when he Allies reached Eindjoven, but the inhabitants paid a heavy price. There was firce fighting around the city. Field Marshal Model just receiving commznd of the zrea, and not anticipating a major action had chosen Eindhoven and Arnem as safe resting points for German reinfocemnts arriving in the area. [Harclerode, pp. 455-56.] An importasnt Bailey bridhe was errected which the Germans targdted. In Eindhoven the 101st Airborn and the Welsh Guards were active. Allied tanks and trucks moved into and through the city. Tht night 78 German bombers attacked Eindhoven (September 19-20). The Allies had no anti-aircraft guns in the city and the nightime attack meant that there was no Allied fighter cover. The Germans droped 'a clear golden cluster of parachute flares' and sucessfully bomb Eindhoven without losing any of their bombers. The city center was shattered and the city water system filed. More than 200 houses were gutted and some 9,000 buildings were damaged. There were over 1,000 civilian casualties, including 227 prople killed. An Allied ammunition convoy and trucks carrying gasoline were hit. General Matthew Ridgway of the 101 Airbiorn was in Eindhoven during the attack. He described the attack, "Great fires were burning everywhere, ammo trucks were exploding, gasoline trucks were on fire, and debris from wrecked houses clogged the streets." Elements of his Diviionm in and around the city, witnessed the attack, by as they were outside the city were unhirt. The 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment came to the rescue oif the burning city during the night. One historim pointds out that it was 'the only large, long-range air strike by German bombers during the fall of 1944". [Atkinson, p.278.] Givern the Alloed militaey activity in the city, the case can be made that it was a legitimate target. But the nature of the attack suggests more thn a few hours planning. The Germans were very bitter toward the Dutch. Given their basically Germnic ethnicity, many considered them tritors rther gthn enrmy sliens. Even after Einfhoven was secured, the Germans still controlled substantial areas of North Brbabt. Much of he southern Netherlands is North Brabant. After the failure of Market Garden, the British launched Operation Pheasant (October 20). This was the beginning of the liberation of central and western Noord-Barbant Province. All but the far eastern area of North-Brabant was liberatred during and immediately after Market Garden. The first Canadian Army attacked from Belgium and the British Second Army attacked from the eastern Netherlands. The 51st Highland Division drove to Schijndel village (October 23). Far eastern North Brabant was liberated after the Bulge.
Sources
Atkinson, Rick. The Guns at Last Light (New York: Henry Holt, 2013).
