THIS IS A THEN AND NOW I’VE WANTED TO DO FOR A LONG TIME, BUT DID NOT HAVE THE PICTURES TO DO IT. I CAN ALSO TELL THE STORY ABOUT THE DESTRUCTION INVOLVED AND THE RECONSTRUCTION THAT FOLLOWED IT. IN OCTOBER 1944, THE 49TH (POLAR BEARS) INFANTRY DIVISION WERE STRETCHED TO THE LIMIT ALONG THE BRIDGEHEAD FROM ST. JOSEF, RIJKEVFORSEL. AMONGST OTHERS, THEY CREATED A COMPOSITE INFANTRY UNIT CALLED ‘BOBFORCE’, COMPRISING THE 89 LAA REGIMENT (THE BUFFS), ROYAL ARTILLERY, 49TH DIVISION, 102 LAA REGIMENT, ROYAL ARTILLERY, 1 CORPS, 62 ANTI-TANK REGIMENT, ROYAL ARTILLERY, 1 CORPS AND SOME PLATOONS OF THE 2ND BATTALION, KENSINGTONS, A MACHINE GUN BATTALION. AT THE TIME, THEY WERE ADVANCING ON THE BELGIAN TOWN OF HOOGSTRAATEN AND THE SURROUNDING VILLAGES OF ACTEL, MINDERHOUT, WORTEL AND THE DUTCH HAMLET OF CASTLERE. IN HOOGSTRAATEN, THERE WAS AN IMPOSING 105 METER HIGH TOWER OF ST, CATHERINES CHURCH (BUILT BETWEEN 1525-1550). ON A CLEAR DAY, IT HAD A COMMANDING VIEW OF THE AREA, AS FAR SOUTH-EAST AS ANTWERP AND NORTH UP TO BREDA IN HOLLAND. TO SAY IT WAS VERY USEFUL AS AN OBSERVATION POST FOR THE OCUPYING GERMANS WOULD BE AN UNDERSTATEMENT. 245 BATTERY OF 62 ANTI-TANK REGIMENT WERE ORDERED TO DESTROY THE TOWER, BUT THIS WAS RESCINDED, DUE TO THE FACT THAT THE CHURCH WAS A LISTED NATIONAL MONUMENT. HOWEVER, THE GERMAN 711 PIONEER REGIMENT (WHO SOWED AN INCREDIBLE NUMBER OF MINES AND DEMOLITION CHARGES ACROSS THE AREA) WERE ALMOST CERTAINLY RESPONSIBLE FOR ENSURING THIS DID NOT HAPPEN, AND THE TOWER WAS DEMOLISHED ON THE 23RD OCTOBER 1944. A FRIEND INTERVIEWED A FELDWEBEL FROM THE UNIT, FRITZ BIHLER, WHO BEING A DEVOUT ROMAN CATHOLIC DENIED RESPONSIBILITY FOR BLOWING IT UP. FIRSTLY, THE WAR DIARY OF MY FATHER’S REGIMENT RECORDS THE DESTRUCTION OF THE CHURCH. JUST BEFORE THIS, THE DIARY RECORDS THE DEATH OF A 62 AT MAN FROM ONE OF THE MINES SOWN AND THE MAP COORDINATES OF KNOWN LOCATIONS.
THE CHURCH REBUILT. IT WAS RECONSTRUCTED BETWEEN 1951 AND 1958. SADLY, THE CHURCH IS IN DANGER 66 YEARS LATER, AS THE MATERIALS USED DURING THE RECONSTRUCTION WERE VERY POOR AND CRACKS HAVE BEEN APPEARING AT THE BASE OF THE TOWER AND CAN BE CLEARLY BE SEEN INSIDE.
Robert, It was pretty well destroyed looking at you photographs. Understandable that the Germans didn't want a high vantage point available to the Allies, but it really is sad to see such nice churches and catherdrals destroyed in times of war. I wonder what your father would have made of the wanton destruction when he saw it? Regards Tom
Robert, It was pretty well destroyed looking at you photographs. Understandable that the Germans didn't want a high vantage point available to the Allies, but it really is sad to see such nice churches and catherdrals destroyed in times of war. I wonder what your father would have made of the wanton destruction when he saw it? Regards Tom Hi Tom His unit, although part of Bobforce, were advancing to the East of Hoogstraaten in Wortel-Kolonie, but eyewitnesses heard it being blown up in Breda, a 20 minute drive up todays motorway. The mines claimed 2 men of his Regiment 2 days later and 3 more of 62 Anti-Tank Regiment a day later. The Feldwebel who I mentioned earlier was in a ditch a short distance away and saw this happen. The interview he gave to my Friend said that he never forgot what he saw and regretted his actions for his entire life. Shortly afterwards, he surrendered to advancing troops have seen the futility of his actions.
