On 6 November 1944 the Biesbosch, a difficult to penetrate area, became the front between the German and allied forces. The Germans would almost never go into this area and as such it was ideal for hideouts for refugees. Line-crosser is a Dutch concept from World War II. The name is used to refer to 21 people, mostly from Werkendam, who during the last months of the war maintained a secret connection between occupied and liberated Netherlands across the Biesbosch and the Merwede. They were part of the larger Biesbosch resistance group, and the Albrecht intelligence group.
The Biesbosch in the Second World War
El Biesbosch en la Segunda Guerra Mundial
Der Biesbosch im Zweiten Weltkrieg
Across two different routes people, goods, information and medicine were transported. In total 374 crossings were made. It was mostly a military intelligence route, but also Jews and stranded pilots were helped. It is not known how many people were transported. One of the people who crossed was the British general John Hackett who had been wounded during Operation Market Garden. He would later describe his experiences in 1978 in the book ‘I was a stranger’.
Бисбош во время Второй мировой войны
Le Biesbosch pendant la Seconde Guerre Mondiale
Biesbosch w II Wojnie światowej
There were two routes:
- from Werkendam to Drimmelen: this first went over land for a bit, then by canoe over the Steurgat, along the polder Pauluszand to the island of Middelste Jannezand and then along the Biesbosch side onto the Amer. Opposite restaurant ‘t Voske and opposite the harbor of Drimmelen hung a basket to indicate when to cross the river. The basket was hoisted further as riders approached.
- from the Sliedrecht harbor via the Helsluis over the Nieuwe Merwede, then along the Brabantse Biesbosch to cross the Amer to Lage Zwaluwe.
The routes were 13 to 18 km long, although sometimes a detour had to be made. It took at least five hours, often a whole night. Rowing was done in canoes and small boats, sometimes with a silent electric motor, usually at night and especially not with a full moon. Sometimes they were chased by German storm boats. Near the end of the war crossings were made almost daily.
Biesbosch u Drugom Svjetskom Ratu
Several people in hiding were also hiding in the Biesbosch. There was only one bridge, Brugje van Sint Jan. After Dolle Dinsdag (Mad Tuesday) this was often used by deserting Germans, and regularly managed to arrest a few of them. Together with commander Van der Werd and his Biesbosch group, approximately 75 men were imprisoned in osier bed workers houseboats and later handed over to the Polish army in the liberated Netherlands. Commander Van de Werd was awarded the Bronze Lion for this in 1953.
הביסבוש במלחמת העולם השנייה
Biesbosch dalam Perang Dunia Kedua
De Biesbosch in de Tweede Wereldoorlog
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