Millingen in oorlogstijd

Gerard Mooyman was born on 23 September 1923 in Apeldoorn. When the economic crisis began, his father became a member of the NSB (National Socialist Movement). In April 1941, Gerard Mooyman enlisted in the SS-Freiwilligen-Standarte Nordwest. In 1942, he was sent to the Eastern Front for the first time, in Volchov. As commander of an anti-tank gun, he earned the Iron Cross 2nd and 1st Class (German military decoration) for destroying several Soviet tanks.

During the battle for Lake Ladoga in February 1943, Mooyman destroyed 13 enemy tanks in one day, and on 20 February 1943, he was awarded the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. He was thereby the first Dutchman and the first non-German to receive the Knight’s Cross of the Iron Cross. In total, he managed to destroy 23 tanks.

Gerard Mooyman was taken prisoner by the Americans on 4 May 1945. A few days later, he managed to escape and went into hiding in Germany. In March 1946, he was arrested in the Netherlands. During a transport from Scheveningen to Delft, Gerard Mooyman escaped again. He then fled back to Germany. There, he worked in the mines. The food left much to be desired, so he returned to the Netherlands. Gerard Mooyman was eventually arrested at the Dutch-German border at Millingen aan de Rijn on 28 August 1947. In October 1947, he appeared before the court, which sentenced him to six years in prison. At the end of August 1949, he was released early. After his release, Gerard Mooyman led an inconspicuous life in the city of Groningen. He married and had a daughter. He died in 1987 in a traffic accident near Anloo.

Sources: Delpher, Private archive Siem van der Kolk.