“Voor hem die hier viel 5 mei 1945.” These words are etched on a wooden cross. This cross marks the spot where Mijndert Vlug lost his life on Liberation Day.
Mijndert Vlug was born in Loosdrecht on January 2 1891. He was a victim of the war. He was 54 years old when he died.
The story of Mijndert Vlug is a tragic reminder of the chaos that can accompany even the most joyous occasions. On May 5 1945 Loosdrecht was celebrating its liberation. German soldiers seemed willing to disarm. Members of the Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten BS the Dutch resistance, disarmed them. They locked them in a barn.
Some German officers resisted but most surrendered easily. Unbeknownst to the BS a German soldier escaped to Hilversum. He returned with reinforcements. Three hundred German soldiers arrived to free their comrades. They opposed the disarmament. A firefight erupted.
Amidst this chaos Mijndert Vlug was caught in the crossfire. He was fatally struck. A 54-year-old man died on Liberation Day.
A monument now stands at the Horndijk in Oud-Loosdrecht. It is a wooden cross. It marks the place where Mijndert Vlug died. The cross bears the inscription “voor hem die hier viel 5 mei 1945” for him who fell here May 5 1945.
According to the Rijksinstituut voor Oorlogsdocumentatie RIOD Mijndert Vlug was accidentally killed. He was caught in a firefight between German units and the Dutch resistance. He was not involved in any resistance activities. This information is found in the book Loosdrecht in Bezettingstijd. It contains impressions from the years 1940-1945.
In April 2018 an information sign was placed near the monument. It explains the events of May 5 1945. The story of Mijndert Vlug is a poignant reminder of the human cost of war. It also underscores the importance of remembering individual stories. He was a man who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Mijndert Vlug became a symbol of the day that should have been a day of pure celebration.