#Story
Death and deliverance: The 1944 Scottish landings
On 26 October 1944, Hoedekenskerke became the focus of intense artillery shelling. From liberated territory in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, Allied troops fired shells to weaken German positions in and around the village. This action was necessary to support the Canadian advance through Zuid-Beveland and enable preparations for a Scottish landing on the beaches of Zuid-Beveland. For the inhabitants of Hoedekenskerke, however, it meant fear, chaos and devastation.
Grenades struck with thunderous force. Houses collapsed, walls were blown down by the air pressure and shards of glass filled the streets. Fires broke out, frightened residents took cover in cellars or fled to the outskirts of the village. Some even ventured through the icy water that reached chest-high due to the flooding.
A group of 27 villagers tried to find a safe place via the Zeedijk. German soldiers on the dyke, however, passed light signals, causing Allied shells to hit dangerously close by. Even in makeshift shelters, such as Mr Boogaard's farm, no one was safe.
On 29 October, the Scots (Royal Scots Fusiliers) finally reached Hoedekenskerke. The liberation marked the end of the German occupation, but also brought great losses to light. Of the approximately 700 inhabitants, 38 did not survive the war. The village lay in ruins and the flooding had rendered the once fertile land unusable.
The events of October 1944 show how liberation is sometimes accompanied by tragic sacrifices. For Hoedekenskerke, liberation marked the beginning of a long road of reconstruction and recovery.