Huis ter Heide is a hamlet in the

Netherlands ) , anthem = ( en, "William of Nassau") , image_map = , map_caption = , subdivision_type = Sovereign state , subdivision_name = Kingdom of the Netherlands , established_title = Before independence , established_date = Spanish Netherl ...

and is part of the

Noordenveld Noordenveld () is a municipality in the northeastern part of the Netherlands. Population centres Water Board Noordenveld Noordenveld is also the name of a former Water Board, which had its office in Roden. Water Board Noordenveld arose from ...

municipality in

Drenthe Drenthe () is a province of the Netherlands located in the northeastern part of the country. It is bordered by Overijssel to the south, Friesland to the west, Groningen to the north, and the German state of Lower Saxony to the east. As of Nov ...

. Huis ter Helde started as an inn from 1777 near the

sluice Sluice ( ) is a word for a channel controlled at its head by a movable gate which is called a sluice gate. A sluice gate is traditionally a wood or metal barrier sliding in grooves that are set in the sides of the waterway and can be considered ...

. During the 18th century, the heath was cultivated and some farms appeared around the inn. In 1840, the population of Huis ter Heide was 40 people. The inn was rebuilt in 1886, and is currently in use as a farm. On 7 to 8 April 1945, during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

, 15

Free French Free France (french: France Libre) was a political entity that claimed to be the legitimate government of France following the dissolution of the Third Republic. Led by French general , Free France was established as a government-in-exile ...

paratroopers were dropped in Huis ter Heide as part of

Operation Amherst Operation Amherst was a Free French and British SAS attack designed to capture intact Dutch canals, bridges and airfields during World War II. It was led by Brigadier Mike Calvert of Chindit The Chindits, officially as Long Range Penetratio ...

. They had found refugee in farm, but were betrayed. The farm was set on fire, and three paras burnt alive. Three others were killed during the fighting. There is a monument for the French paratroopers at Huis ter Heide.

References

Populated places in Drenthe Noordenveld {{Drenthe-geo-stub