Liberation route through municipality of Heeze-Leende
7. Flemish Road
The entire route!
Vlaamseweg
On Vlaamseweg, in the bend of the road towards Someren, a monument recalls the place where three Dutch soldiers (Private A.H.A. Aarts, Sergeant F.A. Broos and Private A.N. Kanters) were killed in rearguard action on 12 May 1940. They were retreating from the Peel- Raamstelling at that time. Initially, they were also buried at this site. On the graves were three simple crosses at the time. Later, they were reburied in consultation with their relatives.
A little further into the forest stood the original Villa Elias. The Jewish Elias family who lived here had promptly fled to the United States during the war. The Germans confiscated the villa. In 1944, it was completely lost to fire. Various stories circulate about the cause of the fire. One says that people in hiding set the villa on fire and another says it was done to prevent the Germans from catching the people in hiding.