OPERATION AMHERST: French SAS in Holland, April 1945

stolpi · Oct 21, 2021

French Military Cemetery Kapelle

This weekend I visited the French Military Cemetery at Kapelle in SW Holland (in the Province of Zeeland). Here all soldiers who fell under the French flag on Dutch territory and were not repatriated to France found a final resting place. Over 600 French soldiers lost their lives in, near or above the Netherlands in May of 1940, when French troops entered Holland as Allies, and the war years thereafter. Their names are commemorated on the central monument on the cemetery. Many were reburied in their homeland after the end of the war, a large number (104) remain unknown.

In May 1940 French troops entered the southeastern part of Holland by way of Belgium in an effort to stem the German advance. Near the village of Kapelle they fought a stubborn defensive action on May 16th (the Dutch Army had capitulated on the 14th, but the capitulation excluded the area of Zeeland, where the fighting continued). On initiative of the major of Kapelle, Mr. W. Bierens, the French casualties, who lay unattended on the battlefield, were collected by the local population and laid to rest on a temporary field of honor on the edge of Kapelle. By the evening of May 17th, 1940, a number of 65 French casualties had been collected. After the war the cemetery at Kapelle was officially designated by the Dutch authorities as French Military Cemetery. It was officially opened on May 16, 1950. The cemetery contains 217 French soldiers, 20 Moroccans and Algerians who fell in French service and one Belgian soldier.

All names of the fallen French soldiers on Dutch soil are commemorated on the central memorial. Among them also the soldiers that were repatriated to France after the war.

See also: French War Cemetery Kapelle - Kapelle - TracesOfWar.com

stolpi · Aug 8, 2023

Eight SAS paras, who fell during Operation Amherst, found a final resting place at Kapelle. Their graves are easily recognizable because of a small round grey shield with the SAS badge attached to the base of their funerary cross:

Note that three other French SAS paras still rest in graves in Drenthe: Lieutenant De Sablet at Bovensmilde (see: OPERATION AMHERST: French SAS in Holland, April 1945); Sgt. Ravanel at Smilde (see: OPERATION AMHERST: French SAS in Holland, April 1945 and Sgt. Ragnacci at Beilen (see: OPERATION AMHERST: French SAS in Holland, April 1945).

stolpi · Sep 13, 2021

Ibrahim Asem: OPERATION AMHERST: French SAS in Holland, April 1945
Claudius Campan: OPERATION AMHERST: French SAS in Holland, April 1945

Robert Le Gras: OPERATION AMHERST: French SAS in Holland, April 1945
Jean Loeillet: OPERATION AMHERST: French SAS in Holland, April 1945

Yves Loichot: OPERATION AMHERST: French SAS in Holland, April 1945
Jean Pierre Munch: OPERATION AMHERST: French SAS in Holland, April 1945

Jean Salomon Simon: OPERATION AMHERST: French SAS in Holland, April 1945
Jean Valayer: OPERATION AMHERST: French SAS in Holland, April 1945

stolpi · Apr 11, 2022

Today, April 10th, is the day that a group of French SAS paras (3e Regt Casseurs Parachutists), under Lieutenant Jean Auguste Valayer, was trapped in the Mulder barn near Assen, Holland, during Op Amherst April 1945.

See: OPERATION AMHERST: French SAS in Holland, April 1945

Vanders22 · Jul 17, 2022

Gday Stolpi.... I am new to this site but am very interested in your thread. I immigrated to Australia in the late 80s and took with me a detailed report about the events around the Stokersverlaatbrug in Appelscha in april 1945. The details in your thread are very familiar to me.... you've even mentioned my name as a resource! I am now retired and very keen to have my research properly looked at in the hope to have it published! There are still quite a lot of questions that I have and am wondering if you can enlighten me. I am in the possession of a detailed letter that Pierre Sicaud sent me in 1984 and he mentioned quite a lot of details that I have not come across in books such as the detailed report by Roger Flamand. I am keen communicating with you!
Cheers,

stolpi · Jul 17, 2022

Vanders22 I've sent you a PM

stolpi · Jul 21, 2022

New on You Tube (Dutch with English subtitles):

The maker Frank Eleveld is still working on Part 2. I will keep an eye on You Tube and post the second part over here as well.

stolpi · Nov 25, 2022

Thanks to the material which was kindly provided by Vanders22 (a Dutchman living down-under), I have been able to expand and adapt the text of this thread over the past weeks. I also spent a two-weeks holiday in the area, which enabled me to collect some additional information at the local Libraries and take a couple of extra photographs.

