Memorial Alexander Caerts Lanklaar

This memorial stone commemorates Alexander Caerts who perished during the invasion of the German Army during World War II.
The memorial bears the following text:
After the German attack on May 10, 1940, all bridges over the canal were blown up The bridge in Lanklaar, however, was the last because all crews of the bunkers along the Meuse, the so-called alarm position, had to get back into their own lines via this bridge. When the crews from the bunker at Rotem waited, the commander decided not to take any chances and to have the bridge blown up.
After some time Lt. Dupont and his men arrived at the destroyed bridge anyway. There was no alternative but to try to swim across the canal. Recalled Private Alexander Caerts of the 1st Jagers te Paard tried to reach the other side by clambering over the debris of the destroyed bridge. In doing so, he was probably hit by a salvo from an overcoming aircraft, fell into the water and drowned despite the efforts of his comrades to save him.

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Source

• Text: Joost Verheijden
• Photos: Joost Verheijden (1, 2), Fedor de Vries (3, 4, 5)
• Geschied- en Heemkundige Kring De Vreedsel

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