​​On Good Friday, 30 March 1945, fierce fighting broke out near the hamlet of ’t Woold, close to Winterswijk, not far from Doetinchem. The battle lasted all day, and the next morning, British tanks rolled into a deserted town. Most residents had fled, but on 31 March they returned en masse after the liberation was confirmed. Locals Jan Meerdink and Jo Huiskamp climbed the church tower to raise the Dutch flag, singing patriotic songs. “The wind nearly swept us off with the flag,” Huiskamp later recalled. 

​Meanwhile, in Doetinchem, the German forces had transformed the town into a Widerstandsnest, a fortified stronghold. Access roads wer blocked with concrete-filled railcars, and several bridges were rigged with explosives. Expecting an attack from the southwest, they strengthened defenses there—but on Easter Sunday, 1 April 1945 Canadian troops approached instead from the east via Gaanderen. They were met at the edge of the city by members of the resistance. As they pushed into the centre, fierce German resistance follows. 

​Local resident Wil van Hilten-Greven recalled hiding in the cellar that day. “We sneaked upstairs and looked out through the bedroom window. We saw German soldiers dug in next to our house and, in the distance, the red helmets of the Canadians crossing the bridge.” Wil Hondorp remembers the mixed emotions. “We were dancing in the garden with joy until we suddenly spotted German soldiers in trenches. We were terrified, but they wanted to surrender.” 

​Some German soldiers still refused to give up, and the fighting continued for another day. By the evening of 2 April1945 Doetinchem was fully liberated. The town suffered heavy damage—especially Hezestraat, where German forces hiding in a cellar were flushed out with flamethrowers, igniting a devastating fire. C.A. van Hilten recalls: “People ran into the streets. Canadian carriers and armored vehicles lined up. They made tea, ate bright white bread, and handed out cigarettes in round tins—we smoked like there was no tomorrow.” When a neighbour ran through the street shouting, “Come out of the cellar, we are free!”, it felt almost unreal. The city was free at last—but the celebration would take time to come.