Traces of War Overloon: 3. Turret of the Monastery

In the village of Overloon, a route has been set out with fifteen signs. It provides a picture of what happened in the village at fifteen different locations in the village. The route is called: "Traces of the war" and was made possible by the Overloon War Museum.

The Battle of Overloon from September 26 to October 14, 1944

For more than four years, the Second World War had more or less passed Overloon. But on September 26, 1944, the front reached this village in De Peel. The narrow strip of land liberated during Operation Market Garden between Eindhoven and Arnhem was slowly but surely widened. The advance of the Allied army went well up to Overloon. There the Germans had dug in to stop the enemy. On September 30, the Allies launched the attack with the US 7th Armored Division. After 9 days of very fierce fighting, the exhausted Americans withdrew and were relieved by British army units commanded by Major General L.C. Whistler. After a few days of relative rest, in which heavy rainfall had turned Overloon into one big mud pool, all hell broke loose on October 12 at 11 a.m. For an hour and a half the Allies bombarded the German positions with heavy artillery and air raids. More than 100,000 grenades flew around the Germans. When the village was completely in ruins, the advance of the British began. House by house was taken at the cost of huge losses. Fierce man-to-man fights also took place in the woods. On October 14, at four in the afternoon, the last stronghold, the church, fell in the village of Overloon. The Germans still present were taken prisoner. Overloon was left as a completely destroyed village.

3. Turret of the Monastery

English soldiers walk into Overloon via Baansestraat. To the left of the house of clog maker Hannes Jeuken with behind it Piet Janssen's bakery. It is clear to see why these houses will no longer be built. Emergency housing will be built that will be replaced by new construction in the 1950s. The tower of the monastery that was located on "Boslaan" (now Museumlaan) in 1944, has been given a place here as one of the few tangible memories.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar.nl
• Photos: TracesOfWar.nl
• Oorlogsmuseum Overloon