IT may be 80 years on, but the people of a Dutch city show no signs of ever forgetting the role Welsh soldiers played in their liberation during World War Two.
Back in 2011, I was privileged to join the old Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir at anniversary liberation celebrations in s’Hertogenbosch in the North Brabant Province in the Netherlands.
- Flashback to Côr Meibion Llanelli Male Voice Choir visit to the Netherlands in 2011.
At the time, veterans of the 53rd Welsh Division were still able to attend a weekend of liberation commemorations.
This year, there are unlikely to be any veterans present, but the actions of Welsh soldiers will still be remembered by people who call their home city ‘Den Bosch’.
Thanks to hard-working folk both here and in the Netherlands, the link between Wales and Den Bosch will still be remembered on the last full weekend in October.
One of the key figures in continuing the relationship with Den Bosch is Lieutenant Colonel David Mathias, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Dyfed. In recent years, he has been instrumental in securing the services of Welsh choirs and musicians to visit Den Bosch to take part in liberation events.
This year, he has secured the services of a team of young singers from Loud Applause Rising Stars from west Wales and Llanelli’s Samuel Wyn-Morris, whose West End credits include performing in Les Miserables.
They will be joined by celebrated harpist Dylan Cernyw to fly the flag for Wales in a weekend of events which include services St Jan’s (St John’s) Cathedral, the Uden war cemetery, the 53rd Welsh Division Memorial and concerts at the city’s theatre and at Rosmalen.
“It promises to be a very busy and emotional weekend,” said Cerith Owens, who is in charge of the Loud Applause Rising Stars team.
“I’ve attended the liberation weekend events before and the determination of the city of Den Bosch to never forget the role the Welsh played in the liberation of the city is there for all to see.
“The liberation events are very dignified and colourful occasions which show this is a city that will never forget. I know that the singers and musicians from Wales, who will be taking part in the concerts and services, feel very honoured to be invited to represent their country in the Netherlands.”
The Welsh flag is flown at Den Bosch city hall every year to remember the sacrifices of soldiers from the 53rd Welsh Division
The Royal Welsh Bridge in Den Bosch is named in honour of the Army unit that liberated the town from Nazi occupation in 1944, the 53rd Welsh Division – a division now constituted as the Royal Welsh in today’s British army.
The names and ages of each of the 146 Welsh soldiers who died for the town are displayed on the bridge in a very personal civic tribute.
Venture into Den Bosch and you’ll find a public space called the 53rd Welsh Division Square, home to the Welsh war memorial.
In the city hall you’ll find the Welsh Room, which houses the coat of arms of the 53rd Welsh Division, the names of the fallen soldiers, and old photographs.
Modern Den Bosch is a prosperous place, but back in 1944 the town had been occupied by the Germans for four-and-a-half years.
The 53rd Welsh Division had already seen bloody action in the battles of Normandy, and had later fought its way through Belgium.
The division took part in the drive into the occupied Netherlands in the aftermath of Operation Market Garden, the ambitious attempt to take a series of bridges over canals and rivers using paratroopers.
The Welshmen were given the job of liberating what was then the strategically important town of s’Hertogenbosch.
Perhaps because it was the liberation of a town (Den Bosch didn’t have city status back then), perhaps because it was self-contained battle, but the liberation took on a special significance for both the Dutch and the Welsh.
The liberation of Den Bosch became an iconic ‘Welsh’ battle, a Welsh story.
In the years that followed, there were ‘pilgrimages’ by Welsh veterans to Den Bosch, visits which helped reinforce the sense of pride that it was Welsh troops who routed the Nazis.
The attack by the 53rd began at 2am on October 22, 1944.
With firepower from the tanks of 7th Armoured Division – the famous Desert Rats – and support from the 1st East Lancs, the Welshmen attacked the medieval town.
The battle raged for four days, with Den Bosch having to be taken street-by-street. The fighting was brutal, with large numbers of casualties on both sides.
But with invaluable help from brave citizens from the Dutch resistance, the enemy was gradually pushed out.
On the morning of the 27th, the Germans launched a last-ditch counter-attack to try to recapture the ground they had lost, but the Welsh pushed them back, and the Nazis subsequently withdrew from the town.
Den Bosch had been liberated – but the cost was high.
Some 146 officers and men from the 53rd were killed, and hundreds were injured. The battle cost the lives of 253 residents, and injured more than 2,000 more. More than 700 of Den Bosch’s buildings were destroyed or smashed beyond repair.
In the years that followed, Den Bosch was rebuilt, but the sacrifices of the Welshmen have never been forgotten.
Cerith Owens said: “When you think that the liberation happened 80 years ago, a time outside of the life experience of most of us, then it is remarkable that Den Bosch still continues to commemorate the liberation.
“It just shows how much importance the people of the city still attach to the events of 1944 and the sacrifices made by those brave Welshmen. We will do our best to honour their memory when we visit Den Bosch at the end of October.”
Twitter: @rlloydpr
Email: robertlloydpr@rlloydpr.co.uk
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