Band of Brothers: The Netherland Locations

02 June 2023By Brett

I visited the Dutch Band of Brother locations after a weekend in Amsterdam! It was great to get away from the city and walk in Easy Company’s footsteps through the Dutch countryside. It also was Memorial Day and felt like a good time to visit and see what these guys experienced made famous by the HBO mini-series “Band of Brothers.”

The Battle of the Crossroads

a star shaped memorial for the battle of the crossroads which easy company from the band of brothers fought in
The Battle of the Crossroads Battle Memorial in The Netherlands.
an inscription for the crossroads battle memorial reads: Around half past five on the morning of October 5, 1944, American soldiers of Easy Company of the 506th Parachute Infantry Regiment and soldiers of two German companies crossed each other's paths at this very spot. The German soldiers had crossed the Lower-Rhine river probably to reinforce an attack in the vicinity of Opheusden. A patrol of five Americans were exploring the area when they were caught in the line of fire of the enemy. Although one soldier was seriously wounded, they managed to withdraw to the command post where they reported the incident. A second patrol set off immediately, to fight back the enemy. The second patrol snuck up on the machine gun which had attacked the first patrol, fired some successful rounds, and then returned to their fallback position. Firing from both sides broke loose. Later, the American commander discovered that the enemy was hiding behind a raised dike while his men were in a shallow ditch without any possibility of safe retreat. The best and only option was to attack. At dawn the orders were given to fix bayonets and to wait for the signal to charge. The attack started when 35 American soldiers ran toward the dike, not realizing that some 150 Germans were waiting behind the embankment. The German company, however, was completely taken by surprise and panicked even though they were attacked by only a relatively small group of Americans. Meanwhile, a second German company crossed the dike toward this unexpected confrontation. Despite this reinforcement, the few Americans managed to hold out. The Americans won the battle in spite of bitter German resistance. Fifty German soldiers and one American soldier were killed. The American soldier was hit by a shell fragment that pierced his heart. May this symbol remind us of all the soldiers who fought in this battle.
The inscription on the Crossroads Memorial in The Netherlands.
a large green grassy field near the battle of the crossroads in the netherlands
The field which Easy Company waited before charging towards the German soldiers.
a small road and hill where Dick Winters crossed during the battle of the crossroads
The hill that Dick Winters run up to find 150 German soldiers on the other side. He ran from right to left.
a road going over a dike near the crossroads battle location
The larger dike which more German soldiers came across to reinforce the smaller group of Germans Easy Company engaged at the start of the Crossroads Battle.

Easy Company fought in the Battle of the Crossroads in October 1944 in The Netherlands. The TV show “Band of Brothers” made the battle well known by dedicating an episode to the battle. The area where the actual battle happened is a quiet area located among farms and small roads. “The Island”, an area surrounded by rivers and canals, is where the battle was located.

The crossroads battle occurred right here where these dikes are. There is a small memorial explaining the history of the battle and the area. The smaller dike is where the battle started when Dick Winters climbed up the small dike and discovered about 150 German soldiers on the other side. The field where the rest of Easy Company was behind Winters is tall grass and wide open!

The battle was an American victory and Easy Company subdued the larger German Company and reinforcements. This was part of a larger battle for The Netherlands but Easy Company left its mark at the crossroads.

The Schoonderlogt Farm

a brick road going towards the Schoonderlogt Farm archway where dick winters from easy company has a photo taken
The Schoonderlogt Farm archway was made famous by Easy Company’s Dick Winters photo.
a brick memorial with black parts with writing and the picture of Dick Winters in front of the Schoonderlogt Farm
The Easy Company Memorial in front of the Schoonderlogt Farm in The Netherlands.
standing in front of a small arch on a farm where band of brothers were in the netherlands
Standing in front of the same spot where Dick Winters had his famous picture taken.
the entire Schoonderlogt Farm and the buildings behind the main archway from the parking area
The Schoonderlogt Farm complex near Nijmegen The Netherlands.

The famous photo of Dick Winters was taken in front of the Schoonderlogt Farm archway. It’s located a few kilometers to the southeast of the crossroads. The 506 PIR used the farm as a command post during its occupation of the area. The memorial, located across the street, has the famous photo of Winters etched into the marble. Today it appears as just a regular family farm and there’s a barn and some vehicles in the courtyard and a reminder sign saying it’s private property.

Dick Winters of Easy Company standing in front of the Schoonderlogt Farm during WW2
Dick Winters standing in front of the Schoonderlogt Farm archway in The Netherlands during WW2
When did the Battle of the Crossroads happen?

The battle happened on the morning of 5 October 1944.

When was the photo of Dick Winters taken at Schoonderlogt Farm?

The photo was taken in October 1944 in The Netherlands.

Amsterdam Trip Report