L72: Reddingsactie dwangarbeiders

At the end of the Second World War there was a forced labor camp in the German city of Rees. Some men escaped to Megchelen and told their story there. That was the start of a large-scale rescue operation. On February 11, 1945, some volunteers traveled this route to rescue some 300 Dutch men from the forced labor camp. Disguised as a German officer, Theo Venhorst entered the camp to let the men leave the camp, without the guards noticing. The men came together in small groups and were guided towards Megchelen by volunteers. In Megchelen the forced laborers were received in an emergency hospital led by Mies Neuhaus. After a fierce firefight, Megchelen turned into a mess and it was only liberated as the 1st village above the major rivers on March 28, 1945.