Samuel Swarts

Gevallen tijdens Market Garden Samuel "Bill" Swarts was born in Amsterdam. He was a son of Oene Sijke Swarts, a decorator and painter and Heintje Da Silva Curiel. He was married to Jansje Canes. In december 1942 they had a son, Robert Rene, who died within just two weeks. Samuel Swarts was a furniture maker. Because the Germans thought he and Jansje had to many Jewish ancestors they were arrested in Amsterdam and the Germans wanted to send them to concentrationcamp Westerbork in The Netherlands. They managed to escape through a toilet window and then calmly walked away. Samuel ended up in Oosterbeek where he went into hiding. On 5 september 1944 three large resistance groups were working together in the Nederlandse Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten (Dutch Home Guard). Swarts became a sergeant and section commander in the Nederlandse Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten. When the men of the 1st British Airborne Division landed near Oosterbeek on 17 september 1944 Samuel came out of his hiding place and supported the British. Using an old car (a Ford) Samuel Swarts and Wim Gerritsen helped them with transporting wounded men and supplies to dressing stations. Dutch commando Jakob Groenewoud, who was attached to the British Airborne Division, was their liaison with the British. On 20 september 1944 Swarts and Gerritsen were transporting water in milk cans to the Tafelberg Hotel. The car was just turning into Pietersbergseweg when it was hit by a mortar bomb. The car burst into flames and Samuel Swarts, who was behind the steering wheel, was killed instantly. Gerritsen was pulled out of the car by some British soldiers, among whom Graeme Warrack, the senior medical officer. Samuel Swarts was posthumously awarded the Verzetsherdenkingskruis (resistance remembrance cross). Jansje Canes survived the war. She lost her parents and sister in Sobibor and Auschwitz. Jansje died on 22 august 1994, age 76. Bron: [http://www.warcemeteries.nl/Swarts.html]

Overledene: Samuël Swarts Leeftijd: 27 Jaar Beroep: meubelmaker Relatie: Jansje Canes Relatiesoort: Echtgenote Vader: Oene Sijke Swarts Beroep: incasseerder Moeder: Heintje da Silva Curiël Beroep: zonder beroep Gebeurtenis: Overlijden Datum: woensdag 20 september 1944 Gebeurtenisplaats: Oosterbeek (Renkum)