Images of the years of occupation Boxtel 1940-1944
Title
Images of the years of occupation Boxtel 1940-1944
Para 13 - the tragic results of the war in the air June 1943/July 1944
Description
Details effect of bombing war on the Netherlands. While many overflights on the way to Germany some Netherlands targets were hit. This included the Phiips factory in Eindhoven. Includes account of events in Boxtel while the Eindhoven attack in progress. Account of night 16/17 June 1943 when aircraft crashed at Boxtel and of further crash 21/22 June 1943.
Creator
Spatial Coverage
Language
Type
Format
Two page typewritten document
Publisher
Rights
This content is available under a CC BY-NC 4.0 International license (Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0). It has been published ‘as is’ and may contain inaccuracies or culturally inappropriate references that do not necessarily reflect the official policy or position of the University of Lincoln or the International Bomber Command Centre. For more information, visit https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ and https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/legal.
Identifier
MDexterKI127249-170830-04
Transcription
Images of the years of occupation
Boxtel 1940 – 1944
Gied Segers
Para 13 – The tragic results of the war in the air. June 1943/July 1944.
The “Battle of Britain” – in the Summer of 1940 – which should have been the start of the capture of Great Britain by Hitler, was not very successful for Germany.
Through fierce and heroic resistance of the RAF, the Luftwaffe did not succeed to control the English airspace. In England airplane production, including heavy bombers, was increased further. Moreover, England could count on military support and the enormous production possibilities of the US, especially after Dec 1941, when America became involved in the war.
At the end of May 1942 the RAF carried out its first massive bomber flight on Keulen, in connection with the “total war in the air”. At night more than 1000 allied planes, squadron after squadron, passed in the air of occupied territory on its way to Germany. With these bomber flights, of which many were to follow, the Allies hoped to destroy the German industries and – by bombing German cities – to disrupt life and to undermine the morale of the German people.
The bomber flights, which during 1942 were also carried out during the day, not only spread death and destruction in Germany, but were sometimes also aimed at Dutch industrial targets. In this way on 6 Dec 1942 the Philips factories in Eindhoven became a target of an allied air attack. In addition, a part of the inner city was destroyed and many died among the population.
Around 13.00 hrs on that 6 Dec, a message was received by the Boxtel town police that there was an air-raid warning in Eindhoven. They immediately made telephone enquiries about the position. This was done to find out the route of the planes and probably also to find out whether there should be an air-raid alarm over Boxtel. Pc Diesveld spoke to a colleague of the police in Eindhoven who informed him in an excited manner that at that moment an allied air-raid was taking place over Eindhoven: “The town has been badly hit and large fires have broken out. We need urgent assistance.”, said the policeman hurriedly. He also announced that, because of an interruption in the telephone centre, it was no longer possible to get connection from the police station to the outside to request assistance and to warn the authorities. Because incoming calls – as shown by coincidence of the Boxtel call – seemed to be possible, the Eindhoven policeman asked through the Boxtel police for urgent assistance for the stricken town. This request was immediately seen to. The provincial and local LBD* were warned, the German authorities were informed and also the Judicial Officer was hastily informed.
Moreover, two policemen from Boxtel were sent by motor to Eindhoven (Knol and Kools) with the instruction to offer their services there. Also the Boxtel fire brigade and the LBD left for the stricken Eindhoven.
Just over a year later, namely during the night of 16 and 17 June 1943, Boxtel was for the first time confronted with the results of the “total war in the air”. Close to 1.45 hrs that night an announcement from the LBD-Oisterwijk arrived that over that parish a plane was hit by the
[page break]
German anti-aircraft artillery and that the plane – a four engine bomber – was steering on fire in the direction of Boxtel. A little later the plane indeed circled, out of control and burning, over Boxtel and the crashed near the hamlet of Hal. One of the engines had – before that – crashed burning on the railway line Boxtel-Den Bosh. Five of the seven crew still attempted to escape the plane with parachutes although this attempt failed. Because in the meantime the bomber had lost too much height, the parachutes did not open on time. The five English crew were all found dead near the fiercely burning craft.
The German Wehrmacht was soon in position and immediately they cordoned off the area. A group of 35 Germans organised a rounding-up party to capture possible escaped crew members.
A few days later, namely during the night from 21 to 22 June 1943 around 2.00 hrs, an allied bomber crashed again on Boxtel territory. The plane came down fiercely burning behind cafe de Ketting (Bosscheweg) approx. 50 metres behind the villa Kersten, called “Nieuwe Eikenhorst”, in which evacuated elderly were sheltering. Police, fire brigade, LBD, hastily warned doctors and clergymen, hurried to the disaster area. They immediately started to clear the villa Kersten and administered first aid to the elderly people, of which several were wounded and most of them were in shock. The fire brigade of Boxtel started, under instructions from the German Wehrmacht, to extinguish the fire.
[underlined] In inset [/underlined]:
Requisition personnel LBD
in case of air-raid alarm
On grounds of Article 8 of the LBD requisition you are hereby summoned to perform services at the LBD of this parish.
This summons compels you with air-raid alarm or air-raids, also when the signal “air-raid alarm” should be cancelled, to go immediately to your post or to the place where you have to report and to closely follow orders and services that are required from you by the LBD. You have to comply with the instructions given to you by or on behalf of the Head of the LBD.
In case you do not appear or contravene your duties to the LBD, you can expect coercive measures from the police or a criminal prosecution. Moreover, you have been made aware of the code of silence in existence with regard to the duties to the LBD given to you, as far as to make known to the public is explicitly not permitted.
The code of silence is also in existence after LBD service.
