The liberation of Maastricht and Z.Limburg in 1944 in color! [A.I. enhanced & colorized] Bevrijding

The Dutch Southern province of Limburg was the first to be liberated towards the end of WW2. As recorded by the American 117th Regimental Combat Team, the village of Mesch in Zuid Limburg was the first to be liberated on 12 September 1944. This was precisely 90 days after D-day and fierce battles in the Belgian Ardennes.
The Americans continued onto the city of Maastricht which was liberated two days later on the 14th of September 1944. In the following days the advance of the allied forces halted. From 17 to 25 september 1944
Operation Market Garden took place, during which an attempt was made to capture the Rhine bridge near Arnhem. This operation failed, eventually resulting in a stalemate situation during the following winter in which the Netherlands were devided between the German occupied north and the liberated part south of the main rivers: Rhine, Maas and Waal.
That winter is commonly known as the "Hunger winter" during which many people in the North suffered starvation and at least 20,000 people died as the result. It took until the beginning of March 1945 before the remaining part of Limburg was liberated, involving among other the cities of Venlo and Roermond.
In this film we see highly interesting images of the city of Maastricht, just after the liberation, collaborators being arrested, scenes at the police station, huge damage to bridges and towns allong the river Maas, German POW's and many images of Maastricht during the following winter.
For more information, please switch on the CC captions to read the events and locations while the film plays and watch the rest of the film without spoken commentary.
Source: Beeld En Geluid.
Music: Experia - "Accepting Defeat", Howard Harper Barnes - "The Way to the Sky" and Experia - Taste of Revenge".
Draft Time line (please help to complete this):
=====================================
00:00 Collaborators being rounded up
02:45 Sint-Servaasbrug at Maastricht (13th century stone bridge) badly damaged
04:37 Dutch allied forces Head quarters.
07:09 Check point: papers being checked.

Пікірлер: 115

  • @Rick88888888
    @Rick88888888 Жыл бұрын

    *Don't forget to subscribe to my channel and watch the other, nearly 300, historic restored and colorized videos on my channel* ! The main objective of this channel is to try to help you understand what the world was like, primarily between 1900 and 1945. Please don't try to judge that past world through today's eyes and also please do not bring contemporary problems like racisme, sexual orientation, politics, climate change, wars a.o. into the debate. In stead try to take a time travel trip back to a long gone world! *Please help to identify the locations in this film. Thanks* !

  • @bobbouwer90

    @bobbouwer90

    Жыл бұрын

    2:43min Seeing our damaged bridge like that always leaves a great impression.

  • @Nina-8
    @Nina-8 Жыл бұрын

    I've watched this footage with tears in my eyes. My dearly departed Opa was from Maastricht and he would often tell me about his experiences during the war (refusing to work for the germans, hiding, sabotaging, being imprisoned in Vught, Princess Irene Brigade...). I eagerly watch all of your videos to see his homeland as he knew it, but this one is especially poignant. I so wish that I could have watched them with him. Thank you so much for your painstaking work in preserving these archives. As "the greatest generation" passes on, taking with them their living memories of these events, the resources you provide are even more vital. I'm so grateful to you! Hartelijk Bedankt!

  • @Rick88888888

    @Rick88888888

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you very much. I'm really pleased that you appreciated this footage. Indeed the generation who could tell us what WWII really was like have now almost gone entirely, apart from the occasional 95+ year old veteran. My father was in the Dutch navy from 1939 to 1945 and I am sorry now that I didn't listen too carefully to his stories when I was young. Now I'm retired I am trying to recapture some of the lost information from as many sources as I can. There should have been far more people like Steven Spielberg from other countries to interview the veterans in their last years of life.

  • @meepenjaap7999

    @meepenjaap7999

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Rick88888888 Thank you Rick. As a Dutch American I feel the same way. Neither of my parents wanted to talk about their experiences but even as a little girl I badgered them into telling me stories. My aunt just passed she was 95 and I visited her in R'Dam in June. I have a video of her singing an Indonesian song about birds. I will always treasure her stories of Java before and after the War. Speaking of Spielberg, Empire of the Sun could have been about my fathers experiences in the camps. He had a side business in Tjimahi kamp exchanging labor for cigarettes or other commodities. I highly recommend that movie.

