Five Brothers and a War

1944 Summary

Sep 05

Allied forces approach Dutch territory, Dutch Nazis and collaborators take to flight on this “Crazy Tuesday.” Germans kill LKP-leader Hans Dobbe in an escape attempt in Dieren. London orders merger of resistance groups into underground army. Mussert relocates to Almelo. Curfew set at 8:00 p.m. Russia declares war on Nazi led Bulgaria, which within hours later asks for truce and declares war on Germany, all in the course of a day. Belgian government-in-exile comes home. The Prinses Irene Brigade of the Dutch army takes Beeringen, a Belgian town south of Antwerp. American troops cross Dutch-Belgian border in South Limburg. Americans cross border into Germany. Final train (67th) with Jews leaves Westerbork for Auschwitz. Allied airborne troops (operation Market Garden by British 1st, American 82nd and 101st divisions), land in Eindhoven, Grave, Groesbeek and Wolfheze. Dutch government orders railway strike. Germans bomb just-liberated Eindhoven; 227 casualties. Allotment of electricity reduced further. Nijmegen free. Colonel H. Koot agrees to take command of underground army (Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten). First units of Prinses Irene Brigade reach Dutch soil near Valkenswaard. Polish troops clear part of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, west of Antwerp, of enemy. Germans start demolishing harbor installations in both Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Stoottroepen formed in liberated South. Germans destroy Liduina Manor, headquarters KP-Zenderen; kill three KP members on the spot. Allied troops north of Arnhem cease fighting, remnant retreats across the Rhine during the night. Germans evacuate prisoners of Camp Amersfoort to death camp Neuengamme. Germans terrorize Putten, deport 582 adult males in revenge of failed car-hijacking attempt (only 49 survived the war). Dutch government-in-exile asks neutral Sweden to send food supplies to occupied Holland. RAF bombs dikes of island of Walcheren to inundate and isolate German units. Missions repeated on 4th, 7th and 11th. The Vliegende Hollander becomes a daily. US Army divisions (107th and 30th division) free Maastricht. Large roundup of men in Zwolle. First V-2 rocket, Hitler's latest weapon, falls on London.

Sep 08 Sep 09

Sep 12 Sep 13

Sep 14 Sep 15 Sep 17

Sep 19

Sep 20

Sep 21

Sep 23

history Sep 27

Sep

Oct 01

Oct 02

Oct 03

Oct 04 Oct 06 Oct 07

The British land in Greece and Albania.

Hengelo bombed (125 killed).

Wehrmacht on manhunt in Utrecht, Amersfoort and Kampen; start of regular large scale roundups of men between ages of 17 and 50 for forced labor in Germany and for digging trenches. Archdiocese in pastoral letter announces its Relief Campaign for victims of war.

Oct 11

Five Brothers and a War

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