About us

My name is Bob Konings. Original I am Dutch, but I moved with my wife and 2 sons to the hamlet of Grandmenil in 2008.
As soon as I knew we where going to move in this area, I started to investigate the Battle of the Bulge, especially the region of Grandmenil.
Within a few months I had so much information, that I decided to create a website: www.grandmenil.com.
This became the turning point in my research. Within a few weeks, my mailbox was exploding. And in May 2009 I met the first veteran who fought in my street: Bob Kauffman, 36th armored Infantry Regiment/ 3rd Armored Division. Bob and I became close friends.
During my research, I met a lot of new guys and after 7 years I am working with a group of people who all have the same interest and intention: Researching and preserving history.
We work at at story’s at the same time. This keeps us sharp and alert. The request to start a research comes from all direction: veterans, family of veterans, community’s and civillians.

The website of Grandmenil became to big. We were publishing stories who were not related to the Grandmenil area. So, I have decided to create a complete new website, covering the whole Ardennes.
So, this website will keep expanding all the time.
I hope you enjoy this website.

Thanks to the following people who made this website available:
– Bob Konings: documental research, fieldresearch, translations Dutch-US-German, websites, contactperson (BE)
– Marco Eradus: documental research, certified ammunition researcher, fieldresearch (NL)
– Tom Konings: translations French-Dutch and US, Fieldresearcher (BE)
– Jan Ploeg: 3rdAD/ 36th AIR expert, background research (NL) († 2020)
– Myra Miller: Our US expert for documental research. (US)
– Joey van Meesen: video productions (SNAFU Docs), field research, historian.
– Kristof Nijs: Text Editor, field research (BE)
– Eveline Konings: translations French-Dutch and English, civilian fieldresearch (BE)
– Ron Langeveld: fieldresearch, backgroundresearch (NL)
– Marc Brand: map expert, fieldresearch (NL)
– Michel van Eert: technician, documental research and fieldresearch (NL)
– David Martin: documental research, fieldresearch, UK contact (UK)
– Iwan Niewerth: German vehicules and tanks (NL)
– Rick de Jong: documental research, fieldresearch (NL)
– Bart de Boer: fieldresearch (NL)
– Gerhard Jansen: fieldresearch (NL)

Besides our team, we have many contacts in the USA, UK, Netherlands and Germany. Many thanks to those who help us, support us, all for the good cause of preserving history!

team-grandmenil
Part of the team during excavations in Grandmenil (L to R: Tom, Marc, Bart, Bob, Ron and Marco)