Memorials for civilian and air war victims

Two Aircraft Crashes 

On 27 July 1942, the British Royal Air Force Lancaster R5748 was attacked by a German night fighter and crashed over Swartfean. Three of the seven crew members managed to escape by parachute but were arrested by German soldiers. The other four men were killed and buried in the cemetery near Nijtap. 

On 26 November 1943, three German Messerschmitts intercepted the US Air Force B-24 Liberator “Sack-Time Sally”. Due to engine problems on the return flight, the aircraft fell behind the formation and became easy prey for German attackers. Two German Messerschmitt fighters set the American bomber on fire. 

Four of the ten crew members managed to escape with their parachutes, after which an explosion split their aircraft in two. The six remaining crew members were killed and buried in the cemetery near Nijtap.  

Two of the surviving airmen fell into the hands of the German occupiers. The other two were able to go into hiding. When they tried to return to England in early 1944, they were arrested. 

Milk strike 

During the milk strike in the spring of 1943, two people were killed in Opeinde. On Saturday 1 May, strikers stopped several milk delivery drivers and a milk transporter to prevent them from taking the milk to the factory. When this action was repeated on Sunday, the military police were alerted. 

A day later, an armoured car from the Grüne Polizei was sent to Opeinde, where a dozen people, including three children, had gathered.  The group scattered, but ten-year-old Wim de Vries was hit by a bullet and died instantly. Several men were also wounded, including 33-year-old dairy farmer Pieter Riemersma. He later died of his injuries on 5 May. 

Raids 

During the night of 20 to 21 August 1944, a raid took place in Opeinde, during which 19-year-old Hendrik Vegelin was arrested. He was taken to Drachten, where he was interrogated and beaten to force names out of him. He ended up in Neuengamme via Camp Amersfoort, where he died of dysentery 25 October 1944. 

On Monday morning, 21 August, brothers Jelmer and Albert van der Heij were arrested in front of their house in Opeinde and taken to Drachten for interrogation. Albert ended up in Neuengamme, via Camp Amersfoort, where he died on 10 October. His brother Jelmer managed to escape by jumping from a window of the Excelsior building and hiding in Laverman's printing shop. He was not found, went into hiding, and later became leader of the KP (resistance group) in Opeinde. 

The raid on the resistance farm De Overwinning  

At the Legauke stood the resistance farm De Overwinning of the De Vries family. Here, hiding refugees and members of the KP took shelter. Most likely due to betrayal, a raid took place on November 21, 1944, by the German Grenzschutz.   

In the gunfight, Jan and Marten de Vries, sons of the owner, and hiding refugee Gerardus Wagenaar were killed. The others fled. In revenge, the Germans looted the farm, which was then set on fire.