(Leiden, 1923)

Member of the 3rd Company DNB

From hiding into resistance

Jan de Vriend was born on 6 May 1923 in Leiden. His father was a professional soldier. At the outbreak of the war, the Vriend family failed, along with some others, to flee from Calais to England. In 1941, Jan went into hiding to escape the compulsory Arbeitseinsatz. After a period in Limburg, he found shelter on farm Woltas in Zieuwent, a stronghold of resistance. Here he became involved with the underground and the Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten (BS). In November 1944, he helped collect ammunition that had been dropped by English aircraft in the Aaltense Goor.

Service with the Dutch National Battalion

After the liberation, he immediately joined the Dutch National Battalion (DNB) and served in the 3rd Company under Commander Jan Tinge and Platoon Commander Henk Hulshof. Together with the 47th Regiment of the First Canadian Army, he travelled through the Netherlands. During this period, a close friendship grew with Henk Hulshof and Jos Zewald, which would last a lifetime.

After the capitulation on 5 May 1945, he signed up for six months additional service and was deployed in Dodewaard and Tiel. There he guarded hundreds of German prisoners of war and helped destroy war booty and German army goods.

After the war

After the war, Jan worked at construction company Arnhem Zuid. At the end of 1951, he married Joop Rutges. They had a daughter and four sons. Jan de Vriend died on 30 October 1992 in Den Bosch.