Charles Marie Hubert Joseph Bongaerts (7 August 1909 - 23 November 1944) was a Dutch resistance hero during World War II. He worked as a police inspector and fire chief in Heerlen and had been a first lieutenant during his military service. His military connections led him to become a member of the KP-Heerlen resistance movement, as well as commander of the Ordedienst-Heerlen, an illegal organization active in sabotage. He eventually became the leader of the Bongaerts-group, maintaining close relations with other resistance movements in South Limburg.[1] In the capacity of this role, he was active in pilot aid, helping prisoners of war escape, often using firetrucks, as well as in plotting and committing various acts of sabotage, including the provision of explosives to militant resistance groups, which was enabled by his connections with the mining industry of the region.[2] According to historian Cammaert: "The Bongaerts-group engaged in a wide range of resistance activities. They did what had to be done."[3] On 6 November 1943 he was betrayed to the Nazis, presumably by an NSB-member,[4] and deported first to Kamp Vught and then to the Ladelund concentration camp,[5] a satellite camp of Neuengamme, where he died on 23 November 1944. The wave of arrests in November 1943 brought an end to the activities of the Bongaerts-group.[6] He was posthumously awarded the US Medal of Freedom on 18 January 1947 by US President Harry S. Truman, as well as the Dutch Resistance Memorial Cross and the King's Commendation for Bravery of the United Kingdom.[7][8]
Charles Marie Hubert Joseph Bongaerts | |
|---|---|
 Bongaerts as a young man. | |
| Born | 7 August 1909 |
| Died | 23 November 1944 (aged 35) |
| Burial place | Ladelund Concentration Camp, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany |
| Citizenship | Dutch |
| Occupation(s) | Police inspector, fireman |
| Era | World War II |
| Organization | KP-Heerlen |
| Known for | Resistance against Nazi Rule |
| Movement | Dutch Resistance Movement |
| Spouse | Tita Dahmen |
| Children | 2 |
| Family | Bongaerts |
| Honours | Medal of Freedom, Resistance Memorial Cross, King's Commendation for Bravery |
References
edit- ^ "Het Verborgen Front deel 1 | Sociaal Historisch Centrum voor Limburg". www.shclimburg.nl. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ "Het Verborgen Front deel 1 | Sociaal Historisch Centrum voor Limburg". www.shclimburg.nl. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ "Het Verborgen Front deel 1 | Sociaal Historisch Centrum voor Limburg". www.shclimburg.nl. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ Festival, Stichting World Wide Video (1998). 16th World Wide Video Festival. World Wide Video Festival. ISBN 978-90-75018-16-5.
- ^ Directory of Corporate Affiliations. National Register Publishing Company. 2003. ISBN 978-0-87217-458-0.
- ^ "Het Verborgen Front deel 1 | Sociaal Historisch Centrum voor Limburg". www.shclimburg.nl. Retrieved 2024-08-09.
- ^ "Bongaerts, Charles Marie Hubert Joseph - TracesOfWar.nl". www.tracesofwar.nl. Retrieved 2024-07-20.
- ^ Knickerbocker Weekly. Netherlands Publishing Corporation. 1945.
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