The Putten Raid

On 1 October 1944, German troops surrounded the village of Putten in Gelderland. No one was allowed in or out. The reason for the raid was an attack by a resistance group on Wehrmacht officers. A German and one of the resistance fighters had died. After being warned by an officer who had managed to escape, the German commander-in-chief (Wehrmachtsbefehlshaber in den Niederlanden) Christiansen ordered this retaliatory action.

All inhabitants of Putten had to report at Kerkplein square, in the middle of the village. Only the sick, the elderly, and mothers with babies were allowed to stay at home. In the square, the Germans separated the men from the women. More than one hundred houses were set on fire and seven people were shot. In the evening, all women, as well as men under the age of 18 or over 50 were allowed to go home.

The remaining men were locked up in a school and an industrial building for the night. On 2 October, they were called outside. Those who were members of the NSB or collaborated with the Germans were free to go. The 659 remaining men were taken to Camp Amersfoort. A few dozen were released from there. The others were transported to the German camp Neuengamme. During the ride, thirteen men managed to escape by jumping from the train.

At Neuengamme and other camps, the men had to do heavy labour. Most of them died after a few months of exhaustion, malnutrition, and disease. Only 48 of them survived the ordeal.

From the autumn of 1944 onwards, the Nazis became ever more violent. They frequently responded to resistance acts by executing innocent civilians.