The fallen resistance people in Limburg

Gerrit Erdkamp
(Gerhardus Antonius)

Het Grote Gebod – L.O.

The farmer Gerrit Erdkamp was arrested on October 22, 1943, on suspicion of aiding Allied airmen. [1]
He was one of the pioneers of the LO-Elst [2] and belonged to a group composed mainly of municipal officials.
Read more about the end of this group in the story about Elst.
As we often see in the chaotic final days of the war, there is no agreement for his date of death. On oorlogsgravenstichting.nl [8] it says 8 April 1945 in the Kommando Beendorf. This refers to the "SS-Arbeitslager A3", (SS work camp A3) near Beendorf near Helmstedt, which was, among other things, a sub-camp of Neuengamme. [3]
He had to perform forced labor in the Askania-Werke. [4.1]
By order of the Jägerstab, in the spring of 1944 parts of the production were placed underground in salt mines south of Helmstedt to protect them from bombing. Prisoners from the Beendorf concentration camp (a satellite camp of the Neuengamme concentration camp), which had been established in March 1944, had to perform both the enlargement of the mines and the forced labor later required to produce, among other things, autopilots, controllers and steering systems for the Messerschmitt Me 262 aircraft and the V1 and V2 rockets. [4.2]
According to his family’s obituary, he died on transport near Stendal. [5.1]
That is about 80 km east of Beendorf. There were many terrible transports taking place at that time, similar to the death marches. [5.2]
His sister wrote to the OGS:
– in April 1945 near Stendal during transport.
Fellow prisoners spoke of mass grave along the railroad line.
Date of departure to Germany: Mad Tuesday. [6] [5.3#1]
The municipality of Elst added: Transported from Camp Vught to Germany. [5.3#2]
The date of his death was between April 1, 1945 [7] and April 8, 1945. [4.1]
Gerhardus Antonius ( Gerrit ) Erdkamp is listed in the Erelijst 1940-1945 (Honor Roll of the Dutch Parliament). [7]

Footnotes

1. Het grote gebod
2. Elst Open Street Map
3. KZ Beendorf, Wikipedia • Deutsch • Français
4. 1. vriendenkringneuengamme.nl Gerhardus Antonius Erdkamp
   2. wikipedia DE Askania Werke, Rüstungsproduktion und Zweiter Weltkrieg
5. 1. De Tijd De Tijd 5 sept. 1945
   2. Wikipedia Dodenmarsen, Death Marches • Nederlands • Deutsch • English • Français • Español
   3. Archief Oorlogsgravenstichting, Dossier Gerrit Erdkamp • #1 • #2
6. Dolle Dinsdag, Wikipedia • Nederlands • Deutsch • English • Français • não dispon. em port.
7. Erelijst 1940-1945
8. Oorlogsgravenstichting.nl