My dads war storys. Chapter One.

Hello, again,
Are you still reading this war stories?
and do you enjoy it ?
When I write this, I feel the same tension as in the time my
dad told these to me............

After evacuation,dad was able to come home evry two days, to care
his animals.
One mile before his farm is a fir wood on the right.
There was a checkpoint, and he has to legitimate. They know him,but
they have to phone wether it is safe to pass. Possibly, a soldier is sent with him.
ONCE I CAME HOME..........
And the tommies where behind my farm. (it was a central point in the Peel)
15th scottish, there vehickels close to a building together with a camuflagenet
over it.
AN OTHER TIME I CAME HOME..........No chickens........
First I need proof what happened, after chort time I found the place where they
had buried the fethers and bawels, also two pigs sloughterd.
I went to find there superior , and told: I am happy that you come to librate us,
but that you kill my chickens and pigs, I am not so happy.
The leader told: Can you imagine, this boys are eating tin food for long time and so
fed up. They like to eat fresh meat for a change.
But I will make a deal with you, take your wheelbarrow and come with me to the kitchentruck ...........He filled it it full with all kind of tinfood, and more to carry by hand.
He asked, NOW OK ?
Dad told: It was a surprice for me. I hid it on a secret place and after coming
back, for a long time we have used it.

The storie of this I found back in the stories on internet: ,,Scottish Lions on Patrol,,
Chapter 13 sentence 20..........Chickenpluckers and pigshavers professional and all
hard at work.
Next time: Two soldiers died from chellfire in my farm.

Regards Gerard Jeuken. Holland.

Hope you don't mind but had a laugh about you losing your chikens cos my uncle told me a story about my granda and his buddies stealing a chicken and cooking it and been caught by his captain and they thought that they would be in trouble but he just sat down with them and ate the chicken also hope you don't think i am being rude

 

You could do with a look at 2nd Gordons war diaries, anyone out there got them?

 

Hi Gerard,

Have you already checked with the Overloon Museum. You could make an appointment with their Library, which probably has an abundance of info regarding the events. War Diaries and contemporary maps as well, I guess.

 

Now the storie about dads two German Mauser rifles.
And the battlefield around our farm.

I was about twelf years old,and my yonger brother told me,do you know,
in the store,behind the doorpost is a soldierrifle.
Later I came to know it is a German Mauser.
Sometimes we slidet the bolt up and down and klikt the trigger.
But we put it always nicely back on the place, becouse we both new,
this is a secret.
Later I found an other one between a heap of wood.
Dad came to know and hid both.
In chort time we found them again,and a lot of bullets.
Thanks God,we have never tried to shoot.
When I was 18 years, I asked my father, Tell me, FROM WHERE DID YOU GET THIS RIFLES ?
Than dad told:
When we came back after evacuation, the fierce battle was over.
It was a big mess around,two burnt vehickels , walls damaged from chellfire.
In every farmhouse in the area where weapons,bullets,gasmaskes, helmets.
Even in the small sheds in the fields and ditches.
You can imagine,every helmet and rifle left behind means a death or woonded
soldier.
My mother told, when we came home after the battle,it was on a wednesday,
the soldiers lived here about two weeks.
So a big mess you can not imagine,broken windows, and the floor we had to clean
with the spate. Just like a pigshed.
Next time more,
Regards, GERARD FROM HOLLAND.

 

Continuing, Dads mauser rifles.
I was about 50 when on a sunday I came home to see my parents.
I asked, Dad, where are the two german rifles? I like to have the nice one.
Dad looked at me, loufed and told, do you like to know ?
Can you remember, I mooved to my new house?
yes, it was in the summer of 1971.
On a evening just before dark I put both of the rifles and the bullets in my
volkswagen and drove to Heusden, to the canal.
I looked around, wether nobody saw, and trow all in the canal.
I Dont want anybody to get trubbel with this.
This was a big pity for me.
But there is hope, I know his famous fishingplace there, you can come close to
the water. Still I like to fish them up,..........but after 40 years.........
The canal they will have cleened it more times.
How can I get that real playtoy from my childhood back ?

Regards, Gerard from Holland.

 

Hello, everybody,
Now I am gone to write the end of this stories,
Forgive me my english mistakes.
About 4 years after the fights, I was almost six year old and my memory came up.
My brother and me we played with helmets,gasmask(german) bayonets and tanktools.
Also there was still a willy jeep (tyres burnt of and no seats)
Standing behind the steering wheel, I did my first driving exercise.
there were still ammunitionboxes steel and wooden ones.
One iron one I have stil to store my welding burners.
The number 1943 on it ,you can read still.
Close to our farm were four 25 pounders guns, shooting to Meijel area.
Dad told this:........After the guns went, I loaded one horscart full of empty chells
and stored above the cowshed.
Others loaded also , and still there were mutch more.
Some years later dad sold this messing for scrap an I was able to count about 70
pieces from different sises.
Also roles of telephone wire, with cloth insulation, left behind by the army.

