by Jozef GEBOERS Translation by Patrick Marquenie During the springtime of 1984 the president of the tradespeople, Ray Verpoorten, was attending the farewell parade of Lt Gen Dewandre of the Group Leopard (Groep Leopard). The general will become the president of the division tanks at the Royal Museum in Brussels….
In remembrance of the victims of WW I in 1920 a monument was erected in front of the town hall of Leopoldsburg (made by the artist Jan Burny). It represents the Belgian lion who rises itself from the debris. Around the monuments are thirty small slabs with the names of…
On a few meters from the Royal Atheneum in the Martelarenlaan, besides the railway and a small ditch, is a graveyard monument and 22 small crosses. The monument was build in remembrance of the 22 assassinated prisoners by a detachment of the Flemish SS. During the night of 04 to…
The Sherman-tank was introduced on Oktober 5, 1984, under impulse of mister R. Verpoorten, at that time chairman of the VVV (information office), in the presence of The Minister of Defence, mister Vreven. The tank reminds of the historical ordergroup (O-group) of general Brian Horrocks to all the commanders of…
In 1864 Mexico became an empire. The crown was offered to Maximilian of Habsburg and his wife, princes Charlotte, daughter of King Leopold I. When the situation became too dangerous for emperor Maximilian , because of the civil war in Mexico, Belgium send an expeditoncorps too Mexico in 1865, without…
The Belgian military authorities allowed one camp-follower per army-company. She had to be married with a soldier below the rank of NCO and was mainly doing the laundry. The camp-follower followed her unit close at heels. Also during exercises, marches and target-practice. During the breaks she was allowed to sell…
In pursuance of the anniversary of 175 years Belgium, the town council decided to place a bust of King Leopold I, to whom Leopoldsburg thanks its’ name. The statue was inaugurated by Prince Filip on December 9, 2005. King Leopold I his first time visit to Leopoldsburg was on October…
The statue of general Chazal on the ‘Zegeplaats’ (Yard of Victory) was unveiled in 1908, in the presence of 2000 veterans of 1870. The artist is Desenfans. Pierre Emmanuel Felix Chazal was born in Tarbes (France) on January 1 1808. His family imigrated to Brussels in 1814. In 1844 he…
The Buteyn brothers From first hand: memories of May 27, 1944. Text: Jules Buteyn Translation by Patrick Marquenie Everyone in our village knows the Buteyn brothers. They remember the war years vividly. Underneath you can find a little piece of their family history during the anxious days before the liberation….
Some passages of a text by Omèr Gelaesen (translation by Patrick Marquenie) On June 6 1944 the long-awaited day started: the start of the liberation of Europe. That morning, In France, some tens of thoudsand soldiers stormed from their boat through the chilly seawater onto the beaches of Normandy. In…
