Information board Jo ter Laak

In the border village of Overdinkel, municipality of Losser, there is a sign with inscription in the garden of the address Hoofdstraat 60. This plate is dedicated to Jo ter Laak who lived here before the war.

Jo ter Laak was born on May 23, 1913 in Tilburg. The family moved to Overdinkel, where father became a police officer. Jo became a professional soldier with the Police Forces Corps. In March 1940 he married Johanna van Mierlo. They had a son in December 1940, but his father would never see him.

Jo was assigned as a sergeant to Queen Wilhelmina's security forces. He escaped to England in May 1940 via France.

From the Irene brigade, Jo volunteered to carry out espionage assignments in occupied territory. He was one of the first officers to work in occupied territory. On October 1, 1941 Jo was dropped over the Netherlands. On 13 February 1942 he was arrested during a robbery in The Hague. He was later held captive in Haaren in Brabant for some time. On September 5, 1944, Jo ended up with 46 fellow prisoners in Mauthausen in Austria and died a terrible death there on September 7, 1944.

Jo ter Laak was posthumously honored with the Bronze Lion, a high military decoration.

Do you have more information about this location? Inform us!