On 10 April 1945, Deventer was liberated, via Schalkhaar, where the Canadian army still faced heavy fighting. It was a day of mixed emotions, as members of the resistance lost their lives in the final days during the so-called Twentol drama. One of the liberators at the time, Nick Janicki, maintained a long bond with the city.The route leads through the historic Hanseatic town, with its atmospheric centre and the bridge across the IJssel.

The Netherlands

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The Rijsterborgherpark you come accross in this themed route.

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The stele commemorating Frank Arthur Cherry.

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Liberating Deventer

During the Twentol Tragedy on April 10, 1945, which took place at the Twentol factory, five young members of the resistance were captured. An unidentified German officer then ordered their execution in a nearby playground on Snipperlingsdijk. Eyewitnesses reported that the German soldier Ernest Gräwe refused to carry out the execution order. He was immediately executed on the spot by his commanding officer.After that, the five young men were executed one by one by another soldier from the firing squad. Immediately after the shootings, the German troops fled the scene in advance of the approaching Canadian forces. Resistance fighter Harry Engels was severely wounded and brought to the hospital, but died upon arrival.In the days that followed, the bodies were laid out in the Lebuïnus Church. On Saturday, April 14, 1945, the city of Deventer escorted the fallen to their final resting place. A procession of thousands accompanied the coffins to the cemetery, paying final tribute to the young men.In 1948, the memorial was unveiled at the site of the execution. The inscription recounts the tragedy and lists the names of the fallen resistance fighters, as well as the name of Ernest Gräwe.

Monument for the Twentol tragedy

On Sunday, April 8, 1945, the liberation of Deventer was near, and the Canadian army had approached the city within just a few kilometers, coming from the south, from the Zutphen direction. Infantry regiments such as The Royal Winnipeg Rifles and The Canadian Scottish were mainly responsible for capturing the city. The sounds of war were clearly audible, and tension rose by the hour.A unit of the Dutch Domestic Forces (Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten, BS) in Deventer was ordered to secure the Twentol Bridge over the Nieuwe Haven on Zutphenseweg, at the southern edge of the city, to support the Canadian advance. The group consisted almost entirely of students from the Colonial Agricultural College in Deventer. At 24 years old, Jan Gennep van Lührs was the oldest and served as the group’s commander.Lightly armed, the group took up position in the temporarily abandoned factory of the Twentol Oil Company, also located on Zutphenseweg. Though risky due to the flammable stock inside, the site was strategically located next to the bridge and offered a good vantage point from the upper floor.What no one in the group knew was that Canadian military leadership had decided not to enter the city via Zutphenseweg. Heavy German resistance was expected along that route, and Brigadier General Gibson and his staff instead chose a wide flanking maneuver to approach Deventer from the northeast rather than the south.The Twentol resistance group was unaware of this change in plan and therefore remained on watch for several days, losing their opportunity to retreat easily from the factory — as there had been no German presence at the bridge up to that point. On Monday morning, April 9, the situation remained unchanged. The group was still supplied by 19-year-old resistance courier Corry Bosch, who had married fellow resistance member Joost van Baalen (22) just two weeks earlier. They were determined to stay together.On Tuesday, April 10 — the day of Deventer’s liberation — the calm around Twentol was shattered. German units were being pushed southward through the city, and suddenly, holding the Twentol Bridge became strategically important for the German retreat. In café Erbers, on the opposite side of the bridge, a German observation post was set up with a small patrol that began scouting the area.The resistance group’s presence was discovered, and the factory was surrounded. A firefight broke out, during which Jan Gennep van Lührs was killed. The Germans then set fire to the building, literally smoking out the resistance fighters. One member died in the flames. Gerard Verhoeven managed to escape, but the remaining five were captured. They were taken to a German command post and subsequently executed.

The Deventer Twentol tragedy

Clayton L. Mitchell crossed from the United Kingdom to mainland Europe in early January 1945. He was assigned to the Canadian Scottish Regiment. As platoon commander of B Company, he was killed in action on April 10, 1945, during the battle for Deventer. This occurred after crossing a German anti-tank ditch on the grounds of the psychiatric hospital Brinkgreven.Nick Janicki, the last surviving liberator of Deventer, recalled the moment in the newspaper De Stentor: "We came from the psychiatric institution ‘Brinkgreven.’ I crossed the fields heading toward the city center. Mortars were falling, heavy fire — my commander, Clayton L. Mitchell, was killed. I dove into one of the houses for cover. I wanted a cigarette. I reached for my tobacco tin — it was crushed. A bullet or a fragment, I don’t know. I guess it just wasn’t my day to die.” Nick’s day had not yet come.Clayton L. Mitchell was temporarily buried in Oxe and was one of the first to be reinterred at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten on December 17, 1945, in grave 1-B-7. A memorial on the grounds of Brinkgreven in Deventer commemorates this tragic event.

