The following subpages are photographic copies of the Index to Dutch Helpers from the British National Archives. For comments on various features of the list and for a breakdown by city and town, click here. Judging from the number of listings per page and the number of pages, there are between 8000 and 9000 names listed. To see the comparable list at the U.S. National Archives, click here. (There are differences between the two lists and anyone researching a helper’s name should check both lists.)
In using the index, note that the place name given for a person’s residence may be a source of confusion. As one visitor to this website pointed out, it all depends on where the place name falls within the geographical hierarchy of place names. The Netherlands consists of twelve provinces. The provinces are made up of municipalities (gemeente). The municipalities, in turn, are made up of one or more communities, each referred to as a plaats (city), dorp (town), stad (city), or streekdorp (region, village). As an example, the village of Haulerwijk is in the municipality of Ooststellingwerf, which lies in the province of Friesland. Further complicating matters, the same name may appear at different levels. Take, for example, Groningen. There is a City of Groningen, located in the Muncipality of Groningen, which, in turn, is in the Province of Groningen. When reading the helper file of someone who aided an Allied airman, keep in mind that the helper (or the typist with Allied Military Intelligence who typed the form) may have used the name from one level of the geographical hierarchy, which might not be what someone else would use.
- Dutch Helper Names, AA to Avezaath
- Dutch Helper Names, Baak to Bierhof
- Dutch Helper Names, Bierhof to Bouma
- Dutch Helper Names, Bouma to Bijzitter (Byzitter)
- Dutch Helper Names, Cals to Curfs
- Dutch Helper Names, Daale to Dijkstra
- Dutch Helper Names, Ebbink to Eysinga
- Dutch Helper Names, Fassen to Fust
- Dutch Helper Names, Gaajetaan to Gijzen (Gyzen)
- Dutch Helper Names, Haafter to Hey
- Dutch Helper Names, Heyboer to Hijmans (Hymans)
- Dutch Helper Names, Ibelings to Imbos
- Dutch Helper Names, Jaarsma to Jutgens
- Dutch Helper Names, Kaa to Kwint
- Dutch Helper Names, Laar to Legger
- Dutch Helper Names, Leisink to Lijser (Lyser)
- Dutch Helper Names, Maal to Mijnheer (Mynheer)
- Dutch Helper Names, Naaktgeboren to Nijzink (Nyzink)
- Dutch Helper Names, Obbink to Oijen (Oyen)
- Dutch Helper Names, Paapst to Pijpers (Pypers)
- Dutch Helper Names, Quant to Quint
- Dutch Helper Names, Raa to Rijswijk (Ryswyk)
- Dutch Helper Names, Saalmink to Sleeuwenhoek
- Dutch Helper Names, Sleutjens to Szerkowski
- Dutch Helper Names, Taconis to Tijthof (Tythof)
- Dutch Helper Names, Ubachs to Uijthoven (Uythoven)
- Dutch Helper Names, Vaandering to Vuyst
- Dutch Helper Names, Waal to Wytema
- Dutch Helper Names, Ypma to Yzermans
- Dutch Helper Names, Zaalber to Zythoff
I have a comment about the list of dutch helpers.. I miss my father on this list, his name is dierks.m.j. and he has got the medal of freedom grade 4 without palm in 1947 in maastricht.I hope you can put him on the list.
Your sincerely P. Dierks.
Dear Mr. Dierks,
Your father is on the list. In fact, he is on both the British list at https://wwiinetherlandsescapelines.files.wordpress.com/2012/05/d5.jpg and the American list of Grade 4 recipients at https://wwiinetherlandsescapelines.files.wordpress.com/2015/09/dutch-grade-4a.pdf.
Best wishes,
Bruce Bolinger