A few months ago, Johan Hoftiezer from the Aaltense Heurne was still working in the Noordoostpolder, and around that time his cousin Jan Hoftiezer, also from the Heurne, was still quietly milking the cows of farmer Westerveld from IJzerlo. Now, these two Aalten boys are looking at the black and white lines of the “Nieuw Amsterdam,” the flagship of the Holland-America Line, which will take them to America. On the occasion of their departure, both Hoftiezer families from “Meirika” and “‘t Oude Hondorp” came from Aalten to Rotterdam by bus last Friday to see Johan and Jan off.
The ‘Nieuw Amsterdam’ of the Holland-America Line
They stand somewhat awkwardly on the Wilhelminakade, marveling at the immense dimensions of this proud sea castle that will soon carry their two relatives to the other side of the ocean, to America, the land of unlimited possibilities. With hands above their heads, they peer over the waters of the Maas, which cuts Rotterdam in two like a silver snake, and their eyes seek out the busy shipping traffic on Rotterdam’s great river. Meanwhile, embarkation is in full swing, and Jan and Johan also prepare to go on board. “It is not easy,” says mother Hoftiezer, “to give up your child, but it is for his future and there are many more opportunities there.”
A moment later, we also go on board, as we wish to ask Johan and Jan a few more questions. Through a labyrinth of corridors and stairs, we finally reach the boat deck and find our future emigrants there. Johan worked in the Noordoostpolder for 2½ years. “It was good there,” he says, “but it would have taken another 5 or 6 years before I would have been eligible to lease a farm, and in Aalten you certainly stand no chance.”
Jan has always been a farmhand but has never sought work as far away as his cousin. “During the war I had to go into hiding, and after the war I worked in IJzerlo. Of course, I have no chance here in Holland either. We are not married and not even engaged, so we are not leaving behind weeping wives or fiancées.”
They further tell us that they are going to Woodstock, in the state of Minnesota. They previously corresponded with the Kruisselbrink family, who used to live at “Groot Kappers” and who have acted as their guarantors. They will be employed on a mixed farm of 200 hectares. “That is at least a bit larger than back home, because we only have 7 hectares at home,” Johan says laconically.
When the bell rings, visitors must leave the ship, and we take our leave of the two cousins. “Give everyone in Aalten our regards via the newspaper,” Johan asks, and we confirm this. Slowly, two tugboats begin to pull the colossus toward the middle of the river. Those staying behind on the quay wave scarves and handkerchiefs, and the “Nieuw Amsterdam” disappears into a haze of smoke. For the two Aalten boys, the journey to America has begun. They will have to work hard there, but we are convinced that they will uphold the name of their village, Aalten, in Minnesota. Safe travels, a prosperous voyage, and much success is wished to them.
Passenger card ‘Nieuw Amsterdam’, Albert J. Hoftiezer
Passenger card ‘Nieuw Amsterdam’, Gerrit J. Hoftiezer
Although it cannot be said that the municipality of Aalten experienced particularly shocking events in 1947, this does not alter the fact that encouraging activity was deployed in various fields. For instance, agenda items relating to housing construction were handled in several council meetings. Additionally, the municipal administration ensured the improvement of various roads, the electric street lighting was taken in hand, and finally, the reinstatement of the piglet market on Monday, 8 September, must not be forgotten.
Monument for People in Hiding, Stationsstraat
Events that were of importance to the entire municipality further included the unveiling of the monument for the former people in hiding, the commissioning of the church bells (and the lighting of the clock faces on the timepiece in the Dutch Reformed Church), and the improved connections with other places through the new timetable of the Dutch Railways and the services with the buses of the G.T.M. and the Veldhuis firm. Also, the 12th census was held this year on 31 May, which revealed, among other things, that Aalten counts 6,642 women and 6,943 men, totaling 13,585 inhabitants.
However, the various associations were not idle either. The V.V.V. (Tourist Office) provided several campsites this year, which were even temporarily visited by foreign guests, and it also took charge of organizing the concert by the Arnhem Orchestra Association. The C.C.C. continued providing its cultural evenings, which proved to meet a need. The same can also be said of the periodic organ concerts given by Mr. Sj. Mook on the organ of the Dutch Reformed Church.
Musical life in general experienced a certain revival, in which we recall the initiative of the Aalten Orchestra Association, the concerts at the ‘t Walfort Swimming Pool, and the various vocal and musical performances; in the latter, a tendency became noticeable to replace large plays with singing or music to increase interest in this art form. In the field of art, we should further remember the exhibition of paintings and watercolors produced by Messrs. P. te Lintum and D. Lemcke.
The Reformed Church in Bredevoort (Koppelkerk), initially still without a tower.
In ecclesiastical life, the construction of the Reformed Church in Bredevoort was an event of importance, with the so-called “first stone” being laid on 22 July. The Christian Reformed Church commemorated the reinstatement of the offices this year, a fact that took place 50 years ago. The commemorative service was held on 26 August, during which former ministers Rev. J.W. Polman and Rev. J. Tolsma, among others, spoke. Earlier, on 12 May, the 12½-year anniversary of Rev. J. van Dijken’s ministry was commemorated in this church, and finally, 1947 was the year of the induction of Rev. Kroneman and Rev. Goede and the departure of Chaplain Van Renswoude. In his place came Father Wartenberg, who in turn was succeeded by Father Bouwman.
Furthermore, a committee from the Dutch Reformed Church campaigned for the “community center,” while the Reformed Youth Council did very good work with the organization of the “drop-in evenings” and the youth leader conferences.
The generally respected and skilled physician Dr. E.J. van Schaik in Aalten passed away in the summer of this year.
As for the other associations, there was no lack of initiative and activity here either. Various associations were founded, such as the association for Artificial Insemination, a branch of the Christian Union of Government Personnel, and a branch of the Christian Union of Metalworkers. Within the framework of this activity by associations, the Concours-Hippique, organized by the Rural Riding Association, and the Cattle Breeding Day, initiated by the Union of Breeding Associations from this municipality, must also be mentioned.
Numerous were the anniversaries, of individuals, factories, and associations alike, which were so many illustrations of diligent industry and admirable perseverance. Additionally, some businesses were reopened, for example, the furniture factory of the firm Luimes & Wiggers, and the warehouse of the firm Ackerman and Kamphuis, or established, such as Van Katwijk’s Paper and Cardboard Processing Industries N.V., by which the municipality of Aalten gained another industry.
Contrasting with the latter, however, is the departure of the Aalten Knitting Factory, which began operating in Doesburg this year. As a sign of activity, the workshop of the B.L.O. school (Special Primary Education) should not go unmentioned here; however small in scale it may be, it aims to contribute its part to the aftercare of underprivileged children.
Something that has not happened every day is the departure of several families who wished to settle in Canada. However, it appears that many more families will follow this example next year. And finally, we wish to mention here the passing of Dr. E.J. van Schaik, in the night of 17 to 18 June, with whom a very well-known figure from our village passed away.
Throughout the centuries, the Church has been the bearer of culture. Especially in rural areas, the influence of the Church on cultural development has been very significant. Anyone wishing to learn about and research the history of a village can find a wealth of information in the church archives, as the Church has long stood as the center of village life.
Various influences have caused the Church to gradually relinquish this position and lose its central role. Large groups turned away from the Church, which had nothing more to offer them, and continued their lives outside of any ecclesiastical connection.
Church life had become stagnant and no longer brought people into contact with spiritual movements as it had done throughout the centuries. The church building still stood in the midst of the village community, but it no longer took part in the community itself. It had lost its evangelizing character. But our old Church has not weathered the storms of centuries for nothing. Now, too, it will find its place again in the heart of the community.
Community Center
Viewed in this light, the plans for the “Community Center” in Aalten are of great significance. For here, the Church takes upon its shoulders a task of immense importance and great cultural value. It will not be an easy task to carry out this plan, but the Church has accomplished greater things. Once again, the Church will take up its cultural mission by establishing a “Community Center,” a building where community life can find a home and where there is also ample opportunity to organize pleasant evenings.
