Foundation of the Balsvoort Farmstead

Here you once found the hamlet of Balsvoort, which consisted of only 4 or 5 farms in the 19th century. The contours of one of the farms have been visualized again.

This part of Kampina is very quiet, great chance to spot deer.

During the Second World War, the Schut family lived on the Balsvoort farm. The brothers Hein and Theo had contacts with the resistance.
They were also very concerned about the fate of the wrongly dropped Market Garden paratroopers and helped transport food to the various shelters. They also offered shelter to people in hiding and evacuees, including the mayor of Oisterwijk Verwiel and their own brother Bernard. A specially made bomb shelter and the barn served as shelter.
The resistance held seven Germans captive on the farm, but released them on October 4 without the Schut family knowing. Not long after, the Germans surrounded the farm. The surprised brothers Hein and Bernard were arrested. Bernard tried to escape, but he was killed during his escape attempt. His family did not find him until after the liberation on November 2, 1944. Hein was taken along and after a harsh interrogation he was shot dead on October 7, near Groot Aderven.

The farm was demolished in the 1980s and returned to nature, but afterwards the outline of the farm was made visible again in the landscape with a low wall. A memorial plaque there reminds of the execution of the Schut brothers.

Source: tracesofwar.com