Franciscus van den Eijnden

Additional information:

Son of Johannes Antonius van den Eijnden and Johanna Maria Berkers.

Due to the heavy fighting and during the German retreat and the Allied advance, a great deal of ammunition was left behind; consequently, it was possible that there was still a significant amount of unexploded ordnance in the ground. There were so many mines in the Peel that the small group of mine clearance experts, including the civilian mine clearer Franciscus van den Eijnden, would need years to clear them all. In Vught, Germans, collaborators and war criminals were interned in the former concentration camp, and because there were so many mines in the Peel, volunteers were sought there for the dangerous work in the Peel. On the verge of the Lagebrugweg there were also various ‘Schrapnellmine’ or S-mines which, once triggered, would fly into the air and explode at hip height, sending all manner of sharp pieces of steel flying in every direction.

Franciscus van den Eijnden, a civilian mine clearance expert from Liessel who had completed a crash course in mine clearance, was clearing mines alongside Corporal Meindert Postma, among others, under the command of Sergeant Jean Dirven. Although both were well aware of all the dangers involved in mine clearance, they were exchanging photographs amongst themselves when one of them may have struck an S-mine with his mine probe, causing it to explode and decapitating both of them. A priest was called to administer the last rites to Franciscus van den Eijnden, but the same priest refused to do so for Meindert Postma because he was not a Catholic.

’s death register. Memorial cards:

Dutch SS men from Camp Vucht clearing mines, probably somewhere on the Schans in the Neerkant. They are being guarded by Dutch soldiers.

Below is a photograph of an explosive mine. One of the many types of mines that were cleared in the Peel.

Sergeant Jean Dirven

“Het Licht” 2 June 1945