Also the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Antwerp drew large crowds to the city.
Here we offer an overview of some of the things that took place, before and during the weekend, about WWII in the city.
A few days before the big weekend 2 news books were presented.
On Thursday 5 September, 2 new books were presented in the city hall, “City in resistance” and “Antwerp under the V-bombs 1944-1945”. The latter is a new version of the book that Koen Palinckx wrote 20 years ago for the then founded non-profit organisation "Commemoration of the 1st V-bomb Antwerp". Board member Filip Heylen indicated at the presentation that he too was not aware of certain aspects of the V-weapon story for a long time, such as the Dora concentration camp and the Mittelwerk factory. Even before the first rocket landed, many Antwerp residents were already suffering in this hell, built for the production of weapons that would ultimately also attack their own families and city.
On the occasion of the anniversary of the non-profit organization, a new version of the book was published, supplemented with what the author has discovered in the last 20 years with his passionate research.
Filip Heylen, board member of the NPO "Commemoration of the 1st V-bomb Antwerp", talked about how years ago he himself was living proof that remembrance was necessary.
Interest in the book?
We are considering getting a stock for our museum bookshop and, depending on the pre-order success, also organizing a signing session in the museum. Are you interested and would you like to also support our NPO with your purchase (€19,95)?
On Friday there was a commemoration in the City Park at the monument for the fallen of the Line Regiments and the Fortress Regiment.
Also present were soldiers from the Liberation Battalion, tradition bearers from the Piron Brigade and the 5th Line Regiment. Due to the historical ties of this last unit with the city, the Liberation Battalion also carries the Antwerp castle Steen in its cap badge. As can be seen in the photo, the Antwerp city drummers were also present at the ceremony.
Saturday
Saturday began with the ceremony commemorating the first V-bomb on Schilderstraat.
At the monument near the locationt where the first V2 fell on the city on Friday 13 October 1944, the NPO "Herdenking 1e V-bom Antwerpen" and the city organised another commemoration at 10:00. Among the foreign guests was also the mayor of Nordhausen in Germany, where the Dora camp and the Mittelwerk factory were located. On the wreath he placed for the city of Nordhausen and KZ-Gedenkplaats Mittelbau-Dora, the following was written in German:
"Honorable memory of the victims of the German attacks on the city of Antwerp”.
Image: Serge Baugniet / Photoprojects.be
The exhibition in Steenbergstraat also started at 10am and attracted many visitors.
In this “Antwerp under the V-bombs” exhibition, in addition to the liberation itself, special attention was paid to the period afterward, from the battle in the harbor and the Albert Canal to the V1 and V2 terror that hung over the city for almost 6 months. This very commendable private initiative, also perfectly located between all the other activities, could be visitedthe whole weekend individualy or under the guidance of Erik Bogaert. With him one could make a deep dive into the history of what Antwerp still had to endure after the liberation.
The most visited activity was undoubtedly the Liberation Village, where the military vehicles were also displayed.
Departing from the Museum of Fine Arts, the vehicles of the procession arrived at the Plantinkaai around 13:50. A live stream of the parade was also broadcast on the local channel ATV, with commentary by historians Frank Seberechts and Werner Palinckx. click here to watch this video.
The lighter vehicles were set up at the Cockerillkaai and the heavier equipment at the Gerlachekaai.
On the Gerlachekaai there was also a nice selection of German vehicles on display, the most impressive of which was without a doubt the enormous Königstiger tank, from the French museum in Saumur and currently the only driving example.
The village also had a stand of the American 56th Artillery Command, the tradition bearers of the 56th Anti-Aircraft Artillery Brigade. The latter was one of the units that had to shoot down the V1s from the sky before they reached the city or port during Operation Antwerp X. At the beginning of 2023, Justin, “unit historian”, had already contacted the museum regarding sources for his research into the history of the unit. Now he was in the city himself to share this history with the public, well-equipped with information panels and leaflets.
The technology they use is very different from their predecessors in 1944 but let us hope that it will serve the same purpose as it did at Antwerp X…
“But what a delight it has been for you, Armstrong, that your mission has been to save human lives. To spare a city from destruction and to use your weapons to destroy the weapons of destruction.” Mayor Craeybeckx.
