(Eibergen, 1911)

Member of the 3rd Company DNB

Distinctive and courageous. A dutiful corporal in the mine clearance service

Anton Gerrit Iliohan was born in Eibergen on 17 September 1911, the eldest child of Gerrit Hendrik Iliohan and Jaantje Iliohan-Brouwer. His parents were both born in the city centre of Zutphen. Anton grew up with two sisters and two brothers. Throughout his life, Anton held various occupations, including boarding house keeper, military instructor, buffet manager, and pub owner. In 1934, Anton married Cornelia Kraaijeveld in Rotterdam. Their son Tonny was born in Eibergen in March 1940, just before the start of the war. Anton was mobilised as a soldier at the time; he likely received leave to return home briefly.

During the Second World War, Anton was part of a resistance group in Eibergen. He was someone who made contact easily and learned a great deal from others. For instance, together with Joop Brens, he treated a commander of the ‘Feldgendarmerie’ to home-distilled gin, causing him to become talkative and reveal the names of Eibergen residents targeted by the Land Guard. Anton Iliohan successfully and safely sheltered people in hiding, such as pilots Bob Guthrie, Bill Rupert, and Jimmy James. He brought Jimmy to Weenink in Haarlo, likely on his motorcycle. It was precisely this motorcycle that made Anton a fast courier for the resistance.

A certain degree of recklessness was not foreign to him. It is said that he once transported a person in hiding on the back of his motorcycle to the intended address. “Act as if it is the most normal thing in the world, then it will be noticed the least,” was his view. Anton was resourceful. For example, he arranged for an Allied pilot in a German officer’s uniform to walk across the Berkel Bridge with his Eibergen ‘girlfriend’ on his arm. The German soldiers on guard let them pass and watched the couple with envy.

In the final year of the war, Anton, together with five men from the Eibergen Home Forces (under the leadership of Dries de Visser), carried out several raids for German ammunition and weapons. A raid in Haarlo failed. Bullets flew around them, but they escaped. On April 1, 1945, Eibergen was decorated with the red-white-blue flag and orange pennants. Hundreds of people in hiding emerged from every nook and cranny that day. English tanks drove into the village, led by motorcycle orderly Anton Iliohan. He indicated the route to the bridge at the water mill.

After the liberation of Eibergen, Anton Iliohan joined the Dutch National Battalion, the third company, just like his resistance comrades. On July 12, 1945, he signed up for service with the Dutch Army in 3-II 8.R.I., tasked with mine clearance in Limburg. Commander Jan Tinge noted in his January 1948 testimonial that as a corporal in meter transport, Anton Iliohan was one of the few who made themselves fully available to carry out dangerous assignments. He was dutiful, possessed great expertise, and had excellent leadership qualities. After the war, Iliohan received written recognition from the British Allied Forces and President Eisenhower.

From 1953 to 1977, Anton Iliohan lived in Amsterdam. His wife passed away in April 1975. Anton married Johanna (Jo) Oosterkamp later that year. He passed away on 15 March 1979 during a holiday with Jo in Palma de Mallorca, Spain.

Anton Iliohan en zijn vrouw Cornelia