Liberation Route Marker 102: Fallen angel

Fallen angel
On September 17, 1944, the air is suddenly filled with an overwhelming drone. Many hundreds of aircraft appear over the area near Bladel. The planes are carrying paratroopers and equipment to the drop zone. Liberation is near. But the German anti-aircraft guns are firing fiercely. Some planes never reach their goal, but crash to the ground. Pilots, crews, soldiers and also civilians are killed.

On Sunday September 17 1944, a fleet of Skytrain transport aircraft, Waco gliders and accompanying jets flew the U.S. 101st Airborne Division from England to the Netherlands to be dropped at Son and Veghel. These aircraft arrived over the area where this boulder stands.

The Germans had stationed considerable anti-aircraft fire in this wooded area. Above Bladel, Casteren, Netersel and Hoogeloon, five Skytrains were shot down, killing the crew and paratroopers. Those who had managed to jump from their burning aircraft in time were often helped by people from the underground. A crashing plane also killed people on the ground.

Audiospot - Fallen angel

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: Joey Post