Persons from Dutch WW II History: Jan van Hoof

Jan Jozef Lambert van Hoof (Nijmegen, 7 augustus 1922 - Nijmegen, 19 september 1944)

Jan van Hoof was a Dutch resistance fighter during World War II.
Before the Second World War Van Hoof was a member of the scout movement (Scouting) and attended the World Jamboree in 1937 at Vogelenzang. When in 1940 the German occupying forces occupied Nijmegen, he studied at the University of Nijmegen and he ended up in the student resistance. During the war he remained a member of the scout movement, even when it became illegal after April 2 1941. After the Second World War the Cross of Honour of the 'Dutch Council Boy Scouts' was renamed in the Jan van Hoof-cross.

Jan van Hoof during Operation Market Garden
As a member of the Secret Service Netherlands Jan van Hoof collected for months information on the attached explosives to the Waal bridge and the bridge at Nijmegen. Although there is no hard evidence, but it is believed that Van Hoof on September 18 1944 made ​​the explosives harmless that were attached to the Waal Bridge ​​by the Germans. According to a report, released in 1951 by a committee appointed by the Ministry of War, was a part of the explosives still intact when the British occupied the bridge. Nevertheless they gave Van Hoof the benefit of the doubt, because the Germans actually had explosives repaired after the sabotage, however in the opinion of this committee, he may not be considered as the saviour of the bridge. The commission also suspected that the Germans did not want to destroy the bridge, because they needed it for a possible counter-offensive.
The two main conclusions from the report dated 21 November 1951 are the following:
"7. The Commission on the basis of by its determined facts, and the logical reconstruction of the possible operations of Jan van Hoof is convinced, that Jan van Hoof with on probability bordering certainty has committed the sabotage of the explosives of the bridge and that such for a distinction as certainty should be reflected."(p. 22)
and
"8. The Germans, however, have noticed the sabotage and van Hoof's possible act was not followed by penetrating actions towards the bridge by the initially on 18 September for this operation deployed American paratrooper companies. Therefore, the Germans had the opportunity to reassure the bridge back for detonation. Finally on the basis of the relevant orders given at the decisive moment they not proceeded with the destruction of the bridge. Therefore, Jan van Hoof can not be regarded as "the saviour" of the bridge.
However to him comes imperishable honour for what he did to preserve the bridge as an act of great courage, and loyalty performed with the commitment of his life."(pp. 22-23)

On September 19, at Sionshof hotel near the Heilig Landstichting (Holy Land Foundation), Van Hoof gave some drawings to the allied forces from German reinforcements around the Waal bridge. The hotel served as a rallying point for Allied soldiers and war correspondents. That same afternoon he left from hotel Sionshof to guide a reconnaissance vehicle of the Royal Engineers through Nijmegen city. On the Nieuwe Markt (New Market), near the railway bridge, the Humber scoutcar containing Lance-Sergeant WT Berry (30 years) and Guardsman A. Shaw (23 years) came under fire of the Germans and caught fire. Jan van Hoof was thrown of the car.

Wreckage of the reconnaissance vehicle

He survived the incident, but he was immediately arrested, tortured and put to death on the spot. The commemorative tile with the inscription "HIER VIEL JAN VAN HOOF REDDER DER WAALBRUG 19-9-1944" ("Here fell Jan van Hoof saviour of the Waalbrug 19/09/1944") that was applied in 1945 in the pavement of the long corner Hezelstraat Nieuwe Markt, can now be found on the Joris Ivens plein.

Posthumous awards.
Jan van Hoof is posthumously distinguished by the United States of America with the Medal of Freedom with Bronze Palm (november 1945) by the Netherlands with the Dutch Knights Cross 4th Class of the Militaire Willems-Orde (9 November 1946) and by Great Britain with the King's Commendation for Brave Conduct with Silver Laurel (November 1947).

Tomb
Initially, Van Hoof, Berry and Shaw were buried at the edge of the Kronenburgerpark. Only a few days later they were exhumed and identified. On August 4, 1945 Jan van Hoof was transported from the Rustoord Cemetery to the Daalseweg Cemetery where a monument still can be found. In 1971 he was reburied at the plot of the General Cemetery Vredehof in Nijmegen by the Road through Jonkerbos. On his tombstone stood until September 2009 as the date of death 22 September 1944. Lance-Sergeant WT Berry and Guardsman A. Shaw are about 500 meters buried away from Jan van Hoof at the Military Cemetery Jonkerbos War Cemetery by the Burgemeester Daleslaan.

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