Liberation Route Marker 107: A tank too many

A tank too many
Because the advancing route of the British is still under German attack and the column is constantly being forced to halt, the Allies seek alternative routes for their tanks and other equipment. Perhaps they will succeed in advancing towards Eindhoven along this road. But, for that to happen, this bridge must be able to bear the weight of the heavy tanks.

The bridge over the Dommel near Veldhoven might have been a possibility. It was scouted by a unit of armored reconnaissance cars under the command of Lieutenant Palmer. This made them the first liberators of Veldhoven at 9:30 in the morning on September 18, 1944.

This reconnaissance unit drove west in a wide arc around Eindhoven and at a quarter past twelve made contact with the American 101st Airborne Division in the northern part of Eindhoven. The bridge later in the day proved too weak for the heavy British tanks after all.

Audiospot - A tank too many

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: Lennard Bolijn