Dutch War Grave Valkenheide

Dirk Noordam is buried in the private cemetery of the former educational institution Valkenheide. He was the director of the parenting institution.

The Second World War did not miss Valkenheide either.

In the first days of the war of May 1940, Valkenheide was left out of the picture. In August, the asylum was startled by some (lost) bombs. There was only minor damage and some shock. A bigger problem at the time was the placement of a hundred new pupils. All those mouths had to be fed at a time when the food supply was less easy than in normal times. Of the eighty employees, one was a member of the NSB. This was not entirely harmless for Noordam, because he and several other staff members had quickly become involved in the underground resistance. In 1942 the situation at Valkenheide started to deteriorate. The number of available places was increased by another 10% and the scarcity made the diet one-sided. This led to weaker youngsters and all kinds of complaints, which even led to death for a few boys. The bad morale outside the asylum increasingly penetrated Valkenheide. Another problem was the increasing attention of the Germans for the asylum. The SS tried to recruit boys for the army at Valkenheide.

Noordam increasingly had to answer for the way in which the occupation was handled at Valkenheide. Valkenheide, among other things, would not be sufficiently understanding about National Socialism. In addition, as alderman and deputy mayor of Maarn, Noordam also had to deal with an NSB mayor. The fact that Noordam was not trusted was evident from the fact that he was arrested and questioned at home on June 25, 1943. Noordam was soon released again, but the farmer of Valkenheide was arrested because he would not have returned his radio. The months remained difficult, but Valkenheide remained safe from an NSB member in Noordam's seat.

When rumors of impending capitulation grew in September 1944, tensions rose. NSB members panicked and even fled. That flight later came to be known as Mad Tuesday. The developments made the resistance decide to take action. Noordam had agreed with the resistance that after the German capitulation Valkenheide would be used as a punishment camp for NSB members. This led to the NSB mayor of Leersum being arrested on September 5 by some members of the resistance. The resistance requested Noordam to be allowed to transfer this NSB member to Valkenheide. Leading NSB members had also been arrested elsewhere. Despite the Germans getting wind of these actions, the resistance decided to continue the plans. Noordam may not have been aware of all the details, but in consultation with his co-alderman and the non-arrested NSB mayor of Maarn, he was informed of all details on September 6. He was so concerned about the developments that he suffered a heart attack that evening. Noordam had also contracted a cold, causing pneumonia to develop. On 7 September Noordam was therefore very ill. That day he received a visit from the Sicherheitsdienst (SD), who had meanwhile tracked down the members of the resistance who had previously arrested the NSB members. A woman of a recognized resistance fighter had forcibly said that the NSB members were being held at Valkenheide. The Germans then quickly found and liberated the NSB. Noordam convinced the Germans that he knew nothing about where the Germans left again.
However, the Germans returned the next day. They probably had their doubts or they had received further information. On the morning of September 8, 1944, all personnel were gathered in the church hall. Then they entered the director's house and sent the family to the main house. Noordam himself, still weak from the heart attack and pneumonia, was put on a chair in front of his house in his pajamas. He was shot on the spot. Back from the main building, one of his daughters found Noordam's body in a flower bed.

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