Merksplas was the scene of heavy fighting during the last days of September 1944. On 29 September, British troops delivered battle for Merksplas Colony. A day later it was the turn of their colleagues from the 1st Polish Armoured Division. They liberated the rest of the municipality.

The Poles bombarded the Germans with artillery throughout the night. Then they attacked on three fronts. Again, the battle was fierce, especially at Hofeinde, where a lot of German soldiers were stationed. In the villa of the Caron family, there was even bloody hand-to-hand combat.

Recycled guns

When evening fell, the municipality was largely liberated. The Polish troops then made a surprising discovery. Some of the German guns left behind turned out to be ... Polish! They had been captured by the Wehrmacht five years earlier during the invasion of their country. The Germans had not even bothered to remove the Polish inscriptions.

The Poles could put the recaptured guns to good use. Indeed, it would take until the end of October before the far north-west of Merksplas was liberated. As in neighbouring Hoogstraten, the Germans still had a strong presence there. Only after heavy fighting was the area conquered. Dozens of Polish soldiers and several resistance fighters of the Patriotic Militias of Schaerbeek lost their lives.

Tourist information

www.merksplas.be, www.kempen.be