The operation was codenamed Guy Fawkes. There was not much time to prepare it, as the attack had to be launched that very weekend. The biggest challenge lay in crossing the canal across its entire width, something the Scots had not done before. The final plan was very detailed. Boats were brought up as was bridging equipment and 132 guns plus 50 tanks would provide a preparatory bombardment.Saturday, 4 November 1944, was a crisp autumn day. During the course of the day, the sky darkened and it became downright gloomy. At half past four, the introductory shelling began. Over 36,000 shells were fired in an hour and a half, mainly at Drunen and the surrounding area. The scale of destruction was shocking. To the Highlanders' surprise, the operation itself was a piece of cake. Within twenty-four hours, the last German had been driven out. But unfortunately, the population had paid a high price for this. Nearly 70 civilians were killed by the Allied shelling. The tragic low point was undoubtedly the town hall disaster in Heusden where 132 people lost their lives due to criminal German action. All in all, it was a liberation mixed with grief.

The Netherlands

Soldiers of the 2nd Battalion Seaforth Highlanders with an Assault Boat just before crossing the Dommel River.

Crossed the channel

Bailey bridge in Heusden

Highlanders in Nieuwkuijk

Scottish Highlanders route Heusden

As soon as the front moves closer to Drunen, in late October 1944, more and more Drunen people seek shelter. One of such safe havens is inside the solid hull of the Hertogin van Brabant mill, a seventeenth-century corn mill. When the front comes to a halt on 30 October at the Afwateringskanaal from ‘s-Hertogenbosch to Drongelen, Drunen is on the front line. As a result, the number of people sheltering in the mill grows to 95. The people are packed like sardines in a tin and the tension is almost palpable. The adults pray to God and the Virgin Mary. And they agree that there will be an effigy of Mary in the mill when the war is over.&nbsp;As the mill is a prominent vantage point, a group of three Germans is stationed at the mill that same day. On 30 October, this Sprengkommando under Wachtmeister Kuche blew up the bridge at Baardwijk. They are ordered to also blow up the mill once Allied troops launch the attack on Drunen. Ammunition and provisions are delivered on Friday 3 November. When shelling erupts the following afternoon and the Allied attack begins, the three Germans decide to ignore the order and instead head for the bridge at Heusden. They scouted the route a few days earlier. They leave quietly and it is not until much later that the civilians realise the disaster they have so narrowly escaped.It is an act of extraordinary compassion at a time marked by unprecedented brutality. In this way, they have saved the lives of 95 civilians including the later minister Martin van Rooijen. The mill has escaped a disaster. That things may also turn out differently was demonstrated in Heusden, where no fewer than 134 residents were killed when the town hall was blown up on 5 November.Ten years after the near-disaster, the residents' promise is fulfilled and a picture of Our Lady of Perpetual Help is erected over the entrance door of the mill. A permanent reminder of a minor miracle.

