Victim after the Liberation

Sannie de Haas was born in Rheden on 2 July 1924. In 1936, when Sannie was twelve years old, he moved with his parents to Lienden, directly across from the Grebbeberg, on the grounds of the brick factory Van Hesteren and Janssen. His father first worked there as a blacksmith and later as a stoker, while Sannie himself was a factory worker.

When World War II started for the Netherlands in 1940, heavy fighting took place at the Grebbeberg, directly opposite the De Haas family home. The De Haas family and the, then 13-year-old, Sannie likely witnessed much of the battle.

Immediately after the Dutch capitulation in 1940, a cemetery was established on the Grebbeberg for fallen soldiers: more than 400 Dutch and approximately 150 Germans soldiers. The first commemoration took place on 21 May 1940. The German Information Officer laid two wreaths in memory of both the German and Dutch victims. In June 1940, another commemoration was held on a larger scale, attended by high-ranking officials, including Höhere SS-Polizeiführer Rauter and Reich Commissioner Seyss-Inquart. On 19 November 1942, Joseph Goebbels, Reich Minister of Propaganda in Nazi Germany, visited the Grebbeberg during his trip to The Hague for a memorial service. He also laid a wreath in the German colours.

The cemetery captured the imagination and became a tourist attraction. Locals, but also people from all over the Netherlands came to visit the Grebbeberg, often traveling by train. Mourning families and tourists taking day trip alike visited the site.

During the war, many aircrafts flew over Lienden. Sometimes, the planes would drop their reserve fuel tanks to gain more speed on their return trip to England. The men of the De Haas family collected these tanks and cut them in half to make boats. Canadian soldiers later used these boats to travel from Lienden to Rhenen. Therefore, it was no surprise that Sannie de Haas joined the Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten (Dutch Domestic Forces) at a young age. He became part of the security forces and officially enlisted on 7 May 1945, two days after the liberation. Having lived in Lienden, he became part of the Lienden Command, region 8, district IX.

On the afternoon of 26 May 1945, less than a month after the liberation, Sannie lost his life in an accident with his Sten gun. A weapon known for its unreliability. It happened while he was guarding a group of NSB members in a primary school in Ingen. According to family members, his coat got caught in barbed wire. While trying to free himself, he accidentally shot himself. The report on the incident stated that his last words were: “Mother, mother, boys, boys, get the doctor, I am dying.” Although medical help was called immediately, he passed away shortly afterward.

Interview with Gert van Schaik
By: Teun, Amanda, and Thijs