In East Groningen this week, the liberation is being remembered, in the realization that all Belgian liberators have died. Marc Daemen realizes that too.
Like no other even. He is the son of Jaak Daemen. He was the last living Belgian liberator, but died in August of last year, aged 97.
‘My sister Bea and I’
“So that there is no one left of the SAS regiment now,” says Daemen. “In recent years, my father was not always able to travel and be present at the commemorations because of his age. My sister Bea and I represented him several times and thus built up a relationship with East Groningen.”
Jaak Daemen, born in 1924, joined the Belgian resistance as a teenager during the Second World War, went into hiding, followed military training in England later in the war and, as a member of the SAS regiment, helped to liberate eastern Groningen. Veele was captured from the Germans on 12 and 13 April, Winschoten and Finsterwolde, among others, followed in the following days.
Most famous Belgian
After the liberation, Daemen got married. He remained in the military and worked in Africa, in the Belgian Congo and Burundi. Son Marc was born in Africa. After his retirement he became the driving force behind members of the SAS regiment attending the commemorations in East Groningen. In that region, and certainly in Veele, Winschoten and Finsterwolde, he grew out to be the most famous Belgian.
Initially, dozens of fellow liberators traveled with him, but that number became smaller and smaller. Seven years ago, Daemen himself visited East Groningen for the last time, after which his health became too fragile. Marc and Bea received honorary citizenship from the municipality of Vlagtwedde for him. Marc did not do that as a soldier, by the way, he had a different social career and was, among other things, top man of MacDonald’s in Belgium.
Diary in England
“His death in August was of course very sad,” says his son. “My mother passed away years ago. My father had a beautiful, dignified funeral. I inherited his archive and found some very interesting things in it, such as a diary he kept during his education in England.”
What the son has also inherited is that special bond with East Groningen. “In the past, people from East Groningen came to my parents’ house to prepare commemorations. Conversely, I’ve been there several times and that’s how friendships started.”
Large delegation
That is why he spends a lot of time in East Groningen this week, he wants to visit the region again next year and come in 2025 with a large delegation that also includes current Belgian soldiers. Marc Daemen always intends to remain loyal to East Groningen.
Wubbe Kuper is happy with that. He is chairman of Local Interest Veele and co-organizer of the commemoration there. “On April 12, the flag in our village will fly at half-mast again, on April 13, it will be raised, as always. But it feels strange, now that the last liberator is also gone. It’s nice that his son continues to visit us.”