Liberation Route Marker 89

LIBERATION ROUTE MARKER 89

Water as a weapon [/ i]

The Liberation Route follows the path of the Allies during the liberation of Europe. The route starts at Normandy and runs via Nijmegen and Arnhem to Berlin.

In October 1944, the German army devised plans to flood a large part of the Dutch-German border area in defense of an Allied attack. In February 1945, the German troops in the Kleve area proceed to large underwater settlements in an attempt to halt the Allied advance.

Dikes are blown up and large areas of land, including the basement of the XOX factory, are flooded. The 19-year-old Dutchman Jan Arie de Ruiter experiences the events up close and keeps a diary. He writes about the XOX biscuit factory where he works and lives. He has his shelter in a flooded cellar and is sheltered from the heavy bombing that takes place above ground. Here he also experiences the liberation by the Allies. This is followed by a long and dangerous journey, partly wading through water. His diary provides a penetrating picture of the extreme circumstances in which civilians had to survive surrounded by bitter cold, water and shelling. It takes until the end of April 1945 before Jan Arie de Ruiter can set foot on Dutch soil again.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar.com & Liberationroute.com
• Photos: Arie van Wijngaarden