Footnote 2 - The German Empire and the Dutch Republic

Both the Germans and the Dutch belonged to the Teutonic or Germanic Race. In the Middle Ages the German Empire was very large indeed and included the provinces (seventeen in total) of the Low Lands or the Netherlands (Nether = Low) - today's Kingdom of the Netherlands and the Kingdom of the Belgians. The German Emperor appointed a vassal or 'liegeman' to each of his provinces, often an appointment for life. So, when a liegeman died, a new one was appointed in his place. But in the vast empire, and in particular in the 17 provinces, the vassals soon forgot that they were liegeman and saw to it that they were succeeded by their eldest son. There was little the German Emperor could do about it. The liegemen took titles such as 'Duke' or 'Count' and even tried to enlarge their territories by fighting their neighbouring liegemen.

In 1555 Charles V died. He was the elected Emperor of the German Reich, King of Spain and Lord of all the 17 Provinces of the Netherlands. As King of Spain and Lord of the Netherlands his son Philip succeeded him. Charles had been born and bred in the Netherlands and felt some affinity with its population. Not so Philip, who had been born and educated in Spain and was a very proud and religious Spaniard, who despised his northern subjects and their 'barbaric' language. Overruling any influence on the government that the inhabitants of the 17 provinces had had, he ruled them from Spain and considered and treated the provinces as Spanish colonies.

Meanwhile, the Reformation had begun and Philip was very much opposed to the protestant religions, which had taken root in the 17 provinces. He decided to wipe them out. He sent a Spanish army to support the Inquisition, so inflaming his subjects that they revolted and in 1568 the War of Independence, which was to last for 80 years, began. In 1581, 7 of the northern provinces rejected Philip as their ruler, declared their independence, and created 'The Republic of the Seven United Netherlands'. In 1648, the Westphalian Peace Treaty was signed in the German city of Münster. Both Spain and the German Emperor had to recognise the independence of the Republic, which now no longer belonged to either Spain or the German Empire. The Republic was to last until 1795, when it was changed from a Federal Republic into a National Republic, with a central government in The Hague (Den Haag).

Detached from the German Empire and fully independent, the country and its people drifted away from the Empire and developed separately. The formerly spoken Lower German dialects fell into disuse and the Dutch language came to being which, 200 years later, differed greatly from the German dialects on which it was based. Moreover, Germany was an almost land-locked country, whereas the Dutch (like the Britons) had become a seafaring nation. Their sailors and traders were discoverers, adventures and even colonisers. They had an open mind, investigated everything foreign, and adopted the things they found that they liked. The Republic also knew total freedom of religion and became a refuge for many that were persecuted in other countries, such as the Flemish and French protestants, the British Pilgrim Fathers, and the Jews.

In 1940 there was a wide gap between the Netherlands and Germany. The Dutch never considered themselves as being 'Lower Germans' anymore. (More on this.) Hardly anyone remembered that once their territory had belonged to the German Empire.

Footnote 2b - Teutonic unity

The German Nazis, and in particular the SS faction in their party, were of a different opinion. All territories which had once belonged to Germany they still considered as being German and the populations as still being Germans. They wanted them back. Having attacked and occupied the Netherlands in May 1940 they really expected that, as soon as France and Great Britain were beaten, the true Teutonic blood in the Dutchmen's veins would revive and that the Dutch would hitch their wagon to the victor's train. A little re-education might be necessary and would indeed be forced upon the Dutch, but in time they would become loyal Germans again, obedient to the Great Führer Adolf Hitler, willing to fight and die for him. (More on this.)

To impress the population and to gain some popularity, the Nazis praised the resistance that the Dutch armed forces had put up and, as a reward, the Dutch soldiers were not made permanent PoWs and were not sent to the PoW camps in Germany for the duration of the war. Unlike the Polish, French, Belgian and other soldiers to be captured later, the Dutch military were allowed to demobilise and to go home. Those taken prisoner during the fighting and transported to Germany were released and permitted to return to their families.

