The 20-year-old John Lincoln is platoon commander of the 1st battalion of the Norfolk Regiment. Being part of the British 3rd Division, he and his men hike on the Venrayseweg in Overloon towards Venray. A week earlier the British have taken over the front at Overloon from the Americans. Instead of tanks, the British mainly deploy their infantry against the entrenched German troops.
Lincoln’s peloton is one of the two that start the attack along the Venrayseweg. They begin with heavy artillery bombardments, closely followed by the infantry pushing forward. But persistent rain has made the area between Overloon and Venray soggy. The German Schu-mines are barely visible and many British are left wounded in the field. The conquest of the area, with the Loobeek as the deadliest obstacle, takes three days. The British in open field and are target of German cannons, machine guns and snipers. Out of the 30 men in Lincoln’s peloton, only 12 remain unharmed, including himself. But the senseless death surrounding him touches him deeply.
Later Lincoln will be wounded in fights around Kevelaer in Germany, but he survives the war. Afterwards he will be visiting the region regularly to commemorate his fallen comrades.
Remember the Battle of Venray and Overloon by this cycling route along 10 locations between both places that are clearly related to the war.
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This special cycling route (59 km) connects two remarkable places: the German War Cemetery in Ysselsteyn in Limburg and the War Museum in Overloon in Brabant.
check routeThe free Venray Remembers app shows the past as you have never seen it before. Download the app, take the car or bicycle or go on foot and follow a beautiful route in De Peel. Follow the instructions in the app to project an augmented reality video at the indicated locations and become part of the story that happened there.
View the war past from a different perspective and through this unique app. A modern way to let young and old relive the past in a positive way. Let’s keep remembering!
