Dutch War Graves Cemetery Laurentius

Laurentius Roman Catholic Cemetery contains three Dutch War Graves. They are both soldiers who fell in May 1940. It concerns Private L.A.A. Carpaij and Soldier W.A. the lion.

There is also the grave of Policeman Franciscus J.C. van Bilsen, died on 20-01-1944.
Frans van Bilsen was a member of the Resistance.
He was the founder of the illegal magazine De Stem, for God, Queen and Fatherland. In 1943 he brought two escaped agents from the Englandspeil, Ubbink and Dourlein, to safety so that they could return to England in one piece. Frans van Bilsen was distrusted by the resistance, which eventually resulted in an attack on him in Blerick. He did not survive this - wrongly executed - execution and died on 20 January 1944 in Venlo.

This cemetery also contains the grave of Major G.A. Van Nimwegen, KNIL and former resident of Colditz. Died in 1946, partly as a result of ill health after his imprisonment.

There is also a grave with five civilian casualties. They are five children from one family who were killed by the impact of a German V1 (flying bomb).

Text on the tombstone:
REST HERE
OUR DEAR CHILDREN
GEB. TE DEN HOUT AND
DIED IN DEN
EXTREME NIGHT
FROM 22 JAN. 1945 IN BREDA

JOKE - 5/22/1931
ANNIE - 8/9/1932
ADRIE - 7/14/1934
CORRIE - 9-1-1936
JOSKE - 13-6-1937

THAT THEY REST IN PEACE
IS THE WISH OF
THEIR PRECIOUS PARENTS

ADR. DE YOUNG
VD ELSHOUT

In January 2015, the tomb was restored and reconsecrated.
Photo 2 shows the old grave.

Laurentius Roman Catholic Cemetery contains two former Dutch war graves of resistance fighters, these are the former graves of Harry van der Sande and Joop Bakker. Harry and Joop were shot by the Germans on the Vloeiweide in Rijsbergen.

Read the story about the death of Harry van der Sande and Joop Bakker in the article of the Vloeiweide.

After the war, Harry and Joop were reburied at the cemetery in Loenen.

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Source

• Text: TracesOfWar
• Photos: Bob van Vree