#Story

Here on the Zwiepseweg, the British came under fire

Here on the Zwiepseweg, the British came under fire from all sides. Shots rang out from haystacks, farms, and even manholes. A soldier walking alongside the lead tank was struck and did not survive.

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 1945

It 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 Roof

A 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 Monument

The 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.

Zwiepseweg, Lochem
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