Memorial D.R. Church

The plaque in the N.H.kerk was erected in memory of four fellow villagers who were arrested during the occupation and did not return from Germany.

Jan Atzes van der Pol was born on January 18, 1918 in Achlum. He was a farm worker living with the Schrale family in Slootdorp in the Wieringermeerpolder. While plowing on the land of the neighbor Van der Bout, Van der Pol was captured in August 1944 by a passing patrol of the occupying forces. He was taken to the border guard in Van Ewijcksluis near Den Helder, from where he was deported to camp Amersfoort after a few days. On the way here, Van der Pol threw a note from the train, which was delivered to his parents after some time. Now they knew where their son had gone. From the Amersfoort transit camp he was transported to the Neuengamme concentration camp, where he died on February 14, 1945.

Atze Jorkes van der Pol was born on January 15, 1922 in Achlum. At the age of 22 he worked as a farm laborer at farmer Anema in Achlum. For safety reasons, he did not sleep with his parents, but had shelter at night with his brother Jorke on the Bolswardervaart under Achlum. On Sunday evening, April 30, 1944, Van der Pol was walking from his girlfriend's house in Hitzum to his sleeping address during curfew, when he was stopped on the way by police officer Maus from Wommels and the Achlum constable Bijlsma. After the paper check, Van der Pol was allowed to go again. Maus later told Bijlsma that Van der Pol should have already worked as a forced laborer in Germany and that he would be picked up the next day. Bijlsma passed this on to Van der Pol, with the request not to discuss it with anyone. The next evening, Van der Pol went to his brother earlier than usual because, he said, he was not feeling well. Later that evening, Maus and Bijlsma came to the Van der Pol family to pick up Atze. When father Van der Pol opened the door, only Bijlsma was at the door. Maus had hidden himself. When asked if Atze was at home, Bijlsma received a negative answer. 'He is always with Jorke at night,' the father confided to Bijlsma, knowing that the local policeman always made every effort to keep people in hiding out of the hands of the occupier. Then Maus emerged from the darkness and forced Van der Pol to give Jorke's address. Atze was picked up and had to walk handcuffed to Franeker. The next day he was taken to the Detention Center in Leeuwarden and four days later to camp Amersfoort. A month later he was in a prison camp near Duisburg. On October 14, 1944, at seven o'clock in the morning, the city was bombed by the Allies. When Atze arrived at the shelter, it was already full. He tried to take cover against the basement wall, but a direct hit ended his life. He was buried at Friedhof Hamborn near Duisburg.

Gerrit Abma was born on September 6, 1922 in Lollum. He was a baker's assistant in Wirdum when he had to report for labor deployment. To avoid this, he went into hiding with his sister and brother-in-law in Achlum. He went to work at Rienks bakery in Arum. For safety reasons, Abma always moved from village to village along back roads. At the end of August 1944 he took the high road to Achlum, because he was late. A patrol of the occupying forces arrested him and brought him to Harlingen. The next day he was transported to the Leeuwarder prison and via Amersfoort he ended up in Neuengamme. There he died on February 14, 1945.

Monze de Boer was born on May 2, 1912 in Kimswerd. During the occupation, the De Boer family lived and worked at the Panwerk under Achlum. At the beginning of December 1943, the Leeuwarder Sicherheitsdienst carried out a raid in the factory, during which the brothers Albert and Monze de Boer were arrested. Brother Auke managed to escape through the fields. After two days of imprisonment in the town hall of Wûnseradiel in Witmarsum, the brothers were transferred to the Detention Center in Leeuwarden. The transport to Amersfoort followed three weeks later. From this transit camp, the brothers were transported via Neuengamme and Sachsenhausen to the penal camp in Oberhausen, where they spent three weeks. Then they were deported to Husum. Here Albert and Monze lost sight of each other, because Monze, who suffered from malnutrition, went on a patient transport. The De Boer family never heard from him again. According to the official statement, he died on March 20, 1945 in the Kommando Dessauer of the Neuengamme concentration camp. The date and year on the memorial stone are therefore incorrect. Albert went from Husum back to Neuengamme, where he was liberated. On May 31, 1945 he returned to Achlum.

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