The only part of Zeeland that was neither an island nor a peninsula was the long strip of territory in the far south of the province known as Zeeuws-Vlaanderen [literaly: 'Zeelandic Flanders']. In fact, it was not physically connected to the rest of the Netherlands at all, being separated from it by the Western Scheldt and the mouth of the river Scheldt, and bordered on its landward side entirely by Belgium. This peculiar geographical position was one of the reasons why Belgium (unsuccessfully) attempted to claim Zeeuws-Vlaanderen during the negotiations that followed the First World War and led to the Treaty of Versailles.
Zeeuws-Vlaanderen stretches approximately 60 kilometres from west to east and varies between 10 and 18 kilometres in width. Breskens and Terneuzen were the most prominent towns with a harbour and as such of interest for both sides. In 1940, like today, the region was sparsely populated, with only around 86,000 inhabitants, compared with approximately 105,000 today. The largest towns are Terneuzen and Hulst.
An important commercial waterway, the Ghent–Terneuzen Canal, connected the port of Terneuzen on the Western Scheldt with the Belgian city of Ghent. During the second half of May 1940, this canal would play a significant role as a defensive line and become the scene of several days of fighting. The harbour of Antwerp was only disclosed to the sea by the river Scheldt, which had its estuary in the far east of the Western Scheldt. The Scheldt was the border between Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and Noord-Brabant, with Belgium to the south.
During the afternoon and evening of 17 May 1940, Zeeuws-Vlaanderen received most of the troops who had escaped the German conquest of Walcheren. The surviving elements of the French 60th and 68th Infantry Divisions that had managed to secure passage from Flushing disembarked at the small port of Breskens. Both divisions had suffered significant losses during the fighting and evacuation, each losing approximately one and a half battalions. Most of the evacuated troops had also been forced to abandon their heavy weapons and much of their equipment. Taken together, the two divisions now possessed little more than the combat strength of a single division.
The 68th Infantry Division was ordered to occupy positions along the coastline from the western coast of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen to the inlet known as De Braakman, roughly halfway along the region. The 60th Infantry Division, that had lost its commander General Deslaurens (who was replaced by Général de Brigade Gustavé Léon Marius Teisseire as off 20 May), deployed east of the inlet along the shores of the Western Scheldt. Its eastern flank was supported by battalions of the French 21st Infantry Division, which defended the remaining stretch of coastline as far as the western bank of the Scheldt. Across the river, Belgian forces occupied defensive positions on the opposite shore in the Belgian Brabant sector.
In addition to the remnants of the 60th and 68th Divisions, Zeeuws-Vlaanderen became crowded with detachments from numerous other formations. Organized companies and platoons from Dutch regiments such as the 38th and 40th Infantry Regiments were present, alongside a variety of smaller Dutch units. Elements of the Belgian 1st and 2nd Cavalry Divisions also arrived in the area.
Among the Belgian formations were the renowned Ardennes Chasseurs (or in proper French Chasseurs Ardennais), a unit that had earned a reputation for its fighting qualities during the campaign. Their presence, however, was not always welcomed by the local population. Contemporary accounts describe incidents of looting and disorder that accompanied parts of their passage through Zeeuws-Vlaanderen, leaving a trail of damaged property and strained relations with civilians.
Also operating nearby were the 2nd Group of Reconnaissance Units (2e GRCA) of Group Lestoquoi and the relatively strong French 25th Motorised Infantry Division (25e DIM), deployed west of Sint-Niklaas.
Alongside these more or less organized formations were thousands of disorganized Dutch soldiers scattered throughout Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. Men from at least fourteen different regiments have been identified, while countless smaller units were also represented. Many of these soldiers sought to continue their journey southward and reach France. Some succeeded, but many others were intercepted and captured before they could do so.
Opposite the positions of the French 60th Infantry Division, across the Scheldt, stood a battalion of the German 225th Infantry Division, reinforced by elements of an anti-tank company and supported by artillery. On the eastern side of Zuid-Beveland were stationed a battalion of SS troops and the artillery units that had participated in the capture of Walcheren.
