The top of the L.O. in Limburg, August 1943

This picture was taken August 1943: The first district leaders of the newly formed L.O.
Front row, seated: vicar P.G. Van Enckevort from Venlo and primary school teacher Jan Hendrikx, district leader of Venlo.
Second row, standing: student G.A. Smals of Vierlingsbeek, train driver Jo Lokerman of Maastricht, student Joe Russel from Venlo, district leader of Venray, vicar Jac Naus, also from Venlo, Harry Hanssen from Sevenum and student Jan Cornips from Heerlen, son of Constant Cornips, as deputy of district leader Giel Berix.
The district of Gulpen did not yet exist. In the fall of 1943 Van Enckevort asked Harry Hanssen to go to Gulpen and set up a local L.O. organization along the lines of the one in Venlo. Nijmegen would later join the region as well.
Father Ludo Bleijs, the district leader of Roermond, was apparently not present.
One year after this picture was taken, the Raid of Weert took place. After that, no more regional meetings were convened for security reasons.
Verzetsmuseum.org gives a different dating of the photograph. They write: Portrait photo of the leadership of the LO in Limburg, taken in August 1944. The photo was taken shortly after the fall of Mussolini, the LO leaders thought the war would soon be over and had the photo taken as a memento.
A better but smaller version of this photo can be found at oorlogsbronnen.nl, Kopstukken van het verzet in Limburg.

1. L.O. Limburgse Onderduikershulp / Landelijke organisatie voor hulp aan Onderduikers
2. Dr. F. Cammaert, Het Verborgen Front, 6. De Landelijke Organisatie voor hulp aan onderduikers
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