Englandspiel

'Englandspiel'
(‘England game’)

The statue is one depicting the story of Icarus, who escaped with the help of wings made out wax on his shoulders. Ignoring his father’s warning, Icarus flew too close to the sun, as a result of which his wings melted, and he fell into the sea and drowned. It stands for the 54 secret agents who were parachuted into the Netherlands by Allied Forces and arrested by the occupiers. The excellent movie ‘Soldier of Orange’ (Soldaat van Oranje) by Paul Verhoeven depicts such a story.




On the monument it reads:

'ZIJ SPRONGEN IN DE DOOD VOOR ONZE VRIJHEID.ENGLANDSPIEL 1942 - 1944.IN DANKBARE HERINNERING AAN DE 54 NEDERLANDSE AGENTEN EN ALLEN DIE VIELEN IN HET INLICHTINGENWERK'.

(They sprong to death
For our freedom.
Englandspiel
1942-1944
In grateful commemoration of the the 54 Dutch agents and all those who fell in the intelligence effort.)