  • @MrDaiseymay

    @MrDaiseymay

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Rick88888888 The more I watch atchive film like this, showing the LIberation of people, who have suffered years of ill treatment ,and far worse; and the joy of release. It brings home to me once again , just how fortunate we British were, to narrowly escape a similar fate. As for failing to aquire more information from your father, I, like most Family History buffs, can admit to such oversight. Many a time I have regretted not asking the very people, who had all the answers, after their demise.

  • @jean6872

    @jean6872

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Rick88888888 *_You are doing splendid work. Many thanks._*

  • @spaceenemiesnovel
    @spaceenemiesnovel Жыл бұрын

    Thanks for the footage. This is not far from Belgium. My grandfather never got to experience the liberation. He was shot by nazi's in 1945 in our home town. One of my grandmother's brothers was with the resistance. He was hailed a war hero after the war. One of his brothers was sent to a concentration camp and survived.

  • @genestatler2514
    @genestatler2514 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much for restoring and presenting these very important and interesting films.

  • @peterjanssen2105
    @peterjanssen2105 Жыл бұрын

    weer een prachtig stukje geschiedenis bewaard ( erg mooi gemaakt weer )

  • @benjaminloyd6056
    @benjaminloyd6056 Жыл бұрын

    Excellent video. Those old European towns were very beautiful, they don't make them like that anymore.

  • @sukmikehok663

    @sukmikehok663

    Жыл бұрын

    You can still find a lot of old towns like this in the Netherlands

  • @joeyzwier

    @joeyzwier

    Жыл бұрын

    Still exist

  • @benjaminloyd6056

    @benjaminloyd6056

    Жыл бұрын

    @Große Scheiße But do they make new buildings in that style?

  • @RPT-ss4uc

    @RPT-ss4uc

    Жыл бұрын

    The city of Maastricht still looks largely like it was 150 years ago.

  • @georgewillems32

    @georgewillems32

    11 ай бұрын

    ​@@benjaminloyd6056 yeap. They do

  • @brunoterlingen2203
    @brunoterlingen2203 Жыл бұрын

    Thank you Rick, all these videos are "must watch material, so that the Dutch (and others) NEVER forget that too lose one's freedom is to lose one of the most precious gifts. Therefore it is about time the Dutch increase their spending on their armed forces.

  • @herrlich1461

    @herrlich1461

    Жыл бұрын

    For what? The greater glory of the Wall Street pack and the further enslavement of the western nations?

  • @TimNelson
    @TimNelson Жыл бұрын

    Immensely valuable preservation work here. Absolutely stunning. This ‘ere yank thanks and applauds you.

  • @shaunwest3612
    @shaunwest3612 Жыл бұрын

    Great video rick, incredible footage, amazing work 👍😀

  • @Rick88888888

    @Rick88888888

    Жыл бұрын

    Glad you enjoyed it

  • @vavilentatarskiy7852
    @vavilentatarskiy7852 Жыл бұрын

    Dank u wel Rick! Het is heel interessante!

  • @c.s.7266
    @c.s.7266 Жыл бұрын

    I really enjoy watching your videos. 💛

  • @Rick88888888

    @Rick88888888

    Жыл бұрын

    Thank you so much!

  • @heipuntnl
    @heipuntnl Жыл бұрын

    Mooi document ! Bedankt.

  • @martinderks1059
    @martinderks1059 Жыл бұрын

    Van 04.37 tot 07.08 zijn er opnames te zien van het Nederlands-Duitse grensgebied met o.a. het Duitse stadje Ubach (Palenberg) en Kasteel Rimburg (05.41) net over de grens in Duitsland en met Nederlandse grenswachters !!! / From 04.37 to 07.08 you can see recordings of the Dutch-German border area with, among other things, the German town of Ubach (Palenberg) and Rimburg Castle (05.41) just across the border in Germany and with Dutch border guards!!!

