Even today, Gilze-Rijen is dominated by flying and by planes. Immediately after the occupation, in May 1940, the Germans expanded the existing airport&nbsp; and renamed it Fliegerhorst Gilze-Rijen, one of the largest airports in Europe. This military installation had a huge impact on local residents. Bombing of allies, employment of local residents to conduct repairs - and on this route, you'll read and hear all about it. Prepare yourself to hear some interesting stories: from the lucky resistance fighter, to the story of the Good German.

The Netherlands

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Cycling Liberation Route Gilze Rijen

Liberation Route Gilze Rijen

Operation Suitcase The liberation of Central and West Brabant started on 20 October 1944 with Operation Suitcase south of the border at Wuustwezel. Two days later, the attack on 's-Hertogenbosch (Operation Pheasant) began and gradually all Allied divisions became involved in the combined operations. The last division to leave was the 1st Polish Armoured Division of Major General Stanisław Maczek. On Friday 27 October 1944, their attack started from the area around Alphen.On the attack The Polish division's task was to tie up as many German troops as possible. In order not to get caught up in the Chaam Forests, Maczek chose to attack directly north in the direction of Gilze. He expected the usual German resistance, but a pleasant surprise awaited him. Due to an Allied breakthrough at Udenhout the day before, the German front in the entire North Brabant had had to be taken back that night. Therefore the Polish forces advanced in a vacuum and reached Gilze around noon. A group of tanks then captured the Gilze-Rijen airfield while another reached the Tilburg-Breda road. There was a moment of confusion when the front tank was shot at by a Sherman tank, but it was quickly knocked out. Not knowing whether the tank is one of their own or not, they find out that fortunately it was a vehicle that had been captured earlier at Goirle and was infact in German military service. A group of Cromwell tanks raced further north, but they got stuck in the mud south of the Wilhelmina Canal and could not be pulled out until two days later.Conclusion Here, the Polish advance came to a halt. Rijen was stubbornly defended by a German Engineering unit and was only liberated the next day by parts of the British 4th Armoured Brigade. By then the Polish forces are already on their way to Breda, a city that will forever be held in Polish hearts.

An unexpected success for Polish liberators

By setting up mock airports, the Germans want to tempt enemy pilots to drop their bombs there, instead of on the real target. It was the intention that the Allied pilots mistook De Kiek for the real airport Gilze-Rijen. Mock airfields were also drop points for unthrown bombs. Landing with bombs was too dangerous. Sometimes they were also training grounds.The German troops used lighting to lure the English planes at night. As soon as the English were near, the runway lights were turned on to attract attention. Flares were also fired. The English were very quickly aware of the mock airfields and what they were intended for. Nevertheless, some English crews were still misled, despite improved navigational techniques.Living near an airport in wartime is dangerous. Also in the vicinity of a fake airport, it was anything but safe. The Allies were indeed misled and tried to bomb the airfield. Three inhabitants of Brakel were killed in a bombing raid on 20 October 1943.The Friends of the Kiek Foundation has brought the mock airfield back to life. Visit the bunker and discover the plane in the middle of the forest.&nbsp;&nbsp;

