The Untold Story of the Dutch Sisters Who Became Secret Assassins During World War II

During World War II , various resistance movements sprang up in countries occupied by the Wehrmacht . These groups were constantly involved in actions to disrupt their occupiers. Although mainly composed of men, some female fighters wisely used their charm and seemingly innocent appearance to gain strategic advantages over their enemies.

Freddie and Truus Oversteegen

Truus and Freddie Oversteegen were raised by their single mother in the Dutch city of Haarlem. Freddie, two years younger than Truus, appeared even younger with her hair in braids, a characteristic that proved to be an advantage when she joined the Dutch Resistance.

Their mother, a committed Communist, instilled in them from an early age the importance of fighting injustice. As early as 1939, during the outbreak of war, she sheltered individuals from Lithuania and a Jewish couple in their home. This experience profoundly influenced the girls, teaching them the necessity of making personal sacrifices to aid others.

Joining the Dutch Resistance

In May 1940, Germany invaded the Netherlands, starting an occupation that persisted until the end of the war. Similar to other occupied countries, there were extensive efforts to deport Jews, and non-Jewish inhabitants faced harsh living conditions.

This invasion sparked the defiance of Truus and Freddie. Working alongside their mother, they distributed anti-German literature and newspapers for the Resistance. Their efforts caught the attention of Frans van der Wiel, a leader in the Haarlem Resistance Group. He visited the Oversteegen home and asked their mother for permission for the girls to join Resistance activities, which she granted.

They did different jobs for the Resistance

Freddie and Truus didn't know what working with the Resistance would entail. To start, they were tasked with disabling bridges and railroads with dynamite, particularly the rail line between Ijmuiden and Haarlem. They also burned down a German warehouse, and aided in the smuggling of Jewish children out of the country - they even helped them escape concentration camps.

The girls' gender aided in their success, as Resistance activities were largely viewed as being conducted by males. The Germans assumed women were only involved in distributing newspapers and other documents. As they were female - and not to mention young - they were able to skirt by with little suspicion.

Becoming assassins

Before long, the girls were tasked with carrying out assassinations of Germans and Dutch collaborators . Using their youthful appearance, they lured German officers into the woods - either while on patrol or in a local tavern - and shot them. According to Freddie, it was something they had to do. "It was a necessary evil, killing those who betrayed the good people," she said .

In 1943, the sisters joined up with Hannie Schaft , a former university student who'd dropped out after refusing to sign a loyalty pledge to Germany. She'd started out with small acts, such as stealing identification cards for Jewish people. When she began assassinating Germans, she became known as "the girl with the red hair."

Working with Hannie Schaft

The trio formed an assassination and sabotage cell. Along with assassinations, they hid firearms in the baskets of their bicycles, and at one point erected a Communist flag at the headquarters of the National Socialist Movement. They were so efficient that, by the end of the war, there was a 50,000 guilders reward for their capture.

On March 21, 1945, Hannie was arrested at a military checkpoint in Haarlem while in possession of the illegal Communist newspaper, de Waarheid . She was subsequently interrogated, and on April 17, 1945, was executed by Dutch officials. Following the conclusion of the war, she was buried with honors in the presence of Queen Wilhelmina and Prince Bernhard, and today over 15 cities in the Netherlands have streets named after her.

Post-war struggles

Truus and Freddie never revealed how many people they killed throughout the duration of their Resistance work. When asked, Freddie replied that they were soldiers and soldiers don't reveal such details.

Following the war, Freddie and Truus struggled with the trauma of their friend's death and the murders they'd committed. To cope, Truus became an artist and spoke at war memorial services. Freddie coped "by getting married and having babies," yet nothing could help the insomnia she suffered.

The sisters were awarded the War Mobilization Cross

The pair didn't immediately receive recognition for their actions, as they were labelled as Communists. In 1967, Truus was recognized as Righteous Among the Nations, an honor bestowed by the State of Israel upon non-Jewish individuals who risked their lives during the war.

It wasn't until April 2014 that the Netherlands recognized their efforts, awarding them the War Mobilization Cross.

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Both Freddie and Truus have since passed away. Truus died in June 18, 2016, while Freddie passed on September 5, 2018.