Boven, Evert Hendrik Jan “Nico”.

- Nationality.

Netherlands.

- Ranking.

A Dutch resistance fighter in World War II. He was the provincial leader of the National Organization for Assistance to People in Hiding (LO) in Gelderland and Overijssel.

- Born.

05-11-1919 in Zwolle, Netherlands

- Died.

Boven ended up in Camp Husum-Schwesing, a satellite camp of Neuengamme, where he died on 04-11-1944, age 24. His brother Chris survived the war.

- Buried.

Oosterbeek General Cemetery South, Oosterbeek, Renkum Municipality, Gelderland, Netherlands. Van Limburg Stirumweg 28, 6861 WL Oosterbeek.

resistance

Boven, Evert Hendrik Jan, “Nico” born 05-11-1919 in Zwolle, Netherlands .also known by the pseudonym Nico de Lange, was a Dutch resistance fighter in World War II. He was the provincial leader of the National Organization for Assistance to People in Hiding (LO) in Gelderland and Overijssel. The National Organisation for Assistance to People in Hiding (LO) and the National Resistance Groups (LKP) are the largest Dutch resistance organisations from 1942 onwards. The Christian LO helps many people in hiding during the war, as well as other resistance groups that help people in hiding. The LKP is the armed branch of the LO that carries out robberies to obtain coupons and identity cards for people in hiding. The LO/LKP also liquidates Germans and collaborators and commits sabotage.

Evert was the son of Jan Boven (1882–1965) and his wife Maria, born Zwarts, Boven (1889–1965) and had one sister and four brothers, Hendrik Boven (1912–1912), Hendrik Boven (1913–1959), Hendrik Jan Boven (1915–1966), Christiaan Frederik Boven (1922–1966) also a resistance man and Gerritje Boven (1925–1925).

At first, Boven functioned as an adjutant to Kees van Gelder, provincial leader of the LO in Gelderland and Overijssel. In October 1943, he moved to the Central Distribution Office of the LO, making Boven the provincial leader of Gelderland and Overijssel. Van Gelder and later the Boven brothers ensured that LO branches were established throughout the province of Gelderland and in Twente. They were responsible for the applications for ration cards, false papers, identity cards, financial cooperation and the major policy lines. In July 1944, the number of people in hiding in their area was estimated at eighteen to twenty thousand, all of whom had to be cared for. Boven wanted to keep things quiet in the area around his own hiding place. He therefore rejected the proposal of the LO branch in Renkum to raid the local distribution office.

On 11-05-1944, Boven was involved in the raid on the Koepelgevangenis in Arnhem, during which Frits Slomp was liberated. Slomp had been captured shortly before, but had not yet been recognised by his interrogators. As a result of the raid, the Sicherheitsdienst paid more attention to the resistance in Arnhem and the surrounding area. Via a person in hiding who was caught in Friesland, they came into their sights on Hemeldal. A raid followed, but the Boven brothers were absent. The owner Evert Hendrik Jan (Eef)

Zwarts had sought refuge with a neighbour, but was still caught as a result of betrayal. Zwarts was locked up in the House of Detention in Arnhem. It was suspected that the raid on the Koepelgevangenis had been organised from Hemeldal and Zwarts was therefore severely interrogated. It knew a lot, reason for the resistance to make an attempt to liberate it. On 11-06-1944, a raid took place on the House of Detention, during which 54 other prisoners were liberated in addition to Zwarts.

The Boven brothers first fled to Wolfheze and then Heelsum. In August 1944, they were in hiding together on a farm in Heelsum. Chris Boven was arrested on 09-08-1944 as a result of betrayal by Miep Oranje at the Courier Centre in Utrecht. Of all the ‘wrong women’ who played a treacherous role during the occupation, Miep Oranje was the ultimate wrong. Former members of the resistance call her ‘a mass murderer’, a ‘courier of death’. She is said to have killed hundreds of people. And all because she was in love with a German officer of the Sicherheitsdienst. After the liberation, she escaped to Africa with the help of a British intelligence officer, who was in love with her. At least, that is the prevailing story about Miep Oranje.

Because of the two prison raids, the Sicherheitsdienst in Arnhem was keen to capture Kees van Gelder and Evert Boven, whose names they knew. Chris Boven was heavily interrogated and after a week he named the farm where his brother was in hiding, assuming that he had left in the meantime. That was not the case. There was a good hiding place on the farm, where Boven hid together with a person in hiding. The Germans did not find him at first, but his bicycle was found outside. Two guards were therefore left behind. The agreement was that Boven would only come out of hiding when the farmer’s wife had indicated that it was safe. However, the person in hiding could not wait any longer the next morning, left the hiding place and was arrested. As a result, Boven also fell into the hands of the Germans.

Boven had the false identity cards of the founder of the LO Helena Theodora, Kuipers-Rietberg, resistance name Aunt Riek., and her husband Piet, in her pocket. This led the SD to the couple. Two days later, Piet and Helena Kuipers-Rietberg were arrested in the neighbouring village of Bennekom.

Death and burial ground of Boven, Evert Hendrik Jan “Nico”.

The Sicherheitsdienst apparently let Boven walk freely on the streets of Arnhem, with a stick in his trouser leg, which made it impossible to run away quickly. One person showed signs of recognition and was arrested, but managed to talk his way out of it during interrogation. Via Camp Vught, Boven ended up in Camp Husum-Schwesing, a satellite camp of Neuengamme, where he died on 04-11-1944, age 24. His brother Chris survived the war. Nico Boven is buried at Oosterbeek General Cemetery South, Oosterbeek, Renkum Municipality, Gelderland, Netherlands Van Limburg Stirumweg 28, 6861 WL Oosterbeek.