March 2, 1945: Venlo Netherlands

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After a solid day of hiking through the woods of Groote Heide in search of the elusive Luftwaffe airport, I decided I should go into the city of Venlo and see the central market. This is tourist central so it would be very different that how it would have looked in February of 1945.

Venlo was liberated by the 35th Infantry Division on March 1, 1945. Immediately after the city’s liberation efforts were made to feed the starving population of the war torn city.

During the month of March the 772 Tank Destroyer Battalion was attached to the 75th Infantry Division. March 3rd the 75th Infantry, 3rd Battalion was moved to an area near Venlo Netherlands. It doesn’t sound like they went into the city itself for sight seeing. The Battalion was almost immediately alerted for a further move to Westerbroek Germany. The 290th Infantry entered Germany for the first time to relieve elements of the 291st Infantry providing a screen for the division sector. 290th Company’s I and R contacted the First Canadian Army to let them know the 291st was being relived. 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken was in the 75th Infantry’s 1st Battalion, C-Company. I am not sure of their exact position at this time but it would have been close to the movements of the 3rd Battalion.

From March 8-11 the 75th Infantry Division was occupied with clearing Venlo – Roermund and Kaldenkirchen of isolated German strong holds. A few days earlier another unit had accomplished a breakthrough and they didn’t have the time to thoroughly reduce all the enemy installations in the area. Prisoners were taken, suspects were processed and coal mines were marked that had large quantities of weapons and ammunition.

“At Venlo, C-Company was on the left flank of the American troops, next to the British, to the north. This was a holding semi-reserve position with only some shelling by the Germans and reconnaissance probes by us out in front of the dikes. Here we learned that the British fought a relatively civilized war, with no shelling at “tea-time”. Naturally, the Americans ruined this sort of short truce by shelling the Germans during this wonderful peaceful time and they retaliated, as one would expect. At Venlo my platoon lived in an old Brick Factory. We had found German carbide lamps that give good light but left us looking very black with soot, sort of like negative raccoons especially for these with glasses. Living in the ovens gave us, finally, a relatively safe, quiet place to relax.” – 1st Lieutenant Joe Colcord.

February 19, 1945, Kessel Netherlands: The Maas River

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On February 19th 1945 the 75th Infantry arrived at the Maas River in the Netherlands. Right to the west of Panningen Netherlands is Helden Netherlands where the 75th Infantry had improvised facilities for billeting. The Heidenweg road from Helden leads straight south west to Kessel on the Maas River. The 75th occupied a 24 mile stretch of the river. That is where I got to hike along the Maas River and do a sketch. 75th Infantry Division troops held this as a defense area from February 15th to February 23rd when OPERATION GRENADE began,

The Parish Church of Our Lady of the Nativity, was right on the Maas River with a staircase down to the waters edge. There was a walking trail all along the banks. It was a beautiful spot. Walking down those stone steps, I saw the Maas River for the first time. It is rather wide, maybe 100 yards or so. The river flowed swiftly. Ducks flapped their wings taking a bath.

Just 25 yards up river from the staircase there was a destroyed casement made of cement and stone. A couple sat on a bench next to the destruction and ate lunch. I sketched with my back to the Maas River and looked up at the church tower. I had a pear to eat, so the couple didn’t get spooked that I was staring at them.

The Dutch 3rd Battalion of the 3rd Company of the Netherlands 41st Infantry was tasked with defending this area before WWII. Along the river there were 16 of these casements constructed of steel and porcupine light reinforced concrete. Each had 3 port holes for a field of view of 190 degrees. This casement was number S76.

The port holes are made for machine gun placements. The casements were often referred to as spider head because of the large protruding hooks used for attaching camouflage netting. This casement was built starting in March 1939 and completed in August 1939. The machine guns could fire 450 rounds per minute.

Three soldiers manned the casement. When war broke out on May 10, 1940, this casement was destroyed from a direct hit from a German anti tank gun. The shell went right into one of the portholes. Two of the soldiers inside were seriously injured. 8 Dutch soldiers and 6 German soldiers were killed on May 10th between Kessel and Kessel-Elk. After midnight, the last casement was attacked from behind by the Germans and destroyed.

As Germans retreated back across the Maas River in 1944 they destroyed the Parish Church of our Lady of Nativity. They didn’t want the Allies to have the advantage of using the bell tower to view German encampments on the opposite side of the river. Locals speculate that the Germans melted the Bells to make more weapons.

