AUTUMN 

           STORM*

    OVER

  HECHTEL

        September 6 – 12, 1944

  Published in-house by Gerard Wuyts

 For fifteen long years the author has been researching to find  the culprits and why of it all.

 Read the obtained results in this book, how the author found the  murderer of his father and his fellow sufferers and read also the  story of many inhabitants and families of all victims of Hechtel.

 You will also find in this book all information and data about the  judicial enquiry concerning the involved Germans, which took  place in the years 1946-1947.

AUTUMN STORM OVER HECHTEL  –  September 6-12, 1944

 

After 15 long years of research and exploration work concerning what happened during the liberation of Hechtel (Limburg), in September 1944, Gerard Wuyts brings to the reader his book published at author’s expense, a bulky book and well furnished with original photographs. At 14-years of age, this writer survived six frightening long days and nights in his village that was surrounded by the Allies. His father was executed, along with ten hostages, without a single reason or excuse by German Fallschirmjäger (paratroops). The Wuyts family home went up in flames, with homes and property of nearby families, in successive fires. A German truck, loaded with shells, was deliberately placed against the house, doused with gasoline and set on fire. - In total, 35 civilians died, with at least 22 of them proved being killed during the fighting. 124 houses were totally destroyed and burned out. - Who were the German soldiers and perpetrators of all this? Which division or regiment did they belong to? Who were their superiors? Why did all these people have to die? Why all these fires? Who was responsible? What did the British Inquiry reveal about these war crimes? And how did the Belgian judicial inquiry respond? The author of this book gives a clear answer to all of these questions. - Sooner or later, the editor had vowed he would look for the perpetrators of all this. Years of research, at home and abroad, brought him in direct contact with witnesses of the facts. He finally found the murderer of his father and ten companions, Heinz von Bursztini being the chief of them, albeit in a grave in Berlin-Spandau.

  

Read all about the true and fascinating facts in a superb and bulky book of 383 pages (29 x 21 cm), richly illustrated by 58 unnumbered pages each mounted with multiple photos.

Price : € 35,- (+ postage for sending € 6,50 in Belgium)  –  (+ postage for sending to the Netherlands € 17,-)  –  (+ postage for sending to the U.K. € 17,- (1/2012). 

Deposit to account : BIC GEBABEBB / IBAN BE94 2600 0204 1214, with your name and address.     -  Possibility PayPal payment  -      

 E-mail: gerard.wuyts@skynet.be

 

Gerard WUYTS, Rue de Nalinnes 29  (Jamioulx),  

B-6120 Ham-sur-Heure-Nalinnes  -  Belgium

 

Gerard Wuyts with the Jagdpanther of Major Erich Sattler, who was eliminated in Hechtel on 8th September 1944. 

 This heavy, then brand-new tank destroyer, of which never more then 382 units were made, you can still inspect in the Imperial War Museum at London.

British casualties

Hechtel, September 1944      
Bourg-Léopold War Cemetery

 Scots Guards ‘X’-Company :

Aiton Alexander, Guardsman (+09.09.1944) age 24

Campbell Robert Calderwood, Lance Corporal 1^st Bn

(07.09.1944) age 21

(Groesbeek Memorial, Nijmegen, Netherlands)

Espley John Leonard, Guardsman (09.09.1944) age 20

Foster John, Lance Corporal (09.09.1944) age 34

* Gill Herbert, Guardsman (07.09.1944) age 23

(Geel War Cemetery)

Law Alexander, Warrant Officer Class II (C.S.M.) (12.09.1944) age 32

MacLeod William Sinclair, Guardsman 1^st Bn (09.09.1944) age20

Pallett Bertie Edgar, Guardsman (09.09.1944) age 24

* Picknell Ernest Fred, Guardsman (09.09.1944) age 25

(Brussels Town Cemetery - Evere)

Stewart George Pennycook, Guardsman (09.09.1944) age 33

Thorpe Ninian, Lieutenant (09.09.1944) age 22

Welsh Guards 1 Battalion :           

Ashmore Alfred Harold, Lance Corporal (08.09.1944) age 26      

Ashmore Edward Terence, Guardsman  (10.09.1940) age 29             

Batteson George, Guardsman  (10.09.1944) age 18

*  Bulmer O. T.

      * Bulmer Oscar Theodore, Captain 1^st Bn The Herefordshire Regt., 

         King’s Shropshire Light Infantry (09.09.1944)  (Geel War Cemetery)

* Bulmer Arthur Reginald, Lance Corporal 1^st Bn Coldstream Guards            (08.09.1944) age 24

Church James, Guardsman (10.09.1944) age 19

Davies John, Lance Sergeant (12.09.1944) age 27

Froud Ronald Frederick, Lance Corporal 10.09.1944) age 24

* Goodwin Arthur, Guardsman (08.09.1944) age 28 (Geel War Cemetery)

Henderson John Arnold Alexander, Captain (11.09.1944) age 31

Jones Evan Lewis, Lance Corporal (10.09.1944) age 24

* Jones Llewellyn Greenly, Guardsman 3^rd Bn (08.05.1943) age 23  

(Enfidaville War Cemetery, Sousse Governorate, Tunesia)

Lewis Goronwy, Guardsman (10.09.1944) age 30

Lister Hugh Evelyn Jackson M.C., Major (09.09.1944) age 43.