You may appeal against this summons according to Article 11 of the LBD summons. This appeal has to be presented to me within one week either by written or oral declaration. The institution of an appeal does not bring an automatic suspension.
Boxtel, 1 May 1943.
The Mayor, Local LBD Leader.
To: Miss C M Jansen
Positioned at Help-Hospital White Sisters
domicile Rijksweg 4, Boxtel.
Boxtel 1940 – 1944
Gied Segers
Para 13 – The tragic results of the war in the air. June 1943/July 1944.
The “Battle of Britain” – in the Summer of 1940 – which should have been the start of the capture of Great Britain by Hitler, was not very successful for Germany.
Through fierce and heroic resistance of the RAF, the Luftwaffe did not succeed to control the English airspace. In England airplane production, including heavy bombers, was increased further. Moreover, England could count on military support and the enormous production possibilities of the US, especially after Dec 1941, when America became involved in the war.
At the end of May 1942 the RAF carried out its first massive bomber flight on Keulen, in connection with the “total war in the air”. At night more than 1000 allied planes, squadron after squadron, passed in the air of occupied territory on its way to Germany. With these bomber flights, of which many were to follow, the Allies hoped to destroy the German industries and – by bombing German cities – to disrupt life and to undermine the morale of the German people.
The bomber flights, which during 1942 were also carried out during the day, not only spread death and destruction in Germany, but were sometimes also aimed at Dutch industrial targets. In this way on 6 Dec 1942 the Philips factories in Eindhoven became a target of an allied air attack. In addition, a part of the inner city was destroyed and many died among the population.
Around 13.00 hrs on that 6 Dec, a message was received by the Boxtel town police that there was an air-raid warning in Eindhoven. They immediately made telephone enquiries about the position. This was done to find out the route of the planes and probably also to find out whether there should be an air-raid alarm over Boxtel. Pc Diesveld spoke to a colleague of the police in Eindhoven who informed him in an excited manner that at that moment an allied air-raid was taking place over Eindhoven: “The town has been badly hit and large fires have broken out. We need urgent assistance.”, said the policeman hurriedly. He also announced that, because of an interruption in the telephone centre, it was no longer possible to get connection from the police station to the outside to request assistance and to warn the authorities. Because incoming calls – as shown by coincidence of the Boxtel call – seemed to be possible, the Eindhoven policeman asked through the Boxtel police for urgent assistance for the stricken town. This request was immediately seen to. The provincial and local LBD* were warned, the German authorities were informed and also the Judicial Officer was hastily informed.
Moreover, two policemen from Boxtel were sent by motor to Eindhoven (Knol and Kools) with the instruction to offer their services there. Also the Boxtel fire brigade and the LBD left for the stricken Eindhoven.
Just over a year later, namely during the night of 16 and 17 June 1943, Boxtel was for the first time confronted with the results of the “total war in the air”. Close to 1.45 hrs that night an announcement from the LBD-Oisterwijk arrived that over that parish a plane was hit by the
[page break]
German anti-aircraft artillery and that the plane – a four engine bomber – was steering on fire in the direction of Boxtel. A little later the plane indeed circled, out of control and burning, over Boxtel and the crashed near the hamlet of Hal. One of the engines had – before that – crashed burning on the railway line Boxtel-Den Bosh. Five of the seven crew still attempted to escape the plane with parachutes although this attempt failed. Because in the meantime the bomber had lost too much height, the parachutes did not open on time. The five English crew were all found dead near the fiercely burning craft.
The German Wehrmacht was soon in position and immediately they cordoned off the area. A group of 35 Germans organised a rounding-up party to capture possible escaped crew members.
A few days later, namely during the night from 21 to 22 June 1943 around 2.00 hrs, an allied bomber crashed again on Boxtel territory. The plane came down fiercely burning behind cafe de Ketting (Bosscheweg) approx. 50 metres behind the villa Kersten, called “Nieuwe Eikenhorst”, in which evacuated elderly were sheltering. Police, fire brigade, LBD, hastily warned doctors and clergymen, hurried to the disaster area. They immediately started to clear the villa Kersten and administered first aid to the elderly people, of which several were wounded and most of them were in shock. The fire brigade of Boxtel started, under instructions from the German Wehrmacht, to extinguish the fire.
[underlined] In inset [/underlined]:
Requisition personnel LBD
in case of air-raid alarm
On grounds of Article 8 of the LBD requisition you are hereby summoned to perform services at the LBD of this parish.
This summons compels you with air-raid alarm or air-raids, also when the signal “air-raid alarm” should be cancelled, to go immediately to your post or to the place where you have to report and to closely follow orders and services that are required from you by the LBD. You have to comply with the instructions given to you by or on behalf of the Head of the LBD.
In case you do not appear or contravene your duties to the LBD, you can expect coercive measures from the police or a criminal prosecution. Moreover, you have been made aware of the code of silence in existence with regard to the duties to the LBD given to you, as far as to make known to the public is explicitly not permitted.
The code of silence is also in existence after LBD service.
You may appeal against this summons according to Article 11 of the LBD summons. This appeal has to be presented to me within one week either by written or oral declaration. The institution of an appeal does not bring an automatic suspension.
Boxtel, 1 May 1943.
The Mayor, Local LBD Leader.
To: Miss C M Jansen
Positioned at Help-Hospital White Sisters
domicile Rijksweg 4, Boxtel.
Collection
Citation
Gerd Segers, “Images of the years of occupation Boxtel 1940-1944,” IBCC Digital Archive, accessed April 25, 2024, https://ibccdigitalarchive.lincoln.ac.uk/omeka/collections/document/9366.
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