(Aalten, now intersection Bredevoortsestraatweg/Prinsenstraat)

Saturday, February 24, 1945. Shortly after noon, Allied fighter-bombers suddenly raced over the village. Residents fled in a hurry to the shelters, while others were completely surprised and could not find shelter in time.

The children of blacksmith Buesink, Bernard and Gerrit, were outside when they saw the bombs falling. Bernard ran into the shop of the forge and pressed himself against the wall together with some customers. Gerrit fled from the intersection with other children and dived into a cellar elsewhere.

The havoc

The bombs hit the intersection of the Kruisstraat-Prinsenstraat with the Bredevoortsestraatweg. Enormous havoc ensued. Bakery Steenbergen and the forge of Helmink were full. Beussink’s forge was also destroyed and eight surrounding houses suffered considerable damage.

Victims

The human toll of the bombing was great. Mother Helmink called her daughter and some other children inside and sent them to the basement. While she was still outside, she called out to Addie Steenbergen that her sister Netty was already in their basement. Addie and her mother then went into their own basement. Father Steenbergen and servant Toon Lammers were about to go into the cellar when a bomb hits the bakery. Steenbergen fell headfirst into the cellar and was seriously injured. 18-year-old Toon Lammers got a ladder in his neck and died instantly.

The Helmink forge also received a direct hit. The air pressure in the basement was so enormous that three children died there: 9-year-old Willemien Helmink, 7-year-old Netty Steenbergen and 3-year-old Hansje Houwers.

The couple Reijer and Aleida van den Berg-Jacobs, evacuees from Arnhem, had just left the Steenbergen bakery at that time. Both were fatally hit by flying shrapnel.

In memory

A few days later, all were buried at Berkenhove cemetery:

Gerhardus Johannes (Hansje) Houwers, 3 years old – Grave no. 604
Jeanette (Nettie) Steenbergen, 7 years old – Grave no. 602
Johanna W. (Willemien) Helmink, 9 years old – Grave no. 603
Antoon H. (Toon) Lammers, 18 years old – Grave no. 605
Reijer van den Berg, 58 years old – Grave no. 378
Aleida van den Berg-Jacobs, 58 years old – Grave no. 378

Sources:

• Aalten in Wartime author J.G. ter Horst
  
• Interview with Addie Steenbergen Collection © National Hiding Museum Aalten
  
• Interview Bernard and Gerrit Buesink Collection © National Hiding Museum Aalten
  
• Interview Wim Houwers Collection © National Hiding Museum Aalten
  
• Photos and documents, Collection © National Hiding Museum Aalten

Destroyed Kruisstraat

Obituary Hansje Houwers, 3 years old.

Netty Steenbergen, 7 years old.