New: Stick De Gayard and the Havelterbrug/-sluis & encounter with Cdn Arm Cars; details of actions of Lagèze at the Veenhoopsbridge at Smilde; perspective of Sicaud & Appelscha; more details of the actions of several sticks of the 2nd RCP/4th SAS in Zone D; Attack on Westerbork from the perspective of Betbèze; New insights in the situation around Elp, where stray SAS-elements clustered around the stick De Camaret, who then became far more boldly than initially suspected ; composition and actions of the French Jeep groups; operations in 'Bois de Gieten' and attack on Gasselte from the perspective of Lt. Appriou.

Klaas Rein Noppert · Nov 25, 2022

Hello Stolpi and others.

What a story to get totally lost in.
I did a found of Drop Zone 19 near Spier. And I do have some questions about that.
1. Are there more of these aerial photo for operation Amherst.
2. Who made the decision witch Drop Zones to be used. Was that the staff of SAS? Or was it the resistance here in involved.

Thank you in advance for any answer.

Who dares wins.

Greetz,
Klaas Rein Noppert.

frankeleveld · Feb 5, 2023

stolpi said: ↑

New on You Tube (Dutch with English subtitles):

The maker Frank Eleveld is still working on Part 2. I will keep an eye on You Tube and post the second part over here as well.
Click to expand...

Thank you for linking to part 1 of my video on 'Operation Amherst', Stolpi. Much appreciated. Part 2 is up now:

Cheers.
Frank

stolpi · Feb 8, 2023

frankeleveld said: ↑

Part 2 is up now
Click to expand...

Thank you Frank, well researched!

Your effort and that of your dad is much appreciated.

Klaas Rein Noppert · Feb 9, 2023

Thank you very much Frank.
Will look up the documentary.

Greetz,
Noppie.

Kathie LaForge · Feb 23, 2023

This is quite a "find." Is there any way to print the complete story of Operation Amherst? My father was with A Squadron, 1st Troop of the 12Manitoba Dragoons. I have some pics of him in Coevorden, that say " 06 April 1945 - the day we liberated it" My husband and I have been invited to a liberation event in Staphorst/Rouveen, NL on 5 May 2023 so I would like to learn more about this particular operation and any other info on the Dragoons in Northwest Europe.

Bedee · Feb 23, 2023

Kathie,

Im not the specialist, but here the 12th Manitoba Dragoons wardiary of that period click on the first Image and then new tab will open with the diary.

Another tip is Project 44

Chris C · Feb 23, 2023

I looked but could not find the 12th Manitoba Dragoons on Project 44. I'd be happy to be proved wrong but I'm not sure any Corps regiments are included.

frankeleveld · Mar 15, 2023

Not sure if it’s been posted already, but this is a really interesting - in my opinion at least - video about the training the French paratroopers received. It’s French spoken, but the images make it worth checking out anyway if you’re interested in Operation Amherst.

stolpi · Apr 11, 2023

Bump ... tonight it will be 78 years ago that Operation Amherst started.

On the night of 7 to 8 April, 1945, 700 French SAS paratroopers jumped behind enemy lines in northeastern Holland, in advance of the Canadian ground forces.

stolpi · May 23, 2023

An impression of a recent BFT Amherst (in Dutch) conducted by Harold De Jong:

(Courtesy Alfred Saak)

Klaas Rein Noppert · Mar 5, 2024

stolpi said: ↑

Stick Thomé - Diever & Dieverbrug

The forest where Thomé installed his first Campsite is dotted with several low, lightly vegetated sand hills, hence 'Witte Bergen' (white mountains). Photo courtesy Klaas Rein Noppert.
Click to expand...

