The bombardment of Castle 'Deelerwoud' in Hoenderloo

At the time of the bombing, 15-year-old Aart Hendriks was working approximately 800 meters away from the castle. According to Hendriks, the bombing raid was carried out by two Allied Spitfire fighter planes coming from the direction of Deelen. The planes flew low over the castle, made a wide turn over the village, and returned.

After passing over the castle again, they made the same turn, initiating the attack. Four bombs were dropped, two per plane, of which half did not explode and only one hit the castle. The devastation and confusion were considerable, with large holes in the castle and damage to the adjacent administration building. When Hendriks and his companion reached the castle after a few minutes, the dust clouds had barely cleared. They recall seeing multiple bodies of German soldiers scattered across the paths and lawn.

That afternoon, the forester Gerard Bloem narrowly escaped death. When the bombs struck the castle, he was on the opposite side, in the small administration building facing the administrator, conducting an extensive financial transaction. The force of the explosions blew out the windows and sent both men, amidst interior debris, crashing to the floor. Coins and banknotes flew around them. All the money was soon collected again, except for one rijksdaalder; it remained missing. It wasn't until the restoration, many months later, that it was found: wedged in a gap between the floor and the threshold.