Tragedy & Betrayal in the Dutch Resistance

In the final days of the Second World War, as German troops were withdrawing and fighting rearguard  actions across Europe, the Nazi security forces were still enthusiastically implementing their cruel regime on the civilians of the areas still under occupation. In Zwolle in The Netherlands, five men were executed by the Sicherheitsdienst on the 31st March 1945. 

Samuel de Korte was the family member of one of those men, and his book is a personal journey to find out more about the men, what they had done and the reasons behind their execution. The author has used a range of resources, including interviews, archival material, and contemporary newspapers to create an important insight into the impact of this callous, brutal moment. Sadly, executions were being carried out across Holland even at this late stage of the war, murdering men and women of the resistance literally days before their liberation from the Nazis. While their stories may be remembered in The Netherlands, this is a little known chapter of Second World War history. De Kortes book helps to ensure their sacrifices can be learnt about by a wider international audience.

Table of contents:

1. A Horrid Execution
2. The Five Men and Their Families
3. In the Huis van Bewaring
4. The Verdict and Westerbork
5. The Aftermath
6. Perpertrators and Collaborators
7. The Monument and Reflections
   Endnotes
   

Thanks to Pen & Sword for the copy of this book.

Available from:
Pen & Sword