Christianus Franciscus Johannes Boers (24 October 1889 – 3 May 1942) was a captain in the

Royal Netherlands Army The Royal Netherlands Army ( nl, Koninklijke Landmacht) is the land branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Though the Royal Netherlands Army was raised on 9 January 1814, its origins date back to 1572, when the was raised – making the Dutc ...

during

World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...

who scored one of the few

Allied An alliance is a relationship among people, groups, or states that have joined together for mutual benefit or to achieve some common purpose, whether or not explicit agreement has been worked out among them. Members of an alliance are called ...

victories during the

German invasion of the Netherlands The German invasion of the Netherlands ( nl, Duitse aanval op Nederland), otherwise known as the Battle of the Netherlands ( nl, Slag om Nederland), was a military campaign part of Case Yellow (german: Fall Gelb), the Nazi German invasion of t ...

, by rallying his men in holding off and pushing back the German attackers during the

Battle of the Afsluitdijk The Battle of the Afsluitdijk of 12–14 May 1940 was an unsuccessful attempt by German ''Wehrmacht'' forces to seize the Afsluitdijk during the invasion of the Netherlands. German invasion plans called for a simultaneous attack on Vesting Hol ...

, fought from 12 to 14 May 1940. After the capitulation of Dutch forces on 15 May, Boers joined the Dutch resistance and the , an illegal organization set up to preserve order once the Germans were defeated and had been driven from the country.War over Holland – May 1940: the Dutch struggle
/ref> The organization was led almost entirely by ex-army officers, but had been infiltrated by a German informant. Subsequently, Boers and other members were arrested over the spring and summer of 1941. After a mass trial, Boers was executed at

Sachsenhausen concentration camp Sachsenhausen () or Sachsenhausen-Oranienburg was a German Nazi concentration camp in Oranienburg, Germany, used from 1936 until April 1945, shortly before the defeat of Nazi Germany in May later that year. It mainly held political prisoners ...

in 1942.

Onthulling monument Kornwerderzand, Bestanddeelnr 901-7508

Boers is often described as a "professional officer" and a "natural leader" by modern Dutch historiography, being one of only a few successful Dutch military commanders during the German invasion. Boers was posthumously awarded the Bronze Cross on 9 May 1946, for his actions as commander of Fort Kornwerderzand. Close to the Fort, a monument was dedicated to Boers' memory. In June 2005, the Kornwerderzand viaduct was renamed the Captain Boers Viaduct, the sign being unveiled by Boers' son and grandson.

References

External links

Boers Monument

1889 births 1942 deaths Dutch military personnel killed in World War II Dutch people executed in Nazi concentration camps Dutch resistance members Military personnel who died in Nazi concentration camps Military personnel from The Hague People who died in Sachsenhausen concentration camp Recipients of the Bronze Cross (Netherlands) Royal Netherlands Army personnel of World War II Royal Netherlands Army officers {{Netherlands-mil-bio-stub