Three decent Germans

The liberators Heusden Vesting is liberated on Sunday 5 November by the 5th Battalion of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders. During the morning, A Company, led by Major Eric Mainwearing marches into the town.Observation point One of his soldiers, Sergeant Baxter, walks with two comrades to the remains of the town hall. He sees dead bodies of civilians lying there. But this is -unfortunately- not an unusual sight for the Scots. Moreover, the Camerons are relieved the same day and so they leave without any idea of the disaster that took place in Heusden. What happened? To deprive the enemy of observation points, it is common practice to blow up high points such as church towers during a retreat. Several buildings were also undermined in Heusden in the days leading up to the Allied attack. Such activities are the responsibility of the German engineer unit, Pionier-Bataillon 159. The 2nd Company under Oberleutnant Pfühl is active in Heusden.The town hall One of the undermined buildings in the fortified town is the town hall dating from 1461. Since 30 October, parts of the ground floor have been crowded; about 170 citizens have sought protection behind the thick walls. On the day Guy Fawkes begins, they are in the ‘Big Room’ and the storage room behind it. The Heusden people become anxious when they see German soldiers lugging baskets and crates. Nevertheless, they feel safe, especially as a German Red Cross post is established on the same floor. When Heusden residents ask if they are safe, the German doctor reassures them. But when the post is evacuated towards midnight and there are no more Germans in the town hall, a feeling of unease again creeps up on those present.Murder At ten past two in the morning, all buildings in Heusden shake; the Roman Catholic waterfront church is blown up. Ten minutes later, the west side and tower of the Dutch Reformed church follow. Again, people sheltering in the town hall wonder what to do: stay or leave? As the streets are also dangerous, everyone stays inside. Ten minutes later, three German Pioniere arrive at the town hall. Two Heusden citizens are sitting at the bottom of the spiral staircase,. One of them follows the Germans upstairs and asks what is going on. The Germans reassure him and walk back down soon after. Two minutes later the explosion follows. The results are terrible. The tower of the city hall has been blown up and as it collapses it has taken with it all the floors, inner walls and the outer walls on the east side. A day later, the last of about 30 survivors is recovered from the rubble and the bodies of 134 people found. A tragic misunderstanding? No, a war crime. This event has been commemorated in Heusden every year since.

A war crime

After the successful assault crossing of the Afwateringskanaal from ‘s-Hertogenbosch to Drongelen on Saturday 4 November 1944, the division commander, General Rennie, orders his troops to hurry up. So the advance towards the Bergsche Maas continues during the night. Almost all German troops retreat across the Heusden bridge. When it is finally blown up at 05.30 hours on Sunday 5 November, only a tiny German rearguard remains south of the river. Now their only way out is the ferry at Herpt.That rearguard is formed by the last one hundred men of the SS battalion Gillhöfer. This unit took part in the famous Battle of Arnhem in September and was sent to North Brabant in late October to reinforce the weak defences behind the canal. As a rearguard, the SS men have to hold out for as long as possible before retreating. During Sunday afternoon, it soon becomes clear that going back across the water will not be easy. Strong winds and waves have already caused three boats to capsize. In addition, Scottish guns make a crossing difficult and the decision is made to wait until darkness falls. That afternoon the German force lines up around the crossroads in the heart of the village.But the Scots are impatient. Infantry, supported by a number of Sherman tanks, opens fire on the ferry around mid-afternoon. Flamethrowers are deployed to chase the last Germans out of the centre of Herpt, and around five in the afternoon German resistance is finally broken. The SS flee north to the Maas and sail across in small boats. Most manage to arrive safely on the northern bank, but twenty-two men are hit by accurate Scottish fire and drown in the cold waters of the Bergsche Maas.

To the last man and the last bullet

Vlijmen, like every village in De Langstraat, is characterised by its ribbon development. From east to west, the village is over 2 kilometres long, from south to north it is at most a few hundred metres at the time of the war. The street names in ‘the centre’ refer to Vlijmen's agricultural background: De Akker (field/acre), Akkerstraat and Akkerpad. The current village square does not exist yet.After Vlijmen was liberated on 5 November 1944, the danger of war was not over. Germany is deploying its latest weapon: the V-1 &nbsp;flying bomb. The port of Antwerp is one of the main targets. Launching sites are set up in Overijssel, from where V-1’s are fired at Antwerp. However, the bombs are poorly constructed and rarely function as intended. A mechanical device switching off the engine often cuts in halfway to Antwerp causing the V-1 to crash prematurely. The inhabitants of the villages in the Langstraat recognise the sound of a faltering V-1 engine and mumble a prayer to the Virgin Mary, when they sense that a disaster might be about to occur: ‘Dear Lady, give him another push’.In four instances, the short prayers do not really help Vlijmen and a V-1 came down. On 21 December 1944, the Vlijmense Dijk is hit, 14 dead. On 2 January 1945, fate strikes the Akkerpad, resulting in 13 deaths. On 14 February 1945, it is the turn of the vicarage; no casualties because the V-1 turns out to be filled with newspaper, probably a successful act of sabotage by an enforced labourer. Finally, on 4 March, De Akker is hit. There is only one death, but the resulting crater is huge.&nbsp;After the war, the Vlijmen municipal council decides not to rebuild the residential area, which was swept away by the V-1’s, but to turn this area into a village square with shops. On 5 November 2002, a monument is unveiled in the shape of a ‘V’ with a poem by Cees Akerboom as its central theme.

