The fallen resistance people in Limburg

Raphael R.E.J.G. de Liedekerke de Pailhe

Wikimedia

Memorial stone Erkens group, Rhijnauwen.

In May 1940, Raphael de Liedekerke fought in the Belgian army. After returning from captivity, he was demobilized as a reserve lieutenant in the Belgian Army. He was a member of the De Liedekerke family, four members of which died during World War II while committing acts of resistance and/or in concentration camps. [1]
He lived in the Netherlands, at Eijsden Castle, where, with his neighbor Alphonse Smeets, he was an important member of an early resistance group (Auxiliary to French-speaking prisoners of war fleeing from Germany)[2] and also performed espionage work for the Belgian network Clarence through his general practitioner Jules Goffin in Fouron-le-Comte (or ’s-Gravenvoeren).
They became victims of the infiltration by agents of the Marineabwehr (counter intelligence) in Groningen, the Hannibalspiel. He was one of eleven members of the Dutch resistance group around Nick Erkens who were executed by the Germans at Fort Rhijnauwen near Bunnik, province of Utrecht. They are mentioned at Fort Rhijnauwen on a memorial stone, see photo.
He was cremated at Velzen crematorium on the day of his execution, October 9, 1943. [3#9] His ashes were recovered after the war in Erfurt (GDR) [3#12].
His urn was interred in the Eijsden Roman Catholic Cemetery, along with those of the brothers Alphonse and Hubert Smeets. [5]
His wife was released on October 21, 1943.
In Eijsden the Graaf de Liedekerkestraat and in Budel-Dorpplein the Liedekerkestraat are named after him. [4][5]

There was one more count active in Limburg during those dark years. He had been appointed by the Nazis as Commissioner of the Province of Limburg, i.e. what would later be called again Commissioner of the Queen. He did survive the war: Max de Marchant


Raphael de Liedekerke [7]

Footnotes

1. De Liedekerke, Wikipedia • Nederlands • Français ( Sur la version francophone de Wikipédia, on ne trouve malheureusement rien sur les membres de cette famille tombés pour la patrie. )
2. 1. Dr. F. Cammaert, Het Verborgen Front – Geschiedenis van de georganiseerde illegaliteit in de provincie Limburg tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Doctorale scriptie 1994, Groningen
   3. Hulpverlening aan uit Duitsland ontvluchte (Franstalige) krijgsgevangenen, p.136
   2. Stalag VI J Fichtenhain (Krefeld) & Stalag VI-H Arnoldsweiler (Düren)
3. Archief Oorlogsgravenstichting (@ Nationaal archief), Dossier
   Raphael de Liedekerke • #9 • #12
4. OpenStreetMap
   Graaf de Liedekerkestraat, Eijsden
   Liedekerkestraat, Budel-Dorpplein
5. Rooms Katholieke Begraafplaats Eijsden
6. Monument der gevallen verzetslieden (Vroenhof, Eijsden)
7. Foto: heldenvanhetverzet.be
8. Oorlogsgravenstichting.nl
9. https://www.wo2slachtoffers.nl/bio/53343/Liedekerke-de-Pailhe-de-graaf-Raphael-Risse-Emile-Joseph-Ghislaine.htm