Military Exercise Moerdijk bridges

Below you will find interesting photographs from the photo lot of General Erich Höcker. These photos belong with the other images on the page “Dordrecht and surroundings”, including those of the Scheffersplein and the Bosboom Toussaintstraat. However, these particular photos were taken earlier, namely on 26 July 1941.

Visible are German soldiers from various branches of the armed forces. Although most belong to the Heer, the German Army, we can also see two Luftwaffe servicemen standing in the background on the left in the first photo. In the center, holding a staff map in his hands, stands General Erich Höcker, divisional commander of the 719th Infantry Division. On the back of the photo, the regimental commander Major Neumann is also mentioned—presumably the man on the right in the picture.

In the other photos, several German soldiers can be seen wearing white bands on their headgear, suggesting that this was a military exercise. This is confirmed by a note on the back of one of the photos. The sharp observer may also notice that, clearly visible in the center of the second photo, there is a large sign reading “Fotografieren verboten” (“Photography prohibited”). Apparently, this rule did not apply to German soldiers, but it does indicate that the Germans had established many military installations around the Moerdijk bridges that they preferred civilians not to photograph.

In the last photo, we can just make out a bunker between a German officer and the group.

For more information about divisional commander General Erich Höcker, you can refer to the other photos on the page “Dordrecht and surroundings”.