I have begun compiling a list of the Dutch helpers sorted by city and town (see below). This has involved going through the photographic index from the British National Archives (see prior pages of this website), writing down the names and addresses by city or town, typing up the lists, and posting them on the website. It is beyond my resources to do this for all 8000 names, so, for now, I am limiting myself to those cities and towns where the Smit-van der Heijden Line had or may have had contacts. (To see a map of The Netherlands for 1940-1945 showing the towns listed below, click here.)
In compiling the lists I generally copied them as they appeared. However, I did include some abbreviated names, e.g., “A’dam” for “Amsterdam” where necessary. Note that the Award Grade appears in parentheses after each name and, if awarded posthumously, the abbreviation “post.” For a discussion of the meaning of the Award Grade assigned to a helper, see https://www.evasioncomete.be/TxtAwards2.html.
I have tried to copy the listings carefully but there is always the possibility of error. Users will want to view the original listing in the photographic index in the prior pages of this website. Another good reason to view the original listings is that some have notations which I have not copied such as references to imprisonment, widows, payments made for suffering, or that the person was blacklisted for some reason, etc. Please bring to my attention any errors or omissions.
Note that the names remain in the same order as they were in the photographic index except for having been extracted and sorted by city and town. Thus, names beginning with a “v,” “v.d.,” “‘ter,” etc., will be listed in the order of the main part of the name, e.g., “van Aartsen” will be listed among the A’s, not the V’s. A few names begin with the title “Ir.,” meaning “ingenieur,” or engineer.
A possible source of error is if I have mistakenly listed a helper under a city that has the same name as the city where he or she was actually located. The photographic index attempts to distinguish such cities by including in parentheses the abbreviation of the respective provinces in which they were located. Another potential problem is that I have sorted the names by the city or town given on the original list. However, that may not be where the person was active in the Resistance. Note that for some helpers, their address on the original list provides clues as to their postwar military service, e.g., Verhaar, Theo, Netherlands Navy HQ, North Row, London, but no indication of where the person was when he helped Allied military personnel. For some helpers, no name of a city or town is given, just a street address.
Note that sometimes names on the original list are out of order. For example, Silkens, Henri, is on page S10 by himself rather than on page S11. Persons searching for a particular name should look through the entire part of the alphabet–in this case all the “S’s”–to make sure they haven’t missed an out-of-order name.
One of the many uses of having the list broken down by city is to see possible connections. For example, in Amsterdam there are seven helpers listed at addresses on Prinsengracht (note that Anne Frank was hidden at 263 Prinsengracht):
- 236 – Madsen-Hugenholtz, Mrs. K.A.
- 302 – Mondt, Anton
- 540 – Krejcik-Boissevain, E.
- 632 – van der Ham, Willem
- 839 – Bakker, Theodore
- 842 – Boelens, C.
- 1009 – Goedkoop, Jan
- 27 – Borghuis (Burghuis?), Berend Jan
- 69 – Van Veldhuizen, Cornelis
- 124 – Torny, Herman
- 133 – Ponsteen, Andries
- 142 – Tijhuis, Albertus
- 153 – Aaltink, Willem
- 169 – Piksen, Hendrik
- 220 – de Jonge, Tiemen
- 274 – van Harten, Martin
- 274 – Hartholt, Roelof
I will add each city or town as I complete them. So far they are as follows:
- Aalst and Waalre (near Eindhoven)
- Almelo
- Alphen
- Amersfoort
- Amsterdam
- Apeldoorn
- Baarle-Nassau
- Beek
- Beilen
- Berlicum
- Bladel
- Borne
- Boxtel
- Breda
- Chaam (between Breda and Baarle-Nassau)
- Coevorden
- Den Bosch (‘s-Hertogenbosch)
- Den Haag (The Hague)
- Deventer
- Dinther
- Dordrecht
