The fallen resistance people in Limburg

Antoon Timmermans
(Antonius Gerardus)

The almost 18-year-old farmer’s son Antoon Timmermans was living with his parents in Maasbree when he was arrested, presumably on July 1, 1941, according to the NIOD. [1]
His father wrote about this after the war: After first being shot in the shoulder, the dearly departed was dragged away from his house by the NSB. We never heard anything from him after that, except for the news of his death. [2]
Several sources, including his father, mention him as a member of the resistance. However, without details such as the reason for his arrest. During this phase of the occupation, the main aim was to help French-speaking prisoners of war who had escaped from Germany on their way to Belgium or France. Cammaert writes about this:
In 1941, the first prisoners of war who were looking for a way to Belgium on their own happened to arrive in Maasbree. [3]
From September 8, 1944, Toon was imprisoned in Sachsenhausen. [1]
He was later imprisoned in Buchenwald under prisoner number 29270. The date of his arrival there is missing. [4]
Acts of war are given as the cause of death. [5]
This is unlikely, as the liberators of the camp (US Army) were already in the vicinity but had not yet arrived. By order of the Gestapo in Weimar, 46 listed resistance fighters were to be shot on April 6, 1945. However, all but one of them went into hiding in the camp and thus survived to see their liberation. This was because there were active resistance groups in the camp who had even managed to procure weapons. [6]
It is therefore possible that the camp administration then simply had other resistance fighters shot indiscriminately instead of those who had gone into hiding.
On April 11, 1945, a few days after Toon’s death, the camp was liberated. [6]
A cross was erected in memory of Toon Timmermans in Maasbree near his parents’ house. Breetse Peelweg, 5993NC, Maasbree. [5]
Do you know more? Write us!
Antonius Gerardus ( Antoon ) Timmermans is listed in the Erelijst 1940-1945 (Honor Roll of the Dutch Parliament). [7]

Footnotes

1. oorlogsbronnen.nl/tijdlijn Antoon Timmermans
   NIOD Institute for War, Holocaust and Genocide Studies • English • Nederlands
2. Archief Oorlogsgravenstichting (@ Nationaal archief), Dossier Antoon Timmermans #2
3. Dr. F. Cammaert, Het Verborgen Front – Geschiedenis van de georganiseerde illegaliteit in de provincie Limburg tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Doctorale scriptie 1994, Groningen
   3. Hulpverlening aan uit Duitsland ontvluchte (Franstalige) krijgsgevangenen, III.3.1. Maasbree en Baarlo, p.173
4. totenbuch.buchenwald.de Antonius Gerardus Timmermans
5. 4en5mei.nl/oorlogsmonumenten Maasbree, monument voor Antoon Timmermans
6. KZ Buchenwald, Wikipedia • Nederlands • Deutsch • English • Français • Português
7. Erelijst 1940-1945
8. Oorlogsgravenstichting.nl