But on 2 April 1945, Lochem is finally liberated. From the direction of Barchem, the Tommies approach. At the foot of the Lochemse Berg, German troops lie in wait, and a fierce battle breaks out. Soldiers are killed on both sides. As a tribute to the British liberators, a granite monument now stands in the middle of the Enk, and the dirt road is named after the Somerset regiment.Thanks to the Historical Society’s book Lochem in Wartime, the stories of Lochem residents Ernst Marsman and Siem van der Neer, and the booklet Lochem, Emmastraat 25 by Cees Derlagen, we were able to create this route and preserve these memories. Lest we forget!

The Netherlands

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Living stories - On the Road to Freedom!

Their possessions were confiscated by the Germans. A few were able to hide valuables with friends, hoping to retrieve them after the war. The Jewish community’s religious property also ended up stored in an attic in Lochem. After the war, only 18 of the approximately 120 Jewish residents returned. Each year on 4 May, the names of the Jews who perished are read aloud here.

Synagogue Lochem

Mr Prop addressed his pupils at School II: ‘Children, we are starting again, but first I must tell you this: never forget that you were born Dutch...’&nbsp; That same morning, the Germans introduced German time, and the clocks were set forward by one hour and forty minutes. This meant that the schoolchildren in Lochem started their free Wednesday afternoon earlier than usual.Time differenceBefore 1909, time in the Netherlands varied from place to place. In the east, it was generally later than in the west, as time was based on the position of the sun. In 1909, the Netherlands adopted a standard national time based on the local mean time in Amsterdam. However, this time differed by 20 minutes from Greenwich Mean Time (GMT), and by 40 minutes from German time. When the occupiers introduced German time in 1940, daylight saving time also came into effect that day. As a result, all clocks were set forward by one hour and forty minutes.

Mr Prop addressed his pupils

Just before Christmas, the Streek family vacates the Borneo House on Zutphenseweg and, with the consent of local authorities, takes refuge in the dressing room of the open-air theatre De Zandkuil. For months, Mr Streek protects the theatre: he ensures that no firewood or furniture is stolen and repairs damaged fencing. In the final days of the war, he even captures no fewer than 22 German soldiers, whom he turns over to the Canadians on the day Lochem is liberated. As a "thank you," however, Streek receives a bill after the war: the administrator of Lochem Vooruit charges him no less than one hundred guilders for his stay in De Zandkuil.

Temporary accommodation at the Open-Air Theatre De Zandkuil

Every year on 4 May at 6:45 p.m., the municipality of Lochem organises a silent procession through this cemetery. A moment of silence is observed at the graves of the fallen, and flowers are laid in remembrance.John Edwin Hatch John Edwin Hatch had already enjoyed a long career as a professional soldier when he was fatally wounded along the River IJssel on the morning of 11 April 1945. He died later that day in De Cloese Castle, which was then serving as an emergency hospital. That morning, Hatch and his unit had been tasked with creating a smokescreen near Deventer, which was still under German control. When they encountered an SS patrol, gunfire erupted. Despite being seriously wounded, Hatch continued firing and even managed to drive the SS patrol back — preventing them from discovering the plan to generate smoke using oil and grease burners.For his courage, Hatch was posthumously awarded the Military Medal. The letters “MM” engraved on his headstone indicate this honour.Geoffrey Stevenson Stout In September 1944, Lochem witnessed its first fierce air battles between Allied and German fighter planes. At least 11 German aircraft were shot down, along with several American planes. These clashes continued throughout the autumn and winter. On 23 September, a British bomber crashed at the edge of Het Grote Veld. The pilot, Geoffrey Stevenson Stout, did not survive. He was buried here a week later.Jan Willem Radstake Jan Willem Radstake was just 25 years old when he died. This young father of five was sent to work in Berlin in the summer of 1942. Occasionally, he was granted leave and returned to Lochem. One such visit took place in May 1944, before the birth of his youngest son. He decided not to return to Germany and went into hiding. However, a neighbour betrayed him to the local Landwacht in exchange for a mere 25 guilders. In July 1944, Jan Willem was deported to eastern Germany, where he ended up in a forced labour camp. The combination of heavy work, malnutrition, and poor hygiene proved fatal. He died on Boxing Day, 1944.Evert Jan Leussink Evert Jan Leussink was also a victim of forced labour in Germany. With German men fighting on multiple fronts, there was a severe labour shortage in German industry and agriculture. As early as the summer of 1940, the Nazis encouraged unemployed Dutch men to work in Germany, but most declined. In early 1942, the occupiers changed their approach and ordered Dutch factories to surrender part of their workforce. That summer, Evert Jan was called up for the Arbeitseinsatz. He was sent to Raguhn, where he worked in an aircraft factory. On 19 December 1944, he died of diphtheria. He left behind a wife and two children.

