The Liberation of Ellewoutsdijk
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After Terneuzen was liberated and the Westerschelde became the front line, shelling increased from Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. The Germans used the church tower of Ellewoutsdijk as an observation post, and the Allies were aware of this. This led to sustained shelling and the eventual destruction of much of Ellewoutsdijk. The deputy mayor finally decided to evacuate. As a result, the inhabitants of Ellewoutsdijk left for Driewegen, Ovezande, Oudelande, Baarland, Nisse or ‘s-Gravenpolder. Abandoned, the village of Ellewoutsdijk fell into Allied hands on 29 October 1944, following the landings of the Scottish 52nd Lowland Division near Baarland. After the liberation, residents returned to a largely destroyed village. An emergency church was built and can still be viewed today in the Liberation Park near the Liberation Museum Zeeland in Nieuwdorp.
There were cannons on both sides of the Scheldt. Gunfire from both sides could occur at any time of the day. Sometimes it would be quiet for a long time, but suddenly the shells would fly through the air. It made a terrible racket. The Germans used the church tower as a watchtower and the Allies knew it. This was the beginning of the destruction of Ellewoutsdijk: for the Allies, the church tower had to be destroyed.
The bombing raids from Zeeland Flanders became increasingly intense. Deputy Mayor Jan Oele finally decided to evacuate. The people of Ellewoutsdijk fled on bicycles (with spare tyres), horses and carts, or with a wheelbarrow and a few belongings. They made their way to Driewegen, Ovezande, Oudelande, Baarland, Nisse or ‘s-Gravenpolder. Some even went on foot with their pigs tied to a rope. A pig was a precious possession, as it represented a supply of meat for the whole winter.
There is not much to say about the liberation of Ellewoutsdijk, as the whole village was evacuated. The official date of liberation was 29 October 1944. All the evacuated inhabitants wanted to return to the village as soon as possible after the liberation. Unfortunately, a large part of the village was destroyed. Residents whose houses were still standing returned to their homes.
Some of them returned to their homes after a week, while others had to make their homes habitable from their places of evacuation. Those who no longer had a home salvaged some of their prized possessions from the rubble and looked for an alternative place to live. A makeshift church was built in the village, which today stands on the site of the Zeeland Liberation Museum, which can be visited.
Did you know that Ellewoutsdijk also has a fort? This fort was built between 1835 and 1839, after the separation of Belgium from the Netherlands. Fort Ellewoutsdijk defended the Western Scheldt with cannons from the Terneuzen fortress. During the Second World War, the fort fell into the hands of the Germans, who extended the fortress by adding bunkers. The fort was used by the Germans for ammunition storage and formed a modest link in the Atlantic Wall. Between 1944 and 1947, the fort was used as a prison for members of the NSB. The number of prisoners sometimes numbered in the hundreds, and they were guarded by local ‘civil guards’. Fort Ellewoutsdijk has been managed by Natuurmonumenten since 1981, and several of its casemates are open to the public. Take the dike along the Liberation Route and take a look at the fort.