Sunday
This day started in the Bunker Museum itself for your reporter.
In the morning, the delegation from the 56th Artillery Command visited. Only with a good understanding of the role and toll of Antwerp in WWII can the importance of the defence be truly appreciated. Sharing all these insights is of course an important goal of the museum and we hope to have reassured the tradition bearers that their predecessors have not been forgotten. With some 2400 shot down V1s on their way to the city or harbour, they undoubtedly avoided a lot of suffering and damage and thus made a decisive contribution to the entire Western Front and WWII.
Command Sergeant Major Rickey Jackson, Captain Ross Hertenstein and First Sergeant Ryan Stephens in the map room, Sergeant First Class Justin Allen took the picture.
That our project, earlier research support and now visit were appreciated was also evident at the end of it by the presentation of several gifts. In addition to 2 so-called “challenge coins” from the legal service and the battery commander, there was also a shoulder patch. The commander’s coin from the commanding general had already been presented on Saturday with a first meeting at the commemoration of the first V-bomb. This was given a place in the Steenbergstraat exhibition on Saturday, as tradition bearers of the 56th AAA Brigade of course in a display case about Antwerp X. Thank you gentlemen!
Not far from the Bunker Museum there was an event at the Cromwell tank at 11am.
Fortunately, the delegation from the 56th AC hence did not have to travel far for their next appointment.
At the monument for the British liberators of September 4, 1944, the Antwerp branch of the Royal British Legion organized their annual commemoration. For this 80th anniversary it was a bit more special with music from the Grenadier Guards and a guard of honor from the ship H.M.S. Cattistock, moored at the liberation village.
The city of Antwerp's grand commemoration ceremony was accompanied by the presentation of the new Names Monument.
On the Loodswezensite, at the Orteliuskaai, a ceremony was held from 2pm at the first part of the monument that will be placed on the site. The wall with names will be in the shape of the canals that used to be found along the quay, surrounded by 3 memorial gardens. The gardens will bear the names of Eva Fastag, Marcel Louette and Hugo Van Kuyck, all Antwerp residents who chose to offer resistance to the German occupier in their own way during WWII.
In contrast to the classic laying of a wreath by a few representatives, on this occasion everyone was provided with a flower to lay down. Attached to this was a card with the name and a short description of one of the approximately 25,000 names that will be collected on the monument.
On route to the reception in the City Hall afterwards, 99-year-old Canadian veteran Anton “Tony” Olaf Pearson passed the statue of “Den Buildrager”, symbol of the Antwerp dock workers. This seemed like an excellent place to ask for a photo with him, after all, he and his comrades had fought to open access to their port some 80 years ago. In one photo I was accompanied by 2 brothers with a passion for history, Werner and Koen Palinckx who were mentioned earlier in this article. After I also received a pin with the Canadian flag on it, I could of course do nothing but give my pin from the Bunker Museum in return, whereupon both were promptly put to use. Thank you Tony!
Since the reception took place in the beautiful Leyszaal, General Armstrong was also prominently present. On our webpage about Armstrong and Antwerp, you can read the history of this bust, as well as that of the SHAEF plate that can be seen behind it.
It was also very nice to see how Armstrong's colors are now preserved in the city hall of the city where they belong, as his son wrote after donating them in 1989:
"The theme of my short speech was that Antwerp was where his colors should remain, for two reasons. One was his great admiration for the courage of Antwerp’s citizens throughout the bombardment. The other was that of all his honors from many nations, what made him most proud was to be a Freeman of Antwerp."
In the town hall there was also the exhibition “Forgotten Heroes” during the weekend.
“In the footsteps of the Polish liberators from Arromanches to Wilhelmshaven” shows many portraits of Polish liberators as well as photos and information from the book of the same name. Initially glad just to still have made it there i turned out to be rather lucky as also photographer Johannes Van de Voorde himself was present. He had photographed the veterans and their route and was therefore the ideal guide for the visit. A perfect ending to these liberation days full of commemoration of this important period.
