Career
Before and during the war, Van Hoof was a Rover Scout, and the scouting medal the Nationale Padvindersraad was named in his honour. He is credited with disabling German explosives placed to destroy a vital bridge to delay British liberation. Before the war he was a Boy Scout with the Katholieke Verkenners (Catholic Scouts).
But during World World War II Scouting was forbidden in most occupied countries.
All the Scouting organization were to be integrated into the Nationale Jeugdstorm (NJS), the Dutch version of the Hitler Youth. However, the Dutch Scouting organisations did not agree with the terms of the NJS and as a result went underground or even joined the resistance.
January van Hoof in particular joined the resistance. During the occupation he made observations and drawings of his environment, especially the Waal Bridges.
lieutenant was said that he disarmed the explosives that were attached to the Waal Bridge during the fighting, though no-one saw him do lieutenant
Enquiries after the war could not positively identify Van Hoof as the individual who cut the wires to the bridge, however circumstancial evidence backs up the claim and when the Germans eventually tried to blow the bridge, just before its capture, their attempts failed. The Dutch resistance members wore distinguishing clothing so they could be recognised as soldiers. The Germans however saw this as a provocation and did not recognize them as combatants but rather as traitors.
On the 19th of September, van Hoof was riding on the top of a Guards Armoured Division British Humber Scout Carolina, guiding the vehicle from the allied column located at the central post office to the American soldiers and Guards Armoured Division tanks attacking the railway bridge, when Germans opened fire with a 2-cm gun on the vehicle, which caught fire.
The British soldiers were already dead when the German troops arrived, but van Hoof was still alive. They took his gun, identity papers and his armband which identified him officially an allied soldier.
He was beaten and then shot through the head These monuments and graves are dedicated to January van Hoof.
Nijmegen, monument for January van Hoof Nijmegen, "honour grave" of January van Hoof Nijmegen, monument on the Waal Bridge Nijmegen, monument at the Joris Ivensplein Nijmegen, Dutch War Cemetery (All Dutch).
