Liberation

All the pictures that are shown on the liberation signs are numberd here on this page

1. To expedite the advance and break the German resistance, the British fired thousands of shells from Belgium on both sides of the road to Valkenswaard. Right behind these shells, the first tanks of the Irish Guards would move forward on September 17, 1944.
2. A portion of the Germans managed to withstand the barrage of shells. They had set up an ambush along the road to stop the Irish Guards’ tanks. In just two minutes, they succeeded in disabling nine tanks, effectively blocking the advance towards Arnhem.
3. After the ambush, intense fighting broke out between the British and the Germans. The Germans managed to disable a few more vehicles, turning the road to Valkenswaard into a nightmare for the British forces.
4. The British deployed Typhoon fighter planes, which bombarded the woods on either side of the road with rockets from the air. Unable to withstand this assault, the Germans began to surrender en masse.
5. The destroyed tanks, which had formed a blockade on the road, were pushed aside to resume the advance towards Valkenswaard. The timetable of Operation Market Garden had already suffered significant delays.
6. The German prisoners of war are forced to evacuate not only their own wounded but also those of the British. Afterwards, they are directed to Lommel, where a temporary prison camp has been set up.
7. A number of reporters and photographers accompanied the British liberators. They took various photos for publication. The caption with this photo read: First publication Thursday evening, 21st of September. British advance in Holland, scenes in Valkenswaard near Eindhoven. Troops with Dutch civilians.
8. The Dutch resistance movement quickly emerged from their hiding places to assist the Allied troops as we entered the village of Valkenswaard. Some of their members can be seen on their way with a horse and cart to help our troops in tracking down Germans in the nearby forests. Sgt. Midgley, 18-09-1944.
9. Collaborators were arrested and brought to the bandstand in Valkenswaard, where they were observed by the town’s residents. Sgt. Midgley, 18-09-1944.
10. XXX Corps advances through Valkenswaard.
11. British tanks pass a signpost with “Amsterdam” on it in the village of Valkenswaard. Sgt. Midgley, 18-09-1944.
12. The residents of Valkenswaard cheer on the British tanks as they drive through the village. Sgt. Midgley, 18-09-1944.
13. The Willem II cigar factory came under fire from combat aircraft during the liberation. This occurred because the Allied forces suspected that German soldiers were hiding in the factory.
14. Several houses were also hit by shells during the liberation of Valkenswaard.
15. The cigar factories were largely destroyed and burned down after the liberation.
16. It would take some time before the cigar factories in Valkenswaard were rebuilt and fully operational again.
17. On the evening of September 13th, the British fired several shells from Belgium into the Netherlands in the hope of hitting German positions. Some shells landed in the village of Aalst. This photo shows that the rectory was heavily damaged.
18. A shell also struck the boys’ room at Bakkerij Scheepers in Aalst. Fortunately, no one was sleeping there at the time, as the boys were in hiding. However, during these shellings in Aalst, there were several wounded and three fatalities.
19. While the villagers celebrate on the main road with the arriving British liberators, the soldiers of the 3rd Battalion Irish Guards are still setting up security measures.
20. A Staghound armored car from the 2nd Household Cavalry patiently waits in Aalst until the advance can continue.
21. The people of Aalst share a beer with the men of the 2nd Household Cavalry.
22. A British Cromwell tank drives through Aalst towards Eindhoven.
23. A British Cromwell tank drives through Aalst towards Eindhoven.
24. While the British soldiers pose fearlessly for the camera, the villagers are distracted by something happening in the north.
25. In front of the butcher’s shop on Eindhovenseweg, the crew members of a Staghound from the 2nd Household Cavalry receive fruit. Father Gudden stands by, observing with a red cross armband.
26. Mr. Ros hands out cigars to the crew of a carrier from the 1st Independent Machine Gun Company.
27. Carriers from the 3rd Battalion Irish Guards pull a 17-pounder anti-tank gun across Eindhovenseweg towards Eindhoven.
28. A Sherman tank named “Berkeley” from the Grenadier Guards is stationed in Burgemeester Uyenstraat in Waalre on September 18, 1944.
29. An ecstatic crowd poses for a photo with a Sherman tank from the Grenadier Guards.
30. A Sherman tank named “Savon” from the Grenadier Guards is stationed in Burgemeester Uyenstraat.
31. A Sherman tank churns up the earth from the market.
32. In high alert, the first tanks of the Grenadier Guards enter Waalre on September 18, 1944.
33. The children of Waalre pose for a photo with a Sherman tank from the Grenadier Guards.
34. A bulldozer tank is parked next to the church in Waalre. The townspeople have written various messages on it with chalk, including “WAALRE.”
35. On September 18, people from Valkenswaard pose on Leenderweg with the liberators.
36. The military police, together with a member of the P.A.N., interrogates a German prisoner of war.
37. To ensure smooth flow of all Allied traffic from Belgium, the British constructed a Bailey bridge in addition to the wooden temporary bridge.
38. British motor ordnance in Dommelen.
39. Mr. van Riemsdijk films his children with the crew of a Cromwell tank.