War Graves Aalders Family

Ulft March 30, 1945
Good Friday March 30, 1945

Father and mother Aalders are together with their children in the kitchen preparing their hot meal.

An explosion outside around 5 pm!

There is shouting!

'' '' TO THE CELLAR '' ''

Mother with daughter Ida in her arms and father who walks behind are running together with the children
Jan, Gerrit, Bertus, Bennie, Joep, Wim, Herman, Hennie and Frans go to the basement.
A blockage for the basement.

Gerrit, Bertus, Joep, Frans and Herman can reach the cellar. At that time an "explosion" very close. With a thunderous roar, the shards and air pressure blast down the hallway of the house.
Then it is quiet. Father is in the kitchen, mother is on the stairs with daughter Ida in her arms, the boys Jan, Bennie, Wim and Hennie have not been able to reach the cellar. A drama for the Aalders family and a trauma for the children who were able to reach the basement. German soldiers and bystanders come to the rescue and soon the pastor is also present. Mother Bernardina and her children were not allowed to receive the sacraments of the dying just in time. The wounded were carried on a ladder to the carpenter workshop of neighbor Gerritsen.

What happened?
A German machine gun emplacement placed on the roof of the DRU was attacked by an Allied fighter pilot.
The fighter pilot misses target and the rocket bomb hits the front door of the Aalders family.
It may have been shrapnel (splinter bomb), but multiple explosions could have been heard, so it could have been 8 x 75mm RP-3 missiles unguided. Popularly called rocket bombs; these were from the Hawker Typhoon hunter.

Mother is buried with her five children at the RC Cemetery St. Antoniusparochie in Ulft.

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Source

• Text: Maarten Koudijs
• Photos: Maarten Koudijs