Vector of Memory: The Battle of Overloon

The Battle of Overloon
One of the most intense battles in the Netherlands during the Second World War took place in the vicinity of Overloon as American and British tanks and infantry fought against German troops. Not long after Operation Market Garden failed. Overloon was nearly completely destroyed by Allied artillery fire on 12 October 1944. More than 40,000 shells were fired at the village on that day.

After Overloon was captured, the battle for Venray to the south also became very tense. The battle at the Loobeek brook was so fierce that it was nicknamed ‘Bloedbeek’ (blood brook). The Allies liberated Venray on 18 October. The Battle of Overloon was over. It is estimated that more than a thousand soldiers died here. Many of them are buried in the British War Cemeteries in Overloon and Venray and the German War Cemetery in Ysselsteyn. The American casualties were buried at different locations.

This monument lies in the middle of arable land and can only be viewed from a distance from the Overloonseweg carpool site or along the unpaved Langstraat towards De Makken estate.


Liberation Route Europe is a certified Cultural Route of the Council of Europe. With hundreds of sites and stories in nine European countries, the route links the main regions along the advance of the Allied Forces in 1943-1945.
The entire route consists of themed routes that can be travelled by by hiking, walking, cycling and car. These routes pass numerous historical and interesting sites and tell stories from a multitude of perspectives that were important in the final phase of World War II.

A separate group within the routes are the Vectors of Memory designed by renowned architect Daniel Libeskind. They form a symbolic family of landmarks that honor people, places and stories in the European landscape. The vectors are a topography of memory. They act as points in both space and time and connect to the liberation story. It is important that the markers convey a clear and powerful message.

There are 4 types of vectors:
- The Remembrance Site Vector
- The Crossroads Vector
- The Wall Vector
- The Floor Vector

For more information on the Vectors of Memory see the Liberation Route Europe site: https://www.lre-foundation.org/vectors-of-memory/.
The routes can be found on the website of Liberation Route Europe or in the app through which many stories can also be listened to.

The routes can be found on the Liberation Route Europe website or in the app through which many stories can also be listened to.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar & Liberation Route Europe
• Photos: Corin Gelderblom