The fallen resistance people in Limburg

Frans van Bilsen
(Franciscus Jacobus Karolus)

Photo: collection of the Van Bilsen family [2]

Frans van Bilsen was chief of the Ginniken police in 1940. [1#2][2]
During the occupation, he became a resistance fighter in Tilburg who had mistakenly ended up on a list of traitors and was therefore liquidated by resistance fighters in Venlo. We can probably regard him as a victim of the Englandspiel (England game). His connection with the Limburg resistance is therefore very sad, but that is precisely why it is important not to forget it. Here is his story.
Frans was the founder of the underground magazine De Stem, voor God, Koningin en Vaderland (The Voice, for God, Queen and Fatherland). In 1943, he brought two escaped agents of the England Game, Ubbink and Dourlein, to safety so that they could return to England in one piece. [7]
Cammaert writes in more detail: In addition, he had an important role in unveiling the England game. On November 11, 1943, he personally accompanied two secret agents, J.B. Ubbink and P. Dourlein, who had escaped from German captivity in Haaren, across the Belgian border to Antwerp. After several months and many setbacks, the two reached England unharmed, where they gave a shocking testimony. For unexplained reasons, both Van Bilsen’s name and a photo were published in the Contra-Signaal at around the same time. [2]
There has been much speculation as to why he ended up on the Contra-Signaal list just when the agents he had helped to escape further arrived in London and uncovered the England game. By this time, the Gestapo had already caught 59 SOE agents who had been dropped over the Netherlands, 54 of whom died, most of them shot in the Mauthausen concentration camp. [4]
It is now certain that the British secret service SOE knew what was awaiting them and that the two escaped agents were arrested as soon as they arrived in London. For more on this cat and mouse game, see the Englandspiel and the article about the SOE. [4]
Did Van Bilsen simply know too much? In any case, the Venlo resistance fighters who shot him did so in good faith.
He is buried in the new part of the Catholic cemetery in Ginniken / Breda, grave 1-11-9. [1#8][5]
Franciscus Jacobus Karolus ( Frans ) van Bilsen is listed in the Erelijst 1940-1945 (Honor Roll of the Dutch Parliament). [6]

Footnotes

1. Archief Oorlogsgravenstichting (@ Nationaal archief),
   Dossier Frans van Bilsen • #2 • #8
2. Gerrit van der Vorst, Het drama rond verzetsman Frans van Bilsen. Risicovol dubbelspel en spelingen van het lot, uit: Tilburg, tijdschrift voor geschiedenis, monumenten en cultuur, 34/3, december 2016, pp.71-80
3. Dr. F. Cammaert, Het Verborgen Front – Geschiedenis van de georganiseerde illegaliteit in de provincie Limburg tijdens de Tweede Wereldoorlog. Doctorale scriptie 1994, Groningen
   8. De Ordedienst, p.893
4. SOE (Special Operations Executive), Wikipedia • Nederlands • Deutsch • English • Français • Português
5. R.K. Begraafplaats H. Laurentius te Breda
6. Erelijst 1940-1945
7. Oorlogsgravenstichting.nl