Lochem in the run-up to the liberation
Lochem, Barchem, Zwiep
Lochem played an important role in the Second World War, especially during the liberation and in the run-up to it. The whole country suffered under the yoke of the German occupiers in the four years prior, until the south of the Netherlands was liberated by the Allies in late 1944. The Allies were the cooperating armies consisting of British, American, Canadian and Polish forces. An attempt to liberate the centre and north of the Netherlands failed. Lochem and the rest of the Achterhoek region also remained in great uncertainty at the time. But the resistance and the Allies were not sitting still. As early as 1944, the resistance organised an arms drop. On the Grote Veld, near the Sluitdijk, outside Lochem, things were arranged in the greatest secrecy between England and the resistance. A plane would drop weapons at night, guided by searchlights and with a parachute, at the drop-off site. After two failed attempts, it managed to deliver the 17 containers of weapons. The resistance was again armed to the teeth. Cycling along the Sluitdijk, one finds only nature as a silent witness to this important event. At the end of March 1945, a major offensive began in the immediate vicinity of the Rhine. The eastern Achterhoek was liberated, but it did not go smoothly. The liberator then set course for Lochem. This town had a strategically located bridge over the Twente Canal and it had to be captured before the Germans blew it up. The players on the liberator's side were: the English shock troops of the 43rd Wessex Division who formed the vanguard. These consisted of two groups: the cavalrymen of the 4th/7th Royal Dragoon Guards with infantrymen of the 4th Bn Somerset Light Infantry. And the cavalrymen of The Sherwood Rangers with infantrymen of the 4th Bn Wiltshire Regiment. These two groups decided to go to Lochem along two routes near Barchem. One group via Zwiep and the other via Barchem. The liberation of Lochem had thus begun. Near Zwiep, at the foot of the Lochemse Berg, a bloody battle began which came to be known as the Battle of Langense Enk. The first group of cavalrymen lost many fighters, but achieved victory over the Germans. The group, led by commander Peter Mellowes, which advanced across Barchem towards Lochem, had fewer problems. They did lose a Sherman tank, but captured 100 Germans. Lochem was liberated 2 April by the 43rd Wessex Division, for which many British soldiers gave their lives. Because the division was withdrawn fairly immediately after the liberation and were relieved by the Canadians, it was long thought that Lochem was liberated by the Canadians. On Somerset 1 just outside Lochem, a monument has been erected to commemorate the fighting of the 43rd Wessex Division on Langense Enk. Every year on 1 April, this event is commemorated by pupils of Staring College Lochem. Old photos: National Archives This cycle route was compiled by our editor: Martin van Rhee.
| Directions | Distance | Total distance | |
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Start: Oosterbleek 37, 7241 DK Lochem | 30.2 KM | |
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From
13
to
12
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357 M | 0.4 KM | |
| Head northeast on Graaf Ottoweg | 191 M | ||
| Enter the roundabout and take the 2nd exit onto Graaf Ottoweg | 23 M | ||
| Exit the roundabout onto Graaf Ottoweg | 143 M | ||
| You are now at section 12 | 0 M | ||
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From
12
to
74
|
614 M | 0.6 KM | |
| Head east | 34 M | ||
| Continue onto Goorseweg | 580 M | ||
| You are now at section 74 | 0 M | ||
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From
74
to
73
|
3193 M | 3.2 KM | |
| Head southeast on Tusselerdijk | 877 M | ||
| Turn right onto Keppellaan | 1.1 KM | ||
| Make a slight left to stay on Keppellaan | 23 M | ||
| Turn left onto Zwiepseweg | 1.2 KM | ||
| You are now at section 73 | 0 M | ||
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From
73
to
54
|
2069 M | 2.1 KM | |
| Head east on Zwiepseweg | 2.1 KM | ||
| You are now at section 54 | 0 M | ||
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From
54
to
55
|
947 M | 0.9 KM | |
| Head south on Zwiepseweg | 947 M | ||
| You are now at section 55 | 0 M | ||
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From
55
to
53
|
787 M | 0.8 KM | |
| Head northwest on Lochemseweg (N312) | 270 M | ||
| Make a slight right to stay on Lochemseweg | 141 M | ||
| Turn left onto Looweg | 65 M | ||
| Make a slight left to stay on Looweg | 311 M | ||
| You are now at section 53 | 0 M | ||
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From
53
to
60
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4847 M | 4.8 KM | |
| Head south on Woodbrookersweg | 212 M | ||
| Turn right onto Enkweg | 1.4 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Schoneveldsdijk | 781 M | ||
| Turn left onto Hardermaat | 975 M | ||
| Make a slight right onto Flierdijk | 626 M | ||
| Turn left onto Vordenseweg | 868 M | ||
| You are now at section 60 | 0 M | ||
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From
60
to
59
|
1795 M | 1.8 KM | |
| Head southeast on Vordenseweg | 889 M | ||
| Make a sharp right onto Buskerdijk | 906 M | ||
| You are now at section 59 | 0 M | ||
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From
59
to
57
|
4319 M | 4.3 KM | |
| Head northwest on Herkampweg | 3.6 KM | ||
| Turn left onto Mosselseweg | 744 M | ||
| You are now at section 57 | 0 M | ||
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From
57
to
51
|
2632 M | 2.6 KM | |
| Head north on Giezenkampweg | 1.8 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Vordensebinnenweg | 790 M | ||
| You are now at section 51 | 0 M | ||
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From
51
to
50
|
690 M | 0.7 KM | |
| Head west on Molenbuurtsweg | 690 M | ||
| You are now at section 50 | 0 M | ||
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From
50
to
14
|
6858 M | 6.9 KM | |
| Head north on Sluitdijk | 1.7 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Zutphenseweg | 2.2 KM | ||
| Turn right onto Vordenseweg | 685 M | ||
| Turn left onto Dwarsweg | 333 M | ||
| Continue straight | 2 M | ||
| Turn left onto Gageldijk | 1.1 KM | ||
| Make a slight right onto Zutphenseweg | 251 M | ||
| Turn right onto Hessenweg | 233 M | ||
| Turn left onto Tusseler | 352 M | ||
| You are now at section 14 | 0 M | ||
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From
14
to
13
|
1089 M | 1.1 KM | |
| Head northeast on Tusseler | 817 M | ||
| Turn right onto Oosterbleek | 225 M | ||
| Turn left onto Kastanjelaan | 3 M | ||
| Turn right onto Graaf Ottoweg | 44 M | ||
| You are now at section 13 | 0 M |