Footnote 2c - 'Nazification'

In the flush of their apparent victory and convinced that they would soon be ruling a Nazified Europe, the German's way of thinking made them decide to treat the "Teutonic" Dutch differently. Whilst all the other occupied countries were subjected to a German Army administration, an SS civil administration was installed in the Netherlands on May 20th, 1940. The man in charge, the Reichskommissar, was Arthur von Seyss-Inquart, a notorious Austrian Nazi. He brought with him a number of other Nazis of Austrian origin, whose task it was to be to rule the country and to Nazify it - to the disappointment of the Dutch Nazi party led by Mussert.

In all European countries, England included, Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy had their admirers and followers, especially in the well-to-do and rich sections of the population, who thought that the Nazis would keep the communists at bay. Such unwise and deluded characters were also to be found in the Netherlands. The Nationaal Socialistische Beweging or NSB (National Socialist Movement) was the largest of such groups, although during the last pre-1940 elections it had got just less than 5% of the vote. When founded, it was based on Mussolini's Italian Fascist system. Its members were very nationalistic and very much Royalists. Once Adolf Hitler had taken over in Germany the NSB dropped Fascism and adopted Nazism. There was a schism in the party that clearly manifested itself once the Germans had occupied the country. Even before the war some members of the NSB sought contact with the SS fraction in the NSDAP - National Socialistische Arbeiters Partei, the German National Socialist Workers Party, Hitler's own Party. They strengthened the SS in their ideas concerning the Dutch; consequently they really thought that, once they were in the Netherlands, the Dutch would join them and the Netherlands could be annexed and become an SS province of the Third Reich. These Dutch traitors were in favour of the country being annexed to Nazi Germany. The other NSB members, who had been fierce Royalists and Nationalists before the war, hoped to maintain an independent country in a united Nazi Europe, led by the great Adolf Hitler.

After the occupation, all political parties except the NSB were disbanded and banned. But the NSB, not aware of the German plans, were disappointed, as it had expected to be given power and to be allowed to rule the country. Nothing of the kind happened when the SS took over and the NSB was kept in the background and on a string, much to its annoyance. It was reduced to a reservoir from which the German Nazis drew collaborators.

Whether "Nationalists" or "SSers" the majority of the population considered them all as scum committing high treason and ignored them as much as possible.

Footnote 3 - Socialist Youth

The AJC - Arbeiders Jeugd Centrale or Young Workers Organisation - was a part of the Socialist Party. They wore dark blue shirts and a red scarf.

Whilst Scouting, Guiding and the NJS drew their members mainly from the so-called Middle Classes with some from the Upper Classes, the AJC was a Working Class organisation. Though it copied a lot from Scouting and Guiding, it was not in favour of either of the movements. This changed during the German occupation when AJC members met Scouts and Guides in the Resistance and a good understanding came to being. Long before the Nazis banned the Scout and Guide Movements, the AJC was disbanded. A majority of its members continued illegally and after the liberation, the AJC came back into the open. In the sixties it ceased to exist and a lot of its members joined the Scout or Guide Movements as leaders - and very good ones they were too.

Footnote 3b - Youth Storm

The Nationale Jeugdstorm - NJS - The National Youth Storm. Founded by the Nationaal Socialistische Beweging - NSB in 1934 as its youth organisation. There were separate units for boys and girls:
Meeuwen (Seagulls): boys. Meeuwkes: girls - 10-14 years old.
Stormers: boys, Stormsters: girls - 14-18 years old.
Uniforms: light blue shirts, black shorts for the boys, black skirts for the girls and their female leaders, black shorts, long trousers or breeches with boots for the male leaders.
Headcovering: Karpoets - an ancient cap with black fur sides and a black top, as worn in the olden days by Dutch sailors and fishermen and still to be seen in certain villages when, on festive days, people wear the old national costumes.

The NJS's karpoets, as a token of their loyalty to Dutch Royalty (The House of Orange-Nassau), and the "Fatherland" had an orange top. During the German occupation when the colour of The House of Orange was banned, they changed this to light blue.

