All the fallen resistance people in Limburg

Armand Guillaume Henri Maassen (Armand)

Maastrichtse Gevelstenen

The student Armand Maassen was a sailor in the Roal Dutch Navy until his demobilization by the Germans. [1]
In September 1941, he crossed by canoe to England, where he immediately entered military service. [2]
People who went from the Netherlands to England during World War II to go into military service there are called Engelandvaarders (literally translated as “England sailers”).
There he worked for Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema, later aide-de-camp to Queen Wilhelmina, [3] who became better known by his nickname “Soldier of Orange”, the title of his autobiography. [1]
Thereafter, Armand returned to the Netherlands several times with commando groups until he was finally captured on one such mission on the beach of Katwijk on March 12, 1942.
During his first stay in Wilhelmshafen, it turned out that he was Dutch (and not South African, as he had stated), whereupon he was brought back to Scheveningen. He eventually died at the age of 23 in camp Amersfoort as a result of the bad treatment. [2]
Armand obviously knew quite well why he wanted to be considered a South African prisoner of war and not an arrested Dutch “terrorist”.
After the war, Lou de Jong wrote in his book Het Koninkrijk der Nederlanden in de Tweede Wereldoorlog (The Kingdom of the Netherlands in World War II) that Armand Maassen revealed everything about the Hazelhoff group immediately after his capture. According to his fellow student P. de Lint, this was impossible [1], and in view of his posthumous award, others saw it that way as well, for he is a bearer of the Bronze Cross. [4]
By the way, Lou de Jong also wrote that the resistance in Limburg would not have been a big thing. Among others, this website proves the opposite.

Armand is buried in the municipal cemetery at the Tongerseweg in Maastricht, grave P4. [6][7]
The Armand Maassenstraat in Maastricht is named after him.
He is listed in the “Erelijst 1940-1945” (Honor Roll of the Dutch Parliament). [5]



Footnotes

1. Nationaal Archief Armand Maassen #7
2. Gedenkboek van het verzet der Delftsche studenten en docenten gedurende de jaren 1940-1945
3. Erik Hazelhoff Roelfzema, Wikipedia • Nederlands • Deutsch • English • Français • Italiano
4. Bronzen Kruis :
   1. defensie.nl A.G.H. Maassen
   2. Wikipedia • Nederlands • Deutsch • English • Français • Català
5. Erelijst 1940-1945
6. Oorlogsgravenstichting.nl
7. http://www.maastrichtsegevelstenen.nl/0.OORLOG/oorlog2c-verzet.htm