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Hattem, van, Johan

Date of birth:
May 7th, 1914 (Soerabaja, Dutch East Indies)
Date of death:
July 20th, 1943 (Leusden, the Netherlands)
Buried on:
Dutch War Graves Rusthof
Plot: 12. Row: C. Grave: 151.
Nationality:
Dutch (1815-present, Kingdom)

Biography

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Period:
Second World War (1939-1945)
Awarded on:
December 14th, 1949
Recommendation:
For having distinguished himself by especially courageous and tactful actions in combat against the enemy. During 1940 and 1941, when there was no regular communication with the Dutch government in London yet, he took it upon himself, along with a large number of other people, to establish an intelligence circuit in an excellent manner in the occupied Netherlands which, in cooperation with a large resistance organization, gathered military information and in addtion, provided direction and support to agents arriving from England. He was one of the most active pioneers in the field of intelligence and at a time in which all work had to be done under trying circumstances, he went about his job in a tireless, capable and persistent manner, despite the fact the enemy was on his trail for a while. He was arrested in March 1942, along with his almost entire group and sentenced to death. Subsequently, he lost his life in a concentration camp. By his actions, he has rendered important services to the conduct of the war by the Allies and to the Dutch government.

Royal Decree number 24.
Bronzen Leeuw (BL)

Sources