Memorial fro Clayton L.Mitchell

His journey through Europe began in Normandy, where, on the night of July 8–9, 1944, Frank Arthur Cherry performed a heroic act by rescuing his wounded commanding officer under intense enemy fire and bringing him to safety. Cherry then regrouped the section of the Canadian Scottish Regiment with which he was serving and led them in capturing a second line of defense. For this brave act, his quick thinking, and calm response under pressure, he was awarded the Military Medal, a high distinction.Cherry was wounded in October 1944, recovered, and was promoted to Corporal. His unit endured four major operations. In the autumn and winter of 1944, he also took part in the Battle of the Scheldt before advancing deeper into the Netherlands in 1945. On April 9, the Canadian troops approached Deventer from the east. After a brief but intense battle, they crossed into Schalkhaar over the Overijssels Canal.Sergeant Minnis and ten fellow soldiers, including Frank Arthur Cherry, took up position in a strategically located villa on the edge of the village. Early on the morning of April 10, they were soon met with German resistance. A short firefight followed, after which a white flag was raised and about twenty German soldiers surrendered — their war had ended.But the battle for Schalkhaar was not yet over. After handing over the prisoners, Sergeant Minnis and Corporal Cherry returned to their observation post with their men. Within an hour, they once again spotted German troops. Three German tanks advanced from Averlo toward their villa on Koningin Wilhelminalaan, while infantry crept through the deep ditches on either side of the road. It became increasingly clear that the Germans had no intention of surrendering Deventer without a fight.The small section, with only a few Bren carriers, now faced overwhelming enemy numbers. Sergeant Minnis alerted his commander and was quickly reinforced — first by a mortar group, and later by several tanks. The German resistance held for two hours. Twenty more soldiers surrendered, and at least an equal number were killed in action.Frank Arthur Cherry was among those killed during the fighting. The villa in which he had taken cover came under heavy fire multiple times, and he was fatally struck. Four of his fellow soldiers were more fortunate — though wounded, they were able to be evacuated for medical treatment at a field hospital set up behind the front lines.Frank Arthur Cherry died on Tuesday, April 10, 1945, at the age of 23. He was temporarily buried in Oxe and later reinterred on December 17, 1945, at the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten. His gravestone reads: "Five brothers in arms, Four survive, Life’s work well done, Now comes rest." In Schalkhaar, a memorial marks the place where he was killed. Every year, the local community remembers the contribution of this Canadian corporal to their freedom.

Schalkhaar Forever Connected to Frank Arthur Cherry

​​Thomas Graeme Gibson was born on 6 April 1908. On 8 April 1943, at the age of just 35, he became the youngest Brigadier-General in the Canadian Army at the time — a testament to his exceptional leadership and tactical ability. These qualities soon played a pivotal role in the final months of World War II.&nbsp;​As the war neared its end, Gibson took command of the 7th Canadian Infantry Brigade, part of the 3rd Canadian Infantry Division within the 1st Canadian Army. Between February and June 1945, his brigade spearheaded operations to liberate the eastern and northern provinces of the Netherlands.&nbsp;​Moving swiftly from Germany into Dutch territory, the 7th Brigade liberated towns like Zutphen and Gorssel before reaching Deventer. On 10 April 1945, they entered the city of Deventer. The German forces had mostly retreated, allowing the Canadian troops to take control with minimal resistance. For the people of Deventer, it was the end of five long years of occupation — and the beginning of freedom and rebuilding.&nbsp;​Just twelve days after liberation, on 22 April 1945, Thomas Gibson was named the first honourary citizen of Deventer. The official ceremony and presentation of the certificate took place on 6 October 1945, during a public celebration of the city’s liberation.&nbsp;​That same day, the then-named Zwolschestraat — a main street leading into the city — was renamed TG Gibsonstraat in his honour. It remains a lasting tribute to the man who led Deventer into freedom. After the war, Gibson returned to Canada, where he passed away in Toronto on 3 January 1986. In Deventer, however, his legacy lives on — not only through the street that bears his name, but in the memory of liberation and the enduring friendship between the Netherlands and Canada.

Liberating Deventer

Photos

Sites and stories along the route

Monument for the Twentol tragedy

The Deventer Twentol tragedy

Memorial fro Clayton L.Mitchell

Schalkhaar Forever Connected to Frank Arthur Cherry

Memorial plaquette T.G. Gibsonstraat Deventer

The railway bridge over the IJssel

Liberating Deventer

Photos

Sites and stories along the route

Monument for the Twentol tragedy

The Deventer Twentol tragedy

Memorial fro Clayton L.Mitchell

Schalkhaar Forever Connected to Frank Arthur Cherry

​​Memorial plaquette T.G. Gibsonstraat Deventer​

The railway bridge over the IJssel

Memorial plaquette T.G. Gibsonstraat Deventer