Jan Jozef Lambert van Hoof (7 August 1922 – 19 September 1944) was a member of the

Dutch resistance The Dutch resistance () to the History of the Netherlands (1939–1945), German occupation of the Netherlands during World War II can be mainly characterized as non-violent. The primary organizers were the Communist Party of the Netherlands, C ...

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, who cooperated with Allied Forces during Operation Market Garden. He is credited with disabling explosives placed by the Germans to destroy a vital bridge to delay allied liberation, and was later executed in action. Before and during the war, Van Hoof was a

Rover Scout Rovers or Rovering is a programme associated with some Scout organizations for adults, originated by The Boy Scouts Association in the United Kingdom in 1918 to provide a programme for young men who had grown up beyond the age range of the Boy ...

, and the Scouting medal the Nationale Padvindersraad was named in his honour.

Story of Jan van Hoof

Before the war he was a

Boy Scout A Scout, Boy Scout, Girl Scout or, in some countries, a Pathfinder is a participant in the Scout Movement, usually aged 10–18 years, who engage in learning scoutcraft and outdoor and other special interest activities. Some Scout organizatio ...

with the Katholieke Verkenners (Catholic Scouts). During

Scouting Scouting or the Scout Movement is a youth social movement, movement which became popularly established in the first decade of the twentieth century. It follows the Scout method of informal education with an emphasis on practical outdoor activi ...

was forbidden in most occupied countries. All the Scouting organizations were to be integrated into the

Nationale Jeugdstorm The ''Nationale Jeugdstorm'' (English language, English: National Youth Storm; NJS) was a Dutch youth movement associated with the National Socialist Movement in the Netherlands (NSB) that existed from 1934 to 1945, organized as the Dutch equiva ...

(NJS), the Dutch version of the

Hitler Youth The Hitler Youth ( , often abbreviated as HJ, ) was the youth wing of the German Nazi Party. Its origins date back to 1922 and it received the name ("Hitler Youth, League of German Worker Youth") in July 1926. From 1936 until 1945, it was th ...

. However, the Dutch Scouting organisations did not agree with the terms of the NJS and as a result went underground, with some joining the resistance. Jan van Hoof joined the resistance. Shortly after the occupation of the Netherlands by the

Nazis Nazism (), formally named National Socialism (NS; , ), is the far-right politics, far-right Totalitarianism, totalitarian socio-political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Germany. During H ...

, he became a member of a Rover crew and in the spring of 1943 was secretly installed as full Rover Scout. During the occupation he made observations and drawings of key locations, especially the Waal Bridges. With the arrival of Allied troops during Operation Market Garden in September 1944 he used his local knowledge to guide the Allies during the

Battle of Nijmegen The Battle of Nijmegen, also known as the Liberation of Nijmegen, occurred from 17 to 20 September 1944, as part of Operation Market Garden during World War II. The Allies of World War II, Allies' primary goal was to capture the two bridges ove ...

. It was said that he disarmed the explosives attached to the Waal Bridge during the fighting, though there were no witnesses. After this, he went home and told his sister 'the bridge is saved'; he then returned to the American unit and resumed guiding them through the city. Enquiries after the war could not positively identify Van Hoof as the individual who cut the wires to the bridge, however circumstantial evidence backs up the claim, and when the Germans eventually tried to blow the bridge, just before its capture, their attempts failed. The Dutch resistance members wore distinguishing armbands so they could be recognised as soldiers. The Germans however saw this as a provocation and did not recognize them as combatants. On 19 September, van Hoof was riding on the top of a British

Guards Armoured Division The Guards Armoured Division was an armoured division of the British Army during the Second World War. The division was created in the United Kingdom on 17 June 1941 during the Second World War from elements of the Guards units, the Grenadie ...

Humber scout car, guiding the vehicle from the central post office to Allied soldiers attacking the railway bridge, when a German 2-cm gun opened fire, setting the vehicle alight. When the German troops arrived, the British crew were already dead, but van Hoof was still alive. They took his gun, identity papers and his

armband An armband is a piece of material worn around the arm. They may be worn for pure ornamentation, or to mark the wearer as belonging to group, or as insignia having a certain rank, status, office or role, or being in a particular state or conditi ...

which identified him as an official allied soldier. He was beaten and then shot through the head.

Decorations

Van Hoof was posthumously awarded: * 1945: Medal of Freedom with bronze Palm (USA), * 1946:

Order of William The Military William Order, or often named Military Order of William ( Dutch: , abbreviation: MWO), is the oldest and highest honour of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. It is named after St. William of Gellone (755–814), the first Prince of Ora ...

Knight 4th Class (Netherlands), * 1947: The King's Commendation for Brave Conduct with silver laurel (UK), After the war the Honor Medal for bravery of the Nationale Padvindersraad, the Dutch Boy Scouts umbrella organisation before 1973, was renamed to ''Jan van Hoof-kruis'' in his remembrance.

Monuments dedicated to Jan van Hoof

These monuments and graves are dedicated to Jan van Hoof. * Nijmegen, * Nijmegen, 'honour grave' of Jan van Hoof * Nijmegen, monument on the Waal Bridge * Nijmegen, monument at the Joris Ivensplein * Nijmegen, Dutch War Cemetery

References

External links

Left Handshake
by Hilary Saint George Saunders, about Scouting during World War II
Jan van Hoof
Article about Jan van Hoof, by Piet J. Kroonenberg (Dutch)
Biography of Jan van Hoof
Website: Oorlogsdodennijmegen.nl {{DEFAULTSORT:Hooft, Jan Van 1922 births 1944 deaths Dutch resistance members People from Nijmegen Resistance members killed by Nazi Germany Scouting and Guiding in the Netherlands Dutch people executed by Nazi Germany People executed by Nazi Germany by firearm Knights Fourth Class of the Military Order of William Recipients of the Medal of Freedom Recipients of the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct Dutch civilians killed in World War II

Story of Jan van Hoof

Decorations

Monuments dedicated to Jan van Hoof

See also

References

External links