Back

Cornelis Carel Braggaar 1913 - 1944 Edit

Born 23.9.1913 in Amsterdam
Died 6.9.1944 in Mauthausen

Biography

After graduating from nautical college, Kees Braggaar joined the Nederlandsche Stoomboot Maatschappij (Dutch Steam Shipping Line) as third helmsman. He went on some voyages to India. However, when in 1935 he got engaged to Ada van Hemert, he decided to look for work on land. After first working for a period as a radio operator for Radio Scheveningen, he found a job with the Bataafsche Import Maatschappij (Batavian Import Company) in Vlaardingen. Alongside his work he taught in the evenings at the school for inland shipping in Rotterdam.

In 1939 he was called up and assigned to the navy. The ship on which he serviced was able to escape to England in 1940. There Kees Braggaar was trained for intelligence work. On 16 February 1943, together with Klaas van de Bor and Kees van Hulsteijn, he was dropped into the Netherlands as part of the SOE/Plan Holland.[1] They were immediately captured upon landing.

Ada van Hemert received a letter smuggled out of the prison in Haaren, which read: ‘They knew about our arrival in Holland. About the others too. Lieutenant Braggaar in box no. …’. According to the messenger, this letter needed to be taken to an address in Delfzijl. Since Ada had no opportunity of taking the letter to Delfzijl herself, she gave it to her fiancés father.

From Haaren, Kees was transferred to the prison in Assen and from there to Rawicz in April 1944. Transport to Mauthausen followed at the beginning of September. He arrived on 5 September and on the next day, not yet 31 years old, he was murdered. Jerry van Hemert, his fiancée’s brother, died with him. On 6 June 1953 Cornelis Braggaar was posthumously awarded the Bronze Cross. His name is listed on the Honour Roll of the Fallen 1940–1945.

Henny E. Dominicus

Stichting Vriendenkring Mauthausen

 

Translation into English: Joanna White

 



[1] Translator’s note: SOE (Special Operations Executive)/Plan Holland became known as the ‘Englandspiel’, the ‘Game against England’.

Files

Send information about this person...

Add further information about this person...