Politie
text, no JavaScript Log in  Deze pagina in het NederlandsDiese Seite auf DeutschThis page in English - ssssCette page en FrançaisEsta página em Portuguêstop of pageback

Limburg 1940-1945,
Main Menu

  1. People
  2. Events/ Backgrounds
  3. Resistance groups
  4. Cities & Towns
  5. Concentration Camps
  6. Valkenburg 1940-1945
  7. Lessons from the resistance

1940-1945. The resistance in the dutch province of Limburg

Police

Before the war, the Dutch police consisted of the military police unit called marechaussee, the rijksveldwacht (national police) and the gemeenteveldwacht (municipal police). On July 5, 1940, the German occupiers merged those three forces under the name of marechaussee. After World War II, they were split again into the Korps Rijkspolitie (National Police Force, replacing the old rijksveldwacht and gemeenteveldwacht) and the Royal Marechaussee, which regained military status. (Dutch Wikipedia).

For the rough stuff, the occupiers had established three new police services:

  1. The search for and arrest of hidden Jews was mainly carried out by specially selected police officers who in Limburg belonged to the Security Police (SiPo).
  2. A separate group was the Arbeitskontrolldienst (AKD, Labour Inspection Service). They wore the same uniforms as the normal police and searched for people who were in hiding, e.g. because they didn’t want to go to Germany for forced labor. The AKD people shot at anything that moved. [1]
    They were recruited from the Dutch guards of concentration camp “Erika” near Ommen. One of the most notorious members of the AKD was their chief in Venlo Johan Berendsen [2], aka “The Terror of Venlo”, who was executed as a war criminal after the war.
  3. To support these two services, there was also the Landwacht [3], an auxiliary police force made up of NSB members who took part in this dirty work as a kind of hobby, wearing NSB party uniforms and red armbands. A typical example was Gerrit Holla in Roermond. A tragic case was Funs Savelberg, who was the victim of a lynching.

The attitude among the Dutch police towards the occupiers was very different. Besides the collaborators, there were also many, who looked the other way, who executed an order too late or warned people before a raid. And there were also active resistance fighters among them. The fallen police officers on this page show how far some of them went.

  1. gemeentepolitieeindhoven.nl De oorlogsperiode
  2. Wikipedia NL Johan Berendsen
  3. Nederlandse Landwacht, Wikipedia • NederlandsEnglish


Former police station of Valkenburg
previousback

The fallen resistance people in Limburg

Police – 39 pers.

Beerman,
Wilhelmus Adrianus
Wim
∗ 1909-08-20
Amsterdam
† 1944-06-06
Overveen
- Police - Nijmegen - Limburg + -

Wilhelmus Adrianus Beerman was a police photographer and detective. During the Second World War, he was a member of a resistance group in Nijmegen in which in particular a number of police …


This person is not (yet?) listed on the walls of the chapel.
Berendsen,
Johan
∗ 1912-09-02
Avereest
† 1947-05-02
Vught
- Police - NSB - War Criminals - Venlo -

Photo from the criminal file in the National Archives: Johan Berendsen in early September 1944. Johan Berendsen was a Dutch war criminal known as “the terror of Venlo. [1]
Bilsen, van
Franciscus Jacobus Karolus
Frans
∗ 1911-01-25
Ginneken & Bavel
† 1944-01-19
Venlo
- Police - Aid to People in Hiding L.O. - Underground Press - Venlo -

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 …

This person is not (yet?) listed on the walls of the chapel.
Bongaerts,
Charles Marie Hubert Joseph
Charles
∗ 1909-08-07
Venlo
† 1944-11-23
KZ Ladelund, KZ Neuengamme
- Police - Ordedienst (O.D.) - Aid to escaped POW’s - Pilots’ helpers - Underground Press - Netwerk Bongaerts - Initial resistance - Heerlen -

Married to Trees (Theresa) Dahmen. In 1940 Charles was a reserve officer in the Dutch army and during the five day battle of the Netherlands he fought on the so called “Grebbenberg Line”, that …

wall: left, row 16-01
Bots,
Theodorus Johannes
Theo
∗ 1905-02-28
Leiden
† 1944-05-05
Roermond
- Police - Aid to People in Hiding L.O. - Pilots’ helpers - Roermond -

Theo Bots was a chief inspector of police in Roermond. [1] In addition to the cooperation of the L.O. side and the associated aid apparatus for refugees, the contribution of …
wall: right, row 04-03
Broek, van den
Cornelis /Cornelius
∗ 1907-07-21
Heer
† 1945-03-12
Rotterdam
- Knokploegen (K.P.) - Police - Heer -