More and more, the conclusion is being reached that the halls currently available in Aalten are not fully suitable for this purpose, so that the opportunity to provide some guidance for recreation has been lacking until now.
No one who has observed rural recreation in recent years will deny that a certain degree of guidance or direction is necessary. The theater troupes that come to the villages are often third- or fourth-rate companies that can no longer attract audiences even in provincial towns and are now trying to earn their living in the villages. The way our boys and girls spend their free time is a problem that urgently requires a solution.
The plans
The committee appointed by the Churchwardens to prepare the plans for the establishment of such a building has already consulted with the Synodal Building Committee, “Church and World,” and the Reformed Youth Council. The architect, Ir. Boeken, has created a design that takes full account of the various purposes for which the building will be used. There will be a proper theater hall with a projection booth.
Regarding the availability of the building, the intention is to adopt a very broad perspective. Non-church organizations will also be able to use it, although the general guidelines of the Synod will be decisive. No decision has yet been made regarding the location where the building will be erected, although the Wheme is being strongly considered. It is hoped that architectural considerations will ensure it fits into the village atmosphere.
Thus, work is proceeding diligently on the plans for the establishment of this “Community Center.” And although it will likely be several years before the first stone can be laid, we must praise the initiative and courage of the Churchwardens for taking this step. On Sunday evening, at a congregational meeting, Rev. F.J. Pop, chairman of “Church and World,” will speak on the topic “Church and World and Community Center.”
The Oosterkerk in Aalten houses a monumental stained-glass window dating from 1946. The window was gifted by a committee from the Reformed Church of Rotterdam-Kralingen, on behalf of the churches and the Jewish community, as a token of thanks for the assistance provided by the people of Aalten during World War II to those in hiding (onderduikers), Jewish fellow citizens, the starving, and hundreds of children from Rotterdam.
Rev. Thomas Delleman (1898–1977)
Thomas Delleman (1898–1977) served as a minister in Aalten from 1930 to 1938 before moving to Rotterdam-Kralingen. Following the Bombing of Rotterdam in May 1940, he took the initiative to arrange for children from his new parish to stay in Aalten for a holiday. During the war years, a total of approximately 800 children from Rotterdam were taken in by host families in Aalten.
Delleman contributed in other ways as well. He ensured that young men wishing to evade the Arbeitseinsatz (forced labour) could go into hiding in Aalten. Furthermore, in 1943, around 500 evacuees from Scheveningen were accommodated in Aalten. During the ‘Hunger Winter’, trains carrying food regularly departed from Aalten for the west of the country.
This dedication made a profound impression in Rotterdam and led to the formation of a committee after the liberation to thank the people of Aalten.
Origin of the Commemorative Window
Initially, the intention was to place the window in the Westerkerk, as more than forty young men had been arrested there during a roundup (razzia) in 1944. However, all the windows in the Oosterkerk had been shattered after a V1 rocket landed nearby in January 1945. Consequently, it was decided to install the window in the Oosterkerk instead.
The window was designed by the Rotterdam artist Marius Richters (1878–1955) and executed by glazier Henri van Lamoen (1900–1949). With a height of eight metres and a width of over three metres, it is one of the largest stained-glass windows in the Achterhoek. Richters utilised bold colours and clear, almost narrative scenes that express both the threat of war and the warmth of the relief efforts.
The window was installed in the front facade of the Oosterkerk and officially unveiled by Rev. Delleman on 13 July 1946. The ceremony was broadcast live on the radio by the NCRV.
Design
The window is over eight metres high and three metres wide, set within a trifora.
Commemorative Window in the Oosterkerk, Aalten
At the top: The coat of arms of the Netherlands with the motto “Je maintiendrai”. Below this is the Dutch Maiden, holding the flag in her right hand and a burning torch in her left. On either side stand a farmer and a bricklayer, referring to the post-war reconstruction.
Central: A farmer and his wife, symbolising the people of Aalten, surrounded by children and a person in hiding. From both sides, German soldiers with bayonets march into the scene.
Bottom left: Emaciated women and children pleading for help.
Bottom right: A group of people who have been helped, returning home supplied with foodstuffs.
Bottom centre: The coat of arms of Aalten featuring the linden tree and the coat of arms of the House of Orange, with a scroll reading: “Uit dankbaarheid voor hulp in oorlogstijd, soli Deo gloria” (In gratitude for help in wartime, to God alone the glory). Biblical texts are incorporated elsewhere in the window.
In 1947, two side windows were added to either side of the main window. These feature the symbols of the four Evangelists, images of Moses and Isaiah, and at the bottom, the coats of arms of Rotterdam, Scheveningen, Utrecht, Amsterdam, Kralingen, and a Star of David.
At the base of the side windows are lines of verse by Muus Jacobse (pseudonym of the poet Klaas Heeroma):
Maar als ik leven mag tot de bevrijding en juichen op het overwinningsfeest, God, doe mij dan dit weten, wat voorbijging aan nood en leed is niet vergeefs geweest.
(But if I may live until the liberation and rejoice at the victory feast, God, then let me know this: that the hardship and suffering which passed was not in vain.)
Current Status
The commemorative window can still be seen in the Oosterkerk. When the church was repurposed as a residential care location in 2021, it was formally agreed that the window would be preserved. This ensures the window remains not only an artwork of exceptional scale but also a lasting war monument and a tangible reminder of the aid and hospitality offered by Aalten during World War II.
Quite unexpectedly, H.M. the Queen paid a visit to our municipality. On Wednesday afternoon, the cars carrying H.M. the Queen, her secretary, Miss Geldern, and her secretary, Mr. Kohnstam, arrived from the direction of Dinxperlo and stopped in front of the home of the alderman of Aalten, Mr. H. J. Wikkerink, better known in illegal circles by the name of “Oome Jan”.
“Oome Jan” has a respectable record of service in the underground movement during the years of occupation and currently resides in his workshop “Nooit Gedacht”, as the Germans, out of rage that they could not capture “Oome Jan”, set fire to his house next door. The Wikkerink family had been informed of the royal visit only moments before.
Her Majesty, who arrived around one o’clock, stayed for more than half an hour in the home of “Oome Jan” and enjoyed a cup of tea with relish. Meanwhile, several prominent workers from the illegal movement had gathered in the living room and were soon engaged in a busy conversation with Her Majesty.
H.M. leaves the emergency dwelling “Nooitgedacht” in Aalten
From the conversations, it appeared that She was already aware of the important work carried out here in the Achterhoek during the war years, and She inquired with interest about various details. Both “Oome Jan” and Messrs. Lichtenberg of the L.O. and Allersma of the K.P. spoke of the underground work and the dangerous tasks that had to be completed. They also recalled the spontaneous cooperation of the population and the aid to the West in the form of wagonloads of rye bread, which were sent at a very low price.
A charming detail was also the presence of Mrs. Jedwab with her young son, who at the time had been left as a foundling on the doorstep of “Oome Jan’s” home while the parents were in hiding. This Jewish boy was then lovingly taken in and given the name Willem Herfstink, as autumn had just made its entry that day. Rev. Kuijper also spoke of the razzia, which was held on January 29, 1944, in the Reformed Church, during which 42 people in hiding were arrested and only a few were able to escape. The mayor, who was also present at “Oome Jan’s”, also shared some information about the events of the past years.
Originally, it had been H.M.’s intention during her journey through these regions to visit the “Somsenhuus”, the farm of Mr. Prinsen in IJzerlo, where so much underground work was performed in recent years. Members of the K.P. found shelter here for a long time, as did a number of English pilots who awaited liberation here. This farm burned down after the liberation due to a lightning strike. This visit did not take place. Between Dinxperlo and Aalten, the cars turned into a side road near the Prinsenboschje, where the party had some refreshments in the car.
