A little Dutch boy brought his goat cart, with probably his siblings seated in it, out into the streets, on the corner Stratumseind, Geldropseweg to the amusement of the passing British soldiers (possibly the 2nd Welsh Guards) in a Bedford QLT truck. Later this day, this street and the surrounding area were severly bombed by the Luftwaffe. Eindhoven, The Netherlands, September 19th, 1944.
On September 19th, 1944, Eindhoven was still partying. The city had been liberated the previous day, and people lined the streets to welcome their liberators. But in the course of the afternoon, the mood changed. There were rumours the Germans were advancing from the Nuenen and Helmond direction.
In the evening, things turned even worse. German Luftwaffe planes appeared over the city and bombed the city center. They targeted the transit routes of the British Army Corps: Aalsterweg, Stratumsedijk, Stratumseind, Rechtestraat, Wal, Emmasingel, Hertogstraat and the surrounding area. The British vehicles had nowhere to go. Loaded with ammunition and fuel, many caught fire and exploded.
There were fires everywhere. The number of casualties among civilians was high. 41 people died on the Biesterweg, when the shelter they were in took a direct hit. In total, 227 people died on that day.
Colourised PIECE of JAKE
Photo: IWM, Malindine, E G (Capt) (Photographer)
No. 2 Army Film and Photo Section, Army Film and Photographic Unit
