Back again in 2Ø2Ø and by then added 5 years to our callsign.
Again it's our pleasure to announce a special event station in the year 2Ø2Ø in the Gennep region commemorating 75 years of freedom: PA75OV. This special event station combines both the city of Gennep and Operation Veritable and is made possible by several amateur radio operators from the region, just like the previous edition in 2Ø15. Operation Veritable, namesake of the station and the successor of Operation Market Garden, was the northern part of an Allied pincer movement. More info is available here.
Special event station PA75OV will be active with this callsign throughout 2Ø2Ø; the live event will take place from Friday, February 14th 2Ø2Ø to Sunday, February 16th 2Ø2Ø in the old town hall of Gennep on the second floor.
Some statistics of special event station PA7ØOV, it´s predecessor, on the air in 2Ø15.
A brief orgchart of the special event station with it´s radio positions, used antennas, working modes and other pheripherals.
Operation Veritable (also known as the Battle of the Reichswald), namesake of the station and the successor of Operation Market Garden, was the northern part of an Allied pincer movement. The operation took place between the 8th of February and the 11th of March 1945, with the objective to clear German forces from the area between the Rhine and Maas rivers, east of the German/Dutch frontier, in the Rhineland. It was part of General Dwight Eisenhower's "broad front" strategy to occupy the entire west bank of the Rhine before its crossing. Operation Veritable is not known very well to most people. It was the battle which formed the prelude to the leap across the Rhine after which the eventual defeat of Germany soon followed. Both operations took place in the Land of Maas and Niers.
More info on Wikipedia, © Wikipedia.
The Gennep region played a special role and in the city in particular you can experience Operation Veritable. The Battle of the Reichswald forrest and the Battle of Gennep formed the prologue to the successful crossing of the Rhine. The Martinus Tower in Gennep bears the scars of Operation Veritable. The tower is nowadays the starting point of two cycle routes which, among other things, lead through the Reichswald where the last big battle on the western frontier took place. Here you will also find the largest war cemetery of the 2nd World War in Europe and the largest German war cemetery of the Lower Rhine area. To be able to get the allied troops across the Maas the longest Bailey bridge of the 2nd World War was built in Gennep. The Gennep region became a battlefield during Operation Veritable and most of the inhabitants had to take refuge. It took a long time of heavy fighting before the region was truly liberated. Many people and militairy were killed and buildings and bridges were destroyed. At the cost of many young soldiers the Gennep region was conquered.
Picture above: the battle in Gennep has begun. Fighting near the city tavern.
Picture above: to be able to get the Allied troops across the river Maas the longest Bailey bridge of the WW-II was built in Gennep.
Gennep was attacked by the Germans on May 10th 1940. An armored train with German troops managed to penetrate the Peel-Raam-line using the Gennep railroad bridge and were able to reach Mill. The Germans used the railroad bridge as a regular bridge to get all their troops and material across the Maas. For the same reason they also built a pioneer bridge near the ferry house. After 4 years of occupation, on June 6th 1944 D-Day starts, the landing in Normandy, France, the beginning of the end. September 1944 the Allies have a risky plan with Operation Market Garden, which, in the end leads to a status quo of nearly 5 months. October 1944, evacuation of the civilians from Gennep. In February Operation Veritable begins and ultimately Gennep is liberated. This liberation was essential as a prologue for the Rhineland offensive.
Slide or for more videos (5 in total).
At the beginning of 1941 all Jewish families in Gennep had to register, about 45 persons in total. Several families had already lived for several generations in Gennep. When the deportations started in The Netherlands on July 1942 about 28 persons were still registered als Jews. On August 24th 1942 they were announced to report in Maastricht the next day, from which they would be sent to camp Westerbork. From Westerbork they were transported to Auschwitz after two days either to work as slaves or to die in the gas chambers. Others died in Buchenwald or at the slave camps. On March 29th 1943 another 18 persons were sent to camp Vught. These persons ended in camp Sobibor and were killed upon arrival. Most oft hose who left Gennep in 1941 in an early stage survived.
More info on Monarch Foundation, © Monarch Foundation.
Picture above: The Kaufmann family leaves Gennep in 1943 and heads to camp Vught for an
uncertain future.
Let´s commemorate and celebrate 75 years of freedom. The activities will take place throughout 2Ø2Ø; the live event will take place from Friday, February 14th
2Ø2Ø to Sunday, February 16th 2Ø2Ø in the old town hall of Gennep on the second floor. During 2Ø2Ø we will activate the callsign PA75OV and try to
work as many amateur radio operators across the world. Whether you are an amateur radio operator hoping to contact a new country or a casual visitor, we welcome you to our website.
The live event from Feb 14th 2Ø2Ø to Feb 16th 2Ø2Ø:
Some members of the SRS (Surplus Radio Society) will also join us during the the live event and will demonstrate - and transmit with - old (restored)
WW-II militairy equipment. Next to that members of DARES (Dutch Amateur Radio Emergency Service) will demonstrate how - in case of an emergency -
(digital) messages can be broadcasted. During the three days of the live event you are welcomed to visit us. The location is here.
If you find yourself in the vicinity of Gennep, near Nijmegen, be sure to visit us throughout the live event of the special event station from Friday, February 14th 2Ø2Ø to Sunday, February 16th 2Ø2Ø.