A village square with a tragic history

Mariënkroon is located on the site of the former castle of Onsenoort, whose monumental medieval tower is still in good condition. The historical name Onsenoort (Honsoirde) lives on in Nieuwkuijk in the guild, the Brass Band and the Local Historical Society.&nbsp; The domain was bought in 1904 by the Monastic Order of the Cistercians of Pont Colbert (near Versailles) mainly to temporarily escape the then still bleak climate for religious orders in France. They were to stay for over a century. In 1957, Mariënkroon was elevated to the status of abbey. During the war years, the residents of Mariënkroon more and more began to provide assistance in the surrounding parishes, gradually giving the monastic community an increasingly open character.Then, from mid-October 1944, the weeks before the liberation of the region arrive. Almost continuously, tanks and guns on the south side of the Drongelens Canal fire shells at the church towers of Drunen and Nieuwkuijk and their surroundings. But Mariënkroon is far enough away from that, in a kind of nono man's land between the villages and so offers a safe refuge. Through their knowledge of the castle and involvement in building work from 1904 onwards, the local population was aware that the complex of Mariënkroon has extensive and very solid cellars and corridors.An ever-increasing flow of people, mostly from the immediate area, report at the gates. It is estimated that over 1,700 people find shelter here. It becomes a tremendous logistical operation to be able to house all these people, provide them with food, care for the sick. Nine children are even born. All these children were named Bernadette or Bernard, after the founder of the order, Saint Bernard.On 5 November 1945, exactly one year after the liberation, the inhabitants of Nieuwkuijk donated the statue ‘The Good Samaritan’ to ‘the Poaters’ out of gratitude, because that is how Mariënkroon is still popularly referred to. In 2002, the grounds were transferred to the Focolare movement. In 2016 and 2017, the last two Fathers died, including Abbot Gerardus Hopstaken, and therefore Mariënkroon now lives on without the designation of ‘Abbey’.

An abbey as a beacon in a troubled sea

In the early evening of Saturday 4 November, the 51st Highland Division crosses the Afwateringskanaal from ‘s-Hertogenbosch to Drongelen at various points to take the area south of the Bergsche Maas. The operation is called Guy Fawkes. The attack is a great success and soon units of the second wave cross the canal. One of them, the 2nd Battalion of the Seaforth Highlanders, enters Drunen from the south. They are tense as they have just lost five comrades to artillery. That these are their own shells only becomes clear later.From the village centre, the men walk down Grotestraat in search of German stragglers. That is not an easy task. The heart of the village has turned into one big ruin. There are fires everywhere and smoke hangs in the dark streets. The Scots are moving from west to east. Suddenly, a shape looms in the darkness, approaching fast. A Scottish soldier stiffens and shouts at the stranger. To avoid shooting at friendly troops, a password has been agreed for the operation. The invocation is ‘From Normandy’ and the correct answer is ‘To Berlin’. The Scottish infantryman calls out the appropriate words, but the unknown person does not give the correct answer. The Scotsman opens fire. The figure falls and beside him a bicycle clatters to the ground. It is the village doctor, Gerard Akkermans. He is badly wounded.&nbsp;A Scottish soldier, James Nairne, noted the incident in his diary: ‘someone had shot the only doctor in the middle of the night while he was riding his bicycle down the street and did not respond to the call. Our own medical officer was busier looking after wounded civilians than our own men, and besides bandaging wounds, he had to act as a midwife.'But Akkermans is not dead right away. He asks a passer-by, ‘Can't you get help for me? I have been shot in my stomach.' He lies in front of Pijnenborg's farm and is carried inside a moment later. His pregnant wife is called as is a Scottish doctor. Unfortunately, that help comes too late. Early the next morning, the day of the liberation, he dies from the effects of the ‘misunderstanding’. He is the thirty-fifth fatality in Drunen of Operation Guy Fawkes

