Boy Ecury
Encyclopedia
Boy Ecury was a member of the Dutch Resistance
in World War II
.
, an island of the Dutch Antilles. His given name was Segundo Jorge Adelberto Ecury. But he went by the nickname Boy and it is by that name that he is remembered.
After a brief stint at a military academy in Puerto Rico, together with his brother, he was sent to live in the Netherlands.
Boy graduated with a diploma in commerce from the Brother of St. Louis School in Oudenbosch
, and he and Nicky did a lot of traveling around the Netherlands. They were living there when World War II
started in 1939 and witnessed first hand the Nazi invasion
in 1940. They also saw the destruction of cities like Rotterdam
.
While in the Dutch city of Tilburg, Boy became friends with another young man, Luis de Lannoy, also from the Antilles, who was part of an underground resistance group in the city. The group carried out sabotage operations, planting bombs on German trucks and roads. Members of the underground movements also went out of their way to help injured allied troops and civilians who needed help.
Boy sometimes went along and helped out on covert operations and later became a member of the Resistance Council in Oisterwijk. Like his resistance colleagues, Boy had to live a life in hiding, and lived in various places around The Netherlands, working on a number of dangerous missions.
Some members betrayed their colleagues, and many of them were captured by the Nazis, including Luis, who was arrested, imprisoned and tortured in Utrecht
. Boy tried, but was unsuccessful in his attempts to free his friend. Luis later managed to escape.
On 5 November 1944, Boy, who had been also betrayed, was arrested and taken to the Scheveningen prison. was interrogated and tortured but refused to betray his friends. On the following day he was executed by a German firing squad. He was 22 years old.
His father brought his son's body back from the Netherlands and in 1947 he was given a funeral with military honors. Two years later a statue of the local hero was erected in the town and still stands today. He is also the subject of an exhibition in the town's war museum and his former family home houses the Archaeological Museum. Forty years after his death Boy was posthumously honored by the Dutch government and awarded a Resistance Heroes Commemorative Cross.
Boy Ecury and his father's quest for the truth about his son's last years were subject of the 2003 movie Boy Ecury by Dutch
film director Frans Weisz
.
Dutch resistance
Dutch resistance to the Nazi occupation of the Netherlands during World War II can be mainly characterized by its prominent non-violence, summitting in over 300,000 people in hiding in the autumn of 1944, tended to by some 60,000 to 200,000 illegal landlords and caretakers and tolerated knowingly...
in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
Biography
He was born in Oranjestad, ArubaOranjestad, Aruba
Oranjestad is the capital and largest city of Aruba, which is in the Caribbean north of Venezuela. Oranjestad is located on the southern coast near the western end of the island country...
, an island of the Dutch Antilles. His given name was Segundo Jorge Adelberto Ecury. But he went by the nickname Boy and it is by that name that he is remembered.
After a brief stint at a military academy in Puerto Rico, together with his brother, he was sent to live in the Netherlands.
Boy graduated with a diploma in commerce from the Brother of St. Louis School in Oudenbosch
Oudenbosch
Oudenbosch is a village in the municipality Halderberge in the west of the Dutch province Noord-Brabant. Oudenbosch is well-known for its 'Basiliek' a catholic church that is a smaller copy of St...
, and he and Nicky did a lot of traveling around the Netherlands. They were living there when World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
started in 1939 and witnessed first hand the Nazi invasion
Battle of the Netherlands
The Battle of the Netherlands was part of Case Yellow , the German invasion of the Low Countries and France during World War II. The battle lasted from 10 May 1940 until 14 May 1940 when the main Dutch forces surrendered...
in 1940. They also saw the destruction of cities like Rotterdam
Rotterdam
Rotterdam is the second-largest city in the Netherlands and one of the largest ports in the world. Starting as a dam on the Rotte river, Rotterdam has grown into a major international commercial centre...
.
While in the Dutch city of Tilburg, Boy became friends with another young man, Luis de Lannoy, also from the Antilles, who was part of an underground resistance group in the city. The group carried out sabotage operations, planting bombs on German trucks and roads. Members of the underground movements also went out of their way to help injured allied troops and civilians who needed help.
Boy sometimes went along and helped out on covert operations and later became a member of the Resistance Council in Oisterwijk. Like his resistance colleagues, Boy had to live a life in hiding, and lived in various places around The Netherlands, working on a number of dangerous missions.
Some members betrayed their colleagues, and many of them were captured by the Nazis, including Luis, who was arrested, imprisoned and tortured in Utrecht
Utrecht
Utrecht is a city in the Netherlands.The name may also refer to:* Utrecht , of which Utrecht is the capital* Utrecht , including the city of Utrecht* Bishopric of Utrecht* Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Utrecht...
. Boy tried, but was unsuccessful in his attempts to free his friend. Luis later managed to escape.
On 5 November 1944, Boy, who had been also betrayed, was arrested and taken to the Scheveningen prison. was interrogated and tortured but refused to betray his friends. On the following day he was executed by a German firing squad. He was 22 years old.
His father brought his son's body back from the Netherlands and in 1947 he was given a funeral with military honors. Two years later a statue of the local hero was erected in the town and still stands today. He is also the subject of an exhibition in the town's war museum and his former family home houses the Archaeological Museum. Forty years after his death Boy was posthumously honored by the Dutch government and awarded a Resistance Heroes Commemorative Cross.
Boy Ecury and his father's quest for the truth about his son's last years were subject of the 2003 movie Boy Ecury by Dutch
Dutch people
The Dutch people are an ethnic group native to the Netherlands. They share a common culture and speak the Dutch language. Dutch people and their descendants are found in migrant communities worldwide, notably in Suriname, Chile, Brazil, Canada, Australia, South Africa, New Zealand, and the United...
film director Frans Weisz
Frans Weisz
Frans Weisz is a Dutch film director. He has directed 22 films since 1964. His film Havinck was screened in the Un Certain Regard section the 1988 Cannes Film Festival...
.