Conscript Sergeant Cornelis Petrus de Nijs.

Conscript Sergeant Cornelis Petrus de Nijs was born on July 21, 1909, in Roosendaal. He served in the 2nd Depot Company of the Korps Pontonniers en Torpedisten ( Army Maritime Engineers Corps ). On the morning of May 10, 1940, as part of a group of soldiers with the strength of a half company under Lieutenant Brouwer, he was deployed in a counterattack against German paratroopers near the bridges over the Oude Maas. The depot troops were pushed back and suffered some casualties, including Lieutenant Brouwer. Some troops withdrew to the Sportfondsenbad, including Sergeant de Nijs. From the Sportfondsenbad, they maintained contact with the paratroopers at the bridges by exchanging fire. Sergeant de Nijs was killed during one of these firefights. Initially, he was buried at the Roman Catholic Cemetery in Roosendaal, but he has since been reburied at the Military Cemetery de Grebbeberg in Rhenen¹.

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