A dramatic incident in the middle of the night

The plan In the late afternoon of 4 November 1944, soldiers of the 51st Highland Division cross the Afwateringskanaal from ‘s-Hertogenbosch to Drongelen on a wide front, from Drunen to Cromvoirt. The operation is called Guy Fawkes. The attack is preceded by heavy artillery shelling. A total of no fewer than 132 guns of various calibres are arranged in a wide arc from Waalwijk to Vught. In addition, fifty tanks line up, partly in the dunes, partly just behind the canal, to join the shelling with their guns. The reason for this enormous firepower is the expected presence of thousands of German soldiers, including SS and their possible resistance.The shelling At 16:20, the first guns begin firing, followed 15 minutes later by the tanks. The din is unprecedented and the woods and dunes fill with the acrid smell of gunpowder vapour. During this deadly ‘organ concert’, Prince Bernhard visits Waalwijk. To local resistance fighters who want to get into Drunen as quickly as possible, he says, ‘Do your best and no pardon!’ The shelling is exceptionally heavy. In an hour and a half, about 35,000 shells fall on the three villages in the Eastern Langstraat: Drunen, Nieuwkuijk and Vlijmen. Grenades explode, houses are shaking and glass and shards fly all around. Civilians take shelter wherever they can, but many are still hit by shrapnel and debris. Fires rage everywhere and the sounds of cattle dying can be heard. The material devastation is unprecedented. The centre of Drunen is one big ruin. Several large buildings like the church are completely destroyed; others, like the town hall, are badly damaged. What is worse: no fewer than thirty-five civilians lose their lives in Drunen as a result of this and earlier Allied shelling. An even larger number is wounded.Balance Sheet Unfortunately, the shelling was completely unnecessary. When the first Highlanders cross the canal at 4.45 pm, they are surprised to find that the dreaded German resistance fails to materialise. As soon as the first shells begin to fall, the German soldiers pack up and rush north. Via the bridge at Heusden they reach safety. That same night Drunen and Nieuwkuijk are liberated and the advance towards the river continues. There is no celebration in the Eastern Langstraat on Sunday 5 November 1944. The suffering is too great for that.

A Hurricane of Fire and Steel

Water On Saturday, 4 November, soldiers of the 51st Highland Division will cross the Afwateringskanaal from ‘s-Hertogenbosch to Drongelen. Apart from the presence of German troops, there is something else that makes the crossing extra challenging. Namely, the canal itself, completed in 1911, is a formidable obstacle. The waterway is only thirty metres wide, but before the Scots can reach it, they must first cross the dyke, then run twenty metres through the grass before they can launch their boats. On the other side of the canal, the same distance awaits them in reverse. And all of this probably under enemy fire. Not an enticing prospect!Fire To break the German opposition, Churchill-type flamethrower tanks are deployed in addition to the usual artillery. These 40-ton monsters are meant to shoot their fiery flames upwards at an angle of 45 degrees so that the burning liquid flows down the German side, straight into the enemy trenches. A total of &nbsp;twelve of these so-called Crocodiles are supposed to support the crossing, but in the end just over half of them get into action and these mainly east of the Steegerf.The crossing West of the Steegerf, in the bend of the canal, a company (about a hundred men) of the 5th Battalion of the Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders is ready to cross. Further east, three other battalions will attempt the crossing. At a quarter to five the time has come. The first soldiers drag their canvas boats up the embankment, slide down and run towards the canal. Adrenaline rushes through their bodies. At any moment, German troops across the water may open fire. But to their surprise and relief, this happens hardly anywhere. There is virtually no resistance even after the crossings have taken place. What they do not know is that the German soldiers have been instructed to withdraw immediately as soon as the attack begins. As early as five o'clock, the first objectives are reached. In the early evening, the Highlanders enter Drunen. The devastation they find there is not unusual for them, but all the more so for the population.

