Liberation Route Marker 122: De Kleine Elft

De Kleine Elft
After the airborne landings of September 17, the inhabitants of Reek near Grave are awaiting the liberators. On Tuesday, September 19, 1944, an endless convoy of military vehicles finally appears at this intersection. All the residents of the entire area have gathered at the former hotel, De Kleine Elft. They cheer their liberators, who pass out chocolate and cigarettes. Fifteen-year-old Wim Boeijen is there too.

De Kleine Elft (‘The Little Shad’) was once a hotel at the crossroads in Reek, where the Allies arrived from Zeeland and turned off towards Grave. On Tuesday September 19, everyone from the neighbourhood gathered there to see the liberators. An endless column of military vehicles, tanks and troops streamed past. The liberators passed out chocolate, white bread and cigarettes.

When the advance halted, quarters were set up all over Reek. The troops rested, were taken care of and reassembled. Also, at the end of September, troops who had landed at Keent airfield were stationed in the village. As a result, for a while, the village took on the appearance of a military base, where the troops waited for the final thrust to the north. This would only eventually take place 6 months later.

Audiospot - De Kleine Elft

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