Conscript private Johannes Adrianus van Dorst

Conscript soldier Johannes Adrianus van Dorst was born on May 16, 1918 in Bergen op Zoom. He was part of the 4th Company of the 3rd Border Battalion (4-3 G.B). This unit only appeared on the battlefield in Dordrecht on May 12, 1940. Soldier van Dorst belonged to the “Gouverneur"Section under the lieutenant Gouverneur. In the morning of May 12, the company crossed the Wieldrecht Ferry with three sections to establish a bridgehead in support of the Light Division. The 1st section was tasked with holding Wieldrecht, the 2nd section under Lieutenant Gouverneur would advance via the dike to the steam pumping station between Wieldrecht and the Tweede Tol. The 3rd section was ordered to secure the immediate vicinity at the Wieldrecht Ferry. Conscript soldier van Dorst was killed in action during the fighting of the 2nd section near the motor steam pumping station. A number of German paratroopers had entrenched themselves in a farmhouse there. In the ensuing firefight, soldier van Dorst was killed¹.

Conscript soldier van Dorst is buried at the Roman Catholic Cemetery Bergen op Zoom ‘Lepelstraat’ in OGS grave 232.

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