Where was Cornelis van den Broek born? According to the OGS [1] in Heer, which was also adopted by maastrichtsegevelstenen.nl [2]. But in his personal file at the OGS it says …

This person is not (yet?) listed on the walls of the chapel.-
Bruls,
Léon Antoine
Leo
∗ 1912-02-06
Sittard
† 1945-04-17
Dresden
- Initial resistance - Group Smit - Sittard - Police -

Leo Bruls from Sittard was an aircraft mechanic and aviator at the Militaire Luchtvaartafdeling (Military Aviation Department) in Soesterberg. [1] Today it is called the Koninklijke …
wall: right, row 17-04
Colleije (Colleye),
Josephus Hubertus Theodorus
Jozef
∗ 1921-07-27
Eys (Wittem)
† 1949-01-25
Nijmegen
- Police - Unorganized resistance - Aid to escaped POW’s - Pilots’ helpers - Aid to Jews - Engelandvaarders - Simpelveld -

Information about Jozef Colleije we find mainly at the website of the municipality of Simpelveld:In the late 30’s and early 40’s he was in the ceramic art workshop in Tegelen. …
wall: right, row 17-01
Conrad,
H.W.
Hans
∗ 
- Police - Sipo/SD - NSDAP - War Criminals - Survivors -

Cammaert wrote: Staff member of Sipo-Maastricht. Was feared and hated because of his hunting of Jews and people in hiding. He made many victims. [1] Hans Conrad was …
Couperus,
Otto
∗ 1898-10-29
Hüls
- Police - NSB - War Criminals - Survivors - Venlo -

Picture: beeldbankwo2.nl [1] Otto Couperus became a police inspector and, during the war, also an SS officer. He began his career in Rotterdam, at the notorious …
Dusink,
Lubbert
Lambert
∗ 1907-04-28
’s-Gravenhage
† 1945-05-24
Ludwigslust
- Police - Aid to People in Hiding L.O. - Nederweert -

Lubertus Hindrikus Johannes Dusink lived, among other places, in Nederweert, where he worked as a municipal policeman. On March 10, 1943, he was relocated to Mierlo-Hout in connection with …

wall: left, row 39-04
Elsholz,
E.W.E.
∗ 
- Police - Sipo/SD - NSDAP - Survivors -

{Before coming to Maastricht, Elsholz worked for the state police in Berlin.} [1.1] Cammaert writes further about him: {Employee of the Sipo-Maastricht. Due to his rather moderate behavior, …

Franssen,
Jan
∗ 0000-00-00
† 0000-00-00
- Police - Valkenburg - Survivors -

Jan Franssen was chief of the Marechaussee (later Rijkspolitie) in Valkenburg. On June 7th, 1946 he wrote a report on occupation and liberation at the request of the mayor,
More in our story Resistance in Valkenburg
Hendriks,
Bartholomeus Theodorus
Bart
∗ 1915-04-16
Nijmegen
† 1944-06-06
Overveen, duinen
- Police - Nijmegen - Limburg + -

During the Second World War, he was a member of a resistance group in Nijmegen in which in particular a number of police officers were active. The group carried out an attack on the traitor …


This person is not (yet?) listed on the walls of the chapel.
Klonen,
Cornelius Wilhelm
∗ 1919-02-12
Hoensbroek
- Police - Sipo/SD - NSDAP - War Criminals - Survivors -

Er is op 24 november 1938 in Heerlen een huwelijk gesloten tussen Cornelis Willem Klonen en Else Irene Krissel. Echtscheiding ingeschreven na het vonnis van de arrondissementsrechtbank te …

Koers,
Klaas
∗ 1913-06-01
Scheemda, Gr
- Police - Belgium - Underground Press - Pilots’ helpers - Survivors - Geulle -

Gegevens van geboorte en sterven het echtpaar Koers-Brouwer vindt u op geni.com. [1] Van Klaas zijn tot nu toe alleen de geboortegegevens bekend. - contact --> De rijkspolitieman Klaas …

This person is not (yet?) listed on the walls of the chapel.
Kroezen,
Herman Laurentius Maria
Herman
∗ 1919-12-02
Boxmeer
† 1945-05-31
Bergen-Belsen
- Police - Unorganized resistance - Horst - Weert -

During the German invasion on May 10, 1940, Herman Kroezen was a professional sergeant in the Dutch army. After their return from captivity, a job creation program was set up for these people, …

wall: left, row 23-02
Linders,
Franciscus Gerardus Pierre
Frans
∗ 1918-05-03
Venlo
† 1944-09-12
Eindhoven
- Police - Knokploegen (K.P.) - Geleen -