As we were on vacation we did a bike tour to the place Thomé was hiding for the second time. The forest know as "Berkenheuvel" was in april 1945 a dune landscape with lots birch trees. To prevent the sand from drifting. Now 79 years later it's covered with lots of pine trees. We followed the small pad northbound to reach the place where the stick was hiding for the Jerries. I made the decision not to continue walking. There was a pack of wolves near the "Berkenheuvel" that I did not want to disturb. Although I know they are afraid of people, I didn't want to take the risk of coming home otherwise.

We stood still to relax and imagine what it must have been like 79 years before.
After I had taken some photos and a video, we went back to our bikes, which were half an hour's walk away.
In thoughts of the heroes of the French SAS soldiers.

Klaas Rein Noppert.

Picture of Google Earth. With details of the DZ, LZ and walks through the woods of Diever.
Source: Klaas Rein Noppert.
View attachment 377001

Richard Borst · Mar 11, 2024

stolpi said: ↑

'La tragédie du Zeijerveld' the demise of the 1st Coy/3rd RCP (3rd SAS) (1)

View attachment 354635
Overview of the actual landing sites of the sticks to the NW of Assen. The actions of each stick will disussed in the posts below.

Stick De Sablet/Picard

The stick De Sablet/Picard landed to the northwest of the township of Norgerbrug/Kloosterveen, a swampy area roughly between the Bruggenwijk and the Kolonievaart, also known as the Norger Petgaten. Lieutenant De Sablet was the first man to jump from the plane; Lieutenant Charles Picard, in command of the second half of the stick, jumped as the ninth man. Picard has given a comprehensive narrative of his landing. After jumping out of the plane he soon found himself descending through a thick cloud cover that deprived him of all sight. When the clouds opened up he saw long straight glistening black lines on the fast approaching ground which he held for roads. Preparing himself for a hard landing on one these, he unexpectedly fell into water; actually the black lines he saw were canals. Picard managed to get out of the water, only to find that his leg bag, with all of his equipment, had landed on the opposite side of the canal. Already drenched by his landing he waded across to fetch his equipment and then started to look for his men. The seven men of his demi-stick quickly assembled, much aided by the luminous marking plates on their helmets, but of the other demi-stick only four men turned up. Three men, including Lieutenant De Sablet, were missing. Picard did not recognise the landscape, obviously the stick had dropped in the wrong spot.

Following the canals Picard led his men southwards through the darkness hoping to contact the still missing men and find a clue of his location. The French most likely followed a small unpaved track, locally known as the 'Achteraf weggetje'. Departing from the Norgervaartsebrug, this track followed the oblique course of the canal that marked the border between the 6th and 7th peat reclamation blocks and then followed the edge of the Norger Petgaten, to eventually branche of to the bridge over the Norgervaart at the Koelenweg. It was a route that was frequently used by the local population as a short cut, so as to avoid the main road. It would be used several times by the French paras in the coming days, as will be shown below. Moving along the track Picard, after a while, came to the farmhouse of the Christerus family, almost on the Norgervaart. The farm however was situated on the opposite side of the canal. Using a small rickety flat boat, which they found moored on this bank, Picard and another para crossed the canal, to make contact with the residents for information about their location. Unfortunately the vessel sank halfway and Picard for a third time that night ended up in the water. At the farm the well-disposed residents informed Picard of his location and gave him the opportunity to dry his clothes a bit. The stick had come down in the area to the west of the Norgervaart, about 6 kilometers south of the intended Drop Zone. They were not far from the town of Assen which, so the residents stated, had a strong enemy garrison. They also warned Picard that the main road along the Norgervaart, leading up to the Norgervaartsebos and the village of Norg, was frequently used by the enemy.

