She was accompanied by Gerard Wuyts, who witnessed Operation Market Garden as a child and whose story is told in the museum. Participants in the 10-day-long hike commemorate the liberation of the Netherlands 80 years ago and celebrate the freedom it brought. 🗺️ Starting in Leopoldsburg, the 10-day walking relay will continue through the Dutch provinces of North Brabant and Limburg, finally reaching Arnhem in Gelderland.

Marieke van Kessel shares her thoughts on the walking relay “Freedom Trail”

As part of the National Committee for 4 and 5 May, she is responsible for the celebrations that take place during these present months to commemorate the liberation of the Netherlands. 🇳🇱

Interview with Femke Klein,  coordinator of 80 Years of Freedom in the Netherlands

In the museum, visitors can learn about what occupation and liberation meant for the civilians in Belgium and the Netherlands during the Second World War.

Interview with Peter Schrijvers

Unlike many oher camps, Kamp Vught was never liberated; it was closed after the last prisoners were transferred to other concentration camps. In this interview, Jeroen van den Eijnde talks about the camp’s history, the development of the memorial, and the ongoing efforts to educate people about the past, ensuring its relevance for future generations.

Memorial Camp Vught : Interview with Director Jeroen Van Den Eijnde

During our visit, we attended various commemorative events and spoke with several veterans, visitors and historians!

80th Anniversary of Normandy's Historic Landings

In June 2024, 99-year-old Canadian veteran Jim Parks visited Juno Beach in Normandy, where he landed with the Royal Winnipeg Rifles battalion on D-Day, June 6, 1944.

Interview with Veteran Jim Parks

We interviewed Bruce Crompton from Combat Dealers and Amazing War Stories about the importance of remembrance.

Interview with Bruce Crompton

Listen to the memories of two attendees of the Ranville War Cemetery Ceremony. A father (Stuart Randall) and a son (Jonathan Randall) share their stories of their ancestor Peter Robinson, who fought at Merville Battery.

Interview with the Randall family

🕯️ 25,000 candles placed on various Commonwealth Cemeteries in Normandy, one for each soldier fallen during the 1944 campaign.During the Bény-sur-Mer Canadian War Cemetery ceremony, Lucy Balin from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission explains this unique tribute paid to those who died in service.

Ceremony at Canadian War Cemetery

The ceremony commemorates the bold action conducted on June 6, 1944, by the British 6th Airborne Division. During the assault, the British forces captured two key bridges located at the Caen Canal and the Orne River which marked a pivotal event during the Normandy landings.

Ceremony at the Pegasus Memorial in Ranville

Mervyn Kersh, a Jewish veteran from the United Kingdom, recalls his war experiences during the D-Day celebrations in Normandy.Returning 80 years later, he reflects on those who never made it home from the campaign.

Mervyn Kersh interview in Normandy

The operation, more widely known as D-Day, remains one of the most well-known occurrences during World War Two. The successful D-Day landings were not only a spectacular military achievement but also a testament to the months of meticulous planning and cooperation between 17 Allied countries. 🤝

D-Day Landings 80 Years Anniversary

Sicily Landings: commemorations in Licata and interview with Mr. Gordon B. Davis Jr.

Sicily Landings: Interview with Sir Edward Llewellyn   

This event, part of the many commemorative events hosted in Sicily 🇮🇹 throughout the month of July 2023, beautifully intertwined music, art, and history.

Videos

Marieke van Kessel shares her thoughts on the walking relay “Freedom Trail”

Interview with Femke Klein, coordinator of 80 Years of Freedom in the Netherlands

Interview with Peter Schrijvers

Marieke van Kessel shares her thoughts on the walking relay “Freedom Trail”

Memorial Camp Vught : Interview with Director Jeroen Van Den Eijnde

80th Anniversary of Normandy's Historic Landings

Interview with Veteran Jim Parks

Interview with Bruce Crompton

Interview with the Randall family

Ceremony at Canadian War Cemetery

Ceremony at the Pegasus Memorial in Ranville

Mervyn Kersh interview in Normandy

D-Day Landings 80 Years Anniversary

Sicily Landings: commemorations in Licata and interview with Mr. Gordon B. Davis Jr.

Sicily Landings: Interview with Sir Edward Llewellyn

Commemoration Concert, Catania, Sicily