The history of World War II is full of figures who defy simple moral classification. Willem Ragut was among those who began their careers as respected members of their local communities but ultimately sided with the occupier. His death in 1944 became entwined with the fate of one of the most famous female fighters of the Dutch resistance.
From Respected Officer to Collaborator
For seventeen years, Ragut led the police in Beverwijk, where he and his wife were involved in the city’s cultural and social life. He was energetic, known for his love of sports and sociable demeanor.
However, this idyllic career ended in disgrace when he was caught embezzling confiscated cheese. This seemingly trivial incident turned out to be the first step on his path to moral downfall.
After being forced to resign, Ragut did not fall into disfavor with the occupiers. On the contrary, he was appointed deputy head of the service responsible for inventorying and managing the property of deported Jews.
In the context of wartime realities, this position meant direct involvement in the machinery of looting and destruction. His promotion to police chief in Zaandam marked another step up in the hierarchy of the collaborationist administration.
The Irony of the December Shootout
Fate ironically entangled Ragut’s path with German officers in December 1943. That day, SS men Willem Polak and Henk Slot carried out an attack on two men as part of Aktion Silbertanne, a German retaliatory operation targeting Dutch civilians.
Although Ragut was off duty, he was carrying a firearm and happened to stumble upon the perpetrators. Unaware they were on the same side as he was, he engaged them in a shootout.
A bullet hit Ragut, but was stopped by the metal zipper of his trousers. This absurd coincidence meant the collaborator survived being shot by his own allies. The incident likely convinced him of the real danger he faced, so from then on, he carried two pistols instead of one.
Sentenced by the Resistance
Ragut’s activities as a Sicherheitsdienst agent brought tangible losses to the Dutch resistance movement. His informant work led to the arrest of more resistance members.
The Resistance Council in Zaandam decided he must be eliminated. Two previous attempts had failed, so the third time the mission was entrusted to experienced fighters: Hannie Schaft and Jan Bonekamp.
On the morning of June 21, 1944, Schaft shot Ragut in the back as he walked from his home to the station. Despite his mortal wound, the officer managed to draw his gun and shoot Bonekamp. The wounded fighter took refuge in a nearby house, but a neighbor called the police.
Before he died, Bonekamp revealed Schaft’s name. In his wallet, the Germans found a photograph that, nine months later, helped them identify and arrest one of the most courageous women in the Dutch resistance.
Autor
Margot Cleverly
Margot's journey into women's history began with a box of forgotten letters in a Cambridge archive – suffragettes whose voices had been silenced for over a century. Since then, she's been on a mission to uncover the stories history overlooked.
What she writes about: Queens who ruled from the shadows. Scientists whose male colleagues took credit. Revolutionaries who risked everything. But also ordinary women – those who survived wars, raised families through upheaval, and shaped their communities in ways no one bothered to record.
Margot turns historical figures into real people. She writes with warmth and detail, making centuries-old stories feel surprisingly relevant. Rigorous research meets accessible storytelling – no dusty academic jargon, just compelling narratives backed by solid facts.
When she's not writing, you'll find her in regional archives, collecting oral histories, or visiting sites connected to the women she writes about.