A. Morren

"A. Morren Dammakkerweg 6 Ede.", on the Americans' summary card on Johan Bettink, dated 6 June 1946 (Bettink's file, p. 8)

About: A helper named by Boeree with Kauffeld, Van Vemden and Bettink among those "in de naaste omgeving" (close by, of a place he does not name) who helped the stragglers of the failed crossing of November 1944; Bettink's card of 1946 lists him with Van Vemde and Kauffeld. By Boeree's chronicle a better-hidden shelter was made in the wood behind Morren's house for the men from the dug-out at Van Vemden's, the dug-out ◐ Murphy left on 24 November.

Unit or role: A helper of Allied soldiers, with Johan Bettink, J. van Vemde and Kauffeld (Bettink's card; Boeree, p. 201).

Where: Dammakkerweg 6, Ede, in 1946 (Bettink's card); in 1944, by Boeree, "in de naaste omgeving" of a place he does not name, with the better hiding place made in the wood behind his house; ◐ close by the wood where the stragglers lay and the dug-out at Van Vemden's, which is our reading (pp. 201, 203).

Evidence: ✓ Th. A. Boeree, Kroniek van Ede gedurende de bezettingstijd (1947), p. 201 and p. 203, checked on the page images; ✓ the summary card in Johan Bettink's helper file, US National Archives 286637799 (p. 8). He is known from these two sources alone.

The days after the failed Pegasus II crossing of 17/18 November 1944 are told in full on Pegasus II and Roekel and on Johan Bettink, J. van Vemde and Kauffeld. From Morren's side:

• ✓ Ready to help. With the helpers at Kootwijkerbroek in hiding after the arrests there of 15 November, "Gelukkig waren Kauffeld, van Vemden, Betting en Morren, die in de naaste omgeving woonden, tot helpen bereid." (Fortunately Kauffeld, Van Vemden, Bettink, printed "Betting", and Morren, who lived close by, were ready to help.) (Boeree, p. 201, checked on the page image).
• ✓ The hiding place behind his house. Boeree goes on, of the men in the dug-out at Van Vemden's:

The men in the hole at Van Vemden's were well cared for, thanks partly to the help of the Kauffeld family, who lived at Roekel. Behind Morren's house a better hiding place was made in the wood, beautifully camouflaged. They were moved there; in the mornings Bettink brought them bread there, at midday the Kauffeld and Van Vemden families provided a big pan of stamppot.

Dutch originalDe mannen in het hol bij van Vemden werden goed verzorgd, mede dank zij de hulp van de familie Kauffeld, die op de Roekel woonde. Achter het huis van Morren werd in het bosch een betere schuilplaats gemaakt, die prachtig gemaskeerd werd. Zij werden daarheen overgebracht, 's morgens bracht Bettink hun daar brood, 's middags zorgden de families Kauffeld en van Vemden voor een groote ketel stamppot.

— Th. A. Boeree · Kroniek van Ede gedurende de bezettingstijd · 1947 · p. 203

• ✓ 24 November 1944. Boeree has it that:
  • "Op 24 November werd razzia gehouden in Otterlo en Roekel. Van Vemden en Kauffeld werden gearresteerd." (On 24 November a raid was held at Otterlo and Roekel. Van Vemden and Kauffeld were arrested.) Boeree does not say what happened to Morren that day.
  • Bettink was at the hiding place with the bread and stayed there; "De moffen waagden zich niet in het boschje" (the Germans did not venture into the little wood).
  • That evening he went off with the "Tommies", who strayed on the way and came to Kamphuis at Wekerom; with bicycles and eight overalls the eight were then led through Otterlo, Rinus in front and Piet at the rear, to Van Ee at Essen (same page).

James Hardy's report has him, Murphy and three others set out at about three in the morning of 20 November along the sand road through the Roekelsche Bosch and reach "a dug-out in the woods near ROEKEL", where they found five more evaders; after four nights, on the morning of 24 November, he and Murphy left "with our friend" for a farm at Otterlo (Hardy). ◐ That dug-out is very probably Van Vemde's (J. van Vemde).

No source names Morren with Murphy. Boeree does not date the move to the wood behind Morren's house, so whether Murphy was ever in that hiding place, or had left before the men were moved, is not settled (below).

The Americans' summary card on Johan Bettink, dated "6-6-46", lists the helpers he worked with: "J. van Vemde Bentveldsweg 100 Aerdenhout.", "A. Kauffeld Otterloscheweg Ede." and "A. Morren Dammakkerweg 6 Ede.", then "Worked with this 3 persons together. In total sheltered and fed 34 paratroopers and pilots. Later we only transported them." (p. 8, read on the image with the contrast raised). ◐ The card's A. Morren is very probably Boeree's Morren: the surname, and the same three neighbours beside him.

Nothing we hold gives his first name, his dates or his later life. The name sweep found no helper file of his own among the Americans' Dutch files (the sweep), except that it also listed NARA helper file 286675647, "Wid. Morren van de Corput, L. J.", which we have not opened: a widow's file fits him only if he had died by 1946, and nothing we hold says so.

• The name sweep of 28 October 2026 found no A. Morren among the Dutch war dead: the Oorlogsgravenstichting's and the Erelijst's four Morrens have other initials (the sweep).
• The Arolsen Archives' "Personal file of MORREN, A." is two Vught camp cards for a "MOOREN, A. L. J.", with no dates or places (the cards), not shown to be him.
• The surname alone is too common in the Dutch civil records to read whole (13,115 records at Open Archieven when the sweep ran, same file), and the card gives only an initial.

• When the men moved to his wood. Boeree: the men from the hole at Van Vemden's "werden daarheen overgebracht", undated, before the raid of 24 November, and on that day Bettink was bringing bread "aan de mannen in de schuilplaats" (p. 203). Van Vemde's letter of 1946 has the twelve who were left "in mijn schuilplaats verzorgd tot 24 November" (looked after in my hiding place until 24 November) (his letter, p. 8); Hardy has his party leave the dug-out on the morning of the 24th (Hardy). ◐ Not settled.
• Morren and Van Vemde's letter. Van Vemde's letter of 20 May 1946 names only "J.Bettink" and "A.Kauffeld" as those who helped him and does not mention Morren (p. 8); it names them as those who "bijgestaan" (assisted) him. Bettink's card lists Van Vemde, Kauffeld and Morren, then "Worked with this 3 persons together". Boeree and the card name Morren; the letter does not. ◐ Not settled.
• His address. Dammakkerweg 6, Ede, on the card of 1946; Boeree has him living close by, in 1944, without an address (sources above). ◐ Whether he lived at the same place in 1944 is not known.

Everyone, A to Z