A massive crowd had gathered in front of “Oome Jan’s” home, where the monarch was heartily cheered. Upon her departure, the Wilhelmus was enthusiastically sung. This day will surely remain long in the memory of “Oome Jan” and his comrades, who so often risked their lives in the struggle against the oppressor and did so much for our people and fatherland.
Now that the emergency hospital in Aalten is closing its doors, it is fitting for us to pause for a few moments to reflect on the origin and work of this institution, which served as a blessed outcome for countless Dutch forced labourers and prisoners from concentration camps. As is known, the initiative for its founding was taken under the auspices of the Red Cross, by Dr J. der Weduwen and Mr Cl. Driessen.
Staff of the Aalten Emergency Hospital
The necessity for its establishment became acutely apparent at the end of November, when some of the victims of the train bombardment near Bocholt had to be admitted in Aalten. When Dr J. der Weduwen arrived at the Avondvrede retirement home on 5 December 1944 with 22 liberated prisoners from Rees, the situation presented nearly insurmountable difficulties. Beds, food, and trained staff—everything was lacking.
The residents of the home, on that memorable St. Nicholas Eve for the ex-prisoners, brotherly shared their pancakes, oliebollen (doughnuts), and chocolate (!) with the newcomers. By exerting every effort, they succeeded in providing the battered patients with proper care. Mr and Mrs Ditmarsch, deeply moved by the fate of these people, did everything possible.
With emotion, many will remember Sister A. Bol, who died of diphtheria and performed true miracles for her patients during this time. After her death, it proved necessary, given the danger of contagion, to attach expert personnel to the emergency hospital. Sister Schaafsma and Sister Doesburg were entrusted with the management under the supervision of Dr P. Hogenkamp, who took over the medical work of Dr der Weduwen following the tragic passing of this beloved doctor.
Avondvrede Retirement Home, Hogestraat, Aalten
Although more space was made available at Avondvrede, the capacity of the hospital proved too small, as one also had to take into account war victims from the local area; therefore, the hospital was relocated to the Patrimonium building. In cooperation with the U.V.V., I.K.O., and the Red Cross, the material side of the work was taken care of. After the final bombardment, the Patrimonium building became unusable, and it was decided to liquidate the hospital, as the majority of the patients, under the leadership of Sister Schaafsma, preferred to leave for the North.
Sister Doesburg remained at her post with a few patients, and the hospital was moved back to Avondvrede. From there, they departed once more—joined by a number of victims from the bombardment in Bocholt—to the building on the Lichtenvoordsestraat, which still serves as an emergency hospital today. About twenty patients were housed in the cellars there. Enormous support was received from the surrounding hamlets.
De Graafschapper, 14 July 1945
In the beginning, the conditions were extremely primitive. Later, everything improved. Special praise is due to the girls of Aalten, who performed nursing work without any prior training. Just before the liberation, some victims of the liberation battles were admitted. An unforgettable moment was, of course, the arrival of the first ‘Tommy’ (British soldier) who was brought into the hospital.
And now the work has come to an end. The large stream of repatriates, for whom they had prepared as their final task, did not arrive, and the now well-equipped emergency hospital is disappearing in these coming days. (Why not make it a permanent hospital?) A piece of Aalten’s war history is hereby concluded, but many will continue to remember this work with gratitude.
On Friday, another session of the Military Court was held in the council chamber of the town hall. Major Jhr. Mr. van Nispen tot Sevenaer served as president, while Mr. Arriëns acted as military prosecutor.
Behind closed doors, the case against H.A. v. T. was handled first; he was sentenced to 1 year in prison for a sex offense, of which 8 months were suspended with a probation period of 3 years.
Also behind closed doors, the case of F.K. Meijnen was heard, who was sentenced to 9 months in a reform school for looting. The defense counsel in this case was Mr. Voorink from Winterswijk. A. Meijnen, who had stolen cigars and tobacco while clearing rubble from a bombed house, was sentenced after a plea by Mr. Voorink to 3 months in prison with a probation period of 2 years.
The Town Hall on the Markt in Aalten
E.J. ter Heurne is accused of having taken a lady’s bicycle belonging to Miss J.W. Wesselink. The defendant denies taking the bicycle. According to him, he stored the vehicle after it had been abandoned by an SS man. In view of the bicycle requisitioning, he removed the tires and the saddle. This occurred in October 1944. Miss D. Kuijntjes is heard as a witness for the defense, confirming the defendant’s account. She had even ridden the bicycle.
A debate ensued between the defense counsel and the court regarding the circumstances of this case. No clarity could be reached, as the stolen bicycle was only taken months after October. The case is therefore adjourned to hear several more witnesses.
Meanwhile, M. Wensink appears before the court to answer for the fact that he gave 4 kg of bacon for a stolen bicycle. The defendant denied knowing that the bicycle was stolen property, which the military prosecutor did not find very credible, given the demand: 3 months suspended with a probation period of 2 years and a fine of ƒ 500. The court, however, judged otherwise and acquitted the defendant.
A certain Melitz, an SS man, appeared to have stored a nice amount of fertilizer. Now that he has disappeared, a number of farmers examined the matter and brought the fertilizer to their lands. This brought them before the court, which sentenced them to fines ranging from ƒ 25 or 25 days, while one was acquitted. After mutual consultation, they immediately “opened their purses.” At least it wasn’t a black market price.
H.J. te Grotenhuis needed several items, including a bread knife, a pair of bloomers, and a few cow halters, and stole these from various people. This is the same person who recently attacked an N.B.S. man with a knife during his arrest after escaping. Te Grotenhuis did not make a very reliable impression and is apparently not fully accountable for his actions. The court evidently took this into account and sentenced him to 6 months in prison.
After this, the case of E.J. ter Heurne was resumed. The bicycle was wheeled in and examined by the owner, Miss Wesselink. She declared that it was indeed her bicycle. A.J. Wentink, heard as a witness, stated that he had seized the bicycle in question from ter Heurne. He also recognized the bicycle. The defense witness Miss Kuijntjes also came to view the bicycle and could only partially recognize it. The bicycle she saw at ter Heurne’s in October was in better condition. After the municipal supervisor R. Hoogeveen was also heard as a witness in this case, the military prosecutor demanded a prison sentence of 2 years. The court reduced it by half, so ter Heurne will have to serve 1 year for this offense. Arnoldus Florentinus Voorink also pleaded in this case.
The following defendants have quite a lot on their conscience. A sheep was stolen and slaughtered; about 50 eggs were snatched, as well as a number of chickens and a quantity of tobacco leaves still in the field. Suspected of this are the brothers A.H. and H.J. Bettink in association with H. Dibbets, who in turn, together with T.W. Jansink, stole sheep’s wool and, with one of the Bettink brothers, approximately 500 kg of potatoes.
Messrs. Bettink and Dibbets also worked for their own account. For instance, H.J. Bettink pilfered two shirts, a pair of socks, and a quantity of tobacco while clearing rubble at the house of F.J. te Linde; H. Dibbets took a watch, a shirt, a pair of socks, spools of sewing thread, and a deck of playing cards. Finally, the father of the brothers, H.J. Bettink Sr., was the underlying cause of the thefts of the sheep and the potatoes and had to answer for intentional incitement.
The boys readily confessed to the charges, but Bettink Sr. declared that everything was a lie. The claim that he had encouraged the thefts was pure fabrication. On the contrary, he had always set a good example for the boys and forbidden them to steal. This statement caused quite some hilarity, given the man’s record. The sentences were far from lenient. A.H. Bettink received 3 years, with credit for time served in pre-trial detention.
T.W. Jansink was sentenced to 6 months, while a report will still be issued regarding H. Dibbets on the possibility of placing him in a youth prison. A psychiatric report will be issued for H.J. Bettink Jr., as he was considered to have significantly diminished responsibility. H.J. Bettink Sr. reaped the bitter fruits of his good intentions and will not be able to keep his sons on the right path for the next few years. He was sentenced to 4 years.
