War Memorial Lions

This plaque on the church tower of the Reformed Church commemorates the residents of Lions who were killed in World War II.

Raid Reitsma farm in Lions

Pieter Reitsma
Member of the resistance belonging to the LO-Baarderadeel. Reitsma distributed illegal literature, helped people in hiding and collected money for the LO. He was arrested on 25 May 1944 during a house search for illegal workers. The resistance fighter Hendrik Jacob Lever (26 December 1923 Groningen) was discovered with him. Reitsma was transported to Vught via the detention center in Leeuwarden. Together with Lever and twelve other northern, mainly Frisian resistance fighters, Reitsma was executed on August 18, 1944. His name is on a memorial stone in the Dutch Reformed Church of Lions. His name is also mentioned on the memorial wall in the National Monument and the memorial on the execution site.

Hein Schukken
Neighbor Hein Schukken, supported this action of resistance.
The name Schukken was probably mentioned during this interrogation, because Reitsma's neighbor was also arrested and transferred to Leeuwarden. On 17 August the prisoners were deported to camp Vught, where Reitsma and Lever were executed the following day. Four days later, Schukken was also executed in the camp by the occupying forces.

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