Liberation Route Marker 145: 'Hell Bill, let's take this damn’d place'

Hell Bill, let's take this damn'd place
On the 27th of October 1944, after some hesitation, the Canadians decide to liberate Bergen op Zoom. Kees de Waal, 16 years old and a member of the underground, goes to meet his liberators He is allowed to show them the way.

On the 27th of October 1944, the Canadians from the South Alberta Regiment and the Lincoln & Welland Regiment had advanced to within a few kilometres of Bergen op Zoom. Their commanders were debating. Should they launch an attack on Bergen op Zoom or not?

These two regiments were part of the 1st Canadian Army, which had the mission to capture the Scheldt estuary, so that the Antwerp port could be used for the supply of troops and equipment. In the days before the 27th of October, the Canadians had fought fierce battles to gain access to Zuid-Beveland at Kreekrakdam. After this fighting, the German forces retreated to a line behind the Zoom.

The Canadians then entered the city and liberated a section of Bergen op Zoom. The fighting lasted for days, until the Germans eventually also had to surrender that line.

Audiospot - Hell Bill, let's take this damn'd place

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.

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: TracesOfWar & Liberation Route Europe
• Photos: Rick Bakema