75 jaar bevrijding West-Brabant: Van Wuustwezel tot aan de Mark (deel 1)

Ons West Brabant blikt de komende weken terug naar de bevrijding van 75 jaar geleden. Dit doen door middel van een aantal mini-documentaires over hoe onze streek is bevrijd in het najaar van 1944.
Deze mini documentaire volgt de gronologische volgorde hoe de bevrijding is verlopen. De vrijwilligers van Ons West Brabant werden hierbij ondersteund door militair historicus Johan van Doorn.
In de eerste aflevering kunt u kijken naar de bevrijding van Wuustwezel tot aan de Mark. Hierin laten we de volgende plaatsen op volgorde zien: Wernhout, Achtmaal, Zundert, Rijsbergen, Etten-Leur en tot slot Oudenbosch. Vanaf aanstaande zaterdag worden verspreid over 3 weken, 3 afleveringen uitgezonden.

[@bobbuckleyofficial]

Heel goed! Would be great to release more info in English about Operation Pheasant in the Westhoek. Thank you en bedankt, remember, respect. Bob Buckley

[@richardbinkhuysen8109]

At the moment we are making a You-Tube series about the Resistance Group my Granddad belonged to and their German opponents.
On October 30th 1944 they came under command of 1st Canadian Army.
The Resistance group will come into view in a later episode,but here are Ep.11 to 15.
They served for 6 days behind enemy lines, then another 130 days (4,5 months) on the mentioned winter front up to Moerdijk.
Nobody seems to know that local Resistance Groups formed a importaint part of this front line.
It made it possible to sent more regular Allied troops east towards Nijmegen.
During the Battle of the Bulge more Vollunteers joint after a plea in the local newspapers and their amount dubbled.
2nd Week of January 1945 first trained Dutch Vollunteer units arrived and were reformed into a Brigade of 5 Companies totalling about 800 men.
9. to 14.Coy./ Netherlands Interior Forces, Commando Brabant was also dubbed 3rd Batallion.
Up to then all were dressed in worn torn civilian clothes with for the most part captured German arms and one clip.
Barely able to defend themselves they were no match to the German Naval Commandos.
Capture meant severe interrogation, torture and certain execution as they were not recognized as soldiers.
Hence the expression 'With pitchfork and cloggs on the front line'.
On March 14 1945 after a brief parade they were sent home, never to hear from it again.
The never received rocognition and most not even the Dutch Resistance Cross.
If you watch the entire series you'll see what they had to face.
German Parachute Rgt.6 and Marine Einsatz Kommando 40 or MEK40 for short.
The last unit is pretty unknown but it was the German equivalent of the British Royal Marines Commandos.
Ep.11:
ua-cam.com/video/BiTiwmyMApI/v-deo.html
Ep.12:
ua-cam.com/video/BD_UWQnx1NU/v-deo.html
Ep.13:
ua-cam.com/video/j68-fcfA83s/v-deo.html
Ep.14:
ua-cam.com/video/mIZPkS5aMxQ/v-deo.html
Ep.15:
ua-cam.com/video/B7YoEo3Gkg8/v-deo.html
Preview of the Resistance Group filmed with my cellphone therefor lots of times out of focus.
Note these men just wanted to aid the Allied advance and isolated as they were never knew who their opponent really was.
At the moment of filming they hardly slept for 3 weeks and some were still under influence of the Canadian pills that were taken ever 15 minutes to keep going.
That's why some pose in a carnevaleque way.
ua-cam.com/video/Gu6VbpMMvm8/v-deo.html
From the series
Band of Brothers
Day 6 at Caretan , Normandy.
101.US.Airborne Div. vs. German Parachute Rgt.6
ua-cam.com/video/MFvQjDx0Z0k/v-deo.html