White flag on the church

The Grote Kerk on May 14, 1940, seen from the Pelserbrug. A white flag hangs on the tower, indicating that the city of Dordrecht had been evacuated by the Dutch army and was now an ‘open city.’

In the early days of the war, Dordrecht was anything but an open city. The city and the island of Dordrecht were stubbornly defended by Dutch troops. When German tanks crossed the Moerdijk bridge on May 13, 1940, and advanced towards the city center of Dordrecht, battles ensued at several bridges in the city center. Although most bridges were not crossed, at least two German tanks managed to cross the Vriesebrug after a battle with the Dutch defense and proceeded to the Bagijnhof. Here, they were stopped by the brave actions of Ensign Dekker. The tanks then retreated, but a large force later continued towards Rotterdam. Further defense of Dordrecht had thus become pointless. The Dutch army then withdrew towards Papendrecht.