AUTUMN STORM* OVER HECHTEL

The Battle for Hechtel -  6^th to 12^th September 1944

Hechtel was from 6^th to 12^th September the scene of very heavy fighting between units of the Guards Armoured Division and units of the 1.Fallschirmarmee of General Kurt Student who from 4^th to 7^th September came to reinforce the front between Geel and Hasselt.

After they run over a German column at Helchteren, the 3^rd Company of the Welsh Guards had to withstand counter-attacks from the SS-Landsturm Netherlands.

Then they hit the positions of the 20^th Fallschirmjäger Regiment, wich was reinforced by troops from a division of the II.Fallschirm Panzer Ersatz u. Ausbildungs​​-Rgt. 'Hermann Göring', all depending from the Luftwaffe.

With an encircled movement through the military training terrain of Leopoldsburg, the Irish and Grenadier Guards could take possession of the bridge across the Scheldt-Meuse canal at Neerpelt.

After six days of heavy fighting, Hechtel fell until noon of 12^th September in Allied hands.

The fighting take the lives of more than 127 Germans, 62 British and 35 civilians.

The Germans felt themselves cornered in Hechtel, they took several families from their shelters and randomly shot men down.

124 houses were completely destroyed or burned down.

 Remember this always and be ever mindful of our victims!