The NJS had copied a lot from Scouting. There was also an Air NJS and a Navy NJS. They went camping, but their wide-games were of a more military nature and there was a lot of Nazi-style drill. During the occupation they were taught how to handle rifles and their military training intensified - the plan was that the boys would join the SS and fight for Hitler and his gang. Their salute was the Nazi salute - the outstretched right arm held high with the tips of the fingers at eye level. When meeting Scouts and Guides they used to give this salute, which was mostly ignored, certainly after the Germans had occupied the country. In numbers they were not very large.

The Nazis objected to Scouting and Guiding for several reasons: first of all, Scouting and Guiding were too international; secondly the Nazis could not accept the World Brotherhood ideals. The idea that an Aryan boy would consider a 'coloured' or a Jewish boy as a brother filled them with abhorrence. Furthermore, they considered Scouting to be too soft, and not military enough.

The people's feeling was that the Youth Storm produced a lot of farts.

Footnote 4 - 'Dissapearance'

When the Nazis took their anti-Jewish measures Jay and the other patrol members - to their utter surprise - found that their PL was in fact Jewish (though not orthodox), something they had never known or suspected, the more so as he had light blond hair, was tall and every inch the image of the "perfect Teuton, Nazi SS-style". According to Nazi orders, he was no longer allowed to be a member of the Scout movement, but the Scoutmasters and the patrol decided that this was not going to be, so he stayed put and as was active as before. Thanks to his looks, he never wore the insulting Star of David and got away with it throughout the whole of the occupation.

When his parents, brothers and sister received the deportation orders that were to lead them to Poland and to the death camps, a dangerous and dramatic decision was made. His parents agreed that he and a younger brother would accept an offer to go into hiding, so they did not report for deportation but 'vanished' instead. Later, in the Underground, Jay met him again. The PL and his brother survived the war and when the conflict was over they went to Israel, where they joined the Israeli Army.

Jay corresponded with him until he received the information that, during the Yom Kippur war, his friend had been killed.

Footnote 5 - Identity papers

A special section of the Resistance took care of obtaining ration cards, blank but real identity papers and rubber stamps, by raiding and breaking into offices and bureaux. (more on this) Some of these daring raids were performed during the daytime and the civil servants (if loyal) working in these offices and Dutch policemen (also if loyal) guarding them, always gladly put their hands up when so ordered, seeing the pistols pointed at them. Pleased to be able to serve the right cause, they sometimes provided more than was asked for.

There were night raids too, during curfew hours when only policemen guarded the offices. If these were loyal, they had sometimes provided the information themselves, regarding the situation in the building. They readily agreed to being disarmed (one more pistol for the Underground), to be hit on the head and tied up, or they disappeared with the raiding party.

But sometimes something went wrong and either Dutch traitors or the German police detected the Resistance men and there would be a gunfight. Mostly, they managed to slip away in the dark, but at other times they could not and, rather than fall into Nazi hands, they used their last bullet to end their own lives. That is how Jay's middle brother died during a raid.

It was not all that easy and far more complicated than outlined here. Sometimes, the aircrews and their helpers were either found, or betrayed and caught. In such cases the aircrew members were best off, as they were taken to PoW camps. But their Resistance helpers had to go on trial, most of them received the death penalty and faced the firing squads, or were sent to a concentration camp - which also meant certain death, preceded by much suffering.

Footnote 5b - Forced labour

False identity cards and ration cards were not only needed for the airmen, but also for those who had to disappear when the Nazis sought them, because of suspected of illegal work, or the fact that they refused to go to Germany to work in the war industries.

Millions of Germans were serving in the armed forces, and Nazi Germany was in great need of workers to keep the essential war industry and transport systems going. Workers were sought in the occupied countries but volunteers were few, so they forced people to go. This was not all that successful - not everybody was thrilled by the idea of having to work in Germany, providing the enemy with the equipment he needed to fight the Allies and working in factories and other places that were constantly being bombed by the US and British Air Forces. But the Nazis were very inventive in trapping people. Every now and then they blocked streets, raided cinemas, theatres, churches, swimming pools, football stadia and other public places.

All those men over 15 and under 50 without documentation showing that they were essential for the war effort (such as railwaymen, fire-fighters, those working for the German Army, etc.) would be put under guard, loaded onto lorries, taken to a railway station and then by train to an unknown destination in Germany. Relatives were informed much later.

