Notes from Pierre Schunck about the liberation of Valkenburg

September 14th, 1944
Information from Bob Hilleque (DB)
30th Division (Old Hickory)
119th regiment
1st battalion
company A
Captain Simmons
In the first jeep from Sibbe was sitting
Bob Hilleque
Arny Fegeson (Jew Abraham)
Sammy Seroy
Bill Parker

I took place as a guide on the bonnet of the jeep. All the jeeps were left on the Grendelplein (entrance of the town). Walked through the town gate. Captain Simmons next to me, into the Muntstraat up to Hotel Smeets-Huynen. Through it, to the terror of the Smeets family, to the church. Snipers climbed with verger Van Ogtrop into the church tower in order to get Germans on the other side of Geul at gunpoint.

The soldiers had not yet breakfasted at this early hour. The Van Ogtrop family cooked leek soup from the pastor’s garden. Brought outside in buckets.

Captain Simmons and I were sitting against a wall on the bank of the Geul, when the bridge exploded.

Then we passed through the houses (there was shooting when we crossed the Grote Straat, but weren’t hit). We wanted to go to the girls school. We did not get there because of shooting near the Walramplein. Purpose: To dry the first branch of the Geul by the lock, in order to enable the soldiers to cross. Later soldiers were brought by a tank to Hotel Limburgia, who closed the lock.
16 Sept. By army engineers, debris of Hotel Jennekens was pushed into the Geul, which also allowed tanks to cross.
Pierre Schunck