Memorial Cemetery Eikenhof

The monument at the Eikenhof cemetery reminds the residents of Haulerwijk of two fallen Allies, the American pilot James Bill Dickson and the French parachutist Henry Jean-Louis Pintaud.

It also reminds of eighteen civilians from Upper and Lower Haulerwijk who died during the occupation or after 1945 in the former Dutch East Indies as a result of acts of war.

The names of the eighteen victims are:

Luit R. van den Berg († 21-05-1945 in Rotenburg, Germany), Wiebe de Boer († 03-03-1945 in Haulerwijk), Geert Bosma († 29-07-1949 in Bldra, former Dutch East Indies) , Simon van Hasselt († 12-02-1943 in Auschwitz, Poland), Geertje van Hasselt-Nieweg († 12-02-1943 in Auschwitz, Poland), Hermi S.K. van Hasselt (†12-02-1943 in Auschwitz, Poland), Sophia K. van Hasselt († 12-02-1943 in Auschwitz, Poland), Sake J. Hof († 20-09-1942 in Heerenveen), Hendrik van der Meer († 15-01-1943 in Tavoy Burma), Atze Hoks († 08-03-1945 in Woeste Hoeve), Lammechien van der Meulen-de Wit († 14-04-1945 in Haulerwijk), Minze Meijer († 01-08-1947 in Tjilimoes, former Dutch East Indies), Auke Poutsma († 14-4-1949 in Pekalongan, former Dutch East Indies), Adriaan Veen († 28-10-1944 in Westerbork), Oege van der Vlugt ( † 26-01-1943 in Hildesheim, Germany), Douwe de Vries († 17-09-1947 in Haulerwijk), Rink R. van der Wal († 13-05-1940 on the Grebbeberg) and Theunis Weening († 1944 in Schwanheide, Germany).

On April 8, 1944, a heavy air battle took place above Haulerwijk and the surrounding area between several German and American fighters. An American aircraft was hit and exploded in mid-air. The pilot, James B. Dickson, was thrown out, seat and all. He ended up on a piece of arable land between Haulerwijk and Haule. Lieutenant Dickson belonged to the 358th Fighter Squadron 355th Fighter group, part of the 65th Fighter Wing, U.S. 8th Air Force Fighter Command, stationed at Steeple Morden. His Mustang was returning from an escort flight. On April 11, Dickson was buried at the General Cemetery in Haulerwijk. After the war he was reburied in the United States at the request of the family.

On Saturday, April 7, 1945, about 750 French paratroopers were dropped in the Zwolle-Coevorden-Groningen triangle. A group of more than 30 commandos landed near Appelscha to occupy the bridge there until the advancing Canadian army arrived. In the ensuing actions between Appelscha and Haulerwijk, Henry Pintaud was killed on April 8 during a battle with the occupying forces. The Pintaud family has placed a bronze palm of honor on the memorial.

Rink van der Wal was killed on May 13, 1940 on the Grebbeberg.

Wiebe de Boer was shot dead while fleeing when his parental home was raided by the Norger Blood Team.

Luit Reinder van der Berg was put to work in Germany and was killed in a bombing raid. The same probably also applies to Oege Hendrik van der Vlugt and Theunis Weening.

Sake Jannes Hof took his own life shortly before he had to report to the 'Arbeitseinsatz'.

Simon van Hasselt (principal of the primary school), together with his wife Geertje Nieweg and daughters Hermi and Sophia, was deported via Westerbork to the Auschwitz extermination camp. They were killed here on February 12, 1943.

Adriaan Veen was shot in Westerbork after a failed weapon drop.

Lammechien van der Meulen was hit by a stray bullet on April 14, 1945, one day before the liberation, during skirmishes between a group of fleeing Germans and the resistance.

Aitze Hoks was arrested by the occupiers in connection with dropping weapons and was executed together with 116 other people at the Woeste Hoeve.

Douwe de Vries died in 1947 from the consequences of his stay in the concentration camps.

Geert Bosma, Hendrik van der Meer, Minze Meijer and Auke Poutsma were killed in the former Dutch East Indies.

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Source

• Text: Bert Deelman
• Photos: Bert Deelman
• Nationaal Comité 4 en 5 mei