Liberation Route Marker 121: Father Sampson

Father Sampson
On September 17, 1944, paratroopers from the American 501st Parachute Regiment come down near this castle. But during the drop, they land at the wrong castle. Their drop zone is six kilometres away near Veghel. They have to secure the bridges there as soon as possible. Thanks to this mistake, the people of Heeswijk are introduced to an extraordinary priest, Father Sampson.

On September 17 1944, the first battalion of the American 501st Parachute Infantry Regiment missed the drop zone. The paratroopers jumped too late and landed at Heeswijk Castle.

The chaplain of the regiment, Father Sampson, was there too. He landed unfortunately in the castle moat. Immediately after landing, the battalion commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Harry Kinnard advanced towards Veghel to capture the bridges there. Father Sampson was left behind in the castle with a group of 46 men and helped set up a First Aid post. He went to find transport for the injured. When he and two horse-drawn carts with Dutch drivers returned to the castle, the Germans had recaptured it.

During Operation Market Garden, Heeswijk-Dinther remained in the front line. The villagers lived between hope and fear. Sometimes the Americans appeared, then the Germans returned. The area was only finally liberated in late October 1944.

Audiospot - Father Sampson

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