Oorlogsmonument Bombardement op Leenhof

The initial joy of the inhabitants of Schaesberg after the liberation of the village by the Americans on September 18, 1944 was overshadowed on October 13 of the same year by a German bombing at the church of the Leenhof district. 9 adults, including 6 American soldiers, and 12 children lost their lives. Thirty-six people were injured, some of them very serious. The pilot of a low-flying German Messerschmitt bomber had decided to scatter a number of splinter bombs over the road at the church of Leenhof. At the time (7.30 p.m.) this happened, a group of children and adults just left the church. They had attended the praise there. The reason for this bombing was probably due to the fact that American soldiers were stationed in Leenhof. There were a lot of GIs between Meezenbroek and Palemig. Heavy guns were installed along the current Albert Cuypstraat (around Schaesberg Castle). An emergency hospital had been set up at Leenhof's farm and next to the farm at Bredastraat was a small and provisionally arranged airport for American reconnaissance aircraft for the Pipercup type artillery. Many soldiers also stayed in the Kapellerbos. Possibly the pilot of the Messerschmitt has mistaken the churchgoers for soldiers. Surprise attack The chaos and the disruption around the church after this surprise attack were great. Bomb splinters and shards had sown death and destruction. Civilians and soldiers lay dead or (seriously) injured on the ground. Others walked aimlessly and shockedly. Among the victims were four brothers from one family from Heerlen. They were fatally hit when they left the church side by side. Their bodies lay motionless next to each other on the sidewalk. This involved 4 children from the bakers' family Prieckaerts ranging in age from 9 to 13 years. Gertruda Dijkman-Dekker lost her twin sister Johanna in the bombing. Because both were the elders of a family of 10 children, they helped their mother, among other things, with looking after the other children. However, they never did that help together, and therefore they never went to church together. On October 13, 1944, it was her sister's turn to go to church. The family lived next to the patronage of Leenhof, about 100 meters from the church. After the praise the family would eat and everyone had to be home. That is why the mother of Johanna shouted to the church that she should come home. Johanna replied, "Yes, mommy, I'm coming." It was the last thing they heard from her. Mother had not arrived yet or a great noise broke out on Schaesbergerweg. It popped and crackled and that sound was followed by screaming, shouting and calling. Mother eventually found her daughter at the exit of the church. Her girlfriend lay on her. This girl was badly wounded but stayed alive. Johanna was dead. The German bomber was shot down that same evening by English pilots in the airspace above Germany.