Luxembourg: The Clog-Shaped Duchy

The liberation of Luxembourg in 1944

By the end of August the writing was well and truly on the wall for the Nazi authorities and many began packing their bags in readiness to leave. On the night of 31^st August and 1^st September Gustav Simon fled the country, along with his cabinet of officials and thousands of German civilians. Some Luxembourgish collaborators also left. Every road east out of the country was clogged with jeeps, trucks, cars, taxis and bicycles. This exodus resulted in all civil administration grinding to a halt. The trains and trams stopped running, electricity was cut off and newspapers ceased publication. In the confusion several hundred deportees and forced labourers were able to slip back into the country.

On September 8^th German forces completed their pullout from Luxembourg to their new positions behind the Siegfried Line, a long strategic line of defences on the German side of the Moselle and Sure rivers.

By Saturday 9th September liberation was on Luxembourg’s doorstep as the first American troops, members of the American First Army led by General Courtney Hodges, crossed the border at the village of Pétange. The troops met little resistance, as nearly all the German troops had retreated. Sunday dawned bright and sunny and by lunch time Luxembourg City was in the hands of the liberators. Crown Prince Jean was present as part of the liberating army, having joined the Irish Guards in 1942. Luxembourgers came out onto the streets to cheer the American 5^th Army. This included a number of draft evaders who had been hiding. Unable to contain their joy many Luxembourgers wept. Flags, carefully hidden during the occupation, were hung from every window and jeeps and tanks were strewn with flowers as the troops gave out gum and sweets, relishing the attention.

However, there were other emotions too. Now that the country was in Allied hands there could be no reuniting of families, and deported relatives would remain trapped behind German lines until the end of the war, whenever that might be. This was an emotional torture affecting a huge proportion of the tiny nation. 3000 Luxembourgers still languished in concentration camps, 7000 were in the German army, 1500 were performing forced labour and a further 4000 had been deported to eastern Germany and Silesia.

By September 12^th the entire country had been liberated and American forces reached the border with Germany.