Liberation Route Marker 144: Back to Hulten

Back to Hulten
After the German occupation, Frans van Eyck from Hulten escapes to England. He serves in the Princess Irene Brigade. From August 1944, it participates in the Allies liberation offensive. In late October, he is back as a liberator in Hulten.

Frans van Eyck was a military conscript when the war broke out. When the Germans invaded the Netherlands, he briefly saw action, but the Dutch had to withdraw. Frans ended up in Brest in France and was faced with a choice. Wait for his capture by German troops or cross to England. He chose the latter.

There, he was drafted into the Royal Princess Irene Brigade. After a long wait and many training courses, in August 1944, he left with the brigade for France. As part of the Allied liberation army, he headed north and was involved with the Princess Irene Brigade in September 1944 in Operation Market Garden. When the operation failed at Arnhem, his brigade was directed to Tilburg. After Tilburg was liberated, Frans was once again close to home. On the 28th of October 1944, he was back in Hulten - as a liberator.

Audiospot - Back to Hulten

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: Arie van Wijngaarden