Martien Ant. van den Eijnden <i>(Watje, Tinuske)</i>
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Martien Ant. van den Eijnden is listed in the Resistance Memorial on the
left wall, row 24 #01

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Martien Ant. van den Eijnden (Watje, Tinuske)


 04-02-1917 Venray      05-09-1944 Horst-America (27)
- Horst - Raad van Verzet (RVV) - Limburg + - Zwarte Plak - Knokploegen (K.P.) -



Oorlogsgravenstichting

    Tinus was a butcher and lived in Zeilberg in the farm Crisishoeve (municipality of Deurne). He was a member of the "Pilotencentrum De Zwarte Plak" near America, on the Limburg side of the Peel [6]. There are two stories about the last day of Tinus and his friend Frits de Bruijn. For the first one there is only one witness report. However, it too may be true, since it probably took place earlier that day. The last sentence of this story reads, “And what happened next Henk does not know.”
    It was Mad Tuesday [1], which plays a big part in this first story. Almost everyone on both sides thought the war was probably over now. That explains much in this account by Henk Struik of a bicycle theft, the foolhardiness of Tinus and Frits, and the reaction of the Germans. On the same day, more people were badly mistreated in the neighborhood.

    The Stichting Oorlogsslachtoffers (Foundation War Victims) gives this story [2]. It begins at the Crisishoeve [7] in Deurne, where Tinus lived:
    “… From the Crisishoeve, meanwhile, Germans were seen taking away a child’s bicycle. Tinuske and Frits got so angry about this that they immediately jumped into the car and drove after the Germans. They took the bicycle away from the Germans again, and what happened next Henk does not know.”

    The second story is better known. WW2slachtoffers.nl [3] writes about Tinus:
    "Member of the resistance under the alias Watje. He belonged to the Knokploeg-Bakel and was involved in the housing and transport of downed Allied airmen from the base De Zwarte Plak. He also belonged to the LO-America. On the evening of Dolle Dinsdag (September 5, 1944), he and Fredericus Arnoldus Franciscus de Bruijn (October 4, 1920 Asten) were caught sabotaging the railroad between Griendtsveen and Zeilberg. Both men were killed by the Germans. According to their injuries, they were beaten to death."

    After search operations the next day, Tinuske and Frits were found. Dr. van Noord was called in, but he could only pronounce death. The funeral took place on Saturday evening. Martien in Zeilberg and Frits in Asten. [1]
    After the war, Tinus was posthumously awarded the US Medal of Freedom [4].
    A monument was erected at the site of the murder. [5]
    He is listed in the “Erelijst 1940-1945” (Honor Roll of the Dutch Parliament).  [9]

    Footnotes

    1. Dolle Dinsdag, Wikipedia • NederlandsDeutschEnglishFrançais
    2. Stichting Oorlogsslachtoffers: Martinus Antonius van den Eijnden
    3. https://www.wo2slachtoffers.nl/bio/52430/Eijnden-van-den-Martinus-Antonius.htm
    4. Medal of Freedom, Wikipedia • NederlandsDeutschEnglishFrançais
    5. America, verzetsmonument Griendtveenseweg, 5966 PT, America (Horst aan de Maas), Limburg, Nederland • tracesofwar.nl4en5mei.nlOpen Street Map
    6. Verzetskruis Zwarte Plak
    7. deurnewiki.nl Crisishoeve
    8. Waalre, Provinciaal Gedenkteken De Brabantse Soldaat
    9. www.erelijst.nl Martinus Antonius van den Eijnden
    10. Oorlogsgravenstichting.nl