Piksen, Gerrit Jan, born 24-07-1917 in Rijssen, Overrijsel, 
the son of Gerrit Hendrik Piksen 
and Johanna van Heun (1883-1955). They married on 14-09-1907 in Hellendoorn (Overijssel), she was 24 years old at the time. After the German invasion of WW2, their son Gerrit became a resistance man.
In connection with enemy action Gerrit distinguished himself by courageous and tactful conduct and thereby served the interests of the Kingdom as a member of a resistance group in Nijverdal 
and the surrounding area during the occupation years 1940-1945, where he distinguished himself by providing assistance to downed members of Allied aircrew, by receiving and distributing so-called “dropped” weapons, etc. During a raid on a farm where an American member of an aircrew, Flying Officer Gerald Hood
was hidden, he managed to keep the robbers busy long enough for the latter to escape. He himself lost his life in the firefight.” Flying Officer 178869 Royal Air Force Volunteer Reserve, age unknown. On 12-08-1944, the aircraft of the British pilot Gerald Hood was shot down over Nijverdalby the Germans. Hood was helped by the aforementioned Gerrit Jan Piksen, he took him to the van der Wal family who provided shelter for the pilot. On the evening of 13-03-1945, Gerald Hood and the member of the Dutch resistance Bote van der Wal
were captured by the Grüne Polizei.
They were betrayed by a neighbor, who told the Germans that they had a British pilot in there house. Van der Wal and Hood were brought to the prison of Almelo and interrogated by Hauptsturmführer Sandrock. On 21 March van der Wal and Hood were killed by a shot in the neck on the Vloedbelt near Zenderen. The two were taken by bicycle to the House of Detention in Almelo and interrogated there by Hauptsturmführer Sandrock. 
The results of that interrogation were clear to Hardegen. 
SD staff (Almelo Division) 1944. SS Untersturmfurher Paul Hardegan is seated front row, second from right. Until recently, the local commander of the SD had been Hauptsturmfurher Dr Oskar Konrad Gerbig, 
he was known as being relatively humane in comparison to his successor, but under his supervision many atrocities were carried out regardless. After the war, Gerbig was tried and sentenced to twenty years in prison but released in 1957. On the evening of 21 March, he ordered Sandrock to execute Hood. He had to carry out the sentence with two subordinates, whom he had to appoint himself. In the company of Feldwebel Franz Hegemann and driver Gefreiter Ludwig Schweinberger, (who had volunteered to carry out the execution) was carrying a 9mm pistol issued to him by Hardegan., Gerald Hood, who had in the meantime been transferred to the Dienststelle in Almelo, was driven to Zenderen in a waiting DKW car. When they arrived at the Vloedbelt, the SD officers let Hood get out and walk ahead of them. Sandrock and Schweinberger walked along, Hegeman stayed with the car. After about twenty metres, near a bomb crater, Schweinberger shot Hood with a well-aimed shot to the neck, killing him instantly. They removed his watch then unceremoniously dragged his body further into the woods where it was stripped The remains were buried near an unexploded bomb, to make discovery more difficult. However, not before they had stripped him of his blood-stained jacket, vest and trousers and Schweinberger had taken care of his wristwatch. After reporting to Hardegen, the clothing was burned in the Dienststelle.
Both men were buried near the Vloedbelt, Gerald Hood was later reburied at the general cemetery in Almelo and Bote van der Wal was reburied in the collective grave at this cemetery.
Death and burial ground of Gerrit Jan Piksen.
During a large raid in Salland on 14-10-1944, 27-year-old Gerrit Jan Piksen was killed. That morning, Gerrit Jan had helped two allied pilots and a Russian prisoner of war go into hiding. Gerrit Jan was arrested and interrogated by the Germans shortly afterwards. After being severely beaten, Gerrit Jan was liquidated in the Bathemerweg near Haarle. 
Three days later, Gerrit was buried in the collective grave at the local cemetery of Hellendoorn. Ninaberlaan 34, Hellendoorn, Grave number:2124749.
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