Bakhuys Roozeboom, August Marie

Date of birth:: July 10th, 1922 (Heerlen/Limburg, The Netherlands)
Date of death:: September 19th, 1944 (Oosterbeek-Arnhem/Gelderland, The Netherlands)
Buried on:: Commonwealth War Cemetery Arnhem Oosterbeek
Plot: 1. Row: A. Grave: 6.
Service number:: 2632
Nationality:: Dutch

Biography

August Marie Bakhuys Roozeboom was born on 10th July, 1922, in Heerlen, Limburg province, the Netherlands. He was the youngest son of Marinus Bakhuys Roozeboom and Marie Camille Emilie van Oppen. August had an older sister (Denise Caroline) and an older brother (Hendrik Willem). In 1925, when August wasn’t even three years old, the family emigrated to Canada and settled in Vancouver. After primary school, August attended the King Edward High School. He apparently had great talent in drawing and, after high school graduation, he went to study at the Vancouver School of Art. However, after one and a half years, he ended his study because of World War II. During his study he met Marguerite Ellen Goulding, and they got engaged before he departed to England. (After the war, Marguerite would marry Augusts brother Hendrik Willem on 10th May, 1947).

August joined the Dutch troops in Canada on 2nd July, 1942. In Stratford, near Toronto, he received his first military training at the Princess Juliana barracks. On the 22nd September, 1942, he embarked for his journey to England, where he arrived at 7th of October. The following day, he was assigned to the 11th battalion of the Princess Irene Brigade. However, he applied for the commando training and reported on the 30th of October, 1942, in Porthmadog (North Wales) to No.2 (Dutch) Troop of No.10 (Inter Allied) Commando, for his preparation-training. Thereafter, in December 1942, he went to Achnacarry, Scotland, for the British commando training.

On 31st May, 1943, No.10 (Inter allied) Commando moved, with all its subordinate units, to the English coastal town of Eastbourne, which would be the home base for the duration of World War II. In the end of December of that year, August, together with the other Dutch commandos, shipped for India, where he arrived in the end of January 1944. No.2 (Dutch) Troop, with its British colleagues of the 3rd Special Service Brigade, settled in a tent camp in the village of Ked Gaon to acclimatize. Unfortunately, No.2 (Dutch) Troop, wouldn’t see action as a unit. Only five Dutch commandos would be deployed behind enemy lines in Birma. Two men were allowed to join No.44 (Royal Marine) Commando and three joined No.5 Commando. August was not amongst the five chosen ones, who were elected by a lottery. He would stay behind, like the other 19 commandos, without any real mission to do. In the meantime the Allied forces had landed in Normandy while No.2 (Dutch) Troop was stuck in India. The unit returned to Eastbourne, England, on the 15th August, 1944.

After a two week leave, the unit was to prepare for Operation Market Garden. The Dutch commandos were allocated to the two American Airborne Divisions (101st and 82nd) and the 1st British Airborne Division. Twelve commandos were assigned to the latter. August, with three others, was assigned to its division headquarters staff. On 17th September 1944, he landed around 13:00 hour by a glider in landing zone “Z, near the Boschhoeve farm, west of Wolfheze. He then moved, for unknown reasons, first to landing zone “S” near Reijerskamp farm, north of Wolfheze. Following, August, went via Huize Valkenburg to Hotel Hartenstein in Oosterbeek, where the division had located its headquarters. What August did the following two days remains unclear.

On the night of Tuesday 19th September, 1944, around 23:00 hours, a jeep patrol to Arnhem was formed, in order to reach the surrounded British paratroopers near the bridge over the river Rhine. August joined as interpreter. In total eight men left for Arnhem, with one jeep. After narrowly escaping a German patrol, they drove on a couple of kilometers before encountering a German ambulance from the opposite direction. The vehicle, that was filled with weapons and ammo, was stopped and confiscated, and the two German soldiers were made prisoners of war. Because the patrol was completely surrounded by enemy units, it was decided to return to Hotel Hartenstein, taking both the ambulance and the two PoW’s. On their way back, they first were engaged by a German patrol that stopped the ambulance, which was driving upfront. The British soldier in the passenger seat, opened fire from the ambulance and the Germans took cover at the side of the road. Then the jeep circled around the ambulance and drove over the hidden German soldiers. Next, they drove on high speed over the Klingelbeekseweg in the direction of the railroad tunnel. There, in front of the tunnel, the Germans were waiting in ambush. Reportedly, August stood between the driver and passenger, returning fire with his Tommy gun and throwing some hand grenades, while the jeep was heavily zigzagging to evade the enemy fire from several machinegun positions. After passing the Germans and going through the tunnel, August collapsed. He was shot in the head and probably died instantly.

Private August Marie Bakhuys Roozeboom, 22 years of age, was the first Dutch commando who died in World War II. At first he was buried in a field grave near Hotel Hartenstein. Thereafter, he was buried at the Ariborne War Cemetery of Oosterbeek. Initially he was buried as “known unto God”. Finally, in 1996, his exact grave was positively identified and in 1997 it received the stone with his name. It is located at Plot 1. Row A. Grave 6.

On 19th September, 2023, his relatives received the Dutch War Remembrance Cross (“Oorlogsherinneringskruis”) with the clasp “Arnhem, Nijmegen, Walcheren”. This cross was mistakenly not issued before. As a lasting tribute, for his courage and sacrifice, the tent camp where all Dutch commando’s go through their elementary training, is named after August Bakhuys Roozeboom. The railroad tunnel, where he died, has also received his name op the 19th September 1944, 80 years after his death.

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Oorlogsherinneringskruis (OHK)

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Rank:: Dienstplichtig Soldaat
Unit:: No. 2 Dutch Troop / No. 10 Inter Allied Commando

Parawing Prinses Irene Brigade

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)

Sources

Photos

News

1Oct

Photo report commemorating commandos at the grave of August Bakhuis-Roozeboom

Every year, Dutch commandos hold a short commemoration at the grave of August Bakhuis-Roozeboom at the Airborne cemetery in Oosterbeek. Commando Bakhuis Roozeboom of No. 2 (Dutch) Troop was one of twelve Dutch commandos attached to the British 1st Airborne Division during the Battle of Arnhem. On September 19, 1944, Bakhuis-Roozeboom was killed when the Jeep he was in was struck at Oosterbeek Laag station.