The Bombing Raids On Montfort
Between Friday evening January 19 and Tuesday 23 January the Dutch village of Montfort was shelled or bombed on seven occasions, and was hit by more than 100 bombs. Most of these fell in the centre of the village. Nearly all of the 250 houses were damaged. Some houses were no more than ruins, and entire families were killed. During these bombing raids the Germans took shelter in the cellars among the civilians, and in the wooded areas just outside the village. The bombing raids that struck Montfort on the 21st and 22nd were carried out by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) 2nd Tactical Air Force - No. 83 Group - 143rd Wing. This Wing consisted of 438 (No. 438 Squadron RCAF), 439 and 440 Squadron, and was based at Eindhoven. The squadrons were equipped with the Hawker Typhoon 1B fighter bomber. RCAF 143rd Wing lost six aircraft during Operation Blackcock, two of which crashed in Montfort. When Montfort was finally liberated by the "Desert Rats" on January 24 the civilians were in a deep state of shock. The bombing raids on Montfort cost the lives of 186 civilians, most of them buried under their destroyed homes.
Read more about this topic: Operation Blackcock
Famous quotes containing the words bombing and/or raids:
“The compulsion to do good is an innate American trait. Only North Americans seem to believe that they always should, may, and actually can choose somebody with whom to share their blessings. Ultimately this attitude leads to bombing people into the acceptance of gifts.”
—Ivan Illich (b. 1926)
“Prosperity cannot be restored by raids upon the public Treasury.”
—Herbert Hoover (1874–1964)