Walcheren itself remained garrisoned by two battalions of SS Regiment Deutschland. To the south, facing the Belgian Army north of Antwerp, stood SS Regiment Germania, another regiment of the same SS division to which SS Deutschland belonged. On SS Germania's left flank were additional elements of the 225th Infantry Division. The SS elements were soon to be ordered out of their positions and back into the rear to be attached to the Panzergruppe Kleist, but that was not yet the case when things progressed on the 17th.
Together, these forces formed a continuous German front extending from the shores of the Western Scheldt to the approaches of Antwerp, effectively containing the remaining Allied forces in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen and northern Belgium.
His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard had left the Netherlands from IJmuiden on 12 May, together with his wife, Her Royal Highness Princess Juliana, the future Queen of the Netherlands. They arrived in the United Kingdom later that same day. Bernhard was born a German nobleman, but had become Dutch by marriage to HRH Princess Juliana in January 1937.
The Prince had been reluctant to leave Dutch soil. Like his mother-in-law, Queen Wilhelmina, he believed that his duty was to remain with the people and continue the struggle for as long as possible. Although the Queen had instructed him to stay in London, Bernhard secretly departed for France on 15 May. Travelling by sea, he reached Dunkirk and, together with his adjutant Lieutenant-Colonel Phaff, arrived back on Dutch soil, in Sluis, just across the Belgian border, on the evening of 16 May.
There he received a briefing from a Dutch Major on the military situation in Zeeland. Prince Bernhard subsequently requested a meeting with Rear Admiral Van der Stad, who travelled to the vicinity of Sluis to confer with him. During their conversation, the Prince once again stressed that Van der Stad should avoid capture at all costs and reminded him that his presence would be required in London once his responsibilities in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen had been fulfilled.
The Prince also held a brief meeting with Général Beaufrère, the commander of the French 68th Infantry Division.
Before departing, Bernhard instructed Van der Stad to issue an official proclamation to the Dutch people containing a final message from Queen Wilhelmina. The Prince did, however, request that the announcement be delayed for a short period. If news of his presence in Zeeland became known too quickly, he feared that the Germans might attempt to intercept him during his return journey to Dunkirk.
Late that afternoon, Prince Bernhard arrived back in Dunkirk and boarded the Dutch gunboat Hr.Ms. Flores. Escorted by Hr.Ms. Van Meerlant, the ship set course for England. Both ships completed the crossing safely and arrived in the United Kingdom on 18 May.
As our day-to-day account of events effectively ends on 17 May, when the last official Dutch command in the Netherlands capitulated, the developments in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen during the following days are described here in summary.
In the days that followed, Zeeuws-Vlaanderen became increasingly isolated. By 18 May, German forces had already occupied the major Belgian cities of Leuven, Mechelen, and Brussels. They had also breached the defensive perimeter around Antwerp. Soon afterwards, Guderian's armoured formations reached the Channel coast, first at Noyelles-sur-Mer (Abbeville) on 20 May, completing the great encirclement of the Allied armies in Belgium. On 22 May, German troops reached the coast south of Boulogne. From that moment onward, the occupation of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen became only a matter of time.
Rear Admiral Van der Stad temporarily left Zeeuws-Vlaanderen on 18 May. In practice, he was regarded by the Dutch government-in-exile in London as the commander of the remaining Dutch forces still in the field. One of his first concerns following the capitulation of the Dutch forces in Zeeland - except for Zeeuws-Vlaanderen - was the financial situation of his troops. He urged the Dutch government to establish an official exchange rate for the Dutch guilder, enabling Dutch soldiers to use their currency in Belgium and France. Until such arrangements were made, Dutch banknotes were effectively worthless outside the Netherlands, as banks and businesses refused to accept them.
