33 Brussels and a Risk in Beauvechain

Jack and Winkler in Brussels

Back in Belgium again, Jack and the others who had been on detached service in France were given first preference for passes to Brussels. The squadron historian describes their experience:

They were all impressed by the big city. Some stayed at the Hotel Metropole, one fine hotel, and one of the continent’s most famous, where, for one hundred and seventy five francs they could sleep two nights and eat five meals, with long tailed waiters and all kinds of service. Shortly afterwards, three day passes were authorized to Brussels and accommodations furnished free by the army. Several buildings had been taken over for this purpose . . . The meals were good, the beds were soft, the sheets were white, and in the morning you could have fresh milk, and eggs—straight from the hen without a tin middle man, either boiled, sunny side up, or over! Trucks ran into the center of town every fifteen minutes.[1]

Hotel Metropole

Brussels

“Trucks ran into the center of town every
fifteen minutes.”

Jack took advantage of his pass to stay at the Hotel Metropole, an experience that impressed him so much he took Alice to visit twenty-five years later.[2] He and Winkler did some sightseeing, of course to the Manneken Pis statue of a little boy urinating into a fountain. They had to have their pictures taken with the statue and no doubt heard one or more of its many legends.[3]

Manneken Pis

Jack at the Manneken Pis

Winkler at the Manneken Pis

Dearest Alice,

So you were embarrassed to show the little “Maniken Piss” around Ha. People are sure broad minded about it over here. For instance when we were in Brussels there was a lady in front of the Metropole Hotel walking up and down the street with picture post cards hollering out “photo of piss boy.” And once I inquired about directions to where the statue was and one lady said, “Oh you want to see piss boy.” Then she directed me there Ha.[4]

Winkler with Jean-Pierre, Lique, Marie-Louise and Armand
Hendrickx-Leemput

The best part of being back in Belgium was being with the Hendrickx-Leemput family, their home away from home. The family’s welcome of the U.S. servicemen followed the four-year German occupation of Belgium and the liberation of September 1944. During the occupation, food rationing for Belgians was strict and repressive. In a society that thrived on bread, Belgians were allowed only a minimal amount daily,[5] forcing many who could afford it to buy on the black market. Armand took the on the role of miller for his community, making bread available, at a price and a risk.

Jean-Pierre, Armand, and the greyhounds

Armand had two greyhound dogs, and sometimes they would catch rabbits, and Lique would cook up a good meal for us. And sometimes on Sunday we would go to Lique’s parents’ at Meldert [six kms. east of Beauvechain]. They really made us feel at home. One time they showed us a flourmill in the basement where they milled flour for the Belgiques during the war [occupation]. One night before we left Beauvechain, when we came in, there were many people there, and there were stacks of money on the table. Armand told us the people were paying him for the milling of the flour he had done for them during the war. If the Germans had known they had a flourmill in there, that would have been the end of the whole family. What brave people.[6]

Jack probably didn't realize how very brave his host family really was. Armand's grandson clarifies that the dogs were a hunting dog named Benny (left in the photo) and a greyhound named Dolly (right). “Dolly was specially trained to warn if strangers were coming into the garden, to hide everything in the cellar in time.” There was a particular urgency to hiding what was in the cellar. Not only because of the forbidden mill, but also because the family hid two people who fled from being transported to Buchenwald. They ground the flour during the night. Jack probably never saw them.*

Jack kept Armand's business card

Jack didn’t describe his departure from the Hendrickx-Leemput home, but it was probably not too different from this:

Practically everyone was sorry to leave, for this was the best setup we had ever had. Those billeted in private homes had a hard time the night before we left. They had been accepted as bona fide members of the house and home, and had really made themselves at home . . . All the family helped in the packing process . . . As the trucks were loaded for the final departure from Beauvechain, the townspeople kissed the soldiers goodbye with tears in their eyes as if their own sons were leaving, and stood on the steps and waved until the convoy was long out of sight. In the hands or the bags of almost everyone was a farewell gift of eggs, waffles, cookies, or some other delicacy from these friendly people.[7]

 

“Souvenir de Bruxelles,” a pincushion Jack
brought home for Alice

Moving east now, the 160^th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron would next travel to Holland. The sense that war would soon be over grew daily.

* Ivo Goyens (Belgium), re Armand's risk, email to Judy Kellar Fox 6 August 2018, after consulting with his mother, who knew Jack.

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[1] 380^th Fighter–160^th Tac. Rcn. Squadron History, February 1943–August 1945 ([unknown place]: [unknown publisher], printed by A. Roßbach, Eschwege, Germany, [1945]), 99. Probably written by the squadron historian, this account of the 380^th Fighter Squadron (later the 160^th Tactical Reconnaissance Squadron) of the U.S. Army Air Force was written right up until the squadron was about to return to the U.S.

[2] Recollection of the author, who accompanied Jack and Alice on this trip.

[3] “The Legendary Stories of Manneken Pis,” Culture Trip (https://theculturetrip.com/europe/belgium/articles/the-legendary-stories-of-manneken-pis/ : accessed 1 August 2018).

[4] Jack J. Kellar (Germany), letter to “Dearest Alice” [Alice (Streeter) Kellar], Santa Rosa, California, 27 April 1945.

[5] “German Occupation of Belgium during World War II,” Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/German_occupation_of_Belgium_during_World_War_II : accessed 1 August 2018) > Rationing.

[6] Jack J. Kellar, “Autobiography,” 1998; two ninety-minute cassette tape recordings; held and partially transcribed by the author.

[7] 380^th Fighter–160^th Tac. Rcn. Squadron History, 103–4.