View attachment 354634
After coming down in the area of the Norger Petgaten, a disoriented Picard initially followed the short-cut (Achteraf Weggetje), moving south. At the Christerus farm he realized that he had to move north in order to reach the designated Drop Zone, so he retraced his steps along the short-cut until he reached the bridge at the Koelenweg just to the south of the house of Tiette Blauw. The red circle indicates the approximate spot where the body of De Sablet was found; this differs with Flamand's version, who claims the body was found in the main canal near the Norgervaartsebrug (courtesy Albert Eleveld).

About four o'clock in the morning Picard left, with slightly drier clothes, accompanied by the eleven men he had gathered. The stick probably retraced its steps along the 'Achteraf Weggetje', moving north along the edge of the Norger Petgaten and then turned right along the path to the Norgervaart. Using the bridge at the Koelenweg, the stick switched to the opposite bank crossing the small bridge at the Koelenweg and turned left along the small unpaved road that followed the eastern bank and led to the western edge of the Norgervaartsebos. Here were situated a couple of small houses, from one of which light was burning and, as the French approached, loud voices could be heard. When Picard tried to open a hatch a little further, to investigate, the voices immediately fell silent and he found himself suddenly faced in the darkness by a uniformed figure who emerged from the house to find out what was going on outside. Since the figure menacingly stepped forward towards him, Picard fired a shot and the figure collapsed. Later it turned out that he had killed a notorious Landwachter by the name of Tiette Blauw. Unknown at the moment to Picard the death of Blauw would have serious consequences for another stick that had landed in the neighborhood.

The French paras quickly scurried away, taking advantage of the darkness and the trees. Picard decided not to remain inside the Norgervaartsebos which was not as large and as dense as he had expected. Besides that, in the growing daylight he could make out parachutes dangling from the trees, probably from one of the other sticks that had landed in the area (actually the stick Boulon). These would certainly attract unwelcome enemy attention, turning the forest into a deadly trap. Instead Picard led his men before dawn to a smaller, more remote grove some 2 to 3 kilometers to the west, called De Fledders, which he had spotted on his map, and went into hiding (2). From his hide-out Picard managed to get off a first message at 08:00 hrs to Main SAS HQ. He reported that from intelligence gathered from residents approximately 2000 German paratroops were stationed at Assen and that troop trains were still moving along the railway line between Assen and Groningen. He added that during the night of 7/8 April he himself had witnessed motorized and horse drawn convoys passing by on the road from Hijkersmilde to Norg for several hours on row.

During daytime there was a lot of activity. German patrols were spotted and from the nearby Norgervaartsebos came the sounds of a firefight. It was obvious that the enemy was chasing the other sticks in the vicinity and Picard decided to keep a low profile.

During the night of 7 to 8 Aptil, two of the missing paras of the stick Picard, Pvt Marcel Julien Fabert and Jean-Marie Batestti, wandered through the fields of the Norger Petgaten in search for their comrades. In the end they decided to move in the direction of the original dropzone, in the hope of meeting the stick there. It was still dark as they stumbled on the broad canal of the Kolonievaart, hard south of De Fledders. Lucky for them, they were helped across in a small rowing boat by a farmer, called Roel Schuiling. At dawn, they met a young civilian, Jan Lubbers, who was looking for lapwing eggs in the fields to the southeast of De Fledders. Using a map the French paras indicated him they wanted to go to Peeloo. Lubbers pointed them in the right direction. Both paras turned eastwards across the open fields towards the main road Assen - Norg. This was very unfortunate, considering what followed. Had the Fabert and Battesti made for the shelter of the nearby grove of De Fledders, they would have encountered Picard and his men and would have been safe. Now, without knowing it, they went to meet their fate. Soon after, as Fabert and Batestti crossed the main road, they were discovered (3). In the ensuing firefight, Fabert was shot and killed and Batestti was taken prisoner.

Another member of the stick Picard, Jean Pierre Munch, had strayed off and joined Lieutenant Valayer and his men at the Mulder barn, where he shared the fate of this unfortunate group. He was killed on April 10th (see below).

