(Doetinchem, 1924)

Member of the 3rd Company DNB

On 21 January 1950, Jacques receives the Mobilisation War Cross for his services

Jacobus Johannes Servatius (Jacques) Dicker was born on 4 October 1924 in Doetinchem, the son of Lambertus Dicker (29/06/1895 – 02/11/1956) and Mechtilda Hubertine Bours (15/10/1897 – 03/01/1993). At the outbreak of the war, Jacques was living with his family in Arnhem. The family consisted of his father, mother, a brother one year his senior, and a sister. A second sister was born in November 1940. Jacques attended MULO (secondary education) and passed his final exams in July 1942.

From 1 July 1943, Jacques was conscripted for the Arbeitseinsatz (forced labour) with the Franken family in Elten, Germany, where he worked until at least 19 July 1944 (source: German leave card ‘Kleiner Grenzverkehr zwischen den Auslande und Deutschland’). On weekends, he would cycle back and forth to his parents’ home in Arnhem.

However, Jacques then decided to go into hiding. He found a sanctuary with the Hulshof family at the ‘Lammas’ farm in Zieuwent, Reindersweg, District E No. 46 (see: ‘Zoeklicht op Zieuwent en Mariënvelde’, p. 24). On 5 May, according to an identity card from the Dutch National Battalion, his address was Lichtenvoorde E58.

Jacques was not an active member of the resistance, but he did collaborate with them. The people at his hiding place, particularly Jan Hulshof, were active in the resistance. His son Peter notes that his father never spoke extensively about his wartime experiences.

On Easter Saturday, 31 March 1945, around 09:30, Zieuwent was liberated by Canadian and Polish troops. Jacques immediately joined the Dutch National Battalion (DNB) along with others to help liberate the rest of the Netherlands. He was assigned to the 3rd Company. He was discharged on 25 June 1945 with an excellent testimonial. On 21 January 1950, Jacques received the Mobilisation War Cross (Mobilisatie Oorlogskruis) for his services.

After the war, Jacques picked up the threads of his life. He worked for the municipal police in Oss and subsequently entered the service of the municipality of Heteren. Later, he became director of the Social Affairs and Housing department in the municipality of Heemskerk. Following this, he served as the director of the St. Jozef Hospital in Heemskerk until his retirement. Jacques passed away on 18/05/2017.

Jacques married Edmunda Anna Margaretha Maria (Eddy) Lokin in Arnhem on 9 October 1951. Eddy Lokin was born on 30 December 1929 in Rotterdam (died 22/01/1998 in Amsterdam). She also endured a great deal during the war. After the bombing of Rotterdam, the Lokin family moved to Arnhem. There, they experienced the destruction of Arnhem-South and their home following the Allied paratrooper landings in September 1944. On 16 January 1945, the family was driving their car on the Betonweg in Apeldoorn, near Het Loo Palace. They were fired upon by Allied aircraft, and Father Lokin was killed. (One week earlier, Dr Johannes Der Weduwen from Aalten had lost his life on the same road). Afterwards, she, along with her mother, brother, and sister, was billeted with the Kok family in Mariënvelde (M54).

His older brother, A.J.M. Dicker, was also a member of the 3rd Company of the DNB.

Jacques Dicker