Pierre Linders was a policeman in Geleen. In early 1944 he was transferred to Eindhoven, where he joined a resistance group that, among other things, transported weapons for the underground, …

wall: left, row 09-04
Marcusse,
Albertus Hendrikus
Albert
∗ 1903-11-02
Batenburg
† 1944-06-06
Overveen
- Police - Nijmegen - Limburg + -

Albert Marcusse was married to Johannea Stevens and together they had seven children. He was chief inspector (hoofdinspecteur) of police and during the Second World War, he was a member of a …

This person is not (yet?) listed on the walls of the chapel.
Miltenburg,
Hendrikus Cornelis Bernard
Harry
∗ 1911-12-17
Nijmegen
† 1944-08-30
Kamp Vught
- Police - Aid to People in Hiding L.O. - Weert -

Harry Miltenburg worked at the police administration in Weert with the rank of deputy inspector, also honorary rijksveldwachter (rural police officer). [1] His …
wall: right, row 38-01
Mullen, van der
Alphonse Joseph Arnold
Alfons
∗ 1886-11-01
Liège
† 1945-05-31
Bergen-Belsen
- Police - Aid to People in Hiding L.O. - Knokploegen (K.P.) - Pilots’ helpers - Helden -

Alphonse van der Mullen was one of the three police officers active in Helden in the resistance (the other two were J.J. Grijsbach and G.W.H. van Amerongen. He was their local chief or …
wall: left, row 21-03
Nitsch,
Richard Heinrich Georg
Richard
∗ 1908-11-01
Todtgüslingen (Niede
† 0000-00-00
Bad Bentheim ?
- Police - Sipo/SD - NSDAP - War Criminals - Survivors -

Richard Nitsch was one of the notorious sadists of the SiPo in Maastricht [1], which was subordinate to the Reichssicherheitshauptamt (Reich Security Main Office) of Reinhard …

Noordermeer,
Cornelis Klaas
Cor “Clement”
∗ 1918-04-12
Lochem
† 1944-08-11
kamp Vught
- Raad van Verzet (RVV) - Intelligence - Police - Zwarte Plak - Pilots’ helpers - Limburg + -

The policeman Cor Noordermeer was the local leader of the Raad van Verzet (RVV, Resistance Council) in Deurne. After a raid on a food rationing office, Cor has to go into hiding. …

This person is not (yet?) listed on the walls of the chapel.03-10
Oolbekkink,
Herman
∗ 1911-09-27
Deventer,
† 1944-06-06
Overveen
- Police - Nijmegen - Limburg + -

During the Second World War, detective Oolbekkink was a member of a resistance group in Nijmegen in which in particular a number of police officers were active. The group carried out an attack on …


This person is not (yet?) listed on the walls of the chapel.
Rennes / Renesse, van
Godert
∗ 0000-00-00
Heteren
† 1903-02-16
- NSB - Valkenburg - Police - Survivors -

On the genealogy page of the Van Rennes family we read that both forms of the surname …
More in our story Resistance in Valkenburg
Rooyackers /Rooijackers,
Wilhelmus Antonius
Wim
∗ 1918-03-13
Heerlen
† 1944-09-05
Vught
- Police - Initial resistance - Aid to escaped POW’s - Knokploegen (K.P.) - Underground Press - Heerlen -

Wim Rooyackers was a trade correspondent and a member of the mine police. Almost from the beginning of the war he was involved with prisoners of war who had escaped from German camps. [1][2#3] …

wall: left, row 17-03
Roy, van
Hubertus Andreas
∗ 1893-03-09
Nederweert
† 1981-11-24
Valkenburg
- Initial resistance - Police - Valkenburg - Survivors - Group Smit -

Veldwachter (local policeman appointed by the municipality) in Valkenburg until december 1941. Was a member of the early resistance group around J.Smit in Heerlen. The earliest data on this group …

Scheer, van der
Pieter Hendrik
∗ 1919-07-10
Nijmegen
† 1941-03-21
Nieuwenhagen
- Police - Initial resistance - Unorganized resistance - Nijmegen - Nieuwenhagen -

Pieter Hendrik van der Scheer was a conscript from 1939 until the end of the war, assigned to the Vickers M.C. 3rd Bat. 19th Reg. IVth Infantry Division and took part in the …

This person is not (yet?) listed on the walls of the chapel.
Schut,
Cornelis Martinus Wilhelmus
Willy
∗ 1901-11-28
Utrecht
- Police - Sipo/SD - NSB - War Criminals - Survivors -