Dear readers, I hope, you enjoyed my dads warstories wich I have written,
in remembering to my late father Michel Jeuken.
Regards: Gerard from Holland.

 

Hello,
I see, this storie is red 1627 times,at the moment.
Thank you for reading.
Regards Gerard from Holland.

 

Hi Gerard, I have found your father's memories fascinating. I have yet to read them all. My father served in the 131st Field Regiment RA and I have researched his Regiment.
I have an account from Major Cornwell, C.O. of 495 Battery about his time fighting next to 25 Field Regt. I will find it out and post it.
Two veterans, Stan Rowley and Alan Crabtree, both claim that when the Americans pulled out they took their bridge with them! the Brits had to make do with doors and tree trunks. Stan wrote his account on the BBC Peoples War website, Alan passed away last October.
I visited the Asten area during March 2004 with a Lady from Tilburg who translated for me.
We knocked on the door of a farmhouse to discover if there was anyone who remembered the fighting in the area. We were given an address in Heusden to visit were we met a couple who had farmed on the Peel and recently retired.
I forget their name at present but the Gentleman told us that the local Catholic Priest was the organiser for the Bee keepers and could travel around on Bee Keeping Duties; he used this cover to warn people about German sweeps for forced labour in Germany.
Our retired farmer was 14 years old at the time and he and his two brothers fled into the Peel, which he described as a large desolate boggy area.
Apparently it was the custom in the area for ladies to have their bonnets cleaned by a family who specialised in bonnet cleaning, after washing, the bonnets were laid out on wires to dry, it was under these bonnets that the three boys slept while they escaped the German search.
When they returned home they discovered that because they were away their father had been taken to Germany in their place, he was 65 years old and the family did not expect to see him again.
He had been forced to take his car with him and because they had no petrol he had to use his horse to pull the car. Happily a few days later he returned, with horse and car. A German Officer had taken pity on the old man and given him a letter saying he had done his bit for Germany and was to have safe passage home.
He told us that the Americans were very relaxed and casual about their security; they did not like staying in their trenches at night and would fall back to farmhouses to sleep. The Germans discovered this and mined the tracks, in one farmhouse where no guards were posted 30 were killed.
He described the Scottish soldiers as far more suspicious and careful.
He had some wonderful Dutch books with photos taken at the time by civilians, that I found fascinating, he offered them to me, I regret now that I declined them.
With best regards, Edward

 

More than 2000 times red
thank you for reading

regards gerard from holland

 

Hello, everybody,

I remember a other storie from my dad..............
It was in october 1944. The liberators were coming closer to our place
But two germans , still hunting for pigs to sloughter, came to dads farm to confiscate a pig.
They selected already a pig.
Dad told,......By the way.........Do you know, The Tommys are on the other site of the wood about one mile ,...I have heard.
Dad looked there face and saw they got a white face as a bedsheet.

The germans had no time anymore and went soon as possible..........

Than I asked dad,...Did you tell the trouth?? Of course not but it had result.

Regards, Gerard from Holland

 

Hello, to all readers of my dads Warstories.

I am still researching and thank you for reading.

Regards, Gerard from Holland.

 

Great Story GP, what happened to the German uniform?

Steve

 

Hello, all, special for Steve,

This is a good question, my dad hase told in detail.........

It was 10th of may 1940, the germans allready came over the border ,and his Captain
P A M G Mignot got orders to withdraw from the river Maas (Meuse)
His Captain told him to burn some documents /reports before withdrawing.
Dad told, together with the papers I have burned the german clothes.
Now I dont need them anymore, even it can be dangerous to have it.

Regards, Gerard.

 

Love you're father's stories Gerard.

 

HI.....Everybody.

I am still following this forum.
Only I did not post so mutch last times.
With my research I found mutch stuff.
I like to post this results,,,,,, wait and see.
Regards, Gerard from Holland.

 

Long time not heard Gerard. Did you ever visit the Library of the Overloon Museum?

 

Hello Gerard, as a fairly new member, I would not have seen this marvelous topic had it not been revived. I must thank you very much for sharing these stories about your father's experiences. Very very interesting.

 

Hello, all.

The soldiers Robinson and Appleton died together.

https://sites.google.com/site/friendsofcleethorpesheritage/news/alostsoldierstalefromholland

Regards, Gerard from Holland.

 

I think that it is wonderful that you, Gerard, have brought this young soldiers' story to a fitting end through your research and determination to find his family. I feel that he has now been properly laid to rest.