- Drachten
- Eindhoven
- Enschede
- Erp
- Esbeek and Hooge Mierde
- Esch
- Fijnaart
- Gilze
- Goirle
- Groningen
- Haaksbergen
- Hardenberg
- Hengelo
- Heusden, Hedikhuizen, and Herpt
- Hilvarenbeek and Biest-Houtakker
- Hoogeveen
- Hooghalen
- Kaatshuevel
- Kampen
- Leiden
- Meppel
- Middelbeers
- Moergestel
- Netersel
- Nijmegen
- Nijverdal (Nyverdal)
- Oirschot
- Oisterwijk
- Oldenzaal
- Oosterhout
- Oudenbosch
- Roosendaal
- Rosmalen
- Rotterdam
- Schijndel
- Sliedrecht
- Sprang-Capelle
- Staphorst
- Tilburg
- Udenhout
- Ulicoten
- Urk
- Utrecht
- Vessem
- Vught
- Waalwijk
- Waspik
- Well (near Heusden)
- Wierden
- Zeist
- Zundert
- Zutphen
- Zwolle
Towns for which I found no listings include:
- Diessen
- Dongen
- Drunen
- Eethen
- Gorp
- Riel
- Rijen
- Westelbeers
WWII Netherlands Escape Lines 
Mijn vader Johannes Wagenaar werkte voor Licht en Water als meter lezer en geld ophaler en was zodoende uitgesteld voor verplicht werk in Duitsland. Hij had een leder lange zwarte jas en pet met gouden banden en een leeren tas met quitanties. Daartussen stopte hij af en to waneer gevraagd een briefje om door te geven. Hij was 100% vertrouwd.
Ik kan nog goed herinneren dat we met de trein naar Utrecht gingen om als 4 of 5 jarigen “kleren voor me te koopen” als iemand iets zou vragen.
Kortom het was om voor de ondergrondse een bericht af the geven. Als u geintereseerd bent kan Ik nog meer info geven. Ook in Engels.
AUB laat me weten
Ad Wagenaar
Laanen, Cor, lived in the Dorpsstraat in Dinther.
He was the uncle of my wife.
I have added to the list of members of the Smit-van der Heijden Line under the town of Dinther the following entry: Van Laanen, Cor – Worked with the Otten family of Erp and Father Woestenberg of Schijndel. Guided some 40 airmen including George Duffee and Thomas Madsin.
Bruce Bolinger
You have left out Eindhoven -Bernard jacob Scholten and wife Petronella Scholten who hid Jewish, Catholic and American soldiers. Bernard was executed by the SS in front of his home. The secret room was never found ATK
DEar Mrs Keith, have you got more information you woud like to dshare regarding your remarks onEindhoven- Bernard Scholten , date , adress, any other details thank you
Are you able to provide any more information for tracing descendants, for example? I have a letter to my father (an RAF pilot) from John Van Ligten of Apollolaan 69 in Amsterdam and would like to trace descendants.
Try entering the name in the Dutch telephone database (http://www.detelefoongids.nl/). First select “persons” to eliminate any business names. You will find two Van Ligtens in Amsterdam and another 34 in the country as a whole. Try writing to them and I bet you will find relatives. The Amsterdam city archives (http://stadsarchief.amsterdam.nl/english/home.en.html) should be able to tell you the names of all the people living at the address and possibly other useful information.
thank you so much for doing this! …my father was one of these men …Jan Oostijen.
Good Morning
My grandfather fought in the resistance, from the stories I was told, he had said he had been involved with three resistance groups, was captured and managed to escape.
When he passed a picture of him with his group of about eight was left for me.
What I have tried to do is have some of proof that he was in the resistance, so I can provide that to whichever authority, so I can get his medal and possible cap badge, have it framed, so it can be passed down to my kids when the time comes.
It would be great to locate, and be able to put it with my medals from my own service in the Canadian Military.
If someone can help me out it would greatly appreciated please contact me at shotokan@mts.net
Good Morning
What I am trying to is find confirmed evidence that my grandfather, was in the resistance in Holland during the war. Over the years, I have tried with no success unfortunately, when my grandfather passed away a couple of years ago, I was left with some pictures one of him, with a group of about 8 people, wearing their arm bands, beret/cap, cap badge, what appears to be coveralls, and a smg.
