Memorial Plates Church Bambrugge

Commemorative Plate at the front of the church of Bambrugge to remember the military and the civilian victims of the First World War.

A memorial plaque hangs in the entrance of the St. Martin's Church:
In blessed memory of Gustaaf Van Boxstael from Bambrugge
and Edmond De Cock from Ganshoren arrested by the Germans on July 23, 1943, when they were printing the covert paper "La Libre Belgique" in Brussels.
They were executed in Munich on January 30, 1945.
They died for Belgium. "

Gustaaf Van Boxtael was born on August 22, 1924 in Etterbeek and lived in Bambrugge. He was unmarried and a student.
In 1942 he was recruited to participate in the printing of the covert magazine "La Libre Belgique" in Brussels. He had to obtain information, help print and distribute it.
He was hiding in Brussels. The illegal papers were brought to Aalst by Van Boxtael and further distributed by the resistance group Rita.
In February 1943 he came into contact with the Aalst Independence Front and became a liaison agent and courier. His area of ​​activity included the area between Aalst, Brussels and Bambrugge. He also distributed the covert magazines De Roskam and Vrij België.
On 28 July 1943 he was caught red-handed by the Geheime Feldpolizei in Brussels while printing "La Libre Belgique". He was arrested together with printer Edmond De Cock. He was imprisoned in Saint-Gilles and in Munich from July 28, 1943 to January 30, 1945 and was beheaded there on that day.

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!

Source

• Text: Luc Van Waeyenberge & Marie-Christine Vinck
• Photos: Luc Van Waeyenberge (1, 2), Marie-Christine Vinck (3, 4)
• Het verzet in Erpe-Mere tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog " – verhandeling Lancelot Van De Putte (Univ.Gent – 2008)