Logistically important Western Scheldt

In 2019 we commemorated that it is 75 years ago that the south of the Netherlands was liberated. In Terneuzen the national commemoration took place on 31 August 2019 with a large event that was reported on radio and television. Attention was chosen for the Battle of the Scheldt because it has always been unfairly overshadowed by the failed Operation Market Garden.

Although Vlissingen was not liberated until 1 November 1944, we as local radio amateurs of VRZA ZWN, who have their club hack in Vlissingen, and VERON WAL also wanted to participate that day by activating a radio field station on Uncle Beach in Vlissingen where the Scots landed. We set up the tents at the Oranjemolen and the German observation bunker on the green boulevard.

The deployment of radio operators and radio groups within the resistance played a major role in ending the Second World War. That is why it was precisely for this reason that we commemorated this on that day during the National Remembrance.

A camp was set up with various army tents. There was a tent where connections were made with army equipment from WWII, which at that time was used on land and from the air for communication between the Allies. From another tent we were active with more modern equipment on HF/VHF and UHF with the special call PA75SODS (Slag Om De Schelde).

There was also a continuous demonstration of the Enigma. The legendary coding machine that the English managed to fathom, which allowed listening stations on the English coast to pick up messages from the Germans, which were then decoded by employees at “Bletchley Park”, who had been kept secret for years. Being able to manipulate communications in this way led to a significant shortening of the war and saved many lives.

The Dutch resistance, for which the Binnenlandse Orde Dienst was also active in Zeeland, also provided information to Bletchley Park via radio communication (the “Albrecht” group). Allied operations such as “Mallard” at the Sloedam were also assisted by the use of amateur radio transmitters.