Johan Frederik Beckman
| Geslacht: | Man | |
| Vader: | Karel Johannes Cornelis Beckman | |
| Moeder: | Bertha Wilhelmina Halkema | |
| Geboren: | 28 Dec 1919 | Pontianak, Borneo |
| Overleden: | 13 Feb 2011 | Leiden |
| Religie: | geen | |
| Aantekeningen: | Beckman Johan (1919 - ? ) Personal Information Last Name: Beckman First Name: Johan Frederick Date of Birth: 28/12/1919 Rescuer's fate: survived camp inmate Nationality: THE NETHERLANDS Gender: Male Profession: SOLDIER Place during the war: Auschwitz, Camp, Poland Theresienstadt, Ghetto, Czechoslovakia Compiegne, Camp, France Rescue Place: Auschwitz, Camp, Poland Rescue mode: illegal transfer Other File number: File from the Collection of the Righteous Among the Nations Department (M.31.2/3291) Commemoration Date of Recognition: 10/10/1985 Righteous Commemorated with Tree/Wall of Honor: Wall of Honor Ceremony organized by Israeli diplomatic delegation in: The Hague, Netherlands Related links to library Odyssee 1940-1945 Rescue Story Beckman, Johan Frederick Johan Beckman, an officer candidate in the Dutch army, and his father founded a Resistance organization immediately after the capitulation of the Netherlands in May 1940. In December of that year, Johans father was deported to the Sachsenhausen camp, where he was beaten to death. Johan decided to join the Dutch army in England and after his attempt to cross the North Sea failed, he was determined to try another route. Accompanied by his brother Robert, he crossed several borders successfully but, in November 1941, they were both arrested at the Swiss border and taken to the Besançon prison on France. The military court decided to imprison them in a hostage camp in Compiègne, France, from where they were sent on the first transport of non-Jews to Auschwitz, where they remained from July 1942 until September 1944. In Auschwitz the brothers were employed as interpreters in the Politische Abteilung and this afforded them a preferential status in the camp. Shortly after their arrival, when the first Jewish transports from the Netherlands arrived, Johan and his brother tried their best to help their compatriots by providing them with food and advice. Using their connections the brothers organized some additional food for their friends and helped them get into better work details (Kommandos). Johan and his brother did not go unnoticed by the SS, who warned Johan several times not to be too friendly with the Jews if they wanted to avoid the fate destined for them. Nevertheless, Johan carried on and even widened his activities to include Jews of other nationalities, such as Greek Jews. His actions saved the lives of several inmates. From September 1944 until April 1945, Johan and Robert were interned in camps near Theresienstadt. In April, they were put on a train to the dreaded Mauthausen, but they managed to escape. After fleeing from the train during a stop at Prague Station, Johan returned to the train and freed four other Dutchmen. All those he helped joined the partisans in their fight for freedom in the last five days of the war, May 5 to 10, 1945. On May 9, 1951, Johan received the Cross of Special Services from Queen Juliana of the Netherlands. On October 10, 1985, Yad Vashem recognized Johan Frederik Beckman as Righteous Among the Nations. Bertha Beckman, Johan's mother, was recognized as Righteous Among the Nations in 1987 for hiding Hetty and Harry Someren in her home. |
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