The fallen resistance people in Limburg

Jacques van Gestel
(Jacobus A.)

rutten.org …

Cammaert wrote: Neeritter, clergyman. Fr. Van Gestel became involved early in helping French-speaking prisoners of war who had escaped from Germany and established some important connections. Acted as courier between Bishop J.H.G. Lemmens and the belgian cardinal J.E. van Roey. [1.1].

Joseph Ernest Van Roey was Archbishop of Malines, Cardinal and Metropolitan of Belgium during WW2. Among other things, he vigorously opposed the deportation of workers to Germany. In a pastoral letter, he disapproved of the resistance’s attacks because they provoked German reprisals, a motivation that did not please the authorities at all. [2.1]
Before the war, he still thought he could cooperate with the Rexists, but he gave up this illusion early on during the occupation. [2.2]

Jacques van Gestel took his vows in the Order of the Crosiers [3] on August 28, 1927, ordained priest on July 15, 1932, stayed in the monastery of the Crosiers at Neeritter (Netherlands) less than one kilometer from the Belgian border at Kessenich from 1933 to 1945. He was active in the resistance with special help to those resistance fighters who had to cross the Dutch-Belgian border. [4]
Father Van Gestel O.S.Cr. of the monastery of the Kruisheren in Neeritter described himself, how on November 28, 1940, he happened to be stopped on his bicycle in the dark by escaped French prisoners of war, who asked him the way to the Zonnehoeve of Renier van de Vin.
From then on, the convent of the Crosiers became a regular transit home, especially since some of the fathers spoke excellent French.
… From 1943, Allied airmen also repatriated via this route (Zéro line). [1.2]

Footnotes

1. Dr. F. Cammaert, (1994). Het verborgen front: Geschiedenis van de georganiseerde illegaliteit in de provincie Limburg tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog, Doctorale scriptie 1994, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.
   1. Hoofdst. 0, pp.18ff: Introductie van vaak genoemde personen
   2. Hoofdst. 3, Hulpverlening aan uit Duitsland ontvluchte (Franstalige) krijgsgevangenen, $III.3.3., p.183 – Grenspassage via Neeritter-Ittervoort-Thorn
2. 1. Jozef Van Roey, Wikipedia • Nederlands • Deutsch • English • Français
   2. Van Roey Joseph-Ernest, belgiumwwii.be • Nederlands • Français
3. Ordo Sanctae Crucis, OSC, Wikipedia • Nederlands • Nederlands • Deutsch • English • Français • Português
4. rutten.org Priesters van het bisdom Luik in het verzet 1940-1945
5. https://rutten.org/literatuur/mathieu-v1c1rutten/priesters/images/image0095.png