May 4, 1945. It’s finally time, the war is over. The German army in the Netherlands surrenders to the Allies. The national army channel in Eindhoven can announce it. There is a wave of festive spirit through the country. But people are careful, because it is still full of German soldiers everywhere.
The surrender is a matter of time. Nazi Germany is less and less able to stop the advancing Allies. This is due to lack of men and strength. But the connections, vehicles and supply also mean little.
Tent
The German army leaders have to go to the Lüneburger Heide, near Hamburg. There is the headquarters of the Allied liberators in the West, the 21st army group. There is a tent on the heath. He is from the British commander, Field Marshal Bernard Montgomery.
There is no negotiations. According to the media reports of that day, ‘Monty’ even speaks threatening language towards the Germans. “Do you not agree? Well, then I will continue with the war, with pleasure, and then all your soldiers will die. “” It’s swallowing or choking for the German generals.
Historical moment
In the tent the parties take a seat at a table. There are microphones from the BBC. Photo devices flash, film teams capture the historic moment. Montgomery explains how to do it.
At 6.30 pm the time has come. The historical signatures are set: it is the great surrender of the 25th German army in the Netherlands and the armies in North-West Germany and Denmark, including the naval and air forces. Admiraal von Friedeburg is the highest German officer in the tent.
Waiting for privacy settings …
Strictly speaking, the signature means an immediate discontinuation, followed by the surrender. But the Admiral is given until 8 a.m. to hand out the orders. At that time, the war in the Netherlands, among others, is over. But not yet everywhere.
Eindhoven
The news quickly crosses the world. The BBC and also the American radio are the first to report. But they forget to pass it on to Radio Oranje in London. In Brabant the message arrives that evening around 8.45 pm on the editors of Radio Herrijzend Nederlandin Eindhoven. That is the official channel of the military authority in our country. The transmitter is set up with the help of Philips.
Captain Henk van den Broek (the father of the later minister Hans van den Broek) enthusiastically storms into the studio and can make the news known to the Dutch.
‘Hasks’
” The microphone opened and there the big news came out, ranging, barely formulated in correct sentences, strung out of the head. But what did it matter? The Netherlands was free! The message was repeated and again and again. I believe we played the Wilhelmus and other national songs in between. But the excitement of those moments has worked replacingly on the sharpness of the memory. “” Van den Broek later writes that in his diary.
The message is received enthusiastically. Going clocks everywhere, factory sirens go out and flags. But careful, because there are still 120,000 Germans in the country who strictly enforce the Order, even on this last evening and night in the occupied Netherlands.
Whiskey
Along the Brabant front line the soldiers hear the news on the radio at 8.45 pm. Soldiers of the British 90th field artillery regiment near Waalwijk open a bottle of whiskey, the commander reports in his diary.
The news also comes in on the Anneville estate in Ulvenhout. Queen Wilhelmina is in discussion with General Kruls. Suddenly her adjutant Peter Tazelaar storms. “The ceasefire is drawn, the peace is there!” He reports.
That evening, hundreds of people from Breda spontaneously go to the estate. In the light of the headlights of a car, the queen and her daughter are welcomed. For many an evening to remember.
The majority of Noord-Brabant was liberated in the fall of 1944. Except for the Land van Heusden and Altena. That only got the freedom back in May 1945. Every day you can read in this series about the events at the end of the Second World War in Europe.