diary

Mobilization Arendonk october 1939

Mobilization on september the 1st 1939.

Hove from september 1 till september 4 1939.
Berchem from september 4 till september 15.
Viersel from september 15 till september 16.
Poederlee from september 16 till september 17.
Retie from september 17 till september 19.
Peer from september 19 till september 23.
Arendonk from september 23 ’39 till january 14 1940.
Zeverdonk from january 14 till january 19.
Arendonk from january 19 till february 25.
Poederlee from february 25 till february 28.
Heist-op-den-Berg from february 28 till february 29.
Battel from february 29 till march 29.
Heist-op-den-Berg from march 29 till march 30.
Bruggeneinde from march 30 till may 10.

May 10 1940: Alarm at 2 o’clock in the morning, left for Herentals by car.
May 10 – 12: Herentals, during the night from may 11 to may 12 letting bridge explode.
May 12: Back to Bruggeneinde till the evening, then on foot to Sint-Katelijne-Waver.
May 14: In the evening on foot to Battel.
May 15: Arrived at Battel, been on guard there from may 15 to 16.
May 16: In the evening on foot to Lebbeke (province East Flanders).
May 17: Arrived at Lebbeke.
May 17: In the evening on foot to Eke.
May 18: Arrived at Eke (shed – fire bombs).
May 18: In the evening to Huisse (Asper Sas).
May 19: Arrived at Huisse. Worked the entire afternoon on the lock, destroyed lock-gates and foot bridges across the Schelde, put up barbed wire and placed mines on the lock-gates. Back by car to Huisse (in shed).
May 20: Still at Huisse, at 5 o’clock in the morning bombardment. 5 bombs in our vicinity, 6 horses killed on the spot, 1 soldier injured. Spent the whole day in a pit, didn’t came out, not even to eat! In the evening and the whole night (in the pitch darkness!) put up barbed wire at the river Schelde for the first line. The Germans are at the other side of the Schelde. We can see grenades falling. Gavere ahead of us is burning.
May 21: Huisse.
May 22: On bike to Gavere, working for the first line. On rafts across the Schelde to demolish walls in the middle of the day. All of the time hostile planes flying over. Gavere is still burning, no man or animal in the streets, mines all over the place. The Germans are approaching, we can hear them shoot. On bike to Tielt.
May 23: (Thursday) Tielt (province West Flanders), 10 o’clock in the morning bombardment on the town, 17 people killed, civilians and soldiers.
May 24: Tielt.
May 25: Tielt, high road to Kortrijk, bombardment by planes and artillery, fleed between Tielt and Egem. In the evening back to Tielt and straightaway on foot to Meulebeke – Kachtem.
May 26: Kachtem – Ardooie; been in first line next to the railroad from 4 pm to 1 o’clock at night. Then relieved by the infantry, been fired at repeatedly by light artillery, schrapnels. Back to Kachtem. Been in a house with civilians till noon (12 o’clock).
May 27: In so-called 2nd line from 12 o’clock till 5 pm, then suddenly attacked with machine-guns, fleed to Emelgem (province West Flanders). Hide in a coal-shed with 6 men till 7 am.
May 28: Surrendered at 7 o’clock. Capitulation at 5 am already. On foot with a whole column of prisoners of war to Kortrijk (30 km.). Slept in a large hall.
May 29: From Kortrijk on foot to Oudenaarde (31 km.). Slept in barracks.
May 30: Have to go on foot from Oudenaarde to Aalst. I jump on a bus together with Lode Geers and Karel Schelfhout, we drive via Aalst to Brussels. By tram to Leuven and from Leuven by German truck to Hasselt. Arrived there at about 8 pm. Slept at Jef Kopermans’ place.
May 31: Left at 7 am, on foot to Waterschei, got a bike there and arrived at Maaseik at about 12 o’clock noon