Jan van Hoof

File:Katholieke Verkenners.svg

Before the war he was a Boy Scout with the Katholieke Verkenners (Catholic Scouts). During World War II Scouting was forbidden in most occupied countries. All the Scouting organizations were to be integrated into the Nationale Jeugdstorm (NJS), the Dutch version of the Hitler Youth. However, the Dutch Scouting organisations did not agree with the terms of the NJS and as a result went underground, with some joining the resistance.

Jan van Hoof joined the resistance. Shortly after the occupation of the Netherlands by the Nazis, he became a member of a Rover crew and in the spring of 1943 was secretly installed as full Rover Scout. During the occupation he made observations and drawings of key locations, especially the Waal Bridges. With the arrival of Allied troops during Operation Market Garden in September 1944 he used his local knowledge to guide the Allies during the Battle of Nijmegen.{{cite web |url=http://www.kelpin.nl/fred/artikelen/hoof.pdf |title=Archived copy |accessdate=2009-02-19 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071008213909/http://www.kelpin.nl/fred/artikelen/hoof.pdf |archivedate=8 October 2007 |df=dmy-all }}

It was said that he disarmed the explosives attached to the Waal Bridge during the fighting, though there were no witnesses. After this, he went home and told his sister 'the bridge is saved'; he then returned to the American unit and resumed guiding them through the city. Enquiries after the war could not positively identify Van Hoof as the individual who cut the wires to the bridge, however circumstantial evidence backs up the claim, and when the Germans eventually tried to blow the bridge, just before its capture, their attempts failed.

The Dutch resistance members wore distinguishing armbands so they could be recognised as soldiers. The Germans however saw this as a provocation and did not recognize them as combatants.

On 19 September, van Hoof was riding on the top of a British Guards Armoured Division Humber scout car, guiding the vehicle from the central post office to Allied soldiers attacking the railway bridge, when a German 2-cm gun opened fire, setting the vehicle alight. When the German troops arrived, the British crew were already dead, but van Hoof was still alive. They took his gun, identity papers and his armband which identified him as an official allied soldier. He was beaten and then shot through the head.

File:Jan van Hoof-Kruis van de Vereniging 'Nederlandse Padvinders'.jpg

Van Hoof was posthumously awarded:

• 1945: Medal of Freedom with bronze Palm (USA),
• 1946: Order of William Knight 4th Class (Netherlands),
• 1947: The King's Commendation for Brave Conduct with silver laurel (UK),

After the war the Honor Medal for bravery of the Nationale Padvindersraad, the Dutch Boy Scouts umbrella organisation before 1973, was renamed to Jan van Hoof-kruis in his remembrance.{{cite web|url=http://www.onderscheidingen.nl/nl/medailles/dapperheid/jvhk.html|title=Jan van Hoofkruis van de Nationale Padvindersraad|website=www.onderscheidingen.nl}}

File:Graf Jan van Hoof Daalseweg.JPG burial site on the Daalseweg, Nijmegen]]

File:Herdenkingssteen Jan van Hoof, Joris Ivensplein, Nijmegen.jpg

These monuments and graves are dedicated to Jan van Hoof.

• Nijmegen, {{ill|Jan van Hoofmonument|nl}}
• Nijmegen, 'honour grave' of Jan van Hoof[https://www.4en5mei.nl/oorlogsmonumenten/monumenten_zoeken/oorlogsmonument/2513/nijmegen%2C-eregraf-voor-jan-van-hoof Nijmegen, eregraf voor Jan van Hoof.] Website: Nationaal Comite 4an5mai (nl).
• Nijmegen, monument on the Waal Bridge[https://www.4en5mei.nl/oorlogsmonumenten/monumenten_zoeken/oorlogsmonument/1396/lent%2C-monument-bij-de-waalbrug Lent, monument bij de Waalbrug.] Website: Nationaal Comite 4an5mai (nl).
• Nijmegen, monument at the Joris Ivensplein[https://www.4en5mei.nl/oorlogsmonumenten/monumenten_zoeken/oorlogsmonument/1392/nijmegen%2C-monument-op-het-joris-ivensplein Nijmegen, monument op het Joris Ivensplein.] Website: Nationaal Comite 4an5mai (nl).
• Nijmegen, Dutch War Cemetery{{cite web |url=http://www.4en5mei.nl/oorlogsmonumenten/zoeken/monument-detail/_rp_main_elementId/1_10188 |title=Oorlogsmonumenten - Monument-detail |website=www.4en5mei.nl |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110717114920/http://www.4en5mei.nl/oorlogsmonumenten/zoeken/monument-detail/_rp_main_elementId/1_10188 |archive-date=2011-07-17}}

• 5th World Scout Jamboree
• Scouting memorials

{{Portal|Scouting}}

{{Reflist}}

• [http://www.pinetreeweb.com/left1.htm Left Handshake] by Hilary Saint George Saunders, about Scouting during World War II
• [https://web.archive.org/web/20071008213909/http://www.kelpin.nl/fred/artikelen/hoof.pdf Jan van Hoof] Article about Jan van Hoof, by Piet J. Kroonenberg (Dutch)
• [https://www.oorlogsdodennijmegen.nl/persoon/hoof/96c7a19e-76bf-4800-a059-6f7ff2992121 Biography of Jan van Hoof] Website: Oorlogsdodennijmegen.nl

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Hooft, Jan Van}}

Category:1922 births

Category:1944 deaths

Category:Dutch resistance members

Category:People from Nijmegen

Category:Resistance members killed by Nazi Germany

Category:Scouting and Guiding in the Netherlands

Category:Dutch people executed by Nazi Germany

Category:People executed by Nazi Germany by firearm

Category:Knights Fourth Class of the Military Order of William

Category:Recipients of the Medal of Freedom

Category:Recipients of the Queen's Commendation for Brave Conduct

Category:Dutch civilians killed in World War II