2
In October 1944 bombers of the allied forces bombed the
dikes of the island of Walcheren (province of Zeeland) in
order to inundate the island and to drive the German occupa
tion out, this being the first step in making free the shipping
route through the Westerschelde to Antwerp for the great
attack on, and subsequent liberation of North West Europe.
The Westkapelle dike was bombed October 3rd and 17th,
the Nolle dike and the one near Rammekens October 7th, and
the one near Veere October 11th (Fig. 1).
The result was that in the sea-defence works huge gaps
were made, the gap at Westkapelle being about 600 metres
wide, at the Nolle 350 metres, at Rammekens 750 metres and
near Veere 900 metres. From that fatal date onward large
masses of sea water covered almost the entire island. The
currents of the rising and the falling tide rapidly rushed
through the narrow openings, thus constantly enlarging the
gaps both in width and in depth. In course of time these
gullies attained depths of 11 metres (Nolle), 18 metres (West
kapelle), 25 metres (Rammekens) and 20 metres (Veere).
The military object, the flooding of the greater part of
Walcheren and the hampering of the German defence, was a
success, but it involved at the same time the destruction of
vast areas of one of the most charming and prosperous is
lands of the Netherlands, Only the dune district and two small
strips of polderland, one in the extreme north and one in the
east of the island, remained dry.
The surface covered by the sea amounted to 13.500 ha. for
the larger part west of the canal VeereMiddelburgVlis-
singen and to 2.000 ha. for the smaller polder east of this
canal.
This condition lasted till September 1945 when the first
opening was closed at the Nolle. A few weeks later two others,
Westkapelle and Veere, followed so that towards the end of
October the western polder was closed, and after pumping
out the water was reclaimed. Only the Rammekens gap
remained open till January 1946, but here too the marine
period now belongs to the past.
What have been the consequences of this unfortunate ex
periment for the flora and fauna in the flooded areas The
answer is easy to give every tree, shrub and herb which came
into contact with the sea water perished and so did the animal
population of land and fresh water.
Only the dunes, the two polders in the North and East,
the three cities, Middelburg, Vlissingen and Veere, and the
