War Memorial Wieringerwerf

Professor G Molierestraat/Terppad, Wieringerwerf

Netherlands, the North Holland Wieringerwerf

This war memorial commemorates the inhabitants of the Wieringermeerpolder, who died during the Second World War. The monument is in the form of a sword, which is placed in the ground. Under the Dutch Lion is the text:

I WILL UPHOLD

IN MEMORY OF THEM
THOSE FELL IN THE YEARS
1940 - 1945

The memorial contains the following names:
C. DOUMA, A.C. de GRAAF, G. KINGMA, J. KOOLHAAS, P. PAULUSSE, J. v.d. POL
N.H.F. RIKAART, J. VARKEVISSER, D. ADMIRAAL - COMMANDEUR, J.J. ADMIRAAL.

Catrinus Douma was a resistance fighter. The illegal work is fatal to him. On 31 January 1945, Catrinus was arrested at the grain exchange in Middenmeer and taken to Amsterdam. Nine days later, on February 9, he was shot in Zaandam, along with nine other prisoners, as a reprisal measure. He was 27 years old.

Adriaan Cornelis de Graaf resistance fighter, with a great record. Since October 1944 he became 'loading master' of BS for the dropping fields, for weapons from England, in North Holland.
On the day of the flooding, 17-04-1945, he decided to go back to collect his wife and children and to secure equipment and food supplies. This turned out not to be such a good plan because the Germans stood at every way out of the polder to arrest the many people in hiding and people of the resistance. De Graaf was recognized by a Grüne Landwacht and arrested when he returned to his temporary evacuation address in Lambertschaag and left for Hoorn together with a few people in hiding. They went by bicycle, at Wognum / Benningbroek de Graaf was summoned to ride behind and was then brutally murdered.
Adrie de Graaf has been honored posthumously with the following awards:
*The 'Bronze Lion' awarded by Queen Juliana
*Certificate of Commandation awarded by: Supreme Heaquarters Alied Expeditionary Force,
*The Gratitude and Appreciation of the American people from the President of the USA (Dwight Eisenhouwer),
*Certificate of appreciation of the British people.

Gerben Kingma was forced to work as a forced laborer in Germany. He died at the age of 20 in Ammendorf.

Jan Koolhaas was reserve captain with 1-II Regiment Cyclists. He was killed on May 13, 1940 in Dordrecht.

Pieter Paulusse was a Hussar with 3-III-Depot Cavalry. He was killed on May 1940 in The Hague.

Jan van der Pol died on February 14, 1945 at the age of 27 in Bergen-Belsen.

Nelis Hendrikus Frederikus Rikaart and Jeroen Varkevisser were on 27 February 1942 on board of Hr. Ms. De Ruyter and died in the Java Sea.

Mrs. D. Admiraal - Commandeur and her baby of 8 days old had to flee from the water on April 17, 1945, because the Germans had pierced the dike with the IJsselmeer. While fleeing they were killed by an air raid.

To the right of the war memorial is a memorial stone to commemorate the soldiers who died in the Indonesian Independence War.

The text on the monument reads:
DUTCH EAST INDIES
1945 - 1950

Hotze Bekema
02-06-1920 26-02-1947
Stradbroke Island

Nico Sijm
12-02-1926 05-08-1949
Buluh Pantjur

Piet J. Lockx
22-04-1928 19-06-1949
Ponorogo

Jan M. van Strien
08-09-1928 18-05-1949
Madiun

Remember in your mind
that they gave their lives
and far from their relatives
buried abroad