About NOPinoorlogstijd.nl
The name: NOPinoorlogstijd.nl
This is, translated: NOPinwartime.nl
NOP stands for Noord Oost Polder, North East Polder
Air war
During the war no lights were allowed to be seen. Everything had to be darkened.
Places lik Urk, Stavoren and also the North East Polder were clearly to bee seen from the air. The allied flyers could navigate very well at it.
The German occupier had placed a lot of Anti-Aircraft around the Zuiderzee.
During World War 2 about 7.500 planes went down, and about 700 (!) in the Zuiderzee. Also in the North East planes make emergency landings or crashing down.
Allied planes are also making succesfull emergency landings, or allied soldiers are making a parachutjump out of the plane.
Some of them escape, some are caught by the Germans.
Name, Urkerland or Nort East Polder
The name ‘Urkerland’ is first mentioned in 1936. During the reclaimation a commision is set up for giving a name to the reclaimed land. Names as ‘Urkerwaard, Urkermeer of Urkerpolder’ are suggested.
ir. Smeding approves the name ‘Urkerland’ but is not verry happy with the name. At the end he replaces this for ‘Noordoostpolder’
Raids
During the war several raids on (young) man were carried out by the Germans.
At august 4th 1944 the first one is done near Vollenhove. Dirk Bolt is killed, shot, by the germans during this raid.
Most of the men are transported to the south of Holland for forced labor.
At august 7th 1944 another raid has been done. Some men are caught and taken for forced labor.
November 17th, the biggest raid takes place. 4000 german soldiers are moving in to the North East Polder and heading for Urk. Almost every man is caught and taken prisoner. They are all transported to Germany were they face hunger and death. Not everyone survives.
Resistance
The North East Polder gives the possibility to hide away for the Germans. Although everyone needs a permit for working in the Polder.
The main figures for setting up places to shelter, working with a permit, are Knipmeyer, Izaak van der Horst and Hilbert van Dijk.
Everyday the air war above the polder goes on. Allied soldiers who make it safe to the ground are picked up by the resistance. At July 7th 1944 an American bomber the ‘Paragon’ comes down. The Germans are searching for the soldiers but don’t find any. The resistance take care of the soldiers and make sure they stay out of the hands of the Germans.
Workcamps
The polder was reclaimed, in total, at 1942. After this the Directie Zuiderzeewerken, had to make surethe area was ready for farming.
The roads between the work camps was bad, therefore more than 30 workcamps were set up. This for housing of al the labor employees A workcamps consisted out of drie, lateron four barcks. Each barack could hold about one hundred man. After the war the baracks were used to lock up people from the NSB, the Dutch Fascist party.
Liberation
At April 15th, the Canadians liberate the places VOllenhove, Giethoorn and Zwarsluis. The liberation of the North East Polder comes close.
The day after, at april 16th 1945, the Canadians are driving towards Slijkenburg near Kuinre. The commander of the resistance Harmen Visser is driving on a motorcycle. The Germans see him coming and starting to shoot. He falls of his motorcycle and falls down, dead, on the ground.
The next day, april 17th Lemmer is liberated, and from thereon the Queens Own Rifles Regiment and La Chaudière regiment are driving further, to the North East Polder and liberate it.
About
NOPinoorlogstijd.nl is a initiative of Robert Hofman (1986).
Hofman was already doing volluntary research about the Second World War for Foundation Urk at Wartime (Urk in Oorlogstijd). He is doing research after several topics like, persons (tracing/research), doing research after resistance, and airwar but also interviewing people who experciened it.
At the end of 2015 Hans Hollestelle joined Robert in further developing the website, especially about the air war. Hans does research after the air war in relation to the North East Polder. He gives lectures about this topic and writes several stories, who can be read on this website.
Contact
NOPinoorlogstijd.nl
Mathilde Wibautsingel 59
8302 WR Emmeloord
Nederland
Email: info (at) nopinoorlogstijd.nl
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