Date of birth:

December 13th, 1909 (Oosterbeek, the Netherlands)

Date of death:

November 14th, 2005 (Oosterbeek, the Netherlands)

Nationality:

Dutch

The capitulation of the Dutch army in May 1940 did not mean the end of Dutch participation in the war. During the days of May, Dutch people began arriving in England because they refused to accept the capitulation. During the war years, several thousand men came to England. They undertook dangerous escape attempts to reach England and became known as the “England sailors”.

One of the most spectacular escapes took place on 6 May 1941, using a seaplane (Fokker T.VIIIw) that had been captured by the Germans. Jonkheer Jan Jacob Gerard Beelaerts van Blokland (Jan Beelaerts, nicknamed Mickey) was one of the four men who took part in this daring operation. He was awarded the Bronze Cross for this in 1941. Later, in England, he was one of the founders of the Princess Irene Brigade.

After the war, he established the Prince Bernhard Tribute Foundation; in that capacity, he organised a tribute to the prince by his resistance friends every five years until 2001. On 30 April 1970, he was appointed titular brigadier general by Royal Decree. Jan Jacob Beelaerts van Blokland died on 14 November 2005 at the age of 95 in Oosterbeek.

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• Photo 1: Regionaal Archief Nijmegen (CC Attribution 4.0)
• - HEUVEL, C.C. VAN DEN e.a., Verzetsherdenkingskruis, Samsom Uitgeverij, 1985.
  - Dapperheidsonderscheidingen aan Nederlanders voor de Tweede Wereldoorlog