(De Bilt, 1916)

Member of the 3rd Company DNB

Modest, with a great sense of justice

Jan Gerrit (Jan) Hoedeman, son of Willem Hoedeman and Dirkje van Randwijk, grew up with two brothers and four sisters. His father worked as a gardener on an estate in Zeist. Jan began his military career on 5 October 1936 with the 16th Infantry Regiment. On 30 November 1936, he began his non-commissioned officer training, being appointed corporal on 20 March 1937. On 20 June 1937, he was appointed acting sergeant (sergeant titulair), and on 3 October 1937, he went on indefinite leave (groot verlof) with the rank of sergeant.

In 1938, his father passed away. It is certain that Jan assisted with the financial support of his mother. He likely worked as a gardener in the period leading up to the mobilisation (gardening later became a major hobby of his). During the mobilisation, he was deployed for border security in Eibergen and billeted with the Veldkamp family on Borculoseweg.

Jan met Tine Heinen, who worked the till at her father Hendrik Heinen’s printing shop, stationers, and photography business in Eibergen. They began a relationship and would marry after the war. On a warm Sunday afternoon, Jan went swimming in the Berkel with friends, a river known for its strong current. He took a cool dive but landed awkwardly and fractured a cervical vertebra. He was later transferred to a military hospital in Zutphen, where he remained until 31 December 1939. It was not until March 1940 that he returned to his unit, which had meanwhile moved to Ruurlo.

During the German invasion on 10 May 1940, Jan was wounded near Voorst and ended up back in hospital. This allowed him to escape the deportation of Dutch prisoners of war to Germany. Following his recovery, he joined the Marechaussee and worked in Beltrum. He was later transferred to Apeldoorn. When military personnel were ordered to report by the occupier on 29 April 1943, he refused to comply and went into hiding. His exact whereabouts are unknown, though it is known that during his time in hiding, he often wore a woman’s raincoat and a headscarf so as not to be recognised.

Jan Hoedeman has been involved in resistance work as a member of the sabotage group of the National combat group since May 1944. His former leader in the Marechaussee characterizes him as a meritorious underground worker, courageous and decisive, and unafraid of dangerous assignments. Together with others, Jan is responsible for, among other things, transporting Allied weapons from weapon drops to their destinations. From November 1, 1944, he is a member of the Home Forces, combat unit in Eibergen.

Immediately after the liberation, he joins the Dutch National Battalion (third company) and serves until mid-July 1945. Thereafter, he serves with the Royal Netherlands Army 3. II. 8 R.I. until the end of 1945, at which point he enters the service of the Almelo police force. He works as a detective, and when they intend to transfer him to Zwolle against his wishes, he applies for the position of head of postal investigation with the Arnhem police and is hired. He remains here until his retirement. He possesses a fluent writing style, and columns written by him appear regularly in the police journal. He receives promotions from sergeant and sergeant major to warrant officer (the rank with which he leaves the service in 1976).

Jan married Tine Heinen on 31 January 1947. The Heinen family was part of the resistance in Eibergen; illegal newspapers were produced in their printing shop, including several editions of Trouw. Tine’s brother Henk was caught during the ‘betrayal of Eibergen’ and executed by the Nazis on 6 June 1944.

Jan was awarded the War Remembrance Cross (Oorlogsherinneringskruis) with clasp (granted 28 February 1950).

Jan Gerrit Hoedeman passed away in Arnhem on 21 September 2007.

Jan Gerrit Hoedeman