Scouts lead the way:
Just after Hitler’s rise to power in 1933, a lot changed in Nazi-Germany. A lot of youth organizations got banished from
society. One of them is the Scout movement. The movement was created by Baden Powell in 1907 in England, therefore
the Scout movement was pure British propaganda according to Hitler. When the German army invaded the Netherlands,
the Dutch youth organizations feared for their right of existence.
The first few years of the occupation went by fairly easy. The Scout movement tried to deploy activities like they would normally do. Although,
some activities were forbidden. The Scouts could not organize field trips anymore, where they could learn to navigate by compass and make
bonfires. They also couldn’t wear their Scout clothes in public.
Hitler saw the Dutch as a friendly nation, bonded in the past with German roots. The occupying forces therefore tried to make treat the
Netherlands equal to Germany. All political parties were disbanded except for one, the NSB (National Socialist Movement) lead by Anton Mussert.
The NSB had a youth movement too, the ‘Jeugdstorm’ or translated: the youth storm. In many aspects, it was similar to the German Hitlerjugend.
The National youth storm tried to bond with the Scout movement, but didn’t succeed because their goals were different. The Scout movement was
not bonding with a movement with Nazi ideals. Eventually, on April 2 1941, the Dutch Scout movement was disbanded.
The leaders of the Scout movement were locked up and interrogated by the Gestapo or Sicherheitsdienst. The Scout movement’s headquarters and
other important locations were closed and the administration was confiscated. Uniforms, tents and other scout materials were collected and also
confiscated. Many Scout movement organizations in the Netherlands already predicted the seizure of their goods, so they devided the materials
amongst their members.
Meetings were held in secure locations in complete secrecy. Once in a while, a Scout leader visited the sub organizations to hear what they were
doing. You could imagine that attending these meetings with younger children was dangerous. Working with the Cub and Boy scouts was therefore
put in abeyance. The Germans thought that with the elimination of the leaders, the movement would go away. They were wrong! The sub divisions
and local groups could organize themselves nicely. That’s what scouts do, improvise.
Just after Hitler’s rise to power in 1933, a lot changed in Nazi-
the Scout movement was pure British propaganda according to Hitler. When the German army invaded the Netherlands,
the Dutch youth organizations feared for their right of existence.
The first few years of the occupation went by fairly easy. The Scout movement tried to deploy activities like they would normally do. Although,
some activities were forbidden. The Scouts could not organize field trips anymore, where they could learn to navigate by compass and make
bonfires. They also couldn’t wear their Scout clothes in public.
Hitler saw the Dutch as a friendly nation, bonded in the past with German roots. The occupying forces therefore tried to make treat the
Netherlands equal to Germany. All political parties were disbanded except for one, the NSB (National Socialist Movement) lead by Anton Mussert.
The NSB had a youth movement too, the ‘Jeugdstorm’ or translated: the youth storm. In many aspects, it was similar to the German Hitlerjugend.
The National youth storm tried to bond with the Scout movement, but didn’t succeed because their goals were different. The Scout movement was
not bonding with a movement with Nazi ideals. Eventually, on April 2 1941, the Dutch Scout movement was disbanded.
The leaders of the Scout movement were locked up and interrogated by the Gestapo or Sicherheitsdienst. The Scout movement’s headquarters and
other important locations were closed and the administration was confiscated. Uniforms, tents and other scout materials were collected and also
confiscated. Many Scout movement organizations in the Netherlands already predicted the seizure of their goods, so they devided the materials
amongst their members.
Meetings were held in secure locations in complete secrecy. Once in a while, a Scout leader visited the sub organizations to hear what they were
doing. You could imagine that attending these meetings with younger children was dangerous. Working with the Cub and Boy scouts was therefore
put in abeyance. The Germans thought that with the elimination of the leaders, the movement would go away. They were wrong! The sub divisions
and local groups could organize themselves nicely. That’s what scouts do, improvise.
That the Scout movement in the Netherlands was still on its feet, became clear during the liberation of Eindhoven, but also after liberating other
major cities. In Eindhoven, when the 101st Airborne Division and British forces entered the city, the Scouts got back into the open. They resumed
their activities instantly. The scouts acted as pathfinders for the British armored forces. Scouts allocated themselves across the city, pointing out
the main route for the armored columns. Therefore the tanks could move through the city quicker.
