Liberation of the Netherlands

I was fortunate to arrive back in the Netherlands in time for celebrations of the 80th anniversary of the liberation of the Limburg region of the Netherlands in September 1944.

Invasion of the Lowlands

Both Belgium and the Netherlands had declared Neutrality at the start of the Second World War, but this did not stop Germany from invading on 10 May 1940.

They used multiple paratroop drops to take the major airports and a dramatic glider attack at Fort Eben-Emael to take the fort and key bridges required to permit the German Blitzkrieg. I did a previous post on Fort Eben-Emael.

Hitler justified his invasion of the Lowland countries by suggesting he was concerned the UK would invade them and launch their operations from there. The Netherlands fell in 5 days and the 15-minute bombing of Rotterdam destroyed the historic centre of the town, killing over 700 and leaving 80,000 homeless due the fires that were started.

Battle of Maastricht

Maastricht was key to the Germans due to its proximity to Fort Eben-Emael. The Dutch Army quickly blew the St. Servatius Bridge and the Wihelminabrug Bridge to deny the Germans access for their armour.

There had been a bridge across the Maas River since 50 AD. That bridge collapsed in 1275 during a large procession, killing 400 people. The bridge was rebuilt in 1280 in the present location of the St. Servatius bridge and is the oldest bridge in the Netherlands. The wooden bridge was replaced with stone in 1825.

The railway bridge was blown during fierce fighting with the Germans. The Dutch army was quickly overwhelmed by vastly superior manpower, commencing more than 4 years of occupation.

Liberation of the Netherlands

During the occupation, the main square (Vrijtohof) was adorned with Nazi flags. Over 100,000 Jews, three quarters of the pre-war Jewish population of the Netherlands were killed, the highest percentage in Europe.

On 18 August 1944 in order to prevent the Germans from retreating from the area, the Americans attempted to bomb the railway bridge at Maastricht. 26 American B-17s attempted to blow the bridge but instead hit the buildings around the bridge causing 129 deaths and the destruction of hundreds of houses.

On Sept. 12, 1944, soldiers with the Army National Guard’s 30th Infantry Division (Old Hickory) crossed the Dutch-Belgian border into Mesch, making it the first Dutch village to be liberated by Allied forces.

Kenneth Thayer, 99, a former private first class who was assigned to the unit, drove into Thursday’s commemoration ceremony on a vintage military vehicle next to King Willem-Alexander and Queen Maxima.

Maastricht was liberated on 14 September with limited fighting. Fortunately, no further bombings of the city occurred so the historical buildings remain intact. Maastricht was the first city liberated in the Netherlands. On the way out of town, the Germans blew the bridges across the Maas to slow down the Allied Advance. Due to the failure of Operation Market Garden, the northern portion of the Netherlands was not fully liberated until 05 May 1945.

American soldiers marching down the Grotestraat on 14 September.

This picture was in a jewellery store window during the anniversary, it is a picture of US soldiers marching down the street the store is located on.

Celebrations

Margraten US Military Cemetery

On 12 September, there was a memorial concert and celebration at the US Cemetery at Margraten.

The Netherlands American Cemetery and Memorial at Margraten (10 km from Rachel’s house in Maastricht) is the only American military cemetery in the Netherlands. The cemetery site has a rich historical background, lying near the famous Cologne-Boulogne highway built by the Romans and used by Caesar during his campaign in that area. The highway was also used by Charlemagne, Charles V, Napoleon, and Kaiser Wilhelm II. In May 1940 Hitler's legions advanced over the route of the old Roman highway, overwhelming the Low Countries. In September 1944, German troops once more used the highway for their withdrawal from the countries occupied for four years.

The cemetery currently has 8301 burials and 1722 names of the missing. The size and layout of the cemetery are most impressive.

The crosses are arranged in arcs that are not immediately evident from the ground.

The entrance area features several large maps that depict the march from Normandy to the end of the war. The maps give an excellent overview of the progress of the war. I also visited the US Cemetery above Omaha beach, and the maps are featured there as well.

The celebration on 12 September was a memorial concert with a full orchestra, choir, soloists and memorial speakers. It was a typical Dutch evening with intermittent light rain and bright sunlight. The audience faced west, so the stage was highlighted by the setting sun. These pictures may seem a bit more artistic and feature many more live people than usually grace my photos; this is because they were all taken by Rachel.

On our way in, the setting sun highlighted the flags and emphasized the grandeur of the location.

The central tower features a chapel in the base with very high ceilings and was the backdrop for the stage.

The stage was covered so the orchestra, choir and speakers stayed dry. The audience got a bit of a washdown, but we were under a maple tree, so were spared much of the rain.

The concert was magnificent, I can’t remember the last time I listened to a full orchestra and choir. The highlight of the night was the rendition of Beethoven’s Ode to Joy with the four soloists completing the spectacle. Kenneth Thayer, the 99-year-Old Hickory veteran who crossed the border early in the day with the King and Queen was on hand, along with 6 other WW2 veterans.

The sky cleared and the grave markers are beautifully highlighted.

The head stones are elegantly lit.

On the way out, a glance back at the memorial tower.

Many Dutch families adopt the grave of a specific soldiers and place flowers and flags on special occasions. This photo shows the scene on Memorial Day 2024. The tradition is passed on from generation to generation. When I was in Arnhem, I saw the story of a girl who adopted a grave in 1944 when she was 9 and continues to care for that same grave 80 years later.

Maastricht Liberation Parade

Maastricht was liberated on 14 September, so 80 years to the day there was a memorial parade through the town. The parade was several kilometres long and the parade route was packed with spectators.

There were almost 100 WW2 vehicles in the parade, with many reenactors wearing Old Hickory uniforms. There is an active Old Hickory Association in the Netherlands as evidenced by the man in front wearing an Old Hickory Jacket. Kenneth Thayer and the other veterans were the guests of honour in the parade. The vehicles were from all over Europe. Some had Belgian licence plates and a number of them had D-Day slogans (Calvados Express) written on them. With all of the 80th Anniverary events this year, the vehicles were getting some miles put on them. The vehicles were generally in great shape with only a few having a gaseous odour.  Fortunately, there were a number of tow trucks readty to keep the parade moving.

There were vehicles of all types, with Jeeps dominating the parade.

The vehicles were driven by all sorts of folks in period uniforms.

A small amphibious vehicle.

Trucks in many different configurations.

Bringing grenades and baguettes to the battle.

Motorcycles.

A side car in need of a passenger.

The 101st Airborne also had a strong presence. They had a unit parading as well as their band performing. We will see more from them in the next post.

The parade lasted almost an hour and ended up with a concert in the City Hall square. We were fortunate to have our buddies Terry and Sandy visiting for the parade.

The City Hall Square was packed with vehicles, people and a 1940’s musical revue, recreating Liberation Day 1944.

Although the southern Netherlands was liberated in September 1944, the failure of Operation Market Garden (movie a Bridge Too Far) which started on 17 September, meant that much of the Netherlands would be under German Occupation until the end of the War in 1945 and resulted in a winter of suffering and starvation for many Dutch citizens.

The honour and respect the Dutch people show the liberating Allies 80 years later is very moving and a reminder of the importance of overcoming oppression.