War Memorial Viersel

War Memorial for the fallen soldiers Corporal David Thursby and soldier Ronald Charles.

In the early evening of September 9, 1944, a patrol of the 4th battalion Welch Regiment with Corporal David Thursby, Soldier Ronald Charles Bird and a hitherto unknown soldier went from Broechem to Viersel to investigate whether a suitable location could be found to to cross the Albert Canal. Aloïs Huybrechts the son of the policeman saw them and accompanied them to the bridge. When he arrived at the bridge he had to leave the tommies because it could be too dangerous, said "out out". The Germans who were between Massenhoven and Vierseldijk had a good view of the other side of the canal and had seen the English. A German soldier swam across the 50 meter wide channel and was not visible to the English who were now on top of the "disaster". The German soldier was hiding at the bottom of the disaster (on the side of Massenhoven) and, at the direction of the other Germans on the other side of the canal, he threw a grenade on top of the "disaster" towards the English patrol. Corporal Thursby and Private Bid were killed instantly. The third soldier rolled down the side of the Kerkstraat (now Watersportlaan), he was seriously hurt but was still in the line of fire of the Germans and could not be immediately dismissed. He called for help "I am a Tommy". The Thys family was anxiously waiting in the basement and dared not venture between the shooting parties. Finally, after at least an hour, this soldier was picked up by an armored car and taken to a field hospital. Certain reports state that this soldier died of his injuries and was buried at the Schoonselhof. However, this has not yet been definitively confirmed.

The Germans recorded the incident with the Welch and the capture of a bren and stengun in their morning report of September 10, 1944.

On a later patrol to the bridge on September 10 at 4:30 am, this time it was a 13-man combat patrol, it was reported that one had seen the body of Corporal Thursby from a distance but not the others. No Germans were sighted along their side of the canal and no suitable location was found to cross the canal.

Thursby and Bird were given a field grave at the bridge. On November 20 and 21, 1947, their bodies were excavated and transferred to the cemetery of Viersel, where they still find their eternal rest today.

On September 11, 2019, a new monument was erected in their honor and all the war victims at the bottom of the bridge in Viersel. It represents two soldiers who are on guard forever. The monument was placed by the municipality of Zandhoven and designed by Glen Willems. On the same September 11, 2019, an exhibition was also organized in the church of Viersel by the municipality of Zandhoven. Glen Willems and Eric Crombez brought together a lot of information about the events during the liberation days and together with the working group "The Great War" the whole took shape. From 8 to 11 November 2019, a larger exhibition took place in the Poplar in Zandhoven, including the story about the liberation of the municipality of Zandhoven and the story of Antwerp X, the defense plan against the V-bombs supplemented with original vehicles and material from the time.

A new bicycle route has also been inaugurated, passing through some 25 places through the municipality of Zandhoven, where events took place during the Second World War.

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: Glen Willems
• Photos: Glen Willems