Wal, van der,Jan was born on 21-11-1912 in Enschede 
the son of Geert van der Wal and Gesina, born Gerritzen and has lived in Goirle since 1937. When the threat of war, by Adolf Hitler, 
for the Netherlands increased sharply in the autumn of 1939, he was called up as a first lieutenant in the reserve and assigned to the 3-I-26 Infantry Regiment. At the beginning of May 1940, Jan and his unit were stationed in Heumen to defend the Maas-Waal Canal. 
The Netherlands had a limited armed force in 1939/1940. With a population of 8.8 million in 1940, an army of only 280,000 men was put on the ground (approx. 6% of the male population). By comparison, Germany, with approximately 69.3 million inhabitants, put an army of over 4.3 million men on the ground in May 1940 (approx. 12.5% of the male population). Belgium, with approximately 8.2 million inhabitants, had an army of 610,000-630,000 men (approx. 16%) and France, with 42 million inhabitants, could put 3 million men on the ground (approx. 14%) with a contingent of almost 2 million men in reserve.Not only in absolute numbers, but also in relative terms, the Netherlands had a particularly small army.
On 10 May 1940, the German army invaded the Netherlands and immediately began fierce fighting along the canal. 
On May 10 at 03:55, the German attack on the Netherlands begins. Fall Gelb is the code name for the German attack plan to conquer the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg and France (up to Paris).In the early morning hours, civilians in the eastern Netherlands are the first to hear hundreds of planes flying over them. Many think that they are German planes flying towards England. Not long after, German ground troops follow, crossing the Dutch border. Now there is no longer any doubt, Germany is attacking the Netherlands. The heaviest fighting took place at the bascule bridge near Heumen. Disguised as Dutch military police with a group of German deserters, a German raiding party managed to capture the bridge. That same day, Jan, Lieutenant E. Gastman and a small platoon attempted to drive the Germans away along the canal. 
Death and burial ground of Wal, Jan van der.
In a boat, with a light and a heavy machine gun, they cross the canal and advance on the other side to the bridge keeper’s house. One shelter after another is taken, driving the Germans away with hand grenades and pistol fire. While the light machine gun is left at the house to provide covering fire, the lieutenants advance with two soldiers, dragging the heavy machine gun along. This is set up in a pit a little further on. As soon as the soldier wants to open fire with it, Jan is hit in the shoulder. Jan takes his place, but is immediately hit in the head and dies a few moments later. Gastman sees that the post is untenable and is forced to retreat with the remaining corporal.
The bombing of Rotterdam 
was carried out on 14 May 1940 between 13:27 and approximately 13:40 by German bombers as part of the German military invasion of the Netherlands. The fifteen-minute bombing destroyed almost the entire historic city centre of Rotterdam, partly due to the fires that started. 711 people were killed, and approximately 80,000 residents were left homeless.[ The bombing was a response by Nazi Germany to the Dutch military resistance, especially at the Afsluitdijk, the Grebbeberg, the Island of Dordrecht and around The Hague. The German attack on the Netherlands that had started on 10 May 1940 was therefore delayed. The Germans had planned a rapid advance through the Netherlands, Belgium and Luxembourg, in the campaign against France. The bombing led to the surrender of Rotterdam the same day, 
and, under the threat that other cities would also be bombed, starting with Utrecht, to the surrender of the Netherlands on 15 May 1940. General Henry Gerard Winkelman 
therefore agrees to the capitulation. From 15 May 1940, the Netherlands is officially occupied by Germany.
More than 2,300 men lost their lives during the May Days of 1940. They put their team and mission above their own interests. A number of them have been reburied in recent years at the Grebbeberg Field of Honour. A reburial usually takes place at the request of relatives and is done by the Recovery and Identification Service of the Royal Netherlands Army and by a pallbearing team from the regiment that continues the traditions of the unit in which the soldier was killed. This is done with military honours: as a tribute to the fallen and all soldiers who fought for our freedom in May 1940. 
Jan, om May the 10th was 27 years old and is buried in his birthplace Enschede. For his courageous attempt to drive the Germans away from the canal, he is posthumously awarded the Bronze Cross. 
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