Jan van Hoof

Jan Jozef Lambert van Hoof (7 August 1922 – 19 September 1944) was a member of the Dutch resistance in World War II, who cooperated with Allied Forces during Operation Market Garden.

He is credited with disabling explosives placed by the Germans to destroy a vital bridge to delay allied liberation, and was later executed in action.

However, the Dutch Scouting organisations did not agree with the terms of the NJS and as a result went underground, with some joining the resistance.

After this, he went home and told his sister 'the bridge is saved'; he then returned to the American unit and resumed guiding them through the city.

On 19 September, van Hoof was riding on the top of a British Guards Armoured Division Humber scout car, guiding the vehicle from the central post office to Allied soldiers attacking the railway bridge, when a German 2-cm gun opened fire, setting the vehicle alight.