In the second half of November 1944, British troops reached the river Meuse in North Limburg and Afferden, located on the east bank, ended up in the line of fire. At the end of 1944, retreating German soldiers blew up the mill, a fate that befell numerous mills in North and Central Limburg. After all, tall buildings could serve as lookouts for the advancing Allies. After the war, plans were immediately made to restore the mill to its former glory. That did not happen because of the high costs. Nevertheless, the mill was saved because when the St. Joseph mill in Heide-Venray was demolished in the 1950s, parts of it were transported to Afferden for rebuilding. In 1958, the flour mill could be put into use again.