Piksen, Gerrit Jan

Date of birth:: July 24th, 1917 (Hellendoorn, the Netherlands)
Date of death:: October 19th, 1944 (Haarle, the Netherlands)
Buried on:: Dutch War Graves Municipal Cemetery Hellendoorn
Plot: Ea.
Nationality:: Dutch

Biography

Gerrit Jan Piksen was born on July 24th, 1917 as son to Gerrit Hendrik Piksen and Johanna van Heun.

During a major raid in Salland on 14 October 1944, the 27 year old Gerrit Jan Piksen was killed. In the morning Gerrit Jan had helped to hide two Allied pilots and a Russian prisoner of war. Gerrit Jan was later that day arrested by the Germans and was interrogated. After having been severely beaten Gerrit Jan was liquidated in the Bathemerweg near Haarle. Three days later he was buried in the collective grave at the cemetery in Hellendoorn.

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Medal of Freedom

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: 1947

Presented in Utrecht, March 12th, 1947.
Awarded posthumously.

Kruis van Verdienste (KV)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:: January 20th, 1953

Recommendation:
He has distinguished himself in connection with military operations by his courageous and tactful conduct, serving the interest of the Kingdom as a member of a resitance group in the area around Nijverdal in the period of occupation between 1940 and 1945 in which he distinguished himself helpingh downed members of Allied aircrews, receiving and distributing of weapons that had been dropped etc. During a raid on a farm where a member of an aircrew was kept hidden, he succeeded in keeping the attackers occupied long enough to enable this man to escape. He lost his life in the firefight that took place.

Royal Decree No.17, dated January 20th, 1953.
Awarded posthumously.