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18th
September 2004
Jannetje Johanna Schaft
(better known as Jo) was born on the 16th of September
1920 in Haarlem, the Netherlands. As
a young girl, Jo was often teased because of her red hair and freckles.
Her father was a member of the Social Democratic Workers Party and the
rise of Hitler along with Mussert and his NSB (an organised group of traitors
that were pro-Nazi) in the Netherlands were causes of concern for the Schaft
family. The ideals of equal status and social justice, which the young Jo
learned at home, can be read in some of her school essays and probably
influenced her choice of career. She
studied Law at the University of Amsterdam specialised in civil rights.
When the Germans invaded Poland on 1st of September 1939 Jo sent parcels to
imprisoned Polish officers through the international Red Cross.
Following the German invasion of the Netherlands on the 10th
May 1940, Jo protested against the discrimination of the Jewish population.
She stole personal ID's from public places e.g. cloakrooms in theatres
and public swimming pools. These in conjunction with the resistance
organisations she re distributed among Jews including her friends Sonja and
Philine. These false identity
papers were often the difference between life and death. In addition she helped find 'safe houses' for Jewish people,
who were at risk of being imprisoned.
In 1943 the German occupiers announced that all students must work for a time in Germany
after graduating and signed a declaration of loyalty to the Third Reich of
Germany. Jo refused to sign,
stopped her studies and moved back to her parents in Haarlem.
In Haarlem Jo joined the local resistance group 'de Raad van het Verzet' (RVV)
working under the name Hannie Schaft. She distributed illegal newspapers
informing people of Geman lies, carried Jewish children to safe houses and
gathered information about German military activity in the Netherlands. In the
RVV she met Truus and Freddie Oversteegen whom she would work closely with for
the rest of her life. Women working
for the resistance were not uncommon, but the more dangerous activities such as
sabotage and the assassination were the domain of men with few exceptions.
Hannie, Truus and Freddie were the exceptions. In November 1943 Hannie, Jan Bonekamp and Jan Brasser tried to eliminate
an electricity generating station in Velzen Noord.
They were also involved in the assassinations of traitors and members of
the German forces. Witnesses to one of these assassinations told the German
authorities that a girl with red hair was involved.
Hannie Schaft was then added to the most wanted list as 'the girl with
red hair'. Hannie was forced to go
into hiding, dyed her hair black and wear glasses with plain glass to avoid
capture.
On the 21st June 1944 Hannie, Jan Bonekamp (with whom she had fallen in love)
went to kill Ragut, a notorious police chief. Hannie escaped but Jan was wounded and died later in Wilhelmina hospital.
It was thought that he was tricked into revealing Hannie's name and
address to a German nurse. Jan's
death was a huge blow to Hannie and she suffered a nervous breakdown. The day
after his death the SD arrested Hannie's parents and transported them to a
concentration camp in Vught. They were kept for nine months in the hope that
Hannie would give herself up. Here
friends were able to convince here not to do so.
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Slowly but surely Hannie started back working in the resistance movement.
She now worked under the name of Johanna Elderkamp and her identity
papers said she was born in Zurich, Switzerland.
She was shot in the leg during an assassination attempt on Fake Krist (a
notorious Gestapo) and was also involved in the bombing of the railway between
Haarlem and IJmuiden to prevent transport of heavy equipment.
On 3rd September 1944 many Dutch had a brief taste of
liberation. The Allied forces were
as far as Breda. News of their
approach quickly reached major towns and they stood waiting in vain for the
British and Canadians. The pro-nazi
Dutch (NSB) fled east. This day
became known as 'Dolle Dinsdag' or 'Crazy Tuesday'.
Unfortunately instead of the Allies the Germans came back.
People who joined the resistance after this became known as ' September
flies'. On the 5th of
September it was announced that Prince Bernhard that all underground groups had
to unite and work under a commander appointed by the government in exile. Not
all appointed heads were trustworthy. Hannie
was often 'hired out' when there were weapons dropping or weapons to transport
to other groups. During this time Hannie and her friends were involved in
delivering parcels for VV (Velzen Verzet) but stopped when they discovered they
were only transporting tobacco and other unimportant materials. They were
risking their lives for the trading profits of others. After the war it was
discovered that the VV had a dual role in the resistance - one genuine, the
other purely for profit. Hannie's
integrity showed in her work. She
refused to kidnap the children of Reichs commander Seyss Inquart saying
'We are no Hitlerites, Resistance fighters do not murder children'. (Not
then, Not now, Not ever. Truus Menger-Oversteegen)
The
winter of 1944-45 is known as the 'hungry winter'.
There was hardly any food left in Holland and no electricity or coal but
people sensed the end of the war. Throughout
Europe the German army was retreating. The
south of the Netherlands had already been liberated.
On the 21st of March 1945 Hannie Schaft was to delivery bundle
of 'De Waarheid' (an illegal paper) to IJmuiden.
On route she was stopped and searched by German soldiers.
They found illegal papers and her pistol (a 9mm FN28730). Hannie
was taken to the German headquarters in the Haarlemmerhout where she was
interrogated. One officer
recognised her as the girl with the red hair.
Her hair was washed over and over again until her natural distinctive red
colour was restored. Hannie
was interrogated day and night and it is believed that she was tortured as other
prisoners heard her scream. She
stayed strong only admitting to the liquidation of
Ko Langendijk, which consequently saved the lives of 5 women that now
would not be assassinated.
Three weeks before the liberation of the Netherlands Hannie was taken to the dunes
near Overveen, was shot and buried in a shallow grave.
After
the war November 27th 1945, Hannie Schaft was reburied among 421 male
colleagues of the Resistance in the presence of Queen Wilhelmina of Holland.
They, like Hannie, had paid with their lives for the freedom of others. Hannie received posthumous decorations from Queen Wilhelmina and General
Eisenhower, chief commander of the Allied Forces.
Hannie's legacy still endures today and the Dutch nation has not forgotten her sacrifice
- every year on the 27th November a number of people march to the
spot in the dunes near Overveen where a small flat stone marks the grave of the
heroic 'girl with the red hair'.
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