The fallen resistance people in Limburg

Leo Akkermans
(Leonardus Adrianus)

bidprentjesarchief.nl …

Leo Akkermans’ home village, Oudemolen, is located 28 km west of Breda. Birth and death dates, the photo on the right and information about his career as a priest can be found on his In Memoriam card. [1]
In brief: Was, among other things, vicar in Tegelen and parish priest and dean in Horst, buried in Horst. [2]

His resistance career took place in Tegelen, because on November 21, 1941, he was appointed vicar of St. Martinus parish in Tegelen by Bishop G. Lemmens. [1]
He became the driving force behind LO there, as we shall see below.
Cammaert writes about him in a summary: Priest. Was involved in the L.O. and helped Allied refugees. [3.1]
This began with French-speaking prisoners of war who had escaped from Germany. Cammaert writes: In the Tegelen/Steyl area, the aid began in late 1941/early 1942 on the initiative and under the direction of vicar L.A. Akkermans and H.H. Driessen.
…
The escaped prisoners of war came directly from Germany or were sent by helpers from Venlo, then they were put across the Maas in rowing boats, picked up by the C.C.D. (Crisis Control Service) staff from Roermond or taken to the Maas village of Steyl, a little further south, where vicar P. Peters and some lay people were involved in the aid. It is possible that the local monasteries served as transit quarters.
According to his own statements, the Steyl ferryman J. van der Coelen brought about eighty refugees across the Maas in 1943 and 1944. [3.2]
When the Allied bombing raids on the German industrial areas got into full swing, the crews of downed planes joined them. In the meantime, the Limburg resistance had managed to set up an escape route to Nancy in France. A Dutch priest (Pierre Timmermans) was based there, who used his contacts to organize the onward transport. From there, Jews and some Engelandgangerstravelers to England were transported to Switzerland. [3.3]

After the war, the Dutch children had to recover in Great Britain from the hardships they had suffered.
On May 1, 1945, he was appointed chaplain of the Nederlandse Kinderuitzending naar Engeland foundation (Dutch Children’s Relocation to England). He was later appointed chief chaplain in England, Scotland and Wales until February 1946. [1]

He died on March 22, 1980 and after a solemn funeral service was buried in the local cemetery after a meritorious life as a priest. [1]

Footnotes

1. bidprentjesarchief.nl Leonardus Adrianus (Leo) Akkermans
2. archief.venlo.nl Collectie bidprentjes, Leonardus Adrianus (Leo) Akkermans
3. Cammaert, A. P. M., Het verborgen front: Geschiedenis van de georganiseerde illegaliteit in de provincie Limburg tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog, Groningen 1994.
   1. Hoofdst. 0, pp.18ff: Introductie van vaak genoemde personen
   2. Hoofdst. 3, Hulpverlening aan uit Duitsland ontvluchte (Franstalige) krijgsgevangenen, $III.2.1. Tegelen en Steyl, p.147
   3. Hoofdst. 4, Hulpverlening aan geallieerde piloten en hun bemanningsleden, $II.2. Midden- en Noord-Limburg en de verbindingen met België en Frankrijk, p.249
   4. Hoofdst. 6, De Landelijke Organisatie voor hulp aan onderduikers, $VIII.2. District Venlo, rayon Tegelen en Steyl, p.586
4. https://bidprentjesarchief.nl/bidprentjes/a/ak/akkermans__la_1980-03-22_-_vz.jpg