Heythuysen
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1940-1945. The resistance in the dutch province of Limburg

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Heythuysen

https://www.openstreetmap.org/relation/2181958#map=10/51.2761/5.8759

During the first mass on Sunday, October 8, 1944, the catholic church of Heythuysen was surrounded by the German "Green Police". All men between the ages of 16 and 60 were rounded up. Raids were also held after the nine and ten o’clock masses. The same happened in other villages between the Maas River and area Peel. See the list on Wikipedia. [1]
It was a true slave hunt with the intention of getting workers for German industry. This has gone down in history as the great church raid. [2]
From Heythuysen alone, 101 men and boys were deported. Of them, 2 did not survive the war. About half of the deportees were gathered in Heythuysen station. A plaque was placed there as a reminder. [3.1]
The site of the National Committee May 4 and 5 lists many war memorials, with the story behind them. About the rescue of the church of Heythuysen we read there the following story, which plays between the lost battle of Arnhem and the liberation: [3.2]
In central and northern Limburg, many churches were dynamited because the towers made ideal observation posts. The German demolition squads had in many cases applied so much explosive that not only the towers, but the entire church buildings were blown up. Thus it happened to the churches of Baexem, Beegden, Buggenum, Haelen, Kessel, Leveroy and Meijel. But the St. Nicolaas tower of Heythuysen got off graciously.
Many German soldiers were quartered in Heythuysen. In addition, large numbers of evacuees who had fled the front area arrived daily. In the church of Heythuysen, the Germans installed 52 kilos of dynamite. When the bell-ringer Eduard van Wegberg wanted to wind up the clock in the tower, he saw that 26 rods of explosives had been installed. He decided to sabotage the ignition mechanisms of the rods, which prevented the big blow. ... A new explosive charge was placed in the tower. After locking the entrance door, the commander of the demolition squad snarled at the parish priest that "under no circumstances" should he allow anyone to enter the tower. Nevertheless, men from Heythuysen who wanted to escape the raid kicked in the door to hide in the tower. The demolition commander was furious when he heard of the forced doors and attached a booby trap behind the entrance door.
On November 15, 1944, the Allies were approaching. When word reached Father Samuel that the occupiers were on their way to blow up the tower, he hastily sent churchgoers home. At one o’clock in the afternoon, a car stopped near the church, from which three German soldiers emerged. After warning the people nearby, they disappeared into the tower. A short time later, a dull bang sounded. A stinging flame shot out through one of the bell holes. The demolition squad came out. One of the soldiers was wounded and was bandaged on the spot. In anger, his comrade aimed his bazooka at the tower to blow it up as yet. But a very close shell hit made him change his mind. The German soldiers fled. Heythuysen was liberated that same day and the church was miraculously saved.

  1. https://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kerkrazzia_in_Nederland
  2. 1. Kerkrazzia • NederlandsDeutschEnglishFrançaisPortuguês
    2. Grote kerkrazzia 1944
    3. Kerkrazzia’s in Noord- en Midden-Limburg
  3. www.4en5mei.nl
    1. Heythuysen ‘Sporen die bleven’
    2. Heythuysen Vredesmonument Stationsstraat, 6093 BJ, Heythuysen (Heythuysen), Limburg, Nederland


Liberated: 1944-11-16

See also Between Maas and Peel

All the fallen resistance people in Limburg

Heythuysen – 1 pers.

Berkhout,
Jacobus Hermanus
Jacob
∗ 1904-08-12
Culemborg
† 1945-08-31
Malchow
- Aid to People in Hiding L.O. - Knokploegen (K.P.) - Heythuysen - Forced Labor -

Jacob Berkhout, an electrical engineer, had taken in a Jewish Ms. Prijs and her two children at his home. Someone who knew about it betrayed this in order to get an arrested friend released. …

wall: left, row 22-05