  • @nigelwright850
    @nigelwright850 Жыл бұрын

    I lived a year in the Netherlands working and living at Venray in Limburg. Near there is a village called Overloon, there was a tank battle there and they have museum. In the village is a war cemetery and I can still remember some of the inscriptions /If only I could hold your hand and see you smile/ then life for me would be worthwhile/… and …/ All our plans and dreams are now as dust/... it brings tears to my eyes just thinking about it.

  • @RPT-ss4uc

    @RPT-ss4uc

    Жыл бұрын

    There is also a massive cemetery in Margraten which is maintained with the help of locals who pay to "adopt" a grave. They even helped to find families of people buried there. We Dutch never forgot who liberated us, amongst others we are grateful still to all the Canadians, Polish, British and Americans.

  • @gregorypalmer5403

    @gregorypalmer5403

    Жыл бұрын

    @@RPT-ss4uc I went to the Margareten Cemetery on US Memorial Day in the early 1990s. It was a very moving experience and the Dutch people have my heartfelt thanks for their kind remembrance of our young people who perished in the War..

  • @andybush368
    @andybush3689 ай бұрын

    I lived in Maastricht, had many discussions with my colleagues about their families stories about the occupation. I lived in Kanne and Eben Emmel is just down the road, also a memorial to some RAF fighters who crash landed in the area. Wonderful people.

  • @johnfalkenstine8377
    @johnfalkenstine837711 ай бұрын

    My Dad helped liberate Maastricht. He married my mother in 1945. I came along in 1949, born at my grandparents in the Frankenstraat. My father passed in 2011. My mother a couple of years before.

  • @hanslamers4951
    @hanslamers4951 Жыл бұрын

    Prachtige beelden! vooral de opnames van de opgeblazen oude Sint Servaas brug en de winterse paspoortcontrole bij de Wilhelminabrug!

  • @Kopjekoffie980
    @Kopjekoffie980 Жыл бұрын

    I'm from South Limburg, Heerlen nice beautiful video and unique

  • @johnnyh2606

    @johnnyh2606

    10 ай бұрын

    i'm from Zutendaal Belgian Limburg 15km from Maastricht... nice video...👌

  • @prae7068
    @prae7068 Жыл бұрын

    Hi, Rick. Where do you find all this amazing footage. Just incredible. When you come across footage from the liberation of Weert can you publish that too please?

  • @Han-wh5ie
    @Han-wh5ie Жыл бұрын

    Bijzondere beelden. Ook de sneeuw is bijna historisch.

  • @richardbinkhuysen5224

    @richardbinkhuysen5224

    Жыл бұрын

    De opnamen met de sneeuw moet rond de 3e week van januari 1945 zijn.

  • @checkeredflagfilms
    @checkeredflagfilms Жыл бұрын

    Why didn't you continue your VO to translate the many posters, announcements and goings on?

  • @regntonne
    @regntonne Жыл бұрын

    Prachtige beelden!

  • @danc1897
    @danc1897 Жыл бұрын

    I visited the Netherlands when I was a kid on a school exchange trip (I was around 14 so it was probably around 1988. In the school we were in the teacher told us that when we go back home we should thank our grandfathers for flying over Holland and bombing Germany to win the war (he told us he watched the bombers flying over towards Germany). The tutor told us it gave them hope. It was something that made me feel proud of my country but it also made me feel a sense of joy and respect for the Dutch people. In today's modern world there are new forces at work to undermine countries. I hope that patriots around the world will recognise the joy that lies in fighting for freedom.

  • @herrlich1461

    @herrlich1461

    Жыл бұрын

    Fighting for the Wall Street pack isn't fighting for freedom, on the contrary, it's fighting for one's own slavery.

  • @georgewillems32

    @georgewillems32

    11 ай бұрын

    And I guess that Europe must be liberated again in the near future.....look wat happen in France and Germany....