Next to stand trial as a victim of his own good intentions was E.J. van de Lende, who, while clearing rubble from the house of F.J. te Linde, had taken a pair of men’s trousers, a piece of lining fabric, and a remnant to keep them safe and out of the hands of the Germans. This happened on 24 March. In the meantime, however, a skirt had already been made from the fabric, which the court took very seriously. He had also forgotten to return the items. The goods were only returned once the case was in the hands of the police. This forgetfulness cost him 8 months in prison, and the goods must be returned.
At the conclusion of the session, the president, Major Jhr. Mr. van Nispen tot Sevenaer, paid tribute to Sergeant Bruggeman, whose excellent work and very good official reports greatly facilitated the work of the court.
I can imagine that as a former Achterhoeker, born and raised in our beautiful region, you are very curious about news from our region and how we are all doing here. It will be a pleasure for me to inform you from time to time of what has happened here and what is going to happen. Let me start by telling you that we have generally come off well here in our Achterhoek. The Tommies who came in here from the direction of Bocholt just before Easter were amazed by the friendly, apparently still prosperous country. into which, after the debris fields of Germany, they were suddenly transferred.
Liberation parade Stationsstraat, 1945
“You see here again an undamaged house,” said one to me, “and you see friendly people again, who laugh and wave at you! We have experienced that differently in recent months” Still, it was not given to us as a gift, don’t think so. The last six months in particular have been quite haunted here. Also in the political field. It was raid after raid. Greens, blacks, land guards, Gestapo, S.S., we have experienced all that beauty in its different variations here. Anyway, you have experienced that yourself in the city. so you know all about it. Let me rather tell you how we celebrated the liberation here, when it became known that our entire people was freed from slavery.
I can tell you best about Aalten, where I happened to experience it myself, but I am sure that the same enthusiasm prevailed throughout the Achterhoek. You should come to Winterwijk today, which was worn out for a hotbed of the party, right? It only now becomes clear what a “thin” layer of the population there actually kept the terror going, because there is no municipality in the Achterhoek, where you see flags as exuberantly as right there.
‘Uncle’ Jan Wikkerink
The music was immediately on his feet, you get that. In the afternoon a whole procession with children and the elderly followed through the decorated streets and it was a joy to hear a Dutch march again. The case stopped for a moment in front of Jan Wikkerink’s house. You may remember them from school in the past. And otherwise I just say “Uncle Jan”, then at least every person in hiding in the Achterhoek knows who it is. Well, that musical tribute at his doorstep was, in my opinion, exactly right. Because that’s just an ordinary contractor, isn’t it? but what a lot that man has achieved during the war years, so secretly gone.
He was quietly district head of the National Organization for People in Hiding and made sure that all those boys stayed alive and, if possible, out of the hands of the slave hunters. He and his men housed countless people there, (you know that there in Aalten they have the name hadden. dat there were as many people in hiding as inhabitants?) and where it was necessary to provide all those people with ration cards, not only city people, but also a lot of Jews and everything else, with the Gestapo on their heels, den Achterhoek came fleeing in. In cooperation with the Knock teams, many distribution offices in our area have been honored with a fruitful visit and Oome Jan always had the quiet, cautious leadership of them.
Dela Wikkerink-Eppink with Aron Jedwab alias Willem Herfstink
It was therefore no surprise when one night a child was abandoned on his doorstep. After all, he knew what to do with everything and everyone and he was simply the big placement agency, apparently also for babies. Anyway, the little one didn’t have to go far, he stayed at the same address, i.e. on the other side of the front door, where he was lovingly welcomed. It was exactly on the 21st of September and so the foundling was officially registered at the town hall the next morning with a straight face under the name Willem Herfstink . (After all, the suffix “ink” means “the son of” in Achterhoeksch). But on the first day of the liberation, the “Son of Autumn” returned to his own address, namely to the Jew master, who was very happy with his wife that they had kept their little one safe in such a dangerous time. You understand that that card was again pierced with real Achterhoek cleverness. The doctor had taken the child of the parents in hiding straight to Uncle Jan, who was already waiting for it behind the door.
It was a shock to the whole region when they finally got hold of Uncle Jan. If the whole region heard about it as soon as possible, because the captivity lasted only a few hours. The knock team could have put it right sooner, but they had to wait a while for the doctor for the chloroform and the sergeant on duty of the military police also had to rehearse how he should be intoxicated as really as possible. But then it was done, only the doctor was still busy for an hour and a half to call the good sergeant back to life, because the boys had worked him a bit too enthusiastically with the chloroform-dot.
Dr. der Weduwen
The quiet figure of Uncle Jan had since disappeared from sight, but he now had so much more time for his illegal work. The Germans were furious as usual and knew nothing better to do than to throw a few hand grenades into his house in impotent rage, which of course burned down in the end. But better the house than Uncle Jan, everyone said comforted, and so the music of the week was a spontaneous tribute from the whole population. And it was certainly also with the approval of the whole village, when later a few songs were played in front of the house of the late Dr. of the Widows, who gave so much clandestine help and in particular was a lifesaver for many boys in the camps of Bocholt and Rees. The Achterhoek knows how to celebrate, but also to sympathize with those for whom the party is impossible due to harrowing memories.
At the end of my letter, I will tell you one more example of this, which will do you good. It was in one of the rural districts that the music association went around the farms with blaring festivities. But there was a shadow over this rural district. On the last day before the liberation, a direct hit in an air-raid shelter had snatched five children from one family, with two older evacuees, from their lives. The site of that disaster was on the main road, where the procession passed. But a hundred yards from that place the music fell silent, and they went on in silence. And there at that burned-out shelter that chorale of the 103rd Psalm was played in the moving silence of all neighbors: Like the grass is our ephemeral life… Then they quietly moved on and only at a great distance from that place the festive music was resumed.
I am writing this to you because I know it will do you good. The war has not hardened us and made us numb. There is still room in the heart of the Achterhoek for compassion and quiet piety.
One of these days brought a peculiar surprise for the Houwers family at “Neerhof” in Dale. They received a letter from a Frenchman who sought and found refuge there for about three weeks, but was then unfortunately dragged away by cruel S.S. men, as was the person in hiding from Apeldoorn, Henk, who also became a victim. A third fugitive managed to escape.
Around mid-July of last year, our Remy arrived at the Houwers’. “Good people?” was his first question. One immediately noticed by the peculiar accent that he was a foreigner. There was not much time for talking, and therefore he was quickly transported to the attic, where he passed the time peeling potatoes and shelling beans. The greatest difficulty was the difference in language, so that he could only make himself understood to the daughter, a teacher. But then, sometimes, exciting stories would emerge.
‘t Neerhof, Elshoekweg 6 in Dale
He was, so he said, a French non-commissioned officer who had fought in Madagascar, Africa, and French Indo-China, among other places. In 1940, he was unfortunately one of the first prisoners of war to be taken. However, there was no soldier in the entire camp more industrious than Remy. He soon won the trust of his guards. Consequently, he was moved to a factory in Krefeld. By feigning illness, he had to go to the toilet abnormally often. This gave him the opportunity to make plans for his escape. He had already tried this three times before, but they had always caught him again before he reached France.
In his workshop, he made a compass from an old tin-opener. A razor blade, which had been magnetized with a knife, was attached to a bachelor button. He put a bit of radium on the North Pole of the magnet so he could orient himself, even at night. Cigarettes were saved and exchanged for a civilian suit. He made his final preparations, paid “honor” to his “illness” one last time, and then escaped through the toilet window. After a journey of 4 days, during which he took catnaps under the thorns by day and fled North by night, aided by his compass, he safely crossed the border. Towards morning he reached the Houwers’, where he was so well received that he decided to stay here.
He stayed at “’t Neerhof” for three weeks, and then he was caught for the fifth time and taken to Arnhem. After this, as he writes in his letter, he was imprisoned in a camp near Bocholt. In September, however, he was moved and ended up in Münster. But here it soon became too hot for the Germans, because “the bunch of idiots,” as Hitler once expressed in his speech, kept advancing in their direction. They were thus forced to move away, and now their goal was Bremen. But on the way, Remy writes, I had no desire to follow them any further; in other words: for the fifth time, our friend managed to escape. And this time he had more luck, for a week after his last flight, the Americans came to liberate him and brought him safely back to his birthplace; Palalda, in the Pyrenees.
