The Leenhof drama

Schaesberg had only been liberated from the German occupation for less than a month. Since then, the American army had become an essential part of the streetscape. A military emergency hospital had been set up in the Leenhof farm, and next to the farm was an airfield for light reconnaissance aircrafts. In the surrounding meadows were cannons and anti-aircraft guns were positioned. 

Although the front line had already advanced to Aachen, the war was not over yet. The German Luftwaffe was still active in the airspace above the Mijnstreek region. A German aircraft had been sighted several times, but nothing further happened. 

At sunset, Leenhof was getting ready for evening mass at 19:00. After the service, churchgoers left the church and chatted for a while. Out of nowhere, a German fighter-bomber suddenly appeared. The aircraft dived, opened fire and released its lethal load. The deafening explosions were followed by a heart-wrenching scream. The bombing took twenty-one lives: three adults, twelve children and six American soldiers.

The dramatic event went down in history as the Leenhof drama. Over time, it became forgotten, until a commemorative monument was erected at the beginning of this century. It consists of a large boulder with a simple steel cross and a plaque, flanked by two concrete columns.