      Loveday Edwin John, Guardsman (08.09.1944) age 24

Phillips Idris Sefton, Guardsman (10.09.1944) age 19

Pugh George, Guardsman (11.09.1944) age 30

Pugsley Edward John, Guardsman (14.09.1944) age 26

Smith Reginald Harry, Lance Corporal (10.09.1944) age 25

Spencer John Ogilvie, Major (09.09.1944)

Thomas William Edward Burnhill, Guardsman (10.09.1944) age 36

Welsh Guards 2 Battalion :

Bird Harold John, Lance Sergeant 2^nd Armd.Recce Bn (08.09.1944) age 34

* Colledge W., Guardsman 2^nd Armd. Recce Bn (08.09.1944) age 24.

Davies George Henry, Lance Sergeant (08.09.1944) age 30

Evans Robert, Lance Sergeant (08.09.1944) age 28

Jones Bryn Myrddin, 2^nd Armd. Recce Bn (12.09.1944) age 22

* Morgan William Henry, Lance Corporal (07.09.1944) age 28

(Geel War Cemetery)

Morris Richard John, Guardsman (08.09.1944) age 27

Williams Kerfoot Tecwyn, Guardsman (08.09.1944) age 24

Grenadiers Guards :

Broad  Charles  Henry,  Guardsman  2^nd Bn  Grenadier  Guards  (10.09.1944)

         age 20

Copperthwaite William George, Guardsman 1^st Bn Gren. Guards (10.09.1944)  age 24

Frank, Sir Howard Frederick, Lieutenant, 2^nd Bn Grenadier Guards (10.09.1944) age  21. 

Hall  George  Thomas  Basil,  Sergeant  1^st Bn  Grenadier  Guards  (10.09.1944)

age 26

Potter Ronald Frank, Guardsman 2^nd Bn Grenadier Guards (10.09.1944) age 28

Irish Guards :

Dunn John, Lance Serjeant 3^rd Bn (10.09.1944) age 23

 

The Herefordshire Rgt., King’s Shropshire Light Infantry :

Blount Sidney John, Private 1^st Bn (10.09.1944) age 30

Derry William, Lance Sergjeant 1^st Bn (10.09.1944) age 28

Hembrey Francis William, Private 1^st Bn (10.09.1944) age 25

Hunt George Verdun, Sergeant 1^st Bn (10.09.1944) age 28

Jeffs Denis, Private 1/7^th Bn (10.09.1944) age 22

Kotchapaw W. J., Lieutenant, Royal Canadian Infantry Corps attd. 1^st Bn The Herefordshire Regt., King’s Shropshire Light Infantry (10.09.1944) age 20.  (Groesbeek Canadian Memorial, Nijmegen Netherlands)

 

Langley James, Lance Corporal 1^st Bn (10.09.1944) age 24

Stevens Benjamin, Private 1sr Bn (10.09.1944) age 31

Tranter Arthur Edward, Private 1^st Bn (10.09.1944) age 33

The Royal Northumberland Fusiliers :

Bonham-Carter Andrew Malcolm, Major, No.2 Independent M.G. Coy., Royal Northumberland Fusiliers (11.09.1944) age 30

  

Cooper David John, Fusilier, No.2 Independent M.G. Coy. (11.09.1944) age 33

Hayes  William  George,  Fusilier,  No.2  Independent  M.G.  Coy.  (11.09.1944)

age 20

Joyner  George  Albert,  Fusilier,  No.2  Independent  M.G.  Coy.  (11.09.1944)

age 21

151 Field Regiment Royal Artillery (Ayrshire Yeomanry) TA :

Burton Robin Welch, Captain (10.09.1944) age 24 (Brussels Town Cemetery - Evere)

Inns of Court Regiment, Royal Armoured Corps :

* Kirby George Frederick, Lance Corporal (10.09.1944) age 27 (Hasselt Communal Cemetery - Kruisveld)

3 Battalion Monmouthshire Regiment :

Thornycroft John Mytton, Captain, Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Regiment,3^rd Battalion  (12.09.1944)  age 32.

2 Fife and Forfar Yeomanry :

Milne James, Trooper, H.Q. Sqn., 2^nd Fife and Forfar Yeomanry, Royal Armoured Corps (11.09.1944) age 28

Royal Dutch Prinses Irene Brigade (Dutch Exploration Department) :

* Steijger Gerardus Matthijs, Soldaat Eerste Klas, Royal Dutch Brigade Princess Irene (Netherlands) attd. Irish Guards Group (born in Delft 28.03.1924-+11.09.1944)

 

This list is compiled from searches of the names at the Tank Memorial Hechtel and the register names of the British War Cemetery Leopoldsburg/Bourg-Léopold and after further research of all kinds.

                                                        (For more details see my book.)

We will remember them!