The letter was written on April 18, 1945, and reached its destination on May 9. We sincerely congratulate the Houwers family, who did so much for this young man, on this letter, and we hope that the other person in hiding, Henk, who was first taken to Amersfoort and then ended up in Germany, may also soon return to native soil, along with all the others who are still there.
Nationaal Onderduikmuseum
During World War II, Aalten was a sanctuary for a large number of onderduikers (people in hiding). To record and keep the memory of this part of history alive, the National Hiding Museum was established in Aalten. The museum focuses on showing and documenting the stories of those in hiding and the people who helped them. It shows how ordinary people can demonstrate courage and humanity in extraordinary circumstances.
The museum is partly located in a building with a special history: Markt 12. At the time, this was the home of a family with children. People in hiding were concealed in the attic, and the cellar was a shelter for local residents, while the living room was requisitioned by the occupier as the ‘Ortskommandantur’.
On the Piepersweg in the Aaltense Heurne there is a memorial in memory of a tragic accident that took place shortly after the liberation of Aalten. The monument was erected in memory of three young boys who died in the accident.
On the afternoon of 4 April 1945, just a few days after the liberation, the boys Wim Schenk (8 years old), his brother Henk Schenk (6 years old) and their friend Wim Wisselink (5 years old) were playing outside.
In a dry ditch along the Bocholtsestraatweg they found a projectile. Unaware of the danger, they threw it at each other. At one point, one of the boys threw the projectile against the wall of a nearby house, after which it exploded.
The consequences were horrible. Wim Schenk died on the spot. His brother Henk and Wim Wisselink were seriously injured and were taken to a military emergency hospital in Barlo, where they died shortly after each other.
Booklet and monument
In 2011 a booklet about this dramatic event was published entitled ‘Spelend de dood in’, written by Louis Veldhuis.
Seventy years after the accident, in 2015, relatives of the Schenk family unveiled a monument at the site of the tragedy. It consists of a pedestal with images of the three boys and was designed by artist Ans Braamskamp.
At the end of the Second World War, on Good Friday, March 30, 1945 , Aalten was liberated by British troops. This liberation was part of the large-scale Allied advance through the eastern Netherlands, immediately after crossing the Rhine during Operation Plunder. The liberators belonged to the 1st Battalion Grenadier Guards and the 3rd Battalion Irish Guards, both part of the 32nd Guards Brigade within the Guards Armoured Division of the British Army. 1
Advance to Aalten
At the end of March 1945, the Guards entered the Achterhoek from Germany. The Grenadier Guards formed the vanguard and advanced along the Bocholtsestraatweg towards Aalten and then on to Enschede, with the Irish Guards as mechanized infantry in their wake. 2 The advance was hampered by destroyed bridges, minefields and fierce resistance from retreating German units.
The King’s Company of the Grenadier Guards was ordered to advance towards the centre of Aalten via the so-called ‘centre line’. However, important bridges turned out to have been blown up by the Germans. The bridge on the Bodendijk was partly still intact and Major Baker, commander of the King’s Company, led his men over it. 3
When they arrived at the railway, the men encountered fierce resistance and were bombarded with mortar fire and grenades. The fight with the enemy had disastrous consequences for the liberators: several soldiers were killed, including platoon commander Andrew Duncan. 4
Around midnight, another two soldiers of the Irish Guards were killed because their vehicle hit a mine in the then Dijkstraat (now Plein Zuid). The explosion led to a fierce fire in which the old café Vultink burned down completely. The next day, March 31, 1945, two engineers of the Royal Engineers were killed while clearing mines. 5
Losses and cemetery
Of the total of 13 British soldiers who died, 12 are buried in the Berkenhove general cemetery in Aalten. Platoon commander Andrew Duncan is buried in the Reichswald Forest War Cemetery near Kleve. Thanks to historical research, photos of twelve of these soldiers have now also been found. This literally gave the liberators a face. 6
After the liberation
Immediately after the liberation, the Aaltensche Courant appeared again. Shortly after the liberation on April 4, three boys, eight-year-old Wim Schenk, his six-year-old brother Henk and five-year-old Wim Wisselink found a projectile in a dry ditch on the Bocholtsestraatweg. They decided to test the projectile and threw it against the wall of a house. The three children were killed. 7
In honour of the efforts of the King’s Company, the bridge over the Keizersbeek was named the King’s Company Bridge. The ceremony took place on May 5, 2008 and was attended by, among others, veteran Walter Price, who actually served in this unit in 1945. 8
On 24 March 1945, a bombing raid took place in the Dijkstraat in Aalten. The factories on the Dijkstraat were the target. There were at least 18 to 19 fatalities. However, the exact number isnot known to date.
The Dijkstraat in Aalten, before the bombing of 24 March 1945
Shortly before the end of the Second World War, on Saturday 24 March 1945, planes suddenly screeched down over Aalten. Almost immediately the whistling sound of the falling bombs was heard. Part of the textile factory and Driessen’s office was bombed flat. The factory of the Aalten Tricotage Factory (ATF) also turned into a mess. From the bridge on the Dijkstraat to the railway, houses were completely destroyed, others had suffered very serious damage. The consequences were terrible.
Victims
At blacksmith Umbach’s, the cellar, where father Umbach (43 yrs.) and three of his children (13 yrs. 10 yrs and 5 yrs.) were hiding, was hit by a direct hit. All perished. The mother of the family and another son barely survived by crawling under a table in the kitchen. A little further on, the Te Linde-Wechelaar couple (both 68 years old) and their 40-year-old son were killed. At Koelman’s house, father Henricus Wilhelmus (55 yrs.) and daughter (20 yrs.) were killed. Johannes Henricus Antonius Tepe (50 yrs.), Maria Johanna Christina Leemhorst (34 yrs.), Anton Lamers (73 yrs.), Annie Kamphuis (15 yrs.), Henk van Mechelen (15 yrs.) are also among the victims. Furthermore, three evacuees, namely Catharina van Ingen (79 yrs.), Catharina Hendrika Stokking (25 yrs.) and an unknown 15-year-old girl from Haarlem.
In the Aaltensche Courant of May 4, 1945 and in the book “Er op of er onder” (by W.P. Nederkoorn and G.J.B. Stork) two more victims are mentioned: M.J. Praster-Polman (28 yrs.) and a certain G.A. van der Meulen (44 yrs.).
On March 30, 1945, the Aalten rural district of Barlo was liberated by the Allies. During the relief of Barlo and the surrounding area, an air-raid shelter at the Nijhof farm was hit by an Allied bomb aimed at the retreating Germans.
During the skirmishes between the warring parties, the seven children of the Weenink family, the Elfers couple who had fled from The Hague and the Nijhof couple and daughter Wanda hid in the shelter of the Nijhof farm, which was considered a reliable hiding place.
Headmaster Weenink, who had fourteen children, lived next door to the school that had been taken over by German soldiers. When the alarm went off, he sent his children to the shelters outside the center of Barlo, because he thought it was too dangerous there. Seven children fled to the shelter at the Nijhof farm on the Nijhofsweg. The other children went to the shelter of farm ‘t Markerink. The shelter at Nijhof was not under, but next to the house. The house remained unscathed.
The last bomb dropped from an Allied plane fell on the shelter. The people in it were buried under earth and tree trunks. The Nijhof family was just at the entrance of the cellar to see if the bombing had ended and was spared by this. But five of the seven children and the couple from The Hague died. The liberation of Barlo would become a day of mourning because of this tragedy.
The seven victims were Thomas Elfers (74 yrs.), Helen Elfers-Reisenleitner (74 yrs.), André Weenink (6 yrs.), Co Weenink (17 yrs.), Jan Weenink (3 yrs.), Mien Weenink (20 yrs.) and Rudolf Weenink (6 yrs.).