  • @mohamadnadem9175

    @mohamadnadem9175

    2 ай бұрын

    شو رأي طموح

  • @mapior
    @mapior Жыл бұрын

    Is there a film on the liberation of Den Bosch? My father was there in October 1944.

  • @Rick88888888

    @Rick88888888

    Жыл бұрын

    I don't think so, sorry.

  • @dutchstijl
    @dutchstijl5 ай бұрын

    Is dat Ernst Kuipers bij 0.43?

  • @Robin-bk2lm
    @Robin-bk2lm Жыл бұрын

    Thanks, but the CC doesn't work as you describe. It only shows when i tap the screen and temporarily show the title and controls, etc.

  • @Rick88888888

    @Rick88888888

    Жыл бұрын

    The CC captions are automatically made by KZread; In this case their algoritm is doing a bad job, nothing to do with me.

  • @boinknook
    @boinknook Жыл бұрын

    Notice the chains on the jeeps. They work very well.

  • @genekelly8467
    @genekelly846711 ай бұрын

    My late Mother's cousin saw this (resident of Amstenrade)! Did the Netherlands receive restitution from Germany for the damage?

  • @stogmot1
    @stogmot1 Жыл бұрын

    i dont normally like recoloured film ,but you seem to have done an excellent here

  • @universe7912
    @universe7912 Жыл бұрын

    very cool wow

  • @phoenixchi64
    @phoenixchi64 Жыл бұрын

    Fascinating....

  • @Uliio
    @Uliio Жыл бұрын

    Seeing those smiles on those German POWs, lol. Must've been nice to be captured by Americans instead of Soviets in the east.

  • @herrlich1461

    @herrlich1461

    Жыл бұрын

    No, that's just fantasy and wishful thinking on your end. They were very similar in their murders and brutally.

  • @jamesjwalsh

    @jamesjwalsh

    10 ай бұрын

    @@herrlich1461 I think you're missing his point.

  • @herrlich1461

    @herrlich1461

    10 ай бұрын

    @@jamesjwalsh No, I don't think so.

  • @copferthat
    @copferthat10 ай бұрын

    Thank goodness for Churchill, as the world would be a far different place now if it was not for his intransigence and leadership.

  • @scograham
    @scograham Жыл бұрын

    The men in American uniforms are carrying sten smg’s. Are they probably Canadian? I wasn’t aware that US troops sometimes carried stens.

  • @Rick88888888

    @Rick88888888

    Жыл бұрын

    Could be. The allied forces consisted of American, British, Canadian and Polish army fighters.

  • @scograham

    @scograham

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Rick88888888 Canadians did use American uniforms and equipment, but I think the stens give away the commonwealth connection.

  • @richardbinkhuysen5224

    @richardbinkhuysen5224

    Жыл бұрын

    They are men of the Netherlands Interior Forces, Commando Limburg initially dressed in civilian clothes. Gen.Simpson was in shock when he received the first batch of this 'Beggar Army' and changed his mind soon when they were put into action. He was so impressed that he delivered Sgt.Dautzenberg's citation personally to his mother after being KIA. Over 4000 men and woman served in the Netherlands Interior Forces, Commando Limburg & Brabant (incl. the 9 and 10.Coy's of Tholen Island and the St.Philipsland Peninsula) on the front line from the coast line of Tholen Island up to Germany. And their casualty rate was even higher then the Dutch Princes Irene who fought from Normandy up to the Netherlands. They fought f.i. at the Beringen and the Albert Canal (Belgium) against German Parachute Regiment 6. Therefor there was a mix of civilian, British and American outfits as each unit had to fit them selves out with either captured German, British or American equipment or clothing unless the unit Commander was able to supply them with that. If you look closely you can recognize a painted orange lion on some of the helmets. Being captured and recognized, torture and execution would be their fate as the Germans still considered them 'citizens' of their Third Reich and seen as Partisans instead. Still nobody knows about them and they are not mentioned in Dutch history books. Some former Resistance Fighters who belonged to them received their Dutch Resistance Cross after 50 years for being member of the resistance, but never for being on the front line for over 4,5 months or longer. My Granddad was one of them and belonged to the Orde Dienst-Tholen and later on the 10th of January 1945 to March 14th 1945 facing German Parachute Regiment 6 for 6 days behind enemy lines and raids of MEK40, the German equivalent of the British Royal Marines Commandos. This 'Beggar Army' had been under German occupation for 4,5 years and eager to fight and with bare hands necessary. Only recently some rare film footage surfaces to proof that these men really at the front lines. A thank you note from his Supreme Commander was the only thing my Granddad ever got. And they never complained about that. They just wanted to get it over with as soon as possible. Maybe in the future they receive the recognition they deserve. Who knows.

