Resistance
During the German occupation, there were various forms of resistance, ranging from civil disobedience to armed struggle. Smaller acts, such as remaining loyal to the Dutch Royal Family and listening to homemade radios, were relatively harmless and easy to carry out in the region. As the occupation dragged on, acts of resistance grew in scale and complexity. People began creating and distributing illegal newspapers, aiding downed pilots by helping them to hide, sheltering Jews, draft evaders, and former Dutch military personnel, and much more. Resistance members sometimes operated alone, while at other times they were united in groups.
To provide for people in hiding, ration coupons were needed. To obtain these, various members of a resistance group from Maarheeze carried out a raid on the central distribution office No. 250 located in Valkenswaard on April 3, 1944. They received assistance from some of the staff at the distribution office.
In our region, the Partizanen Actie Nederland (P.A.N.) was established, with departments in various villages. For instance, Jan Brom led the group in Valkenswaard, Frans van Dijk in Waalre, and Dynomius Metzemaekers in Waalre. The group became particularly active in the days leading up to the liberation and carried out various sabotage actions on, among other things, railways and bridges in the region. During the liberation, they came forward, recognizable by their white armbands with “P.A.N.” written in red letters on an orange background. They assisted the liberators with intelligence, arrested “collaborators,” and detained remaining German soldiers. Shortly after the liberation, the group was disbanded and merged into the Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten (Dutch Internal Forces).
Pictures:
- At garage Kuyken on Eindhovenseweg in Aalst, letters are painted. The “W” stands for Queen Wilhelmina, and “O.Z.O.” stands for “Oranje Zal Overwinnen” (Orange Will Prevail).
- The letters “W” and “O.Z.O.” are also applied to the kiosk in Aalst as a form of resistance.
- Sabotage on the Railways at Maarheeze.
- During the liberation, the P.A.N. (Partizanen Actie Nederland) emerged openly. At garage Kuyken in Aalst, they established a headquarters.
- The members of the P.A.N. assisted in locating and arresting remaining German soldiers.
Hendricus Antonius Jacobus Broekx
Born on November 24, 1910, in Valkenswaard
Died in April 1945 at Camp Harungen, Germany
Hendricus was living with his family in Neerpelt, Belgium, when the war broke out, where he worked as a self-employed architect. In 1942, he took a job with the provincial food commissioner in Heeze and moved to Valkenswaard, where he stayed with his aunt at Luikerweg 18. His wife and children remained in Neerpelt, where his brother Jacobus moved in with them. Jacobus was an active member of the Belgian resistance group “De Witte Brigade” and was sought by the Germans.
Hendricus frequently stayed overnight with his wife and children. One day, he was arrested instead of his brother Jacobus and was transferred to the prison in Hasselt. On June 19, 1944, he was sent from Brussels to the Buchenwald concentration camp. There, he fell ill several times, and on December 7, it was reported that he had diarrhea and a fever. Hendricus eventually died in April 1945.
Wilhelmus van Nunen
Born on November 15, 1908, in Valkenswaard
Died on December 20, 1944, in Wattenstedt, Germany
At the age of 25, Willem began working as a hand compositor and typographer at Van Leeuwen-Baken printing company in Valkenswaard. Around this time, he met his wife, Petronella van Rooij, whom he married in 1938, and they moved to Peperstraat 25.
During the occupation, Willem became involved in the resistance and, together with Johannes Leemans, printed illegal newspapers. His wife was unaware of the dangerous nature of his work. On August 11, 1944, just after returning from work, Willem was overpowered by the Germans at home and taken to Kamp Vught. This was the last time his wife saw him.
On September 5, 1944, “Dolle Dinsdag” (Mad Tuesday), Kamp Vught was evacuated. Willem was transferred to Sachsenhausen and later to Neuengamme near Hamburg. He was forced to work at Stahlwerke Braunschweig GmbH in the external camp Salzgitter-Wattenstedt.
The conditions were appalling; rations, hygiene, and medical care were inadequate. Many prisoners died daily from mistreatment and exhaustion. Willem passed away on December 20, 1944, in the camp at the age of 36. He was buried at the cemetery in Salzgitter-Lebenstedt. The news of his death was brought back to the Netherlands by Mayor Manders of Leende, who was in the same camp.
Johannes Leemans
Born on February 20, 1894, in Valkenswaard
Died on March 20, 1945, in Langenstein, Germany
The Leemans family lived with five children at Markt 13 in Valkenswaard. Johannes initially worked at the post office and later transitioned to the insurance and brokerage sector. In 1933, he founded the newspaper “De Grenspost” with his brother-in-law, which he continued to publish illegally during the occupation.
On August 7, 1944, a German raid group led by the Gestapo stormed the house at 4 a.m. Johannes attempted to flee but was injured in his ankle from jumping off the roof. The Germans fired at him and accidentally hit one of their own men. Johannes was captured and taken to the sick bay of Kamp Vught.
On September 6, 1944, he was transferred to the concentration camp Sachsenhausen and later to the Langenstein-Zwieberge camp, an external camp of Buchenwald. He was afflicted with dysentery and later developed pneumonia. Johannes died from these conditions on March 20, 1945.
Maria van der Pol – van der Linden
Born on November 28, 1901, in Gameren
Died on January 1, 1945, in Camp Ravensbrück, Germany
Maria was married to Willem van der Pol. When Willem secured a job with Philips, the couple moved to Aalst. Both Willem and Maria were involved in the resistance. Maria, operating under the name Mrs. Brant, worked closely with resistance groups in Heeze, Leende, and Valkenswaard. Her roles included courier duties, distributing illegal newspapers, and sheltering pilots and Jews.
She was courageous, even to the point of being somewhat reckless. There is a story of her reprimanding a German soldier who attempted to buy something from a butcher without a ration coupon. She was also seen speaking English on the street.
On the night of May 13 to 14, 1944, a weapons drop was planned for the Koning brothers’ resistance group in the Heeze woods. This operation was likely betrayed, and all resistance members present were arrested. Maria arrived just as the raid was unfolding and quickly turned around to avoid capture.
On May 26, she was arrested at home and taken to Ravensbrück. At the time of her arrest, her husband was not home, and an English pilot hiding in the barn was not discovered. Maria died on January 1, 1945, after being forced to take a white “medicine.” In 1947, she was posthumously awarded the “Medal of Freedom.”
Christianus Rijnders
Born on December 6, 1918, in Valkenswaard
Died on June 12, 1943, presumably in France
The Rijnders family lived in Valkenswaard during the war. Their son Christianus worked with the Marechaussee and was stationed in Princenhagen near Breda. The Marechaussee received increasing orders from the Germans, including the task of tracking down and arresting people in hiding.
Christianus struggled with this and decided to attempt fleeing to England to join the Dutch military. His journey was planned to go through France and over the Pyrenees to Spain. From Lourdes, he sent a letter home; this was the last sign of life his family ever received from him.
In 1943, the Germans came to the Rijnders’ house searching for Christianus. At that time, Marechaussee Rijneveld, who had a relationship with Christianus’ sister, was hiding with the family. Both Father Rijnders and Rijneveld were arrested. A few days later, the Germans returned and found the letter from Lourdes. Consequently, Christianus’ two sisters were arrested. The Rijnders family was detained for some time at Kamp Vught but was later released. Rijneveld remained imprisoned throughout the war.
In 1956, the Rijnders family received notification that Christianus had died in France on June 12, 1943.
Johannes Hubertus Rijnders
Born on July 12, 1920, in Valkenswaard
Died on October 18, 1944, near Aachen, Germany
Johannes was the younger brother of Christianus Rijnders. Early on, he was involved in various aspects of the resistance. He was highly active in helping people in hiding and in rescuing and sheltering downed aircrew. He even became the deputy commander of the resistance group P.A.N., Valkenswaard division.
After the liberation, Johannes formed his own resistance group and, using a captured German halftrack, actively pursued remaining German soldiers. He soon received a message via Radio Oranje calling for volunteers to fight to drive the Germans out. He traveled to Maastricht to enlist, only to learn that the training would take six months.
Finding this too lengthy, Johannes made contact through intermediaries with the 823rd Tank Destroyer Battalion of the U.S. Army. He joined this unit and fought against the Germans in Germany. During a guard duty on October 18, 1944, he was hit by a grenade and died.
Johannes was buried with full military honors in the cemetery in Valkenswaard