In the August days of 1944 during the Second World War, two reprisals took place in Meensel-Kiezegem after the murder of a collaborator. More than 90 inhabitants were arrested, 71 of them would be deported to the Nazi concentration camp of Neuengamme near Hamburg. Only 8 of them returned. Together with the 4 victims who died in the village itself, this drama resulted in 67 victims.

Early December 1944, the Meensel war drama had an unfortunate extension in the Limburg village of Linkhout (Lummen). Isidoor Bruers and Albert Lodewijckx were two young resistance fighters and work refusers from Meense-Kiezegem. During the raids of August 1944, they were in hiding in their native village on the farm of the Rocourt family in Linkhout. On the way back from a demonstration in Hasselt early December, they visited the Roucourt family in Linkhout. Together with two children from the Roucourt family, they met their end there due to a falling flying bomb.