The fallen resistance people in Limburg

Jef de Groot
(Jozef Geurt)

The dates of birth and death of Sjef / Jef de Groot are listed on his Im Memoriam card. [1]
During the war he was an official at the state mines in Heerlen. [2]
Cammaert wrote about him: Together with other former soldiers, De Groot began early on to apply himself to various resistance activities, including the production of the illegal magazine “Het Vrije Volk” (in cooperation with Ch. Bongaerts). Shortly after the magazine ceased publication, at the end of 1942, De Groot had to leave Heerlen, because the ground became too hot under his feet. At the request of J.F.H.M. van Hövell van Wezeveld en Westerflier, one of the leaders of the student resistance, he set up a forgery office in The Hague. Became involved in the K.P. (Knokploegen, armed groups) and attempted to liquidate the the agent provocateur W. Marcus in Roermond in the summer of 1944. [3]
The story of that failed liquidation, in which De Groot only just managed to escape, can be read in detail at maasniel.nl. [4]
De Groot had an important share in the large-scale sabotage of the railroads, which was successfully carried out in September 1944 at the request of the Allied headquarters in the occupied area south of the great rivers. The two companies that joined the Allies under his leadership formed the core of the Stoottroepen in North Brabant. [5]
Just before liberation, he left for the South and became one of the founding members of the Stoottroepen. He became commander of the Regiment Brabant.
At Fort Blauwkapel, De Groot selected former collaborators who could help him, set up his anti-communist service. [2]
After the war he entered the staff of the Inspectorate General of the Royal Army (Zwaluwenberg - Hilversum) in the rank of captain. In 1946 he was involved in the establishment of a secret organization aimed at fighting communism. In December 1946 - January 1947, De Groot was the driving force in tracking down so-called communist actions in the former Blauwkapel interrogation camp, then under the direction and responsibility of Jan Luijendijk of the Directorate General of Special Justice Bijzondere Rechtspleging. [2]
In the Fort Blauwkapel, De Groot selected former collaborators who could help him to set up his anti-communist service. [2]
In the file of a post-war trial of Cornelis Johannes Antonius Verloop, who was suspected of having worked for German counterintelligence, there is the following letter about the emergence of all kinds of groups after the war, some of which had emerged from the resistance or OD. Their purpose was to track down war criminals and later increasingly to fight communism. They are described therein as clumsy. Furthermore, the former OD also organized its own “secret service,” which has the special goal of fighting communism and controlling ex-political offenders.
Of this organization, which calls itself “De Witte Cel” (The White Cell) and includes all kinds of greenies and many unsavory elements, the effect achieved so far is considered questionable.
The most serious “secret service” of this kind, is the so-called “Commissie voor Bijzondere Opdrachten” (Commission for Special Missions). Its leader is a Captain from the resistance, named DE GROOT …
This “Commission” … is said to have a not inconsiderable number of workers scattered all over the country and doing not inconsiderable work.
This organization, especially lately, is said to be specially engaged in observing and controlling Communist activities. [6]
De Groot was arrested in 1948 for being in possession of a major arms depot. [2]
Thus, Jef de Groot had also entered the cold war. He did, what was frequent at the time. National Socialism had been defeated, a new opponent was about to emerge. With the old opponents, for example at Fort Blauwkapel, one sometimes even became best buddies. Former Nazi criminals became top engineers at NASA, got important positions in Western secret services such as especially in the Organization Gehlen in Pullach, the forerunner of the West German Bundes-Nachrichten-Dienst and so on.

In 1951, De Groot received from the hands of Colonel Bruce Bidwell the Bronze Star, intended for individuals in the service of the U.S. Armed Forces who distinguish themselves in a war zone by heroism, special achievement or meritorious performance of duty insofar as it does not involve flying. Source: Delpher + Stoottroepen museum. [7]

Footnotes

1. bidprentjesrimburg.nl Sjef de Groot
2. linkedin.com De ontsnapping uit Fort Blauwkapel december 1945, een reconstructie
3. Cammaert, A. P. M. (1994). Het verborgen front: Geschiedenis van de georganiseerde illegaliteit in de provincie Limburg tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog, Rijksuniversiteit Groningen.
   Hoofdst. 0, pp.18ff: Introductie van vaak genoemde personen
4. maasniel.nl Het verzet in wereld oorlog 2
5. tracesofwar.nl Jozef Geurt de Groot
6. stichtingargus.nl Geheime dienstjes
7. ww2insouthlimburg.nl Stoottroepen