After returning to Zeeuws-Vlaanderen on 19 May, Van der Stad contacted London once more. He also reached an agreement with the French authorities that as many Dutch soldiers as possible should be evacuated through Belgian and French ports to England. The remaining Dutch troops had little military value in the increasingly isolated enclave. Following these discussions, Van der Stad departed once again for Dunkirk.
On 20 May, approximately 1,400 Dutch soldiers boarded the French freighter Pavon, a vessel that had earlier transported French troops to Walcheren. The ship was bound for Cherbourg, escorted by four small French Chasseurs en route to Dunkirk. A few miles from port, the convoy was attacked by German aircraft. One bomb struck the Pavon just aft of the bridge, penetrating several decks before exploding among the troops below. At least forty soldiers were killed instantly.
The captain immediately steered the burning vessel towards the shore and deliberately grounded her near Gravelines. The exact number of casualties has never been established with certainty, but it is believed that around fifty Dutch soldiers perished. Many of the victims are commemorated on the monument unveiled in 2005 at the Grebbeberg War Cemetery in Rhenen (NL), which honours 138 Dutch servicemen who died during the war and have no known grave. The tragedy of the Pavon remains one of the lesser-known disasters in Dutch wartime history, largely because the fate of many of the missing remained unresolved for decades.
Van der Stad himself encountered difficulties on 20 May while travelling south. Delayed by massive traffic congestion, he spent the night somewhere in central Belgium and resumed his journey at first light. Later that morning, he and his driver found themselves trapped among a large military column. Only after several minutes did they realise that the troops around them were German. The very man who had repeatedly been instructed not to allow himself to be captured fell into enemy hands through a moment of misjudgement.
Despite the difficulties of the retreat, a considerable number of Dutch soldiers succeeded in reaching France. One notable group, numbering approximately 700 men and led by the medical officer Dr. Koch, eventually reached Caen. On 10 June they embarked at Brest aboard the Dutch vessel Hr.Ms. Prinses Beatrix. Arriving in Plymouth the following day, these men would later form a substantial part of the nucleus of the Princess Irene Brigade, the principal Dutch ground unit that fought alongside the Allies during the remainder of the war.
Another group of evacuees deserves special mention. In the days before the German invasion, Dutch authorities had interned a number of politically suspect individuals. Following the outbreak of hostilities, additional detainees were added to this group. Among them were both genuine Nazi sympathisers and entirely innocent individuals, including several persons of Jewish descent. The authorities also placed 115 Jewish refugees under the supervision of the same escort detachment.
Initially confined in a fortress in Zeeland, the group was transferred to Zeeuws-Vlaanderen on 14 May in anticipation of the German advance. After crossing into France, the twenty-one political detainees were arrested by the French authorities and sent to an internment camp. The 115 Jewish refugees, however, were turned back and returned to Sluis. The Dutch guards and police escorts were allowed to continue their journey and eventually reached the United Kingdom.
Some of the political detainees, including several Dutch Nazi sympathisers, were later released by the Germans and would go on to play questionable roles in the occupied Netherlands. The fate of the Jewish refugees was far darker. For most of them, deportation and death awaited. Only a small number survived the war.
On 22 May, the French 60th and 68th Infantry Divisions withdrew from Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. One day later, the Belgian 1st and 2nd Cavalry Divisions followed. Their departure left a bitter impression on the local population. Numerous reports describe widespread looting by retreating troops, particularly among elements of the Belgian cavalry formations. Shops, warehouses, and private properties were stripped of valuables, and in some communities entire streets were left devastated.
As a result, some inhabitants initially viewed the arrival of German troops as a relief compared with the disorder accompanying the Allied withdrawal. Such sentiments would prove short-lived.
On 24 May, German forces occupied the eastern part of Zeeuws-Vlaanderen following brief but intense fighting around Terneuzen. It would take until 29 May, one day after Belgium's capitulation, before the last remaining Dutch territory in Zeeuws-Vlaanderen fell under German control.
More than four years would pass before this part of the Netherlands was liberated. For its inhabitants, a long and dark period of occupation had begun ...