War Graves Lochem

The British column came to a halt, and the infantry took cover in farmyards, behind trees, in roadside ditches, and even behind this statue of Mr Sickesz. Because the enemy remained hidden, the British tanks returned fire at suspected positions, targeting farms and houses. The buildings at numbers 135 and 137 caught fire. Fortunately, the residents had already found shelter and were unharmed. De Cloese Castle, where wounded soldiers had been receiving care, had already been evacuated.Saturday, 1 April 1945It is Saturday, 1 April 1945, the day before Easter. The weather is cold and wet. Advancing via Ruurlo and Barchem, the British troops are making their way towards Lochem. Since crossing the Rhine during the night of 23 to 24 March, they have been pushing north as quickly as possible. Their objective is to establish a bridgehead at Lochem, a fortified position to secure the bridge over the Twente Canal. The soldiers have been marching for days without rest and have not had a proper meal in over 24 hours…The House with the Thatched RoofA short while later, a section of nine men attempts to cross the Zwiepseweg to reach the house with the thatched roof. But the Germans have a clear line of fire from a nearby rye field, and five British soldiers are killed. Their sergeant, who survives the attack after stumbling over barbed wire, is furious. He calls one of the tanks forward and orders it to fire on the entire left flank. The German troops, caught off guard and overwhelmed, surrender immediately. The British take 60 prisoners of war.Somerset MonumentThe Somerset Monument commemorates the liberation of Lochem on 1 and 2 April 1945 by the 43rd Wessex Division. This division included the 4th Battalion of the Somerset Light Infantry, the 4th Wiltshire Regiment, the Sherwood Rangers, and the 4th and 7th Dragoon Guards. The monument stands on a section of the former tram line that once crossed the Enk.

Here on the Zwiepseweg, the British came under fire 

Shortly afterwards, the 27 bronze bells, with a combined weight of around 5,000 kilograms, were taken down. They were transported to Germany, where they were melted down to be turned into bullets and cannons. Three of the larger bells that had also been taken were returned intact after the war. Today, they chime every half hour to mark the passing of time. Some of the church bells, removed by the occupiers, were returned after the liberation.They had been stored in Tilburg.

From Bells to Bullets 

These battles would continue throughout the autumn and winter. On 23 September, a British bomber from the 617th “Dam Busters” Squadron crashed on the edge of ‘het Grote Veld’. All crew members managed to leave the aircraft in time, except for Flight Lieutenant Stout. He did not survive the crash and was buried in Lochem’s new cemetery a week later.

The final flight of the Lancaster

It was a dangerous moment, as the three tanks were soon bombarded with mortar shells. One was hit and retreated. The other two continued the assault but were confronted by&nbsp;Panzerfäuste, portable German anti-tank weapons.PanzerfaustA&nbsp;Panzerfaust&nbsp;contains 800 grams of explosive, enough to pierce and disable a tank. One tank manages to reverse in time, but the other is hit. Four men leap from the burning turret and are shot. The driver, however, escapes uninjured, runs towards the German trenches and shoots several soldiers. Once again, the Germans quickly surrender, and the British take 100 men prisoner in one fell swoop.Lochem is finally Liberated!By eleven o’clock in the evening, the British were able to continue their advance. Some entered Lochem via Barchemseweg and Nieuwstad, while others reached the town centre through Berkeloord and Nieuweweg. After Lochem was liberated early on Sunday morning, the British troops were called back to Borculo, where they were finally able to rest after 72 hours of continuous fighting. They were relieved by Canadian divisions. Around 5 a.m., the first residents of Lochem emerged from their shelters, greeting the Canadians with joy and excitement. For many years, the people of Lochem believed it was the Canadians who had liberated them.A temporary graveHere, near the triangular grove, ten British soldiers who were killed in the Enk were buried the following day. A month later, they were reburied in Barchem cemetery. When the field of honour in Holten was established in 1946, there was a proposal to transfer their remains there. However, since the soldiers were laid to rest in consecrated ground within an official cemetery, reburial was, unfortunately, not possible.

In the midst of the battle

Residents were forced to vacate their homes within hours after which Wehrmacht authorities moved in. Some belongings could be taken, but large items and heavy furniture had to be left behind for the German occupiers. An Evacuation Office was established at Haitsma Mulierlaan No. 4 to arrange alternative accommodation for those displaced. Often, this meant no more than a small bedsit or a modest cottage…From an old letter:“The misery of moving is immense,”&nbsp;writes a Lochem lady to a friend in Rhenen in early 1945.&nbsp;“Especially the formerly well-off are being evicted from their homes with no more than a few hours’ notice. Last week, for instance, a lady dragged a handcart loaded with household items from her villa through deep snow to a small bedsit above the Twente Bank. A nobleman was seen yesterday pushing a wheelbarrow full of potatoes, and the former managing director of the Rotterdam Bank, a very distinguished man, was pulling a handcart with belongings. He is now sitting in a tiny room on the H. Postelweg…”SperrgebietMarinus Naefflaan lay in the heart of the&nbsp;Sperrgebiet, a restricted area completely closed off by barriers. Dr Emil Schneider (house No. 36) lived here during the war. He was the&nbsp;Beauftragte&nbsp;for Gelderland and held this position until the end of the occupation. Schneider was a member of the NSDAP. Following the Allied Operation Market Garden in September 1944, Arnhem could no longer serve as the centre of provincial administration. In November 1944, the&nbsp;Beauftragte&nbsp;relocated his office to Lochem.

Houses requisitioned on Haitsma Mulierlaan

After all, anyone without a personal identity card could not receive ration coupons, and therefore no food.These cards were filled in by hand, a considerable task for the municipal secretariat in Lochem!The Lochem Register of PopulationLochem’s municipal secretariat employed several locals who were also active in the resistance. To continue providing food for people in hiding, they inserted numerous fake or outdated personal cards into the population register. This was crucial, as the&nbsp;Second Distribution Cards&nbsp;were issued based on this register. Due to a shortage of personnel to manually process all 7,300 cards, help came from an unexpected source: unknowingly, a number of NSB members and pro-German policemen assisted in issuing voucher cards, which ultimately benefited many Jews and others in hiding in Lochem and the surrounding area.