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

Heythuysen & Leudal

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

Heythuysen is the largest town in the municipality of Leudal, which was created on January 1, 2007 from the municipalities of Haelen, Heythuysen, Hunsel and Roggel and Neer.
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 • Nederlands • Deutsch • English • Français • Português
   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 The fallen resistance people in Limburg Heythuysen & Leudal – 4 pers.
Berkhout, Jacobus Hermanus Jacob	∗ 1904-08-12 Culemborg † 1945-08-31 Malchow	- Aid to People in Hiding L.O. - Knokploegen (K.P.) - Aid to Jews - Forced Labor - Heythuysen & Leudal - 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
Gestel, van Jacobus A. Jacques	∗ 1906-09-15 Hoge Mierde † 1987-05-06 Weert	- The clergy - Aid to escaped POW’s - Pilots’ helpers - Initial resistance - Couriers of the Resistance - Survivors - Heythuysen & Leudal - Cammaert schrijft: Neeritter, geestelijke. Pater Van Gestel raakte in een vroeg stadium betrokken bij de hulp aan Franstalige krijgsgevangenen en bracht enkele belangrijke … This person is not (yet?) listed on the walls of the chapel.
Janssen, Henri Louis Joseph Harrie “Bergmans”	∗ 1912-10-05 Venlo † 1997-02-05 Panningen	- The clergy - Aid to escaped POW’s - Pilots’ helpers - Aid to Jews - Initial resistance - Aid to People in Hiding L.O. - Survivors - Heythuysen & Leudal - The photo on the right and the dates of birth and death can be found on his In Memoriam card, which was provided by the chairman of the local history association OOS NAER in Neer. The photos below … This person is not (yet?) listed on the walls of the chapel.
Timmermans, Peter Anthonius Franciscus Pierre “Père Tim”	∗ 1891-08-13 Neer † 1975-04-19 Nancy	- The clergy - Aid to escaped POW’s - Pilots’ helpers - Aid to Jews - Initial resistance - Survivors - Heythuysen & Leudal - Pierre Timmermans was the central person on the escape route via Nancy. He was a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (the Spiritans), an organization of French origin. [1] This person is not (yet?) listed on the walls of the chapel.