Every war has its first death. In the Netherlands, that was almost certainly the 22-year-old corporal Piet Touw from Groningen, who died in the early morning of May 10, 1940.Piet Touw was assigned as a corporal to the Police Forces tasked with guarding strategic objects. Together with two other Corporals, he was tasked with securing a bridge over the Meuse River near Roermond, close to the Dutch-German border. The distance between the railroad bridge and the German border was about six kilometers. The enemy was close by.
A few weeks before the German invasion, Piet wrote a letter to his parents expressing his concerns about the tense situation. He wrote, “Neutrality doesn't seem to exist these days. I don't believe we will stay out of the war. I am prepared for anything.”
In the night of May 9-10 to attack came. A gunfight had broken out between Dutch soldiers and German infiltrators who had targeted the traffic bridge over the Meuse River. Not long after, at around 3:00 a.m., a group of about fifteen men arrived in the dark over the railroad embankment. They were wearing overalls and had pickaxes slung over their shoulders. The corporals urged them to identify themselves. They turned out to be German soldiers trying to overpower the bridge. Being exposed, a fire fight broke out. Corporal Piet Touw was hit in the chest and died on the spot. The resistance of the Dutch Police Troops at the bridge delayed the German infiltrators long enough in order for the bridge to be blown up.
Learn more about the German invasion of the Netherlands by clicking the link below!
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