Inspiration & stories

From 'Threatened, Occupied, Liberated. Bosschenhoofd and Hoeven in World War II' Sunday 17 September 1944 was a bright, almost summery day. In Hoeven and Bosschenhoofd, people habitually went to church in the morning. However, mass was disturbed by low-flying fighters. The tension could be felt. Around 1pm, the first to cables [...]

From 'Memories of Brother Theophile Nijman! 12 October 1944. When we went to Roosendaal yesterday, we came across nine Canadians, prisoners of war under armed escort. Later I heard that they were locked up at our school and in the coal shed! On the tiled floor with some straw on top, peanut wire for the windows and two [...]

from 'It happened in 1944!' On 31 March 1944, Sportclub Gastel celebrates its 10th anniversary and plays an anniversary match against Rood-Wit from Sint Willebrord on Easter Monday. During that match, an American "Lightning" aircraft flies over Oud Gastel and disappears northwards for the time being. Later, the plane, piloted by American Donald Willis [...]

From 'Personal memories of Bernard Musters' 10 May 1940. War breaks out! Around 4am, the Netherlands was attacked by Germany. As a child, I was not so aware of this. I would turn 5 on Saturday 11 May and Sunday was Grandma's birthday. What a celebration that would be. But it [...]

from 'The liberation of Oudenbosch - fragments from the diary of Sister Caspara (St. Anna)' by Sr Caspara Sister Caspara Franken kept a diary around the Oudenbosch liberation of 30 October 1944, from which fragments were later published four times by the Heemkundige Kring with the permission of the Sisters of St. Anna. Some excerpts from it: [...]

from 'The Second World War' by Ben Suijkerbuijk Ben Suijkerbuijk has chronicled some stories of Oudenbosch residents. One of the narratives recorded is by Jan Karremans. Fragments of it follow below: Playing soldier In the year 1939, general mobilisation was proclaimed and although I was a teacher, I too had to 'join the army', as it was called. [...]

from 'My memories of the liberation' by Jan Brans At the time of the liberation of Oudenbosch, Jan Brans was 13 years old. He lived with his parents on Molenstraat, near the railway. More than three years later, he described his memories of those fearful and for him at the same time adventurous days and weeks. Excerpts from them [...]

from 'Letter from the Aloysius Tower' by Br. De Wit Brother Leonides de Wit kept a diary around the Oudenbosch liberation of 30 October 1944, from which he later wrote large parts in a letter to his parents, brothers and sisters. Some excerpts from it: 25 October: We hear the machine guns. Great attacks with Typhoons on roads, [...]

from 'The Second World War' by Ben Suijkerbuijk Ben Suijkerbuijk has chronicled some stories of Oudenbosch residents. One of the narratives recorded is from a farmer who wished to remain anonymous. Fragments of it follow below: Food Food was one of the most important things in the war. As farmers, we had a huge advantage over the bourgeoisie. We [...]

From 'Threatened, Occupied, Liberated. Bosschenhoofd and Hoeven in World War II' On 5 November 1943, a flying Fortress crashed near Wouw from the British base Bungay belonging to the 446th Bomber Group. The plane burned down completely. One of the crew members parachuted into a [...] in the St Maartenspolder.

From 'Threatened, Occupied, Liberated. Bosschenhoofd and Hoeven in the Second World War' Whit Monday, 13 May 1940, was a bright, sunny day. That morning, at about 9.30am, a French fighter pilot took off from an airfield in Paris, with orders to make a reconnaissance flight over the Moerdijk bridges, which were already in the hands of the German paratroopers. [...]

From 'Threatened, Occupied, Liberated. Bosschenhoofd and Hoeven in the Second World War' In the parish of St John the Baptist in Hoeven, chaplain Alfred Verhaegen was, for many young people, someone they could turn to with questions and who actually worked on their behalf. In mid-1943, throughout the country, hiding began a major [...]