Execution Memorial October 1944 Alphen

This Memorial memorizes the execution of three civilians early October in 1944 in the village of Alphen in the Dutch province of Noord Brabant which is a part of todays’ municipality of Alphen – Chaam (formerly Alphen – Riel). On the referred day in October 1944 three civilians were retrieved from their hiding place near their house by German Falschirmjäger of the 11th Division. Alphen was in the front line at that time; Baarle Nassau had been liberated for a large part. The three civilians were taken along to a ditch further ahead on the dirt road. There they had to lie down after which they were shot. Two of the civilians died instantly but the third retrieved his consciousness later on the day and succeeded to crawl back from under the sand and go looking for help. The two victims were the agriculturist Adrianus Oomen, 45 years of age, from Alphen and the 23 years old person-in-hiding Willy van den Corput , painter by profession from the city of Breda. In those days he was a courier in the resistance movement. The third one who had been wounded, was the agriculturist Felix Roelen of 39 years old. It has never been totally clarified why they had been arrested and executed. It is assumed, that in the same hide out, shortly before the three were taken along, there were also two or three members of the royal constabulary who were involved in the resistance movement. These three departed in the direction of Chaam just before the Falschirmjäger arrived at the hide out. Possibly the Germans were looking for the three members of the resistance movement and took the other three with them as a reprisal.

On 27 October 2013 the renewal of the memorial has been finalized. Thanks to a good sign posting it is again well retrievable for visitors. Moreover this monument has been provided with an information table like it has been done for all works of art in the municipality of Alphen – Chaam.

Photo 1, 2 en 3: The memorial in 2013.
Photo 4: The memorial in 2011.
Photo 5: The memorial in 1992.

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Source

• Text: Gemeente Alphen-Chaam en Jos van Roozendaal
• Photos: Marten Oldersma