Date of birth:

January 24th, 1918 (Nieuw Vossemeer, the Netherlands)

Date of death:

April 30th, 1945 (Fortress De Bilt, Utrecht, the Netherlands)

Buried on:

Dutch War Graves Protestant Cemetery Werkendam
Plot: C. Grave: 1.

Nationality:

Dutch

Kornelis Pieter "Kees" van de Sande, was a conscripted Guardsman with the 1st Regiment Huzaren Motorcyclists stationed in The Hague in May 1940. After being demobilized, he became a controller with the Crisis Control Service (CCD) in 1941 and moved to Sleeuwijk. There he became involved in several resistance organizations including the National Support Fund (NSF) and Natura. Later he joined the Werkendam LO and became leader of the KP Altena. In this capacity he was involved in numerous activities such as a raid on a Distribution Office and capturing and holding Germans in the Biesbosch. After the liberation of southern Holland, he became a crosser for the Albrecht Group and the Intelligence Bureau and made 22 crossings through the Biesbosch. During these crossings through the front line passengers and intelligence were transferred and on the way back they mainly took back weapons, medicine and food.
On the night of March 3, 1945 during a nightly manhunt throughout the Land of Heusden and Altena, Kees was arrested at home in Sleeuwijk. He was locked up in the prison at the Wolvenplein in Utrecht. There he was reunited with fellow crosser Aaike van Driel. Attempts were made to free him but despite the Germans' promise to spare them, Kees van de Sande was executed at Fort de Bilt 5 days before the end of the war along with three others, including his fellow crosser Aaike van Driel. He was 27 years old at the time.

On May 11, 1945, Kees and Aaike made their final journey. Accompanied by Reverend Van Wieringen from Werkendam, their bodies were brought from Utrecht to Werkendam amid great interest. There they were buried side by side a day later.

By Royal Decree No. 8 dated August 30, 1948, he was posthumously appointed Knight Military Order of William fourth class. In his birthplace of Nieuw-Vossenaar, in Sleeuwijk and in Werkendam streets are named after him.

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• Photo: De Liniecrossers - Linie Crossers Sliedrecht | Leer de liniecrossers kennen
  
• - HOEK, PIET VAN DEN, Biesbosch Crossings 1944-1945, Kok Voorhoeve, Kampen, 1993.
  - SIMONS, J., Liniecrossers, Omniboek, 2021.
  - Civil Records Tholen, Birth Certificate 1918, nr. 9 (Gemeentearchief Tholen)
  - Kornelis Pieter van de Sande
  - Dapperheidsonderscheidingen aan Nederlanders voor de Tweede Wereldoorlog
  - Certificate Croi de Guerre
  - Awarding Document Mobilisatieoorlogskruis
  

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