The fallen resistance people in Limburg

“Modest”/ “Anatol” Beazar
(Gustaaf)

bel-memorial.org …

The northeast of Belgian Limburg was the territory of the B.N.B., a.k.a. ‘Secret Army, Zone II. Antwerpen - Limburg’. Although no exact figures are available, the number of members of this group was described as ‘as large as a regiment’. The ‘zone commander’ was Gustaaf Beazar from Kessenich, who came from a gendarmerie family. [1]
Gustaaf Beazar had already been active in various resistance groups since the beginning of the war. On July 13, 1943, the German field gendarmerie searched his home because the Germans suspected him of various acts. However, he had hidden behind the brigade buildings of the Feldgendarmerie and immediately went into hiding. On July 14, 1943, he was reported missing. [2]
His area in northeastern Limburg is also called the Maaseik sector and so Gustaaf Beazar also was called the sector superior there. [3]
He signed his orders with Modest or Anatol. Rutten, p.192 [3]
One hiding place in the woods was also called Anatol. His deputy sector superior was Alfons Leroy from Neeroeteren.
Beazar also did intelligence work for the group VN/Al/B of Louis Vrolix from Hamont, which belonged to the organization Luc. This was founded in 1940 by Georges Leclercq and from 194l was taken over under the name Marc by the dropped agent Max Londot. All the members of Luc-Marc had a number preceded by the letters VN and by one or two letters indicating the group. Rutten, pp. 100-105 [3]

The arms drops that went wrong
Following orders from London, on September 5 and 6, resistance fighters throughout Limburg went to their shelters in the woods and waited for the agreed arms drops.
Although many drops were announced for Limburg, only two were carried out: the first at Rekem on 30 May 1944 under the code name Le Cheval and the second near Opgrimbie on 6 June. Rutten, p.119 [3]
After the missed arms dropping and subsequent shooting with German soldiers on September 9, 1944 (see the page on the Secret Army), Gustaaf Beazar was arrested on September 10 at Rotem and with him, all the confidential documents of the Secret Army including the list of members, were taken by the Germans to the Hotel Mardaga in the village of As. Rutten, p.100 [3]
There the Germans had temporarily settled. Next door, at the café Verdcourt, was the local gathering place of the Secret Army! [4]
After he and some of his comrades-in-arms had been arrested one day after all, the Germans released fourteen arrested locals thanks to an intervention by Beazar. He had guaranteed that they had nothing to do with the Secret Army. During the transport of the 26 captured resisters to Heer near Maastricht, the already wounded Beazar was stabbed three times with a bayonet. [2]

On the web site of the veterans of the gendarmerie, we read about Gustaaf Beazar:
Posthumously received the decoration Knight of the Order of Leopold II with palm and the 1940 War Cross with palm.
He received a plaque at the entrance of the gendarmerie brigade at Kessenich.
In Heer (NL) a statue was inaugurated where he and the 10 others were killed by the occupying forces. The inauguration was done by our King Baudouin and the Dutch Royal Couple. [5][6][10]
Gustaaf found his final resting place in the cemetery of Peer (municipality of Maaseik). [7]

Footnotes

1. Geheim Leger Zone II. Antwerpen - Limburg Deze pagina biedt de mogelijkheid, hem te laten vertalen.
2. tracesofwar.nl Beazar, Gustaaf
3. Mathieu Rutten Oorlog in Limburg, Markante feiten tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog, 1995
4. taskforceliberty.be Albert Mardaga
5. Seniorennet Rijkswacht Geschiedenis en tradities van het Korps – L’histoire et les traditions du Corps.
6. bel-memorial.org: Standbeeld voor 11 Belgische gefusilleerden – Monument pour 11 fusillés belges (Denkmal für 11 hingerichtete Belgier, Memorial to 11 executed Belgians, Monumento à memória de 11 belgas fusilados)
7. 1. Findagrave Gustaaf Beazar
   2. OpenStreetMap Peer (Maaseik)
8. https://bel-memorial.org/photos_abroad/cadier-en-keer/BEAZAR_Gustave_62292.htm
9. http://www.maastrichtsegevelstenen.nl/0.OORLOG/oorlog2c-verzet.htm
10. Wikipedia NL: Vlaams monument