Freddie and Truus Oversteegen assassinated enemy soldiers with "the girl with the red hair" as part of the Dutch Resistance

During World War II , Resistance movements arose in countries occupied by the Wehrmacht . These groups often engaged in acts of defiance against their occupiers. While most Resistance members were men, some women effectively leveraged their charm and seemingly harmless appearances to gain an advantage over their enemies.

Freddie and Truus Oversteegen

Truus and Freddie Oversteegen were raised in Haarlem, Netherlands, by their single mother. Freddie, who was two years younger than Truus, appeared even younger with her braided hair, a physical feature later used in her work with the Dutch Resistance.

Their mother, a dedicated Communist, instilled in the girls a strong sense of justice from an early age. By 1939, as World War II was starting, she had already provided refuge to individuals from Lithuania and a Jewish couple in their home. This experience deeply impacted the sisters, demonstrating the importance of personal sacrifice in helping others.

Joining the Dutch Resistance

In May 1940, Germany invaded the Netherlands, initiating an occupation that continued until the end of the war. Like in other occupied countries, there were extensive efforts to deport Jews, and non-Jewish residents endured many hardships.

This invasion sparked a spirit of resistance in Truus and Freddie. Alongside their mother, they distributed anti-German pamphlets and newspapers for the Resistance. Their efforts caught the attention of Frans van der Wiel, a leader of the Haarlem Resistance Group. He visited the Oversteegen family and sought their mother’s permission for the girls to join Resistance activities, which she granted.

They did different jobs for the Resistance

Freddie and Truus were initially unaware of what working with the Resistance would involve. Their early tasks included sabotaging bridges and railroads using dynamite, specifically targeting the rail line between Ijmuiden and Haarlem. They also set fire to a German warehouse and helped smuggle Jewish children out of the country, even assisting in their escape from concentration camps.

Their gender played a key role in their success, as Resistance efforts were primarily associated with men. The Germans believed that women were only involved in distributing newspapers and other materials. Because they were female—and young, no less—they were able to operate with minimal 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.