Picture: Before coming to Maastricht, Willy Schut was the chauffeur of Anton Mussert, the leader of the NSB. [1] Cammaert wrote: Employee of the
Smit,
Joseph
Sef
∗ 1916-09-09
Roermond
† 1942-09-17
Amsterdam
- Initial resistance - Group Smit - Police - Heerlen - Intelligence -

Sef Smit from Roermond was before the war a professional sergeant in the 13th Infantry Regiment. [1] He chose after demobilization in July 1940 to join the police in Heerlen. He did not …

wall: left, row 19-02
Snijders,
Johannes Franciscus
Jan “Frans”
∗ 1916-09-16
Helden L.
† 1944-09-05
Vught
- Aid to People in Hiding L.O. - Couriers of the Resistance - Police - Underground Press - Weert -

Jan “Frans” Snijders was a railroad policeman. He was one of the five couriers of the LO district of Weert and considered to be courier for Jan …
wall: right, row 35-05
Starren,
Jozef Mathieu
Mathieu
∗ 1900-10-15
Maastricht
† 1945-05-31
Bergen-Belsen
- Police - Aid to People in Hiding L.O. - Zwarte Plak - Pilots’ helpers - Horst -

Mathieu Starren was the chief of police in Horst (= Opperwachtmeester or Opper for short). Belonged to a resistance group that had housed divers (persons in hiding), students and pilots in two …

wall: left, row 23-04
Strobel,
Max
∗ 1912-07-15
Oelsnitz (Sachsen, D
- Police - Sipo/SD - NSDAP - War Criminals - Survivors -

Max Strobel was the chief of the SiPo (Sicherheitspolizei) in Maastricht [1], also called SD (Sicherheitsdienst) or Sipo/SD. He was known as a fanatic and a great sadist, surpassed in this only by …

Theelen,
Johannes Jozef
Jan “Nicolaas”
∗ 1919-12-21
Velden
† 1956-01-09
Ede
- Police - Initial resistance - Local contacts - Knokploegen (K.P.) - Ordedienst (O.D.) - Aid to Jews - Aid to escaped POW’s - Pilots’ helpers - Survivors - Arcen en Velden - Venlo -

Jan Theelen wordt geboren in Velden op 21 december 1919, een zondag. Voor zover niet anders vermeld, zijn deze en de volgende gegevens afkomstig uit het artikel De …

This person is not (yet?) listed on the walls of the chapel.
Tobben,
Hendrikus Hubertus
Harrie
∗ 1917-08-24
Heerlen
† 1945-03-15
Hameln (D
- Underground Press - Initial resistance - Ordedienst (O.D.) - Police - Aid to Jews - Pilots’ helpers - Intelligence - Netwerk Bongaerts - Peace Carillon - Heerlen -

Harrie - Harry --> Tobben was a former soldier and after his demobilization by the Germans in 1940 member of the mine police. Was involved, among other things, in acts of sabotage in the …
wall: left, row 19-05
Ummels,
Anton Hubert
Bert
∗ 1894-07-15
Amby
† 1944-08-30
Belfeld
- Reuver - Aid to People in Hiding L.O. - Knokploegen (K.P.) - Police - Beesel -

Bert Ummels had the rank of Opperwachtmeester in the police, which was generally associated with the function of station chief. He belonged to the LO in Reuver, moreover its combat group KP. …
wall: left, row 03-02
Ven, op de
Johannes Hendrikus
∗ 1919-02-23
Swalmen
† 1948-06-20
Maastricht
- Valkenburg - Unorganized resistance - People in hiding - Police - Survivors -

On the night of June 22, 1944, together with Den Haring, an NSB member, he was on guard at the Valkenburg distribution office. Was initiated into the plot. Afterwards went into hiding to deduce …

More in our story Resistance in Valkenburg
Vries, de
Douwe
Hans
∗ 1920-03-17
Zevenhuizen
† 1947-09-13
Haulerwijk
- Aid to People in Hiding L.O. - Knokploegen (K.P.) - Echt - Police -

Douwe de Vries was a policeman, he belonged to the LO and the KP in Echt. Died after the liberation, partly as a result of his resistance work. [1] In the municipality of Ooststellingwerf, where …


This person is not (yet?) listed on the walls of the chapel.03-12
Will,
Peter
∗ 1896-08-21
Schoonhoven
† 1945-04-24
Transport vanuit Neuengamme
- Aid to People in Hiding L.O. - Police - Limburg + - Underground Press - Intelligence - Nijmegen -

Quality inspector in the slaughterhouse of Nijmegen, see the memorial plaque in the slaughterhouse [1] and honorary policeman. After May 1940, he helped people who wanted to escape forced …


This person is not (yet?) listed on the walls of the chapel.