The last bombs of 8 February 1945 fell in the village

Clarel Susan Smit 3 April 1906 – 6 June 1945
Berkenhove Cemetery, Grave no. 392

Clarel Susan Smit came to Aalten from Arnhem in 1933 where he was a teacher at the Chr. MULO (the Breukelaar School) on the Piet Heinstraat. The school is named after the founder of this school: Rev. Breukelaar, Mr. Piet Rhebergen was the first director.

When a heavy bombing raid took place in Dale on 8 February 1945, a few splinter bombs also fell on the corner of Haartsestraat and Wilhelminastraat.
Clarel Smit leaves the house of his colleague from Lente at that very moment when bomb fragments hit him. He was so injured in his feet and legs that he died a few months later due to complications on 6 June 1945 in the emergency hospital in Harreveld. He leaves behind his wife and 6 children

The son Piet of Lente’s colleague was also injured.
Dick Heinen, who lived at Wilhelminastraat 2 at the time (during the war it was called the Willem de Zwijgerstraat), recorded the following:

It was early 1944. So I was 6 years old. Piet van Lente and I played with the handcart.

Piet was the son of superintendent Van Lente. Piet was also 6 years old. It was Piet’s turn to sit in the cart and I pulled the cart. We had forgotten about the whole war and played outside like all 6-year-olds. But it was war and suddenly the air raid siren sounded. We had to find a safe place quickly. Piet could not get out of the cart, because he was between the front and rear bar. I pulled the cart behind the hedge and dropped to the ground. Piet lay as low as possible in the cart. We had only just arrived when a splinter bomb fell. When I looked sideways at Piet after the bomb dropped, I saw something that I have not forgotten for the rest of my life and will forget. Piet was bleeding enormously. He was missing one eye. He had gotten a fragment through his left leg. There was a deep wound in his chest. I got up and ran to pick up someone from his family. What was a 6-year-old supposed to do with such an injured boyfriend? Master Smit was with the Van Lente family at that time. He was a teacher at the same school as Piet’s father. He was of the opinion that you were safer outside than inside during a bombing. To get to the house of the Van Lentes, you had to climb a staircase and when I came running there, Master Smit was lying by that staircase. He was also hit by the splinter bomb. Next to him was his foot, which was completely off. The foot was still in the shoe. Master Smit was taken to Groenlo and died a few days later. I met his daughter Mechteld a few years ago at a reunion. She asked if I wanted to tell her this story, because she had heard that I had been there. She had hardly known her father. Fortunately, Piet made it. He got a glass eye, which made it look like he was a little cross-eyed.

Dick Heinen’s statement that Master Smit was taken to Groenlo and died a few days later does not correspond to the actual facts. Above is the story as Dick Heinen has it in his memory.

Sources:
Memoirs Clarel Suzan Smit Jr. © Archive National Hiding Museum Aalten
Witness report Dick Heinen © Archive National Hiding Museum Aalten
Images of the Smit © family Archive National Hiding Museum Aalten

Clarel Susan Smit 3 April 1906 – 6 June 1945
Berkenhove Cemetery, Grave no. 392

Clarel Susan Smit and his family