Dijkema, Reint Albartus

Date of birth:: May 20th, 1920 (Smilde, the Netherlands)
Date of death:: August 22nd, 1944 (Vught, the Netherlands)
Buried on:: Ash Pits Wells Camp Vught
Nationality:: Dutch

Biography

Lived in Groningen, Jozef Israëlsstraat 16a. Son of Klaas Dijkema (physician, 27 May 1883 Godlinze, municipality Bierum - 25 April 1942 Groningen) and Elske Catharina Riepma (20 October 1888 Losdorp, municipality Bierum) Unmarried (engaged to Ina Knottnerus from Siddeburen). In the May days of 1940 he was a volunteer hospital soldier in Den Helder. Medical student. Reformed. Member of the resistance under the pseudonym Remko Frans. Dijkema was provincial leader of the KP-Groningen. Among others, he liquidated the Dutch SD henchman Anne Jannes Elsinga (22 September 1908 Slochteren) on New Year's Eve 1943. As a result of betrayal by his old HBS friend Frans van Vliet, he was arrested on 4 June 1944 and, after several interrogations, transferred to the Vught concentration camp. There he was shot together with a number of other resistance fighters. His arrest took place after a chase in the city of Groningen. At the University Library in the Poststraatje, the student fell into German hands. Dijkema was a fearless resistance fighter who, while imprisoned in the Scholtenhuis, an SD stronghold, shot a guard with his own gun while he was handcuffed. Dijkema, a doctor's son, grew up in Siddeburen. After completing the Christian HBS in Groningen, he studied medicine at the University of Groningen. Soon after the German invasion in May 1940, the young man came into conflict with the Germans. For example, Dijkema found it inhuman and absolutely unacceptable that Jews had to wear a Star of David. Together with his brother Albertus, Rein also wore this yellow identification mark for Jews on his clothing. It was made from yellow curtain material. He often paraded around in this way in a provocative manner in the Jewish quarter of Groningen in the vicinity of the Folkingestraat. Both brothers were arrested for this protest on 4 May 1942 and were imprisoned for six weeks in Camp Amersfoort. After their release, they both continued their resistance even more fanatically. Among other things, Reint was involved in a robbery of Drukkerij Hoitsema in Groningen, where distribution coupon cards were printed. The loot consisted of approximately 130,000 cards. He was arrested later. During an attempted escape, Dijkema was shot in the arm and was severely beaten despite this injury. As a religious man and Christian, he had a hard time mentally after the liquidation of Elsinga. 'By my actions, I prevented him from being able to convert. This shortened his time of grace.' His 'friend' who betrayed him worked as a police inspector for the occupying forces. During all interrogations, Dijkema always took responsibility, and his faith was an intense support to him. As a result of torture, he sustained injuries. Despite these injuries and the physical consequences of the shooting, the Germans showed him no mercy. While everyone thought he was so brave, this was remarkably reduced by him to a completely different proportion. In a desk drawer, the SD officers found a poem they had written themselves, entitled: 'I'm just a scared soldier'. His name is on the memorial at the execution site and the memorial wall in the National Monument Camp Vught. He was posthumously awarded the Resistance Commemoration Cross.
Dijkema was cremated in the Vught concentration camp.

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Verzetsherdenkingskruis (VHK)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)