Resistance groups of the Dutch province of Limburg, 1940-1945

The groups that played a role in the Limburg Resistance (1), as well as groups of whom some (sometimes many) were part of the Resistance (2).

1– “Aussenministerium”
1– BS (Domestic Forces)
1– Communists & Sympathizers
1– The outskirts of Limburg
1– Local contacts
1– Dutch-Paris
1– Engelandvaarders
1– Secret Army (B)
1– Groep Dresen
1– Erkens Group
1– Group Smit
1– Aid to Jews
1– Aid to escaped POW’s
1– Intelligence
1– Jews in resistance
1– Knokploegen (K.P.)
1– Couriers of the Resistance
1– Netwerk Bongaerts
1– NV
1– Aid to People in Hiding L.O.
1– Ondergrondse pers
1– Unorganized resistance
1– Pilots’ helpersFor simplicity reasons, all crew members of crashed Allied airplanes were called pilots. So the people who helped them on their way back to England were pilots’ helpers.
On a modest scale, help for downed Allied airmen got underway early on. It reached its peak in 1943 and 1944, when the number of bombing flights to Germany increased.

The Allies

British heavy bombers were the Handley Page Halifax from November 1940 [1.1] and the Avro Lancaster from March 1942 [1.2].
The Mosquito was lighter and very fast. [1.3]
The Bomber Command of the R.A.F. started from the beginning of 1941 with night attacks on industrial and population centers in Germany.
In the course of 1942, the Americans joined the air fleet with heavy bombers such as the “Flying Fortress” (Boeing B-17) [1.4] and the “Liberator” (Consolidated B-24) [1.5].
Later, lighter types also made their appearance. The Americans preferred to fly during the day because of the greater accuracy, while the British preferred to fly at night.

The Germans

In October 1940, the German Luftwaffe began expanding an airfield on both sides of the border near Venlo, which was primarily intended to combat bombers by means of fighter aircraft. The enlarged Venlo-Herongen airbase was opened in March 1941. [2.1]
In addition, anti-aircraft batteries were set up everywhere. As a result of the air Battle of Britain [2.2] at the beginning of the war, the British initially had too few fighters to protect their bombers. Moreover, the radius of action of those fighters was initially too small, so the clunky bombers were unprotected over Germany, of all places. As a result, a lot of planes were downed.
From Venlo-Herongen alone around 585 Allied aircraft were downed. There were 2500 dead and prisoners of war on the Allied side and 170 dead and wounded on the German side. [2.1]

The Resistance

Sometimes crew members were lucky, not only to survive in one piece, but also to stay out of the hands of the Germans. That chance became greater, when they managed, to reach occupied territory and sought help from the local population. Such was the case in Limburg.
In addition to the existing escape routes for French-speaking POWs, which pilots also used, new routes to Belgium and beyond were built.
This did not cause any significant problems, because many pilots’ helpers had the necessary experience, gained from helping other refugees. Exclusive pilot lines, by the way, hardly existed. Usually they were also used by intelligence agents (and for passing on intelligence), couriers, Engelandgangers, Jews and political refugees. Welcoming, caring for and escorting Allied airmen was more dangerous and difficult than helping escaped prisoners of war. The occupying forces were anxious to catch the pilot and roll up the aid organization. If the aviator succeeded in repatriating, he could provide all kinds of data about the internationally organized network that had helped him and that usually also used the escape route for channeling intelligence.
… There was no pardon for anyone caught helping an Allied pilot: he or she faced an exceptionally long prison term or the death penalty. [3.1]

The organization Luctor et Emergo [3.2] (later called Fiat Libertas), was one of the organizations involved in causing escaped prisoners of war and aircrews to go into hiding and move to Allied territory.

British air force personnel returned from occupied Europe were only exceptionally redeployed on bombing missions. In the case of Polish squadrons, re-deployment over occupied territory was more frequent. The Americans, on the other hand, but this was at a later stage, did not redeploy them. [3.3] -->
1– Raad van Verzet (RVV)
1– Verzetsherdenkingskruis
1– Women in the resistance
1– Peace Carillon -->
1– Initial resistance
1– White Brigade (Belgium)
1– Zwarte Plak
2– Civil Servants
2– April-Mei-stakingen, 1943
2– Mayors
2– Crisis Controle Dienst (CCD)
2– The clergy
2– Forced Labor
2– Artists
2– People in hiding
2– Ordedienst (O.D.)
2– Police
2– Studenten