(Eibergen, 1920 and 1921)

Members of 3rd Company DNB

Regional hub of a secret network

Jan Willem and Hendrik Groot Wassink actively resisted the German occupier from the very beginning of the war. Together with their friend Jan Nahuis, they formed the hub of a secret network in Beltrum, Eibergen, and Groenlo. Their resistance group assisted people-in-hiding, particularly Jewish individuals and downed Allied airmen. Under the cover of night, they transported them to safe hiding places. Thanks to their efforts, Australian pilot Bernard Sutton and escaped French prisoners of war were helped on their journey home.

In the autumn of 1944, the brothers and their resistance group joined the Dutch Interior Forces (Nederlandse Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten, NBS). They made an active contribution during the battles between Allied and German troops around Beltrum.

Following the liberation of the Achterhoek, Willem joined the Dutch National Battalion (DNB) and served in the third company. In July 1945, he signed up for the Netherlands Army and trained as a mine clearer.

Both brothers were decorated with the Bronze Cross (Bronzen Kruis) for their courage and personal conduct in the resistance. After his service, Willem returned home, took over the family business, and built a life with his wife and children. He passed away in 2015 at the age of 95. Hendrik, who started a family in Rekken after the war, passed away in 2014. Their heroic deeds remain an important part of the resistance history in the region.