At the end of November 1944, Panningen, Helden, Maasbree, Kessel and Barlow Netherlands were liberated by the Allies. The devistation as the Allies pushed the Germans back east was immense. Many buildings and churches were destroyed by bombs. Families had to flee their homes.

This casement would have stood where it is, in its destroyed state when the 75th infantry set up to defend the West Bank of the River Maas

Procession: Tongeren-Borgloon Belgium

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Tongeren-Borgloon was a command post for the 75th Infantry Division as troops were sent by train and troop transport trucks to the Netherlands. It is possible 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken might have gone to this command post before joining C-Company in the Netherlands. If Arthur Thorspecken walked the streets of Tongeren, he would have likely stopped to see this statue celebrating an ancient victory against the Romans.

T0ngeren was occupied by the Germans in WWII. The Germans used the newly built Ambiorix barracks for training. The Allies liberated Tongeren on September 8, 1944. German V-Bombs were falling in the area in December of 1944.V Bombs created by the Germans were early cruise missiles. It was known by the Germans as the Hollenhund (hellhound). Allies referred to is as the buzz bomb or doodle bug.

When I got to the city square, I decided to sketch the bronze statue of Ambiorix the king of the Euronext. The statue dates from 1866 but the history dates back Roman times, 54 BC. Ambiorix defeated the Romans who invaded his country. Julius Ceaser referred to the Belgians as the bravest of all the Gauls. Ambriorix is shown in Germanic attire with a dragon helmet and his weapon of choice, a hatchet.

An older gentleman stopped to watch me sketch for a while. He explained to me that the costuming was all wrong. Many locals don’t like the Germanic attire on the statue, but they are stuck with it. The fence surrounding the statue 9s made of spears which is in keeping with Celtic tradition.While doing the sketch, a Sunday procession made its way through the public square. This is a Catholic tradition and half of the towns youth must have taken park. Women had angels wings and golden sleeves. Scholars and clerics marched together. A statue of the Virgin Mary was carried by 4 men through the streets.They marched right in front of me and past the merry go round to my left.

Charleroi Belgium: Ibis Styles Aero 44

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I find the small pocket sized sketchbook is great for quick informal sketches at moments like waiting for the food to come at dinner. To my right there was a large table full of guys that seemed to be together on a business trip. It was a jovial scene with everyone sharing photos on their cell phones.

Of course in WWII no Infantry soldier was allowed to shoot photos or write anything about where they had been or where they were going. ‘Loose lops sink ships” was the propaganda slogan to encourage troops to keep their lips sealed. My father 1st Lieutenant Arthur Thorspecken never wrote or said anything about the war. He kept his lips leaked up until his dying day. As a child I thought I heard him say one that a bullet had hit a tank right next to his leg once. His C-Company platoon was  assigned to work with the 8th Armored Division when the 75th Infantry Division pushed into Germany. So the tank aspect of my vague memory holds up.

Two other 1st Lieuenants from the 75th Infantry did write about their experiences in the war, and I am using their writings as a way to get a sense of what a 1st Lieutenant would have gone through in WWII.

The scene I sketched in the hotel restaurant probably isn’t much different that a scene in an infantry mess hall except for the fact that there was a woman in the room at the far table. Belgium was liberated by February of 1945 when Arthur Thorspecken might have been in the city ready to join the 75th Infantry as they moved up to the Netherlands.

After this dinner, I went up to my room and discovered that my travel credit card was missing. I tore apart my luggage and could not find it anywhere. Then I remembered getting gas on the drive to Charleroi Belgium. The gas pump just wouldn’t work with my card. I got frustrated and finally went inside to pay in Euros. I must have left the card in the machine in my frustration. In the morning I decided to make the drive back to the gas station. It was a long shot, but I had to try. I pulled into the gas station and pulled up to the same gas pump. Of course the card was not in the machine. I went inside the store with a vague hope that some good Samaritan had turned the card in to the attendant. I don’t know how to speak Flemish, but with some German, English and some hand gestures I explained that I had lost my grey card. The color gray caused the attendants eyes to light up. He went in the back room and came out with the card. For once Lucy was on my side. I had a brief retreat but pressed forward to the next city. Now if I use the card in a machine, I keep a finger on it at all times.