What I would like to do is provide the needed proof, submit it so his medal can be awarded to me, framed, along with my own medals from service in the Canadian military.
If anyone is able to assist me, it would be greatly appreciated.
If you would like to contact me: email me at shotokan@mts.net
v. Mook, Adrianus, Ryksweg saved my Father after his B-17 bomber was shot down over Rotterdam. His wife and two Daughters, one who I have visited in Holland, are and will always be hero’s to our family. They are directly responsible, along with other brave Dutch in my life and the life of dozens and dozens of McNamara’s now living in the United States. No words will ever be able to extend the gratitude from our family.
Sincerely and respectfully,
Thomas W McNamara
9521 Riverview Ave South
Bloomington, MN 55425 USA
952-451-1229
Wonderful web site..
For Rijen there is one helper in the list: H.C. Vlaskamp (4441). The name of the village is written in a style which was only used for a short time before the war: Reyen or Reijen.
Is there information for the areas of steinwijk and Overijssel.
If you use Dimitri Gazan’s Excel File of Dutch Helpers, you will find many in Overijssel but none in Steinwijk. Go to https://wwii-netherlands-escape-lines.com/helpers-of-allied-airmen/dutch-helper-list/digitized-dutch-helper-list/dutch-pilot-helpers-list-complete-1-by-dimitri-gazan/.
Can you give me more information about the role of mr. Breedveld in Meppel?
Dear Mr. Kozijn,
1. The US National Archives in College Park, Maryland has WWII files on helpers of American airmen. You can go to https://catalog.archives.gov/id/5709392 and enter the name of the helper. The file for Hendrik Breedveld of Meppel is available at https://catalog.archives.gov/id/286641564. You can then print out the file.
2. To search for other helpers of airmen from Meppel or Staphorst with whom Mr. Breedveld may have worked, see Dimitri Gazan’s Excel index at https://wwii-netherlands-escape-lines.com/helpers-of-allied-airmen/dutch-helper-list/digitized-dutch-helper-list/dutch-pilot-helpers-list-complete-1-by-dimitri-gazan/ and search by the name of the town, e.g., Meppel or Staphorst. There was a joint Resistance organization of people from both the towns. Then search the National Archives index by each person’s name.
3. For background information on the helper questionnaires, go to https://wwii-netherlands-escape-lines.com/research/national-archives-research/airmen-helper-questionnaires/.
4. To learn more about the Meppel/Staphorst organization, see Box 52, https://airforceescape.org/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/Finding-Aid_MS-71-Bolinger-Bruce.pdf. There are some 42 file folders on members of the organization. They are available from the McDermott Library at the U.S. Air Force Academy located near Colorado Springs, Colorado. I donated my research collection to the McDermott Library in January 2020. To arrange to get copies of documents, contact, Joel Hebert, PhD, Chief of Special Collections, McDermott Library, U.S. Air Force Academy, (719) 333-6919, joel.hebert@afacademy.af.edu. To narrow your search, you probably will want to select files of persons in the Meppel/Staphorst organization that you have in the meantime determined were connected to Mr. Breedveld.
5. Another source that I have found useful is the newspaper clipping file at NIOD, the Netherlands Institute for War Documentation. It might include articles (knipsels) about Breedveld or other people associated with him that appeared during or after WWII. You will need to contact NIOD directly.
6. I think you will find it useful to see the “History of the Holland Office” on this website at https://wwii-netherlands-escape-lines.com/govt-reports/history-of-the-holland-office-6801-mis-x-det/. It will give you a better understanding of how the helper files were compiled.
7. I also suggest you take a look at https://wwii-netherlands-escape-lines.com/faqs/faqs-resistance/ on this website for further suggestions for your research and its counterpart, https://wwii-netherlands-escape-lines.com/faqs/how-do-i-learn-about-an-allied-airman-who-was-shot-down/ on researching the stories of airmen helped.
Best wishes,
Bruce Bolinger
Hello…I noticed mention of Sonja Deen my Aunt…she was extremely brave…i have written a story about her…are you interested…also what information do you have about her…i know she received recognition from eisenhower, tedder and radio dienst…Martin Moen Western Australia