The story
American paratroopers, who had been dropped at Son on September 17 1944, advanced to Eindhoven the next day. The mission of the 506th regiment of the U.S. 101st Airborne Division was to take Eindhoven and immediately secure the four bridges over the River Dommel. “We can’t waste any time to kill Germans”. With these words, Colonel Sink, the commander of the 506th, made very clear there was no time to lose. After some German resistance on the Vlokhovenseweg and then the Woenselsestraat, the Americans were able to reach the bridges. But the liberation of Eindhoven also took its toll of the people of Eindhoven. Some resistance fighters were killed, including Adri Luijkx, who was shot in error by an American paratrooper. Easy Company 506 PIR stayed in Eindhoven untill september 19th
There's more to discover
You have arrived at just one small part of Back to Normandy — a personal project dedicated to preserving stories, images, music and memories of the Second World War.
Every record is a doorway to a larger story. Explore Back to Normandy to discover more, or visit Fred Vogels' personal website to learn about the person and the projects behind it.