A few days ago I tweeted about the bravery of an aunt and uncle who saved two Jewish children during World War II. Not every heroic act in the war had a happy ending. My father and aunt’s cousin, Johan Herman “Jan” Kessler, a son of my great-Uncle, was in the Dutch resistance….
He was carrying documents when caught by the Germans. This is an account of his torture and death at the hands of the Nazis, from Jan Braakman’s “The War in the Corner” (2010). It’s difficult to read… 
Jan stayed silent, refusing to give up information. After one beating, he could barely stand. In the middle of the night, his cellmate realized he had no pulse and his body was cold. The Germans dragged the body away….
He was 24 years old….
After the war, he received a posthumous decoration from the Dutch government, the Bronze Lion, intended for servicemen who have shown extreme bravery and leadership. This is indicated on his gravestone…
Jan is also commemorated at the Vrijzinnig-Christelijk Lyceum in The Hague, where the names of former pupils who did not survive the war are listed on a stained glass window….
For a happier ending, here’s the Twitter thread on my aunt and uncle.
https://twitter.com/GlennKesslerWP/status/1402752784802406403
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