Great People

Jaap Penraat died last week. He saved 406 Jews by forging documents for them and taking some them out of Nazi occupied Europe.

Penraat's story begins in Nazi-occupied Amsterdam. He saw the increased persecution of the Jews by the Nazis and, for a year and a half, helped them by providing them with forged ID cards with non-Jewish sounding names. Working as a draftsman and being the son of a printer, forgery was an easy tool for Penraat, Talbott said.

The Nazis would eventually catch wind of the Penraat's scheme and imprisoned him for six months. During that time he was tortured and kept in bad conditions.

"He came out (of jail) really sick," recounted Noëlle Penraat, his daughter. "It took him a long time to get better."

By the time Penraat was released, Nazi oppression had reached the point that simple ID cards were no longer a help.

"The Nazis kept upping the ante," Talbott said. "Jaap felt he needed to step up as well."

Six months in jail not only didn't shake Penraat's resolve, but it gave him an idea. In prison, Penraat learned of networks used to get downed fighter pilots back to the Allied forces. Penraat searched for and found a similar network to get Jews out of Amsterdam, according to Talbott.

Through a friend, Penraat obtained letterhead for a construction company and forged orders for construction workers to go to France to work on the Atlantic Wall. Penraat himself led a group of 20 Jewish boys posing as construction workers to go Lille, France. From there someone else would take the boys to England, where many joined the British army and fought against the Germans.

Penraat made the trip 20 times and saved 406 lives in all. However, those who knew him say he thought no more of that feat than it was the right thing to do.

It's just good to know that we have had people like Mr. Penraat in the world.