No wonder the cinemas and churches remained empty.

Footnote 6 - Gestapo

Originally - as now - Germany used to have a police corps consisting of the uniformed ORPO - Ordnungspolizei - those maintaining law and order in the streets and directing the traffic and - mostly operating in civilian clothing - the KRIPO - Kriminalpolizei, dealing with crime. To these were added the GESTAPO - Geheime Staatspolizei - or the Secret State Police.

Even before the Nazis got to power in 1933, they already found it necessary to have an SD - Sicherheitsdienst or Security Service operating within the party, but also keeping an eye on opponents outside the party. Later when firmly in power the Gestapo, the SD, the Kripo and the Orpo were united and put under the command of the SS Reichsführer, Heinrich Himmler. Non-Nazis were fired. The Gestapo and the Sicherheitsdienst also operated in the occupied territories, where they recruited locals consisting of convinced Nazis or prisoners with a very long sentence to serve. These men, considered as traitors, were very dangerous, were hated and often liquidated by the Resistance.

Footnote 7 - 'Labour Service'

When, after the May Day war of 1940, the Dutch Army was demobilised, the first to be sent home were the married men and those unmarried men who had a job to go back to. The unemployed and the professional soldiers could stay on and the Opbouwdienst (Reconstruction Service) was founded. In their old army uniforms and provided with a special badge, they helped to reconstruct roads, railway lines, bridges, etc. Many tried to find other jobs, but when unsuccessful, they stayed on. Then the Opbouwdienst was turned into the Arbeidsdienst (Labour Service) similar to the German Arbeitsdienst. Their army uniforms were dyed dark green and the men were equipped with spades. In Germany - after 1933 - this service had been founded to reduce the number of unemployed, and was compulsory, as it was also to become in the Netherlands.

Here the eyewash was that everybody, irrespective of their training or education received, had, at the end of their schooling and before seeking employment or going into higher education, to undergo the tough life of the field worker or navvy, digging, harvesting etc., so that in later life they would respect and understand manual work performed with the bare hands. Moreover, the service was meant to teach Nazi discipline. Most, but not all of the officers in charge, were Nazis. (Some were loyal Dutch with the Resistance and used the camps for storing arms, or hiding people.)

It was obvious that the Arbeidsdienst boys would be subjected to indoctrination and brainwashing with Nazi ideology. Furthermore, it was feared that, once in uniform, the Nazis might decide to send the boys to Russia, to work behind or in the front lines. In any case, after having served their year, most of the men were demobbed, but were sent to Germany to work in the war industries. So every Dutch boy, on reaching or approaching the age of 17, was served notice that he would have to report for a medical examination and afterwards he would have to enlist. It was possible to postpone this enlistment for as long as one was still at school or studying.

So many a pupil, with the whole-hearted support of his tutors, saw to it that he failed his exams and could have yet another year at school.

Footnote 8 - Parachute drops

The BBC broadcast the news to Europe not only in English, but also in German and the languages of all the occupied European countries. At the end of each news broadcast the announcer used to utter a few sentences that made no sense at all but to those involved. Messages such as "The Kettle has been put on", or "The Cat has been put in the garden" were not uncommon. Each dropping section had its own code and when this was heard, the staff knew that that night a plane would come to drop arms or agents. People having succeeded in escaping from the occupied territories had prearranged messages to be broadcast, to let the others know that they had arrived safely.

Footnote 9 - Premature celebrations

In many a village the national tricolour, so long forbidden, was waving from almost every house or farm. This was often a bit premature, as such villages or buildings sometimes changed hands many times during the fierce fighting. Sometimes, because of the flag, farms and houses were set on fire out of revenge. Particularly in the Arnhem and the Oosterbeek section, the Germans' vengeance hit the civilians hard after the British withdrawal. All were ordered, except the police and the fire brigade and a few other essential workers, to vacate their homes immediately, with no more than they could carry. As refugees, the people were spread all over the country. They could not return until after May 8th, 1945 when the war was over and when they did, they often found their homes either totally destroyed or totally empty, as the Nazis had carried out organised robbery, during which all furniture, household goods, clothing, bedding and other properties were stolen and taken to Germany. The loot was distributed to the German population as "gifts from their Dutch friends".