Listed
On the initiative of the Dwars door Barlo Foundation and the relatives of the victims, a monument has been erected in memory. The monument was placed at the Nijhof farm and was unveiled on March 30, 2009. The monument consists of two boulders, one standing upright on top of the other. In the top stone is a round hole with a piece of broken glass in it, as a symbol of the irreparable damage. Below are the names and ages of the victims. On the bottom stone, which serves as a pedestal, is a quote from the Bible. An information board has also been placed at the monument.
The text on the monument reads:
‘GOOD FRIDAY MARCH 30TH, 1945
MIEN WEENINK 20 YEARS CO WEENINK 17 YEARS ANDRÉ WEENINK 6 YEARS RUDOLF WEENINK 6 YEARS JAN WEENINK 3 YEARS OLD T.H. ELFERS 74 YEARS H.C.M. ELFERS-REISENLEITNER 75 YEARS’.
On the pedestal is the quote:
‘INNOCENT LIVES DESTROYED BY RELENTLESS WAR VIOLENCE
PSALM 73, VERSES 12 AND 14 (OLD RHYMING)’.
The text on the information board reads:
‘MONUMENT IN MEMORY
ON GOOD FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 1945, THE LAST BOMB FELL THIS PLACE WHERE AN AIR-RAID SHELTER ONCE STOOD. THIS WAS THE END OF THE SECOND WORLD WAR IN THE HAMLET OF BARLO. THE STRONG HIDING PLACE OF THE NIJHOF FAMILY TURNED OUT NOT TO BE ABLE TO WITHSTAND SUCH NOTHING RUTHLESS VIOLENCE OF WAR.
THE NIJHOF COUPLE AND THEIR DAUGHTER SURVIVED THE WOOF; THE ELFERS COUPLE AND FIVE WEENINK CHILDREN DIED.
THE FIELD BOULDERS SYMBOLIZE THE LEADEN AND MASSIVE SADNESS. THE HOLE WITH THE – BROKEN – GLASS IN ONE OF THE ERRATIC STONES SHOWS US A GLIMPSE OF A NEW FUTURE, ALTHOUGH IT WILL NEVER BE UNSCATHED.
WE HOPE THAT THIS PLACE OF REMEMBRANCE WILL MAKE YOU QUIET STAND BY THE GREAT GIFT OF FREEDOM THAT WE NOW WE CAN LIVE. LET US BE CAREFUL WITH THAT AND TO WORK TO HELP OTHERS IN THIS WAY AS WELL. TO GIVE THE WORLD THAT FREEDOM.
FOUNDATION DWARS DOOR BARLO.’
War Memorial Nijhofsweg, Barlo (photo: Francien Wiersma-Luimes)
In the summer of 1944, De Bark, an uninhabited farm between Aalten and Dinxperlo, became a hiding place for a growing number of mostly young people in hiding, who wanted to avoid the Arbeitseinsatz, as well as a few Allied pilots who had been shot down.
On Sunday morning, February 25, 1945, the guard sounded the alarm when three German soldiers from a surveying unit made an unexpected visit to the front house, where they had found no fighters but possibly suspicious objects.
After leaving the house, the Germans were arrested, disarmed and imprisoned by the ‘Lange Henk’ and comrades, armed with a sten gun. The same happened to their colleague who was waiting for them in an army truck. The command was then faced with a complex problem: how to keep it out of the knowledge of the German occupier and what to do with the four prisoners?
Death penalty
An improvised court-martial of De Bark pronounced the death penalty. Shooting them and then burying them was too cumbersome and risky. The final conclusion was: hang up. And so it happened.
The four corpses were driven into a tree by Jan Ket in a car, undermined with two explosive charges, in a recent bomb crater near Varsseveld. They were placed in the vehicle in the best possible position, after which the explosives were ignited. Only one went off, but the explosion was heavy. Ket and his men, who had to get away, were sure of their case.
That same evening, a German patrol found the partially burned-out car with the corpses of two Wehrmacht soldiers next to it with cords around their legs and welts around their necks. The two other bodies were unrecognizable. Later research showed that the rear explosive charge did not go off due to the force of the front one.
Reprisal
The reprisal measure of the German occupying forces was merciless. Forty-six political prisoners were taken from the camp De Kruisberg (Doetinchem) and executed on the border of Aalten and Wisch, near the Aalten toll.
In the meantime, the resistance group had left De Bark according to plan and moved to an old agricultural shed on the Dinxperlosestraatweg between Aalten and Dinxperlo. The news that the ruse with the staged ‘car accident’ had failed and the German reprisal by liquidating 46 Dutch political prisoners did not reach them until many days later. It first aroused disbelief in them and then a deep impression.
They were not given much time for reflection and processing, because in the meantime four Allied divisions had crossed the Rhine and were approaching the Achterhoek. On March 30, they made contact for the first time with two Canadian combat vehicles, which turned up at the ‘Somsenhuus‘. The liberation was a fact.
On Saturday , February 24, 1945, bombs fell on and around the intersection of Kruisstraat (now Prinsenstraat) and Bredevoortsestraatweg, in the center of Aalten. The consequences of the bombing were disastrous: eight people died, including three children, some were injured and the devastation was enormous.
Addie Steenbergen, daughter of baker Steenbergen, lived almost on the corner of Kruisstraat and Prinsenstraat. A couple had just left the store when the air raid siren went off. The couple did not want to go into the shelter, but continued to take shelter in the porch. Addie had to go to the other side of the street from her mother to pick up her sister Netty, who was playing there. Mother Helmink was still outside and shouted that Netty was already in the shelter at her home. Addie went back home into the bomb shelter. Mother, grandma Meijnen and sister Bea, were already there.
Father and Toon Lammers, the servant, were still outside at the entrance to the shelter when the bomb hit. The bomb landed on the Steenbergen bakery. When they see a huge blowtorch, Addie’s mother tells them to sit close to her: “If we burn, at least they will see that we were sitting together.”
There was a huge cloud of dust and then a total silence…
Victims and havoc
When Addie, her mother and sister came out again, there was nothing left of the house, only rubble. Toon Lammers, the 18-year-old baker’s assistant, got a ladder on his neck and died instantly. Father Steenbergen had fallen headfirst into the cellar of the bakery due to the air pressure displacement. He had a skull base fracture and was in a coma. The couple (van den Berg-Jacobs) who took shelter in the porch also died. Netty died in the shelter of the Helmink family, as did Hansje Houwers and a daughter of Helmink, her playmates. These three children died due to overpressure on the lungs. Two Germans were also killed. Addie later found a piece of leg from one of them among the rubble.
Gerrit and Bernard Buesink were busy outside that Saturday afternoon, just after noon. They lived on the corner of the intersection Prinsenstraat/Kruisstraat. Father Beusink had a forge there. The house received a direct hit, but miraculously they survived.
Eyewitness report
Eyewitness account of Cindy Weeber’s father about the tragedy on February 24, 1945, written down in 2006:
“My brother had to get bread from the Wikkerink bakery, on Bredevoortsestraat, and I wanted to get a toll from the Cooperative. We went with my father’s bicycle, my brother Henk cycled and I sat on the back of the ‘pakkiesdrager’, and so we went to Aalten. First we went to get bread from Albert Wikkerink and then we cycled on to the Cooperative to get a toll for me.
Suddenly the siren sounded, a warning for air raid sirens. My brother Henk threw the bicycle with bread against the façade of the Buesink forge and hid from the bombs there and I went to shelter at bakery Steenbergen. What followed was a deafening noise of bombs whizzing down. All this took about 10 minutes. After about fifteen minutes I dared to get up. My hands, arms and head were full of wounds but I had nothing else. Afterwards I realized that I could have been dead, but when you lie there like that, you don’t think about it. When I got up and went outside, everything was one big mess and I was full of dust from top to bottom.
