Five Brothers and a War

1945 Summary

Feb 24

Dutch government urges Eisenhower's chief of staff Bedell Smith to start offensive to liberate Holland. Germans finally allow distribution of Swedish food and medical supplies to deprived areas. Allied troops cross the Meuse and take the evacuated Limburg towns of Venlo and Roermond. The Hague's districts of Bezuidenhout and Korte Voorhout in error bombed by British planes. Casualties run into the hundreds. SS-commander Rauter wounded at Woeste Hoeve (Veluwe) in shoot-out with a resistance group. Germans strike back by killing 263 hostages throughout the country, including 117 at Woeste Hoeve. Another Allied agent dropped at Benthuizen. Americans take the Rein at Remagen, Germany. Execution of 36 men picked at random at Amsterdam's Weteringplantsoen. Queen Wilhelmina returns to Dutch soil at Eede, Zeeuws Vlaanderen. Allied top command order Eisenhower to liberate the western region of Holland. Black market price of wheat reaches f52 per kilogram. The British Second Army crosses the Rhine at Rees and Wesel. Allied planes attack targets in Enschede (65 people killed); Doetichem (110 killed). American planes (among them 152 Flying Fortresses) strafe and bomb Luftwaffe airfield at Twenthe, raids take 75 lives in Haaksbergen, 83 in Goor. After bridging the Rhine, Canadian units begin battle, lasting three days, for the German town of Emmerich, to the east of Nijmegen. At the (82m-high) Elterberg, 4 million grenades land among the trees before the area is cleared of Germans, Allied units cross the Dutch border in the Achterhoek region between Elten and Milligen, south east of Arnhem. Enschede suffers another Allied air attack. After a battle, British units liberate Winterswijk. Black marketeers trade cheese for f 26.00 per 100 grams. Seyß-Inquart talks with Dutch top civil servant Hirschfeld (Secretary-General, Trade and Commerce), proposing a truce to facilitate large-scale food transports into hunger-stricken, densely-populated Western Holland. The British take Ruurlo; Oldenzaal freed. The American Seventh Army crosses the Rhine at Worms. Air raids on Nijverdal take life of 72.

Feb 27

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history Mar 28 Mar 30

Mar 31

April 02

Apr 03 Apr 04

Canadians take Didam, Lochem, Zevenaar, Borne and Holten.

Mussert returns to residence at The Hague. The British liberate Denekamp, and Canadians free Delden after heavy fighting. Almelo welcomes Canadians.

Five Brothers and a War

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