A bench has been unveiled in honour of Joe Cattini at the cemetery at the Oude Toren in the Woensel district. The British veteran died this year at the age of 100 and was one of the last living liberators of Eindhoven in 1944.
The ceremony took place when 686 lights were lit at the war graves in Woensel. This is a worldwide tradition, which also takes place every year at the military cemetery in Mierlo. Honouring Cattini was an initiative of the September 18 Foundation. The regional veterans organisation was also present.
Honorary citizen
Cattini died in April this year. In January he was declared an honorary citizen of the city. After D-Day in 1944, he went to the Netherlands via Paris and Antwerp. With other Allied soldiers he liberated Eindhoven and villages in the region. This happened during Operation Market Garden, the Allied offensive against the Nazis. He also fought during the so-called Ardennes offensive.
Procession
Cattini was praised not only for his struggles on the battlefield, but also for his efforts after the war. For the Briton, World War II did not stop after the collapse of the Third Reich in May 1945. Thus, he was a regular visitor to Eindhoven. Cattini then attended the traditional torchlight procession and visited schools, to pass on the story of the war to new generations.
Source: Studio040
For Eindhoven News: Lila Mehrez
