An interesting few folios in one of the SOE Dutch Security files relating to a message sent back to UK by American Jedburgh Lt Harvey Todd of Team Claude captured at Arnhem Bridge. "Lt Col Nathaniel R Hosket, recently repatriated from Oflag 64, wishes to pass on information received from 1stLt Harvey Todd, at present a prisoner of war in Oflag 64. Lt Todd was a member of the OSS working with the Dutch Underground in England and Holland. During his work in both places, he had come in contact with a man by the name of MODERCOK, a member of the Dutch Underground. Lt Todd was captured by the German and while a P/W he saw the same man in German officer's uniform in a German Camp. Colonel Hosket cannot vouch for the reliability of the above information other than the fact it was told to him by Lt. Todd" The information was important enough to have been passed to Mockler-Ferryman at SFHQ
Conundrum It is documented that the Dutch Underground was infiltrated by the Germans, did this occurance have a bearing on the operation itself?
Interesting stuff, thanks for posting. Most probably the name Modercok was taken down phonetically and should be the Dutch surname "Modderkolk". Squire
Conundrum It is documented that the Dutch Underground was infiltrated by the Germans, did this occurance have a bearing on the operation itself? Interesting in so much as the Dutch Jedburghs would have had training alongside and briefings from Dutch Section personnel, the pre-mission security would have been quite tight, and the fact that he was recognised from both UK and Arnhem area where Team Claude was deployed. Todd was the only survivor being captured at Arnhem, the Dutch team member was killed by a sniper near the Bridge and the WTO was killed while evading
I vaguely remember a book I read, maybe 40 years ago about one of the interrogation guys on our side that said there was a traitor at Arnhem in the resistance, but all I can remember of this was a nickname "King Kong" (I do not even know if the film was out then. But it was supposed to be a factual account of his time interrogating spies etc.) Cheers
The book was probably Spycatcher, by Lieutenant Colonel Oreste Pinto. Pinto, a counterintelligence interrogator, claimed that the Arnhem operation was betrayed to the Germans by a Dutch double agent, Christiaan Lindemans, aka King Kong. However, the betrayal theory has since been refuted by several sources. I seem to remember that Spycatcher was made into a TV series, probably late 1960s.
I understood that one effect of suspicions that the underground had been infiltrated was the reluctance of the Para's to use the local telephone system which was working throughout the conflict and might well have improved communications.
Reluctant to use? They even blew up the Oosterbeek switchboard! The Dutch Jedburgh teams however still maintained contact between Arnhem and Nijmegen.
I guess that" reluctance" comes from reading reports written with English understatement JJHH I see your interest is in the Dutch Resistance. I was privileged to meet members of the resistance in the sixties when they would meet us on the Ginkel Heide after the commemorative jumps, They would be dressed in blue overalls with an Orange armband.Not much time to talk just a handshake over a glass of beer in the Marquee.
Helloo, There is an account of Todd being interrogated by a German officer in the book 'Abundance of Valor' (page 192). The officer showed Todd cards containing detailed information on the officers of the 82nd Airborne. The German officer who was fluent in Dutch and English had passed himself off as a Dutch patriot and had been in one of the 82nd Airborne's command post. Bits and pieces of the book are available on Google books. Unfortunately the next page is missing, but perhaps this is the incident in question. Regards ...
That's a nice story. I wrote a book about the Dutch Jedburgh operations. It is a shame though that the British didn't want to use Dutch resistance during Market Garden. A missed opportunity! The Dutch underground was able to give much valuable support in the American sectors. It's interesting that a German was apparently able to penetrate US security. Gavin was asked about this after the war by Cornelius Ryan, when he wrote A bridge too far. Gavin denied that this could have taken place. I find Todd's story very plausible though..
A most interesting Thread to read and up until now I had not really thought about the Impact on Market Garden by the German Infiltration of the Dutch resistance. Regards Tom
A most interesting Thread to read and up until now I had not really thought about the Impact on Market Garden by the German Infiltration of the Dutch resistance. Regards Tom I doubt that German infiltrations caused much harm, or influenced the outcome of the operation.
So , it was more an infiltrator... not a "spy" as such. I can believe that germans and dutch(or belgian/french) fascist persons can reach easily the gullible staff rooms on the pretence of being resistance men. But to obtain personnel papers from a operational staff room being parachuted into a battle zone ? Why-on-earth would a paratrooper want to carry THAT to the dropzone ? I think the explanation was fake, and the true reason was having nazi spies in the USA itself, as it reminds me of the case when one of the Red Tails black pilot was taken prisoner and during his first interrogation was already confronted with all data , names AND group photo's of his team in training. That is not from infiltrators on the frontline in europe, but data from the USA. And be honest; before the WW2 and even today there were/are a LOT of Nazi sympathisers in the USA.
