Quartering
During World War II, English soldiers, held up by the large rivers that blocked the front, were permanently quarterd with Brabant civilians. Particularly in the autumn months, many Allies stayed in our municipalities. Numerous families were happy to provide a room, for which they received compensation. The soldiers brought various supplies that were in serious shortage.
Several bivouacs were set up, such as in the open field at the current Eikenlaan in Waalre. Initially, it was mainly logistical units in the region to support the combat units at the front. Later, combat units also arrived to rest. Additionally, RAF personnel were billeted, primarily working at the airport in Eindhoven.
Mrs. Stokmans from Waalre recalls: “We received a lot of Kwattarepen (chocolate bars) from the billeted soldiers. They had a warehouse where the garage is now, full of chocolate and cigarettes. In the evenings, they generously distributed them. On a free Sunday, one of them came to dine with us. We made pudding, shaped like a fish. The soldier thought it was wonderful and still talks about it.”
Mrs. Scholte from Valkenswaard wrote extensively about this in her diary. Here is an excerpt:
Tuesday, January 2
Tonight there was dancing again by the RAF at the association building. There was a Canadian band with 14 men. It was very nice, but too loud for the room and difficult to dance to. I was just telling Annie and Jo how it had been on Sunday when, to my great shock, Wolf walked in. Fortunately, the boy who must be Ken came as well. I danced with him all evening. At first, he stood near me, but later (I was always walking away from him) he stayed close, and eventually, we sat down. He got me a beer. There were hardly any glasses, but he searched until he found one. Jo also came to borrow the glass, and Marie and Harry came to stand with us. Whenever I was near Wolf, I looked the other way. Once, he danced with the tall nurse. He must have been trying to make me jealous, and then he left. I told Ken that he always followed me. “Oh, then he probably won’t like me tonight.”
During these quartering periods, strong friendships were formed. Even long after the war, there was correspondence. Many photos from this period have also survived. There were also romances, some of which led to marriage. This often meant that the women left the region and moved abroad. Additionally, some Allied soldiers settled in our region after the war.
Pictures:
- British soldiers in the living room of a house where they were quarterd in Aalst.
- A dance evening with British soldiers in Aalst.
- The soldiers were more than happy to invite young ladies from the villages to their dance evenings.
- Wherever there were many soldiers, field kitchens were also set up.