The story
On Sunday September 17 1944, a fleet of Allied aircraft en route to the drop zones at Son and Veghel appeared over this area. Paratroopers were dropped behind German lines. By means of a fast airborne attack, they wanted to clear the route that ran from Belgium through Eindhoven and Nijmegen to Arnhem, freeing it up for the British Army. German artillery in the area brought down several planes. The underground immediately helped the downed survivors of the crashes.
Risking their lives, they hid and cared for the Allied troops. Dozens of people from farms in the area hid the Allied troops in the Heieind woods and brought them food and drink. During a British action on September 22, twenty hidden troops were reunited with their units.
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.