  • @richardbinkhuysen5224

    @richardbinkhuysen5224

    Жыл бұрын

    kzread.info/dash/bejne/fXmapdVuYNa8obg.html 1.Coy./Netherlands Interior Forces,Commando Brabant in training. Most likely a training during mid Nov.1944 already deployed. At the end if the footage the reburriel of Sect.CO Piet Avontuur of 10th Coy./ Neth.Int.Forces Cdo Brabant at Zuylen Cemmetary, Breda amidst fallen soldiers of 1./Polish Armoured Div. He was KIA during a German Naval Commando (MEK40) at the St.Philipsland Peninsula of 22nd of January 1945. My Granddad's 9.Coy. was deployed at the adjacient sector to the right 6 day's later.

  • @richardbinkhuysen5224

    @richardbinkhuysen5224

    Жыл бұрын

    kzread.info/dash/bejne/qpOLtpaCZq-YZso.html Dutch Vullonteers of the Netherlands Interior Forces Commando Limburg that served under Simpson in Limburg into Germany. Note that initially they were dressed in civlian clothes, later in British or American uniforms.

  • @tomw377
    @tomw3775 ай бұрын

    Why are some of the American GIs seen carrying British Sten Guns throughout the video? I've never before seen that.

  • @retsiembrU
    @retsiembrU Жыл бұрын

    Weet u wie die Amerikaanse generaal is die wordt uitgezwaaid in de tijd van 2:03 En bedankt voor deze bijzondere upload.

  • @asdonut
    @asdonut Жыл бұрын

    6:39 I am genuinely surprised the Americans used sten guns. I had no idea.

  • @tomw377
    @tomw3775 ай бұрын

    Around the 2:15 mark of the video you can briefly see what I guess is a former Dutch solder wearing a prewar army uniform with its high collar tunic.

  • @ArnoldVeeman
    @ArnoldVeeman Жыл бұрын

    Another example of how hard it is to stand up against a extremist regime. I am still thankful to the ones that liberated all of us from the horrors of Nazism.

  • @herrlich1461

    @herrlich1461

    Жыл бұрын

    And since 1945 we have been seeing and increasingly experiencing the horrors of Washington and of Wall Street.

  • @1991nielsmulder
    @1991nielsmulder Жыл бұрын

    3.50min prinses irene brigade ?

  • @richardbinkhuysen5224

    @richardbinkhuysen5224

    Жыл бұрын

    Nee, Stoottroepen van de Nederlandse Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten, Commando Limburg

  • @beharg123
    @beharg123 Жыл бұрын

    My wife's great aunt filmed some of the liberation of Eindhoven ( they are from limburg) I only say this as there must be lots more film about

  • @oscarwildeghost
    @oscarwildeghost8 ай бұрын

    Odd collection of weapons for the US troops pictured, British Stem guns and Springfield 03 bolt actions. Very interesting to see that at this date in Europe.

  • @joevicmeneses8918
    @joevicmeneses8918 Жыл бұрын

    Why are those US soldiers guarding a POW enclosure carrying Sten guns ??

  • @richardbinkhuysen5224

    @richardbinkhuysen5224

    Жыл бұрын

    They are Dutch Vollunteers serving under Simpson.

  • @Tony-1950
    @Tony-1950 Жыл бұрын

    ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

  • @ozowizo37
    @ozowizo37 Жыл бұрын

    sjoen mestreech

  • @mercomania
    @mercomania Жыл бұрын

    How quickly they changed their colours. All these "brave" resistance fighters who magically appeared in 1944.