Fake Airfield De Kiek

Karl-Heinz had wanted to become a forester, but he would not be granted such a peaceful life. Shortly after his High School (Gymnasium ) graduation in 1944 he was conscripted into the Wehrmacht Armed Forces. The war brought him to Brabant. As a gunner he formed part of the Fallschirmjäger Paratrooper Artillery. He was billeted with five others at the Kilsdonk family’s farm in Goirle. The family got on well with Karl-Heinz. He would warn them of visits by high-ranking German officers so the family could hide their radio and bicycles.LuckThe village reverberated on Friday 6 October 1944. The Allies and the Germans had gone into battle. Toos [5] and Jantje Kilsdonk [4] were playing near the well in the farmyard. A source of good luck? Karl-Heinz Rosch and his comrades ran out of the farmhouse on the way to their guns. They saw the children in the farmyard. Everyone ran on except the German boy from the pottery town. He picked up Toos and Jantje in his arms and ran to the cellar where he reunited the children with their mother. Soon afterwards Karl-Heinz ran back outside. But life and death sometimes go hand in hand: a mortar shell hit him and Karl-Heinz was fatally injured. He was just eighteen years and three days old. He was buried in a temporary grave in the farmyard. Shreds from his clothing would hang high in the branches of a tree for many years.Reburial took place in 1948. Rosch’s final resting place was in the German military cemetery in Ysselsteyn. But members of his family were not able to visit where he was killed and where he was laid to rest as they lived in East Germany. It was only after the fall of the Berlin Wall that Karl-Heinz’s father could see the farmhouse through his own eyes. But the Kilsdonk family remained silent about his son’s courageous deed. They feared reprisals. ‘A Jerry is always a Jerry’, that’s what they said in the village.Black snowFor a long time many people thought the term ‘a good German’ was as unlikely as black snow, a square circle or an unhospitable person from Brabant.&nbsp; Even after the two rescued children made their story public in 2005 and thanked Karl-Heinz posthumously,&nbsp; it still caused a lot of discussion. A former councillor attempted to erect a statue of Rosch – “a hero without glory”- in the local history museum, but that was met with resistance from former hostages whose comrades had been executed at a country estate in Goirle.The statue was ready by 2008 but there was no place for it. A breakthrough came when Leo Vermeer from Riel found a location in the municipality of Goirle. He had been a local lad from the Dorpstraat who had maintained Karl-Heinz’s temporary grave until his reburial. The bronze statue was unveiled in his garden. Jan and Toos Kilsdonk and two of van Karl-Heinz Rosch’s step-brothers were present. The plaque contains the words: ‘This statue is in honour of all who do good in evil times.’ It is a delicate sentence, in which you can almost hear the tinkle of porcelain.This story was part of Brabant Remembers, a campaign for 75 years of Freedom in the province of North Brabant.

The good German - no fairy tale

Frans van Eyck was a military conscript when the war broke out. When the Germans invaded the Netherlands, he briefly saw action, but the Dutch had to withdraw. Frans ended up in Brest in France and was faced with a choice. Wait for his capture by German troops or cross to England. He chose the latter.
There, he was drafted into the Royal Princess Irene Brigade. After a long wait and many training courses, in August 1944, he left with the brigade for France. As part of the Allied liberation army, he headed north and was involved with the Princess Irene Brigade in September 1944 in Operation Market Garden. When the operation failed at Arnhem, his brigade was directed to Tilburg. After Tilburg was liberated, Frans was once again close to home. On the 28th of October 1944, he was back in Hulten - as a liberator.&#13;
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Back to Hulten

Before the occupation of the Netherlands, the German army command must already have had plans for the existing Molenheide airfield, as immediately after the German invasion, the construction of a large airfield was begun here.
Before construction began, hundreds of acres of land were confiscated, people were evicted from their homes and many houses were demolished. Many were forced to participate in the construction and maintenance of the airfield.
The Germans stationed bombers at the airfield, which were deployed to attack England, as well as fighters which had to intercept Allied bombers on their way to targets in Germany.
The airfield was very often the target of Allied bombing, which also resulted in civilian casualties. On the 28th of October 1944, Rijen was liberated by Polish and British units.&#13;
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Gilze-Rijen airfield

During the war, due to its location near the Gilze-Rijen airfield, bombs often hit the village of Gilze. British and American aircraft very regularly attempted to damage the airfield, but the bombs also fell on Gilze. The list of bombardments is long. And so on the 10th of February 1944, the centre of Gilze was hit hard. On the 5th of July 1944, there were 21 civilian casualties as a result of an American bombardment.
When the 1st Polish Armoured Division finally approached Gilze, the retreating German troops blew up the water tower, the town hall, the windmills and the church. Gilze was hard hit during the war. As a 14-year-old, Gerrit Jacobs experienced it from very close quarters. On The 27th of October, the Poles liberated Gilze.&#13;
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Liberation Route Gilze Rijen

Photos

Sites and stories along the route

An unexpected success for Polish liberators

Fake Airfield De Kiek

The good German - no fairy tale

Back to Hulten

Gilze-Rijen airfield

But this airfield brought disasters…