We are situated in the centre of Gennep city on the second floor of the old town hall. Please have a look at a 360° panorama of our housing.
Our contact info is here.
You might take the opportunity to visit the National Liberation Museum, only at 10-15 minutes driving distance.
Please also have a look at the website of the Veritable Foundation (only in Dutch). This website is also dedicated to Operation Veritable.
Picture above: RP-3 rockets being loaded into Land Mattress launchers in preparation for the offensive in the Reichswald, Germany.
Picture above: British infantrymen advance through the Reichswald during Operation Veritable, 8 February 1945.
Each marker tells a story; click on each one. The layer button top-right shows the markerdefinitions and the map representation [Gray | Sat | Strt].
A gallery with pictures of the previous SES PA7ØOV and pictures of the new station PA75OV, subdivided into three sections: preparations, event activities and the aftermath. Click on each picture for a stand-alone and full-screen view.
PAØSBV working CW in 2Ø15.
Tjerk, PAØSBV, on the SRS station and working with
old WW-II military equipment during the previous
edition in 2Ø15 with PA7ØOV. Operating CW on a
German Junker straight key.
Typical tjirping CW sound.
Video
QSO´s of PA7ØOV in 2Ø15.
Footage of PA7ØOV in 2Ø15. QSO´s recorded from
the Yaesu FTdx-5ØØØ. In this case Jan, PA2P, on
4Ø meters in telephony handling the pile-up. In the
end a total of 2.395 QSO´s were at long last logged.
Video
7Ø years liberation in 2Ø15 (in Dutch).
Celebration in 2Ø15 of 7Ø years liberation and several
services. Visitors all over the world.
Video
Memorial service in 2Ø15 (in Dutch).
An international memorial service held in 2Ø15 in
Milsbeek. One of the towns in the ´Veritable area´.
Video
Renovation of the city hall: our radio shack in 2Ø2Ø.
New website live for Special Event Station PA75OV on the new URL: www.pa75ov.nl
Renovation of the city hall: our radio shack in 2Ø2Ø.
Dutch article of December 24th 2018 in the newspaper ´Maasdriehoek´: an renovation of the city hall is planned in the year 2Ø19. The city hall will our radio shack in 2Ø2Ø. According to the planning the renovation will be finished by the end 2Ø19. Just in time for us.
Financial funding for PA75OV.
A delegation of the PA75OV team participated at the annual event ´Gennep Clean´ on Saturday 6th 2019, which activitites gave us a financial contribution for our station. Front row, from L to R: PD2LEO (Leo) throwing the ´javelin´, PA3ETC (Hans) and DL4BER (Ber).
A meeting for the preparations.
A delegation of the PA75OV team met at the Gennep library on Saturday, November 9th 2019, for the preparations of Special Event Station PA75OV. We will be active with this callsign throughout 2Ø2Ø; the live event will take place from Friday, February 14th 2Ø2Ø to Sunday, February 16th 2Ø2Ø in the old town hall of Gennep on the second floor.
A meeting for the preparations.
A delegation of the PA75OV team met at the Gennep library on Saturday, November 9th 2019, for the preparations of Special Event Station PA75OV. They were watching over us at the library. These soldiers are part of a small Veritable museum at the library.
Inspecting the future radio shack (1/3).
A delegation of the PA75OV team met at the Gennep library on Saturday, November 9th 2019, for the preparations of Special Event Station PA75OV. During the second part of the meeting we were inspecting our future radio shack; the council chamber at the second floor of the old town hall in Gennep. Plenty of room for three radio positions.
Inspecting the future radio shack (2/3).
A delegation of the PA75OV team met at the Gennep library on Saturday, November 9th 2019, for the preparations of Special Event Station PA75OV. During the second part of the meeting we were inspecting our future radio shack; the council chamber at the second floor of the old town hall in Gennep. Plenty of room for three radio positions.
Inspecting the future radio shack (3/3).
A delegation of the PA75OV team met at the Gennep library on Saturday, November 9th 2019, for the preparations of Special Event Station PA75OV. During the second part of the meeting we were inspecting our future radio shack; the council chamber at the second floor of the old town hall in Gennep. Plenty of room for three radio positions.
Team meeting.
A delegation of the PA75OV team met at the Gennep library on Saturday, January 11th 2020,
for the preparations of Special Event Station PA75OV. Top-row, L-R: Leo (PD2LEO), Hans (PAØQ), Milco (support team), Marcel (support team),
Ber (DL4BER), John (PA4JAM), Mark (PA3FQK).
Bottom-row, L-R: Ger (PD5GB), Hans (PA3ETC). Photographer: Jan (PA2P).
Teaching the school kids.
During the first day of the event nearly 250 school kids attended our Special Event Station in groups. Each group about 15 kids and 20 minutes to go. On this picture Jan (PA2P) introducing the prefixes, propagation and old and modern radios.
Teaching the school kids.
During the first day of the event nearly 250 school kids attended our Special Event Station in groups. Each group about 15 kids and 20 minutes to go. On this picture Leo (PD2LEO) introducing the prefixes, propagation and old and modern radios.
Video footage of L1 News (in Dutch) ©.
With Tjerk (PAØSBV), Hendrik (support team)
and Hans (PA3ETC).
Video
Ceremony at the Niers/Highlanderbridge.
Video
Video footage of PA75OV during the live event ©.
With a lot of the crew
members.
Video
S.E.S. PA75OV
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