  • @gloriaanaruma1279
    @gloriaanaruma1279 Жыл бұрын

    Esses vídeos registram o enorme esforço de terminar a mais horrenda guerra do século passado e deveria ser visualizado muito mais nos meios de comunicação dos tempos atuais para que essa geração frouxa entenda que para ter paz e liberdade é preciso de luta e vigilância. Tenho tristeza de ver a Europa entregue à líderes como Macron

  • @Rick88888888

    @Rick88888888

    Жыл бұрын

    Your comment was fine until you finished by making political statements about Macron which has nothing to do with this video.

  • @TheWiseMagpie1

    @TheWiseMagpie1

    Жыл бұрын

    @@Rick88888888 Yet you upload this video in a very sensitive time.

  • @Rick88888888

    @Rick88888888

    Жыл бұрын

    @@TheWiseMagpie1 Please don't play "silly buggars" with me! You should watch the film from a 1930s perspective and try to avoid comparisons with today's bizar world.

  • @mason7778

    @mason7778

    Жыл бұрын

    ​@@Rick88888888 oh yes, there are comparisons..........many!!! In Germany !! 👎👎 And i'm from germany!

  • @hansgruber650
    @hansgruber65011 ай бұрын

    Dutch had the largest volunteers to the Waffen SS.

  • @johnathandaviddunster38
    @johnathandaviddunster38 Жыл бұрын

    Peace in western Europe for 78 years is this the longest period in history ? The european union is far from perfect but has helped maintain peace

  • @joshill8134
    @joshill8134 Жыл бұрын

    ..where were the "smiling" brave "days before? Under the bed...

  • @VicGreenBitcoin
    @VicGreenBitcoin Жыл бұрын

    Maastricht is er niet veel op vooruit gegaan sindsdien...

  • @charlie-girl72
    @charlie-girl72 Жыл бұрын

    lol dutchie here..all of em teefers people had, btw horrible time

  • @TellySavalas-or5hf
    @TellySavalas-or5hf Жыл бұрын

    Those so called "good" police men where Schalkhaar NSB collabarators.

  • @gerryadams2011
    @gerryadams2011 Жыл бұрын

    We now live in a world of shit. Congrats to the liberators hooray! 🥳👍

  • @aethelwulfofwessex7152

    @aethelwulfofwessex7152

    Жыл бұрын

    Yes, we now have Weimar world-wide. Hooray for those liberators! 🥳

  • @vchk5330

    @vchk5330

    Жыл бұрын

    @@aethelwulfofwessex7152 no need to cry

  • @vchk5330

    @vchk5330

    Жыл бұрын

    @@aethelwulfofwessex7152 follow your leader instead

  • @zbigniewpiwowarczyk6122
    @zbigniewpiwowarczyk612210 ай бұрын

    Dwa dni przed wejsciem aliantow wszycy holedrzy walczyli.Ten film to bzdury.5 lat klaboracji.

  • @elmoblatch7932
    @elmoblatch7932 Жыл бұрын

    Tja, da hatten wir Deutschen ja auch nix verloren...

  • @EhrenamtlicherAbschiebehelfer

    @EhrenamtlicherAbschiebehelfer

    10 ай бұрын

    Mohammed wird sich in der Zukunft um den Rest kümmern.

  • @vandeberg649
    @vandeberg649 Жыл бұрын

    Oke... dan komen ze niet in uniform binnen maar als asielzoekers....😢

  • @simonvinyl
    @simonvinyl Жыл бұрын

    id rather be speaking german that having urdu here

  • @Watkinsstudio

    @Watkinsstudio

    11 ай бұрын

    Urdu speakers aren't killing hundreds of thousands of Dutch as Germans did.

  • @robertneven7563
    @robertneven7563 Жыл бұрын

    and the towns or city s Wessem Ophoven Thorn are liberadet by the brave Belgain brigade Piron,