Fortunately for Picard and his men, the woodlot of De Fledders turned out to be a perfect hiding place, being small and somewhat remote it was not an obvious place for the Germans to look at. Over the next days the paras ventured out only at night to lay ambushes on the roads in the vicinity. A nearby farmer, named Lubbers, who had been contacted on the third day, delivered the French with useful information and above all povided some sustenance, had it not been for this they would have had nothing to eat. Picard remained at the Fledders until he and his men were relieved by ground forces on the 13th, six days after they had jumped.

View attachment 354512
Marcel-Julien Fabert was killed on April 8th after they were discovered by a German patrol as he and his mate, Jean-Marie Batestti, crossed the main road between Assen and Norg, south of Zuidvelde (courtesy Frank Eleveld, OPERATION AMHERST: French SAS in Holland, April 1945).

One member of the stick Picard, Cpl Fernand Vivès, failed to link up and continued to operate on his own. He successfully evaded enemy search parties and, although alone, managed to take a prisoner and eventually join the Canadian ground forces.

View attachment 236769
Picture of the modern road along the Norgervaart, view to the north. In the distance the wooded area called Norgervaartsebos. Note the flat featureless landscape crisscrossed by drainage ditches, which is characteristic for the immediate vicinity to the NW of Assen. This kind of terrain, offering little shelter, was not well suited to guerilla operations.

View attachment 236785
The stick Picard hiding in De Fledders. With the flat open countryside offering little to no cover, Picard and his men eventually hid up in an area of low underbrush known as De Fledders and for the next six days attempted to mount ambushes and radio back intelligence information on enemy columns passing their hide-out (photo courtesy Boersma).

View attachment 354345
Above: The location of the hide-out of the stick Picard on the southern edge of the woodlot of De Fledders. Below: from the hide out the farm of Lubbers was visible (the farm on the right with the tiled roof, somewhat hidden behind the trees). As far as possible Lubbers provided the French with food and information. He had to act very careful, since a lot of his neighbors were known as collaborators.
View attachment 354346

Story - my paraphrase - courtesy: Col. Roger Flamand: "AMHERST : les parachutistes de la France libre, 3e et 4e SAS, Hollande 1945" - I used the Dutch translation of this book by Jaap Jansen and ‘Bijna vrij: de Operatie Amherst’ | De Krant Nieuws - Het laatste nieuws uit de gemeente Noordenveld, Westerkwartier en Haulerwijk, Hoogkerk en omliggende plaatsen.

For the story of Picard see also Frank Eleveld in his You Tube contribution (from: 34:50 onwards): OPERATION AMHERST: French SAS in Holland, April 1945

(1) For this story I am especially grateful for the information kindly provided by Albert Eleveld who guided me a full day through the area on bicycle and patiently answered my barrages of questions. Eleveld did a remarkable job in piecing together the story of the sticks that landed at the Zeijerveld, using his local knowledge and his many contacts with civilian eye-witnesses;
(2) Apparently not all of Picard's group made it to De Fledders. Civilian eye-witness accounts later stated that there were only seven paras at De Fledders. In the confusion, following the incident at the Tiette Blauw house, it is likely that part of the French paras somehow became separated from the group. A small group of French paras (four?) were spotted by civilians in a woodlot not far from Zuidvelde (oral info Albert Eleveld).
(3) It was a Dutch collaborator who saw both men cross the road and who tipped off the Germans (oral info Albert Eleveld).
Click to expand...

Indeed four French Airborne got probably behind and lost the other seven from the group Picard in the darkness. This happend when they were in a hurry to leave the forest en crossed open fields. They ended up in a small grove opposit the Lubbers residence. It's there that they were spotted by civilians, they ended up in the Lubbers residence.
By then there where probably only two left.......Hauser and Courcier were found in the Blauwe Bos- forrest near Haule. They probably went looking for Picard and couldn't find him neighter the way back.

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