Panel 5 Mortsel Bombing april 5 1943

Eggestraat, Mortsel

Belgium Antwerp Mortsel

Text on panel 5
April 5th, 1943
Bombing of Mortsel

In the corridors of the Guido Gazelle school
What happened here?
The Guido Gazelle boys' school was located here. When the bombs fell, the students took shelter with their teachers in the fortified corridors. A direct hit caused the classrooms to the right to collapse. 23 disciples were taken dead from under the rubble.

The boys back then tell
"The last boy was barely inside when the thunderous roar began, growing into unbearable violence. With him we fled under the granite staircase. We hugged each other in agony and formed a cluster of children's bodies."
"Everything collapsed. Even the tiles from the roof fluttered down. I flew up and after that I got all kinds of things on my head. When the dust had cleared, I saw a little light luckily. I was stuck in the rubble. I heard screaming and started shouting myself. It didn't help because everyone was in a panic. I thought I was going to die because the dust made it difficult for me to breathe. I started to pray Hail Marys, but you can't keep that up. , nothing more. I was silent. "
"I started rooting to get out. But the more I rooted, the worse it got. Alls started to get closer and closer, so I didn't dare to move. Underneath me was someone else. In the beginning I had felt. that it moved. He even hurt me. Afterwards I didn't hear him anymore, then it was quiet. Fortunately my right arm protruded a bit above the rubble and they saw that. My teacher freed me."

This walk was realized by the city of Mortsel in collaboration with Pieter Serrien.

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