The liberation of Hoenderloo

On the evening of April 16, 1945, it becomes clear that the German troops in Hoenderloo are at risk of being surrounded. A Canadian armored division reaches Otterlo and sends tank columns towards Voorthuizen and Lunteren. At the same time, Canadian troops are located just outside Apeldoorn.

Shortly after noon, a light Canadian reconnaissance plane begins circling widely above the area. On board is an officer maintaining contact with the artillery at Deelen. However, the sound of the plane is soon drowned out by the sharp crack of incoming shells. Hoenderloo is now the target of enemy fire. The shelling around Hoenderloo continues throughout the night. Nevertheless, it becomes clear that the German troops are not going to surrender without a fight. Deep into the night, a considerable group of German soldiers gathers at a barricade of tree trunks on the road to Apeldoorn, armed with stick grenades and Panzerfausts, in an attempt to hold out against the Canadians.

Ultimately, this group also succumbs to the pressure of encirclement and evacuates the position. Shortly thereafter, flames flare up in several places, where two small trucks are set ablaze because they do not have enough fuel to continue driving.

In the early hours of April 17, 1945, Hoenderloo appears deserted. A deathly silence prevails, only from the direction of Otterlo, where the Canadians are already present, faint sounds of cannon fire can be heard. The first Canadian scouts reach Hoenderloo towards the end of the morning. At the request of an officer arriving with a jeep, a farmer retrieves his Dutch flag and hoists it on a long pole on a high haystack. This turns out to be the signal for the Canadians, who have hidden themselves everywhere in the forest edges, to approach the village. Hoenderloo is liberated!