Panel 11 Mortsel Bombing 5 April 1943

Text on panel 11
April 5, 1943
Bombing of Mortsel
Mechelsesteenweg also the end of the shortened route.

Saint Lutgardis. "Sister, they are coming!"

What happened here?
The school building and the shops and houses on the right had been reduced to rubble. A large group of students became trapped under the rubble. All help came too late for 61 students and 5 sisters.

Pupils from then tell
"The children crawled under the nun's skirt, but my girlfriend and I wanted to walk. The nun had just reached the collar. We had to go to the back of the hallway. Then suddenly I was buried under the rubble. It happened. in a flash."
"We thought it was over. My girlfriend was crying very loudly and calling for her mother. I took her and comforted her that the bombing was over. Just then I felt a dull blow. Everything went black. I don't know how. long I've been unconscious, but I've heard the planes throbbing away. "
"I regained consciousness and was paralyzed by fear. I was clutched. My arms could still move and I tried to pull away. That was impossible, because there were bodies everywhere: under me, above me and next to me. Luckily, my girlfriend was lying next to me. She was still alive, but she was squeezed under a wall. On my stomach was a girl from my class. She was crying and screaming. She had a lot of trouble breathing because her mouth was full of dust. I put my finger in her mouth to remove the dust. Then she asked if we could pray the deed of repentance together. We did that and then she died. "

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

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Source

• Text: Mia van den Berg
• Photos: Mia van den Berg