As I was scurrying over the rubble, I heard my brother shouting, “Jan, Jan, here I am.” I recognized his voice and shouted, “Where are you?” “Here”, it sounded and I saw a gray figure coming towards me. It was my brother Henk who was also covered in small wounds, but otherwise he was fine. The bike and the bag of bread were totally crushed.
My brother said to me , “Go home quickly, and tell them that everything is all right,” and I ran home and told father and mother what had happened. They both panicked and thought the worst, but I said that Henk was also fine. Father then went with me to pick up the bicycle and the bread, but everything was covered in rubble.
Later I heard that there were seven deaths. We did have a guardian angel then because we were both practically unharmed.
What I have noticed now, after all these years, is that my brother never talked to me about this incident again. This is becoming more and more apparent in me. I don’t know why, but every now and then I wake up at night, wet with sweat, and I see the weather in front of me. Maybe it can be explained as you get older, but it comes back more and more often.
Unfortunately, my brother passed away. How I would have liked to have talked to him about it, but alas. After a good 60 years, there comes a time when you start thinking about why we were spared and those seven others were not.”
On 8 February 1945, a mistake bombing took place in the Aalten rural district of Dale, in which eleven people were killed. In memory of these victims, a monument was unveiled in 1988 on the corner of Aladnaweg and Grevinkweg.
Less than three months before the end of the war, on February 8, 1945, American B-26 Marauder bombers took off from their base in Cambrai in northern France. Their primary target was the area around Kleve, and if that was not possible, they had an alternative target at Groenlo. At Kleve it was too cloudy and so they flew on, but also in the Achterhoek the visibility was poor. Just after 11:00 a.m., they dropped 528 fragmentation bombs.
Two hours later, the aircraft returned safely to Cambrai. Their mission report stated: “Impossible to determine further damage or to locate pattern accurately due to 80% cloud cover”.
Death and destruction
The deadly cargo ended up in the vicinity of the Elshoek and the Grevink in Dale, with terrible consequences. The hundreds of splinter bombs caused death and destruction. The shards flew horizontally across the ground and affected both people and animals. Everywhere lay dismembered horses, cows, sheep, chickens and geese. Some farms suffered direct hits.
All doctors, nurses and emergency services were sent to the crash site. In the mud and among the rubble, they provided first aid to the wounded. These were transported on stretchers and ladders to Huize Avondvrede on the Hogestraat. From there, the seriously injured were transferred to the emergency hospital in Harreveld.
The bombing eventually claimed eleven lives and left several people permanently disabled.
Thes laughter offerings
In the kitchen of the Neerhof family’s farm ‘t Olde Nooitgedacht , Joop de Roon from Rotterdam was found dead. At the Glieuwe farm, where the Hogenkamp family lived, daughter Anna and sons Herman and Jozef were killed. The Bekerhuis farm of the Te Grotenhuis family was completely destroyed. There were four victims here: the children Arie and Teun te Grotenhuis and the brothers Hendrik and Gerrit Stronks, who were in hiding there.
In addition, bombs also fell in the Haartsestraat. Clarel Smit, who had just left Van Lente’s house, was so injured in his feet and legs that he died four months later in the emergency hospital in Harreveld.
The monument
The monument in memory of the victims consists of four stones, from the remains of the house of the Te Grotenhuis family. Mr. Te Grotenhuis piled up these stones at the place in question after the bombing. For years, the stones functioned as an unofficial memorial. In 1988, at the insistence of the local population, they were recognized as an official monument.
The monument for the victims of the mistake bombing in Dale
The names of the victims are inscribed on the memorial stone:
G.J. BRUS 62 YEARS OLD
G.A. BRUS-STRONKS 63 YEARS OLD
A.J. TE GROOTENHUIS 12 YEARS OLD
A. TE GROOTENHUIS 10 YEARS
M. VAN DER HARST 25 YEARS OLD
J.M. HOGENKAMP 22 YEARS OLD
H.J. HOGENKAMP 15 YEARS OLD
J.B.A. HOGENKAMP 6 YEARS OLD
J. DE ROON 18 YEARS OLD
H.W. STRONKS 33 YEARS OLD
G.W. STRONKS 26 YEARS OLD
Sources
Aalten in wartime, J.G. ter Horst
If only I could see them again, the bombing of Dale 8 February 1945, H. de Beukelaer
On or under, Aalten, the land of the people in hiding and of illegality, G.W. Vaags
Interview with Karel Aversteeg (Louis Veldhuis and Gerrit Nijman)
During the Second World War, food became increasingly scarce. Although the severity of the situation differed per region, people everywhere had to deal with ration cards and family cards. These were wanted, but at the same time objects of irony. In a clandestine paper, which was distributed in Aalten, there was a curious recipe:
“Take the meat card, roll it in the flour card, put it in the fat card and fry it with the coal card until deliciously brown. The potato card is placed in the butter card and slowly braised in the petroleum card. Then you heat up the coffee card, add the milk card and the sugar card and dip the bread card into it. Take two bread coupons, put one meat coupon in between and you have a sandwich. After dinner, one wipes one’s mouth with the pedigree. Enjoy your meal.”
Food shipments to the west
A train at Aalten station during the Second World War (photo for illustration, this is not necessarily the Rye Bread Train)
Ondanks de oorlogsomstandigheden hadden de Achterhoekers het over het algemeen niet slecht. Zelfs met 2500 onderduikers op een bevolking van 11.000 inwoners, kon men in Aalten redelijk goed eten. Er was zelfs genoeg voedsel beschikbaar om grote hoeveelheden naar het hongerende westen te sturen.
The bakers of Aalten spent hours at their ovens every day. Large quantities of rye bread and other foodstuffs were sent west each day on the 4.30 p.m. train. Food for the starving population in the western Netherlands was loaded not only at Aalten, but also at other stops along the Winterswijk-Arnhem railway line.
The first consignments of rye bread to the west began in 1942. In 1944, a horse and cart travelled through Aalten every day carrying sixty to seventy sacks of rye bread from the post office to the railway station. The 4.30 p.m. train soon became known as the ‘Rye Bread Train‘ and became a familiar institution. The first annual report issued by the Dutch postal service after the war even included a photograph of the large quantities of rye bread being loaded.
On the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the liberation, the Orange Committee and the local branch of the 1940-1945 Foundation organized liberation celebrations in Aalten from 4 to 6 May 1970. One of the highlights of these festivities would be a reunion of people in hiding and veterans. The intention was that the people in hiding would stay at their old hiding place as much as possible. On Liberation Day, 5 May, a memorial meeting with the pastors and the chaplain from the war years, and an allegorical parade were on the program. The NCRV paid attention to this Aalten initiative on Nederland 2.
The NS would use a special train for the transport of the reunionists: the old Rye Bread Train. With the same equipment with which rye breads were transported during the war, the veterans and people in hiding would return to Aalten to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the liberation. This time, however, the Rye Bread Train would run in the opposite direction, from the west to the east, to bring the reunionists to Aalten. For this special occasion, a special train ticket would even be designed.
Unfortunately, shortly before the commemoration celebrations, the organization decided to cancel the reunion, the most important part of the program. The reason for this was that there seemed to be insufficient interest among the people in hiding. Afterwards, however, there were signs that something might have gone wrong with the sending of the invitations. Anyway, the Rye Bread Train definitely remained a memory of the past
On Sunday, January 30, 1944, 48 young men were arrested during a raid by the German occupiers on two churches in Aalten. The men were taken away and five of them would not return alive. The event made a deep impression, both at home and abroad.
The occupiers knew that many young men between the ages of 19 and 23 avoided the compulsory Arbeitseinsatz or had not returned after leave. They also knew that the churches in Aalten were full of churchgoers on Sundays. The Germans seized this moment to make their move.
That Sunday, German SS men surrounded the Christian Reformed Church on Berkenhovestraat and the Reformed Westerkerk on Hogestraat. Male worshippers were forced to show their identity papers. Young men aged between 19 and 23 were arrested and taken to the Koepelgevangenis prison in Arnhem. Several older men were also detained.
