In Pesse, the theme of freedom is highlighted in a special way. The pupils of the highest groups at primary school CBS De Akker receive guest lessons about the Second World War and the significance of freedom. But it is not theory: the children also actively start working with channels and learn about communication during the war, for example via Mors code and the NATO spell alphabet.
All this happens in collaboration with the Zendamateurs from the Hoogeveen department of Veron, the Association for Experimental Radio Research. As part of their annual memorial tours, attention is paid to the liberation of Drenthe.
“Eighty years ago, there was very fierce fighting here at the end of the war. We commemorate liberation for eighty years, and we do that through communication, because we would like to show how communication went then,” says Joop van der Does, treasurer at Veron and one of the Zendamateurs who provides the guest lessons.
From 1 April to 10 May, the Zendamateurs of Veron try to make connections on the short wave frequencies with other radio amateurs worldwide, with the special call name PA80HGV. They do this to commemorate the liberation of Drenthe.
This weekend is central, and the radio amateurs do not focus their channels on random countries, but specifically to countries that have contributed to the liberation of Drenthe. This concerns Canada, Poland, France and Belgium.
The broadcasting station where the Zendamateurs make their connections is located on the schoolyard of CBS De Akker, near the Spaarbankbos in Pesse. In the first week of April 1945, violent fights were conducted in this area, between the German occupiers and the Allied troops. For the children of CBS De Akker it is extra special that they learn about the history of the region in exactly the same place where the battle took place at the time.
This weekend, Zendstation PA80HGV is a hotspot for communication with Zendamateurs worldwide. The students get the chance to make connections themselves via the radio stations. “They can connect to radio amateurs and they get an explanation about the techniques of then and now,” says Van der Does.
In addition to the practical experience with the channels, the students also receive lessons about the history of the liberation of Drenthe. They not only learn about the fighting that were delivered in the region, but also about the role of communication during the war.
The Zendstation itself is accessible to everyone. Interested parties can visit and get to know the radio amateurs and the special technology that comes with making connections.
And what did the children thought of it? You can see that in the report below: