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Landgraaf, de, Jan

    Date of birth:
    February 11th, 1921 (Sliedrecht, the Netherlands)
    Date of death:
    March 22nd, 1978 (Sliedrecht, the Netherlands)
    Nationality:
    Dutch

    Biography

    Jan de Landgraaf, pseudonym in the resistance "Dove (deaf) Jan" was a mechanical engineering student before he had to go into hiding in the summer of 1944. He left for the Biesbosch, where many people in hiding were already staying, and joined a resistance group that was already active there.

    After capturing two German soldiers, it was decided to detain them. This number grew in a few months to 75 who were locked up in one and later two hidden arks. Jan de Landgraaf acted as sub-commander of this "Biesbosch group" responsible for this. On the night of 4-5 November 1944, after a perilous journey, the prisoners were handed over to the commander of the Polish troops in newly liberated Drimmelen.

    After this, he returned to his hometown of Sliedrecht. He joined the spy group Albrecht and made as many as thirty trips from Sliedrecht through the Biesbosch as a line-crosser to deliver messages intended for the Intelligence Bureau in the already liberated Lage Zwaluwe.

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    Period:
    Second World War (1939-1945)
    Rank:
    Burger (Civilian)
    Unit:
    Bureau Inlichtingen (BI), Nederlandse Strijdkrachten in het Westen
    Awarded on:
    August 30th, 1948
    Dutch language recommandation available.

    Royal Decree Nr. 8, August 30th, 1948
    Ridder vierde klasse der Militaire Willems Orde (MWO.4)
    Period:
    Second World War (1939-1945)

    Presented in Maastricht on 18 January 1947
    Medal of Freedom

    Sources