From Arnhem, the 48 arrested men were sent on to Camp Amersfoort or the Oranjehotel in Scheveningen. Some were put to work on farms in Germany or in factories in the Ruhr area. Others ended up in German concentration camps.
Escapes
During the war, Aalten offered shelter to 500 evacuees from Scheveningen, many of whom wore traditional costumes. Some men managed to avoid arrest by disguising themselves with a white Scheveningen hood or by hiding under a wide cloak.
In the Westerkerk, Mrs. Visser-Taal, an evacuee from Scheveningen, helped the 19-year-old Gerrit Hoopman, who had not reported for the Arbeitseinsatz, to a disguise. She gave him her overskirt, shoulder scarf and traditional hood with head iron. Disguised as a woman, Gerrit, arm in arm with other women, left the church and managed to escape.
There was also a young man who was hidden under the floor by churchgoers, on top of the heating pipes, where he stayed until the coast was clear.
The plan of the Germans was to raid the Oosterkerk and the Westerkerk. When someone was asked the way to the Oosterkerk, this person got a frightening suspicion of what the occupier was planning. The Germans were misled and sent to the smaller Christian Reformed church on Berkenhovestraat. Jaap Papiermole (11 years old at the time) witnessed the robbery on the street. He says:
“On the morning of January 30, 1944, I was just coming out of a house of an acquaintance on Berkenhovestraat, when a German raid car drove up, which stopped in front of the Christian Reformed Church. The street was closed off and the Germans surrounded the church building. I have seen that they arrested men, but I don’t think the loot was that big. Mr. Bennink took pictures of what happened. The robbery car with the arrestees then drove towards the Ring Road. At that moment the air raid siren went off and I ran home, because my father was strict and had instilled in us to come home immediately in case of an air raid siren.
When I walked out of the Oosterkerkstraat, the same robbery car drove from the Damstraat towards the village. At the same time, my father came running and stopped the car. My father wore a kind of uniform jacket that belonged to the Air Protection Service. The car door opened and with a commanding voice that brooked no contradiction, father roared: ‘Ausweise sofort!’ The Germans were impressed by his harsh voice and handed over the pile of identity cards. Father walked through it, picked one out and said: ‘Dieser Mann suche ich. Er arbeitet bei mir.’ *
He walked to the back of the car and gave the order to let the person in question get out immediately. The bewildered young man got out of the car and walked with father to our house. The truck drove on to the Bredevoortsestraat. When father was in the backyard with that young guy, he said: ‘Here you have your identity card back. Get out of here.’”
* Jaap’s father H.J. Papiermole was an authorised representative at the firm of Driessen
The impact of the raid
The raid in Aalten made a big impression, both in his own country and abroad. It was the first time that such an action took place during a church service in the Netherlands. The London News wrote on February 14, 1944:
“AALTEN – When leaving the church, a raid was held. 50 people in hiding walked in! So going to church is no longer safe either. People stay at home, although that will be difficult for many.”
From that moment on, people in hiding no longer went to church. From then on, church services were held in secret on remote farms, with someone always on the lookout.
Five of the arrested men did not survive. Four died of the hardships in a German concentration camp or during a death march, the fifth in a bombing. The men who did survive bore the consequences of this for the rest of their lives. The raid left deep scars in Aalten and remains a tragic and unforgettable chapter in local history.
Documentary
Also watch the documentary made by Omroep Gelderland “Saved by the iron“, about the special escape of Gerrit Hoopman:
During World War II, the Jewish couple Frits and Amalia Landau lived in Aalten. Their lives ended tragically when they were executed by the resistance due to Frits’ dangerous behaviour. Their bodies were presumably buried in the countryside surrounding Aalten, but the exact location remains unknown to this day.
Frits Landau was born on 28 November 1905 in Aalten. He became a travelling salesman and remained unmarried for a long time. On 6 June 1942, he became engaged to Amalia Lorch, known as Maly, born on 20 December 1902 in Bocholt. They married in August of that same year and moved in with the Schaap family at ‘t Dal 1 in Aalten.
Soon, they were forced into hiding. From 1 April 1943, Gelderland was officially to be Juden-frei, Juden-rein (free of Jews). The Aalten population register states that Frits & Amalia departed on 17 March 1943, with no destination recorded. They subsequently stayed at two different hiding addresses, most recently with the Van Eerden family at the farm De Maote in the rural district of Dale.
Unpredictable and dangerous behaviour
It is said that Frits Landau was an alcoholic with a short temper, which led to unpredictable and dangerous behaviour. Reportedly, he did not make things easy for his hosts; he harassed young ladies and demanded his drinks every evening. He was accustomed to a luxurious lifestyle, yet in 1943, alcohol was barely available on the farms.
On several occasions, Frits threatened to betray his hiding places in order to buy his own freedom from the Nazis—at least, he assumed this would succeed. Twice, such attempts were thwarted at the very last minute.
Amalia and Frits Landau-Lorch (photo: Aalten Vooruit)Het Joodsche Weekblad, 5 June 1942
Liquidation by the resistance
Because he was considered a safety risk to other people in hiding by the local resistance, the decision was made to execute him to protect other fugitives and their helpers. The Council of Resistance and even local clergy discussed how to deal with him. Ome Jan Wikkerink proposed keeping Frits under permanent guard by other hiders and pilots. This did not happen, however, as several young resistance members took the initiative to eliminate him themselves.
They told the Landau couple that they would be taken to another hiding address in Vragender—a suitable excuse to get Amalia to come along with Frits. Incidentally, the intention was to separate Frits and Maly, as they wanted to spare her this fate. However, Frits refused to cooperate with being separated, and thus Maly was drawn into his fate.
Frits and Amalia Landau-Lorch were liquidated and buried in the countryside of Aalten by the local resistance in late 1943 or early 1944.
Location unknown
Aaltensche Courant, 28 August 1945
Opinions differ regarding the exact place and date of the liquidation. According to one theory, Frits and Amalia were killed on the Schaarsheide, close to the Nazarethdijk. Another theory points to the Daalse Goor.
The burial site of the Landau couple has been searched for several times, with the aim of giving them a reburial in the Jewish cemetery, but so far without result.
During a search on the Schaarsheide, a lady’s shoe and three rusted shovels were found. Investigation indicated that the shoe likely dates from the 1930s. It is plausible that the first burial site was discovered there. According to those involved, the bodies were later reburied. At the time, everything had to be done quickly, and apparently, it was later decided that the original burial site was unsuitable. During the clearing of the first grave, the lady’s shoe was supposedly left behind. Afterward, the mortal remains were reburied elsewhere, but where is unknown.
The most recent search took place in 2023. In a small patch of forest between Aalten and Lichtenvoorde, twelve experienced amateurs searched for the bodies of Frits and Amalia. Using detectors, they searched at various frequencies for different materials, but no human remains were found.
On 13 April 2016, two Stolpersteine (stumbling stones) for Frits and Amalia Landau-Lorch were laid at their last official residential address at ‘t Dal.
In 1941, a young lady from Aalten had to answer to the cantonal court in Apeldoorn for ignoring a red traffic light… Huh, a what…?
“The next defendant to appear before the bar proved to be a true ‘Unschuld vom Lande’ (an innocent from the countryside). It was a young lady, G.H.H., of no occupation, from Aalten, who had been staying with her aunt in Apeldoorn for about ten days. And then it happened: she had cycled down the Hoofdstraat and had not given a thought to stopping for the red traffic light. After all, such automatic traffic controllers are unknown in rural Aalten!
Still, it seemed somewhat unbelievable that, in the year 1941, a young girl would never have seen a traffic light, and so it was asked from behind the green table whether the defendant had truly never been to a city. “Yes, in Winterswijk,” the girl said, “but they don’t have them there either.” It turned out she had never made any further journeys, not even to Arnhem or Bocholt. In view of this, she got away with a fine of f 3.”
Hoofdstraat, Apeldoorn, with a traffic light in the bottom left.
Source
Nieuwe Apeldoornsche Courant, 6 November 1941 (Delpher)
