History of Sorts

North Holland was the only province to have a Regional Sabotage Division (GSA). This was a resistance unit within the Internal Forces (Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten), composed of experienced members of the Ordedienst (OD), the Raad van Verzet (RVV), and the Landelijke Knokploegen (LKP) under the command of Colonel Wastenecker.

The GSA was involved in seizing and securing supplies, conducting technical sabotage, freeing prisoners, and carrying out liquidations of occupiers and their collaborators.

Starting at the end of January 1945, the Regional Sabotage Division of the Internal Forces in the Zaan region, the Netherlands, began writing reports about their underground activities. These provide a clear picture of the chaotic final months of the war in the region

21 April 1945

The following order must be communicated by the Unit Commanders to their men:

With reference to my order dated the 16th of this month, S 1-2, No. 39N, I inform you that the Commander of the Internal Forces (C.-BS) has determined the following:

That all members of the Internal Forces (BS) must be informed by their Commander that they fall under the discipline of the BS and are therefore obligated to obey all those who are hierarchically above them. This announcement must be delivered as follows:

Pursuant to the order issued by the C.BS (His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard), members of the BS are hereby informed: that each member is subject to the discipline of the BS and is therefore required to show absolute obedience to all those who are hierarchically above them.

Failure to observe this obedience may be punished.

Those who object to submitting to this discipline must, in the interest of the BS, withdraw from its ranks.

BS Commander Johan Wastenecker

Furthermore, I inform you that the C.BS has granted the regional commander the authority, in serious cases of insubordination and misconduct, to impose all necessary disciplinary measures – including execution – as punishment.

I kindly request that you take the necessary actions to announce the above.

The Regional Commander of the Combat Groups in Region 11,
Johan Wastenecker
Seen by: Ko [GSA Commander Jan Brasser from Krommenie]

17 April 1945
Subject: Road Sabotage

On behalf of the LSB (National Sabotage Bureau), I hereby communicate the following:

All German vehicles must be disabled and destroyed using fire pots and concussion hand grenades.
The use of bazookas against trains is currently under further consideration by the LSB.

Ab.

Report from Team I, Z.Z. (Zaanstreek South), from Saturday 14-4 to Sunday 15-4-’45

This evening at 7:30 PM we went to an address on the Ringweg [in Zaandam]. Present were Henk Pol [alias of Zaandam GSA commander Arend Kat], Frans C. [alias of Zaandam GSA commander Frans Bruins], and numbers No. 4, 5, 6 and No. 8, plus two men from Gerretsen’s team [Gerretsen was the alias of GSA group commander Piet Prins from Koog aan de Zaan], Mar and Jan D. [Zaandammer Jan Dekker].

At 10:30 PM we left for the end of the Ringweg. There, we took two small boats and sailed to the railway embankment. We carried an explosive charge of 24 sticks of P.E. 2. Henk Pol and Mar placed the first charge, and Piet (No. 4) and Jan D. placed the second. They were covered by Frans C. and No. 8 at the top of the embankment, and No. 5 and 6 at the bottom. Everyone was armed with Sten guns and hand grenades.

A damaged railway segment following a sabotage attack by the Zaan resistance (Photo: Jan Woudt, Koog aan de Zaan).

Undermined
The railway line was sabotaged between Hembrug and the Viaduct, near the harbor. The detonation was set with foghorn detonators and time pencils set to 5.5 hours. Everything went quietly. We then sailed back to our starting point. Around 11:30 PM we returned to the address. However, as we arrived, we already heard the explosion. We hadn’t heard a train, and according to the time pencils, the explosion should have occurred around 4:30 AM. So this was a mystery to us. Everything else went smoothly.

The Commander, Frans [Bruins]

Part 16: Guerrilla Technique
April 6, 1945
To Henk Pol [Alias of Zaandam GSA commander Arend Kat]

Below are a few points that need to be carefully reviewed and executed:

1. All commanders are asked to do their best to arrange an office for us. This will streamline our work and improve communication among us.
2. Henk, from the warehouse where you got the inductors, the copper wire that’s still there also needs to be taken.
3. The scouts from the teams (especially CCD) need to observe and report on the strength, armament, route, and methods of the Grüne Polizei patrols. A report on this is expected soon.
4. Joop [Zaandam GSA commander Jan Jongh] instructed me to ask the commander to requisition 2 bicycles—one for a T.D. [technical service] chief and one for me (Thijs [probably Zaandammer Albert Wolting]).
5. Reconnaissance of the Hembrug. (Further verbal instructions to follow.) In cooperation with Mar.
6. The two GSA-Zuid groups are to be housed together with the T.D. in one building that is already available. So there is no need to continue searching for a new concentration address. However, in view of guerrilla techniques, it remains desirable to have concentration addresses available.
7. From now on, Lies [probably Lies Rozendaal from Zaandam] will come every Saturday morning to collect the weekly reports.
8. The North and South divisions of the GSA are each to scout two access roads in order to hang one concussion hand grenade, slightly right of center, at motorcycle height. This is to be done in the night from Sunday to Monday (when the detonation is to happen). A report must be submitted on whether it’s feasible and whether everything is in order—i.e., suitable location + sufficient rope—by Saturday during the day. (Jaap [Fokke or Jacob Dijkema from Westzaan], from group Gerritsen [alias of GSA commander Piet Prins], has quite a bit of rope available.)

A staged post-war photo shows four Zaanse GSA members demonstrating how they would hang a concussion hand grenade (Photo: Jan Woudt, Koog aan de Zaan).

9. Orders 1 through 5 from Joop have been discussed and passed on, and a report is also expected on these.
10. During the course of next week, you will receive caltrops from Gerritsen.

Thijs

Henk, the above may be written in a somewhat odd style, but I hope it still makes sense to you. Please pass on to the team commanders whatever parts need to be communicated. I have no further news.

Best regards,
Lies

sources

https://meitotmei.nl/tag/gewestelijke-sabotageafdeling/

https://www.zaanwiki.nl/encyclopedie/doku.php?id=gewestelijke

Many thanks to Otto van Solkema for pointing out these stories to me