Water and Fire

A buzz of activity On the morning of Saturday 4 November 1944, the De Klinkert farm is at the heart of a range of activities. For a start it serves as the headquarters of the 152nd Brigade, whose three battalions are to liberate the western part of what is now the municipality of Heusden. But one of those battalions, the 5th Seaforth Highlanders, has also temporarily set up its headquarters there. Equally important is the arrival around noon of all kinds of heavy trucks that can only just negotiate the narrow forest roads.The engineers The vehicles carry bridge-laying equipment. Once the first phase of Operation Guy Fawkes has succeeded and Scottish foot soldiers, the infantry, are across the canal, bridges must be laid as quickly as possible so that tanks, guns and all other equipment can follow. To do this, the Allies use so-called Bailey bridges, named after the English engineer Donald Bailey. Such a bridge consists of individual parts that can be put together in different compositions. An average Bailey bridge of 25 metres can be assembled by 40 men in three hours. Usually, the job takes longer.Hard work At De Klinkert that afternoon, the first pieces of a Class 40 bridge are being assembled. This designation indicates that the bridge can carry up to 40 tonnes (i.e. tanks). The structure is being built by the 280th Field Company. This is a unit of about 250 men. All their vehicles, and there are over 50 of them, are parked around the farmhouse. Once the infantry has a bridgehead across the Afwateringskanaal from ‘s-Hertogenbosch to Drongelen by late afternoon, their work at the Duinweg begins.&nbsp;Further east three more Bailey bridges are being built by other units that night. By now it is half past seven and pitch black. So as not to make the enemy any wiser, only a few lamps assist the engineers. First, a bulldozer removes part of the embankment so that the bridge is a little lower. Then the construction itself begins. It takes until the next morning before the bridge can be put into use by traffic. Sweaty, but satisfied, Major Clayton's men watch as the first tanks disappear towards Drunen at dawn, across the new bridge, code-name Wheat.

Activity in the dunes

It is Saturday, November 4, 1944, a crisp and grey autumn day. The temperature hovers around nine degrees and there is a weak wind. Soldiers of the 51st Highland Division arrive at various locations in the Loonse and Drunense Dunes at the end of the morning.Around Giersbergen, the 5th Battalion Seaforth Highlanders has gathered at the end of the morning. Lieutenant Colonel Walford's unit, over 800 men, has left Udenhout and is marching past the Rustende Jager to the hamlet. The soldiers are getting ready for the upcoming operation. They hurriedly eat a so-called ‘tiffin’ meal', a light lunch. Weapons and equipment are checked and cartridges handed out. For a while, the village on the northern edge of the dunes is a hive of activity. At half past three, the men march to the starting point. From the de Klinkert farm (now a pub) they walk along dirt tracks to the woodland just south of the channel dyke. There they arrive an hour later. The thin canvas boats they have to cross in are already in position, well camouflaged.&nbsp;Then the waiting begins. One of the Seaforths describes this episode very evocatively: ‘We lay on the ground in the usual tense silence, waiting for the roar of the guns. I remember a soldier in a ditch next to me. He was biting his lips and his hands were shaking. Then the first shells flew over us and somehow the tension was broken. He tightened the strap of his helmet, grinned at me, nodded in the direction of the explosions on the German side of the canal. 'Just the job!’ he said. It was 16,35 hours precisely. The attack could begin'.