Liberation Route Marker 111: The bombing of September 19, 1944

The bombing of September 19, 1944
Liberation comes to the people of Eindhoven on 18 September 1944. They celebrate exuberantly. The Americans and British are greeted with cheers and chants. People dance in the streets and the joy is unprecedented. But the day after, it abruptly turns into its opposite. German bombers appear above the city of Eindhoven and bomb the city, resulting in many civilian casualties. Here, on the Biesterweg, a shelter packed with people is hit.

On September 19 1944, Eindhoven was still partying. The city had been liberated the previous day, and people lined the streets to welcome their liberators. But in the course of the afternoon, the mood changed. There were rumours the Germans were advancing from Nuenen and Helmond.

In the evening, German Luftwaffe planes appeared over the city. They bombed Eindhoven. They targeted the transit routes of the British army corps: Aalsterweg, Stratumsedijk, Stratumseind, Rechtestraat, Wal, Emmasingel, Hertogstraat and the surrounding area. The British vehicles had nowhere to go. Loaded with ammunition and fuel, they exploded. There were fires everywhere. The number of casualties among civilians was enormous. 41 people died on the Biesterweg, when the shelter they were in took a direct hit. In total, 227 people died on September 19.

Audiospot - The bombing of September 19, 1944

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.
Many routes feature listening spots, offering the opportunity to listen to a historical story at a location. In addition, many ‘Vectors of Memory’ have been placed, indicating that the passer-by is on one of the Liberation Routes.
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: Jeroen Koppes