Footnote 10 - Jan van Hoof

When Dutch Scouting was banned and disbanded by the Nazis in April 1941, the group to which Jan van Hoof belonged carried on illegally. When he was old enough, he joined the group's illegal Rover Crew and, after having passed the tests required, he was ready to make the Rover Promise. Such activities were forbidden, so his crew met in a secluded and well-hidden place in the woods, where they all put on their forbidden uniforms. Jan underwent the special Rover Scout ceremonial night quest, after which he made the Rover Scout Promise and was given the Rover insignia.

As he was also a member of the Underground, he had studied the detonation system which the Germans had installed on the Nijmegen bridges. During the heavy fighting he managed to crawl along the road bridge undetected and cut the wires. Two days later he was guiding a British armoured vehicle, sitting on top of it, when, whilst turning round a street corner, a German anti-tank gun opened fire and hit the armoured-car, which exploded. The two-man crew was killed instantly. Jan was blown off the vehicle and hit the pavement, where the Germans found him. They removed his Underground armband and shot him in the back of the head.

Posthumously Jan van Hoof was awarded the Dutch Military William's Cross, the American Medal of Freedom and the British "King's Commendation for Brave Conduct".

The Dutch Scout medal For Gallantry was re-named the Jan van Hoof Cross. Many Dutch groups took his name.

Footnote 11 - Wir Fahren Gegen England

The German word Fahren in Dutch is translated as Varen, which in English means Sailing. So We are sailing against England. The Germans sang it whilst marching in the streets and the Dutch hated and detested this song and used to accompany the singing by shouting "Plons, plons", or "Splash, splash", indicating that they expected the Germans not to reach the British coast, but to fall into the water and drown long before that.

Kiddies often used to 'march' behind such a singing column and a standard joke was that one of their mothers would open her window and shout to her little boy: "Get away there, do you want to drown too?"

Footnote 12 - Amsterdam District Scout Headquarters

A magnificent old building on one of the many canals in the ages-old Amsterdam city centre, served as the Headquarters of the Amsterdam District. It was not the District's or the Movement's property, but belonged to a Foundation set up by a number of Amsterdam Scoutmasters and promoters of Scouting. When, in April 1941, Scouting and Guiding were banned and disbanded by the SS administration, all their properties were confiscated and handed over to the NJS - the Nationale Jeugdstorm or National Youth Storm. The Nazis in charge of the operation, to their surprise, dismay and anger, found that they could not confiscate this particular building, as it did not belong to the Scout Movement. They had to deal with the Foundation which, under pressure, had to let them use it, but demanded a very proper rent. And so, since April 1941, it had been used by the Youth Storm as its Amsterdam HQ and during the period from September 1944 up until May 4th, 1945, also by the Landwacht, a Dutch Nazi unit in German uniforms that had been terrorising the population.

On May 5th, a member of the Foundation, accompanied by a few Scoutmasters and some Scouts who were armed members of the Underground Forces, opened the door and once again took possession of the Amsterdam District Headquarters. There was no one in the building which, by the look of it, had been abandoned in great haste. The fools had not even destroyed the administration documents and membership lists of the Amsterdam Youth Storm and Landwacht, which were immediately confiscated by the members of the Underground, as were the many Schmeisser machine-guns, rifles and pistols plus ammo. They also found a room packed with Youth Storm uniforms (light blue shirts and black shorts). The black shorts were later given to the Sea Scouts and when the first Air Scout troop was founded it used the blue shirts. All Nazi portraits, flags and other symbols were removed and burned in the street. Within a few hours the building was clean, Baden-Powell's portrait had been put back in place and the Dutch flag and the Scout flag had been hoisted.

As many of the - mostly wooden - groups' meeting places that had survived the war were retaken and "Liberated" by the groups and thoroughly cleaned. Everything that the Youth Storm or Hitler Youth, who had been using them and had left behind, was thrown out and burned, except for the camping equipment - which had mostly belonged to the groups anyway - and the clothing, in particular uniforms of The Hitler Youth, who had been wearing khaki shirts and black shorts, which was very welcome indeed.