Memorial Bombardment Operation Oyster

This memorial commemorates the victims of Operation Oyster, the allied "Saint Nicholas bombardment" on December 6, 1942. 135 inhabitants died. The bombardment targeted the various Philips factories in the city. Namely the Strijp complex with the clock building and the enormous Veem building and the Emmasingel, with the White Lady where this monument now stands. Both factory complexes made lamps and parts for radios (radio tubes) and therefore an important target for the RAF. The factories were on a list of eight most important targets in occupied territory.

Because the factories were located in the city, the risk of civilian casualties was high. Because of this it was decided not to bomb from a great height but to stay low to the ground. This made it possible to hit the targets more accurately. 94 aircraft were sent to Eindhoven, of the types Boston, Ventura and Mosquito.

Because they flew so low to stay under the radar, a number of aircraft were lost on the outward journey. Some were hit by birds, others by German flak. Things also went wrong during the bombing, one of the planes flew so low that it could no longer rise above the Veem building. It is located on the second highest floor of the building. A total of 13 aircraft were lost with 46 crew members. They are buried in Vlissingen, Bergen op Zoom and Eindhoven or are listed on the monument in Runnymede.

The Germans lost seven soldiers, they are all buried in Ysselsteyn.

There were 135 victims in Eindhoven, they are buried in various cemeteries, including those in the Fellenoord district. Not only were the factories heavily damaged, the Binnenziekenhuis was also completely wiped out, where the Heuvelgalerie shopping center now stands. Furthermore, the Demer was heavily hit and several homes were hit. Video recordings of the attack are available (see below), especially the enormous Veem building is easy to recognize.

On December 6, 2011, this monument was unveiled by the 'Stichting Bombardement Eindhoven 6 December 1942'. The oyster refers to the name of the operation. The buildings indicate what it looked like after the bombing. The hole in the upper shell represents the holes in the roof of the Philips factories. A sealed tube has been placed in the monument with all 135 names of the victims on it.

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

Source

• Text: Fedor de Vries & Jeroen Koppes
• Photos: Fedor de Vries
• RIJKEN, K. e.a., Operation Oyster, Pen & Sword Books, London, 2014.