At the beginning of April 1945, the Allies rapidly approached the province of Groningen in the Netherlands. The province’s liberation was in three regions: the border region between Musselkanaal and the Dollard, the city of Groningen, and the “bridgehead Delfzijl.” Local resistance members succeeded in preserving “The Iron Blow.” This was the only bridge over the Stadskanaal in the area that had not yet been destroyed. A reconnaissance unit of the First Polish Armored Division, led by General S.W. Maczek gratefully took advantage of this opportunity and crossed the provincial border at Musselkanaal on April 11. The same day, the Poles advanced further and reached Stadskanaal and Mussel.
The next day, Onstwedde was liberated. At Tange-Alteveer (west of Onstwedde) a Reconnaissance Unit of the German ‘Marinefestungsbataillon 359’, when Polish armored vehicles reached the village on April 13, the Nazis opened fire. The Polish scouts withdrew, after which their artillery shelled Alteveer. Two villagers were killed in this battle, and after the shelling of Alteveer with artillery, the Poles attacked in the afternoon.
Polish tanks set fire to a barn where German naval soldiers were holed up. Polish soldier Bernard Grabowski was shot dead in that shed. When the Germans ran out of the burning barn a little later, they walked straight into a hail of Polish machine guns. The fight was quickly decided. Nine Germans were killed and the remaining soldiers of the “Marinefestingsbataillon” surrendered. Tange-Alteveer was thus liberated.
St. Strz. Bernard Grabowski T. U was born on 15-12-1918 in Krzywka p. Grudziadz in Poland. His army number was 60466 and it belonged to the 1 Pol. Dyv. Panc. (1st Polish Panzer Division). He died on 13-4-1945 in Tange. The exact cause of death is not entirely known. It is said that he was killed by a hand grenade by a German soldier.
Sources
https://www.tracesofwar.com/sights/24026/Pools-Oorlogsgraf-Gemeentelijke-Begraafplaats.htm
https://www.4en5mei.nl/oorlogsmonumenten/zoeken/1847/alteveer-bevrijdingsmonument
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