But the Scouts did more. On the Grote Berg in Eindhoven, a police station was used to assemble all collaborators. The Scouts helped with garding
them and taking care of the administration of the prisoners. The Scouts also acted as croud control, holding back the joyfull croud that clogged up
the main route for British forces in the centre of Eindhoven. They worked together with the resistance movements and police to coordinate the
liberating forces through the heart of the city. After the German bombardment on Sept 19, the Scouts assembled on Stratumseind in front of the
Catharina church and helped evacuating the wounded and cleaned up the rubble. Where there was work to do, you could find the Scouts.
On many pictures of the liberation of Eindhoven, Scouts are shown. Below you see some of the pictures, displayed as an ode to the Scouts.
major cities. In Eindhoven, when the 101st Airborne Division and British forces entered the city, the Scouts got back into the open. They resumed
their activities instantly. The scouts acted as pathfinders for the British armored forces. Scouts allocated themselves across the city, pointing out
the main route for the armored columns. Therefore the tanks could move through the city quicker.
But the Scouts did more. On the Grote Berg in Eindhoven, a police station was used to assemble all collaborators. The Scouts helped with garding
them and taking care of the administration of the prisoners. The Scouts also acted as croud control, holding back the joyfull croud that clogged up
the main route for British forces in the centre of Eindhoven. They worked together with the resistance movements and police to coordinate the
liberating forces through the heart of the city. After the German bombardment on Sept 19, the Scouts assembled on Stratumseind in front of the
Catharina church and helped evacuating the wounded and cleaned up the rubble. Where there was work to do, you could find the Scouts.
On many pictures of the liberation of Eindhoven, Scouts are shown. Below you see some of the pictures, displayed as an ode to the Scouts.
Photo:
Left, a few of many scouts that helped out during the liberation.
Names, starting middle-left: Tiny Gemmens, Betty van Brussel, Ans Witbroek, Pim
de la Fuente, Toos Govers, Frits van Zeyl en Corry Gordijn.
Above, a note written by a scout leader on September 18. It says:
Finally we’re liberated from the Kraut. Who would have thought that they would stay
in our country for so long. Now we are partially liberated. Hopefully, soon, the day
comes when the whole of the Netherlands is free. Liberated by that occupying gang,
who has left us in despair. May our men, women and children, who are locked up in
concentration camps, be freed from suffering as soon as possible. God help them!
Akeela.
Left, a few of many scouts that helped out during the liberation.
Names, starting middle-
Above, a note written by a scout leader on September 18. It says:
Finally we’re liberated from the Kraut. Who would have thought that they would stay
in our country for so long. Now we are partially liberated. Hopefully, soon, the day
comes when the whole of the Netherlands is free. Liberated by that occupying gang,
who has left us in despair. May our men, women and children, who are locked up in
concentration camps, be freed from suffering as soon as possible. God help them!
Akeela.
Photo: Ans Witbroek showing British forces the route through Eindhoven, A boy-scout expressing his moment of liberation by destroying German
signs, Scouts, civilians and PAN at old city council (Sancta Ursula) with German POW’s on the Stratumsedijk. (unknown, unknown, Ben Postema)
Photo: Scouts escorting an American paratrooper on de Wal near the Van Abbe museum, Scouts talking to resistance workers on de Wal while German POW’s are on the ground,
Frits van Zeyl, a British MP and a Dutch policeman guiding traffic through town. (A Bloemink, Ben Postema, unknown)
Frits van Zeyl, a British MP and a Dutch policeman guiding traffic through town. (A Bloemink, Ben Postema, unknown)
Photo: Scouts helping out the Dutch police on the Grote Berg by administrating and
guarding the colloborators, Bren carrier on the Boschdijk with Scouts acting as
croud control. (Ben Postema, Ben Postema, A van Beurden, Gerrit Oom)
guarding the colloborators, Bren carrier on the Boschdijk with Scouts acting as
croud control. (Ben Postema, Ben Postema, A van Beurden, Gerrit Oom)
Photo: Scouts gathering in front of the Catharina church on Stratumseind while scout leaders give them chores to clean up the mess after the German bombardment on the
19th, Toos Govers, Tiny Gemmens, Ans Witbroek and Corry Gordijn carry a wounded man towards the hospital, as shown in a news paper article in 1944. (unknown)
19th, Toos Govers, Tiny Gemmens, Ans Witbroek and Corry Gordijn carry a wounded man towards the hospital, as shown in a news paper article in 1944. (unknown)
