Johannes Roskam

Ede 15 Jun 1916 – ?

Johannes Roskam of Lunterseweg 110, Barneveld, known to the Allies as "Jan", filled in his own form for the Americans on 21 June 1946 (his file, p. 5)

About: A Knokploeg man of Barneveld who went into hiding in September 1944 and became, by the Americans' summary, one of the leaders of the escape work round Barneveld with Dick Kragt and Joop Piller. It names him among the escorts of a failed Rhine crossing of autumn 1944, ◐ Pegasus II, Murphy's.

Unit or role: "KP" (the Knokploeg) on his own form (p. 5); a "former 'Knokploeg'-man" whose "pilot-work" was done with Piller, "Dick" and Evert Bruinekreeft (the summary, p. 4); ◐ a driver, "Kraftfahrer", on a German court form, if it is him (Arolsen Archives).

Where: Born at Ede; Lunterseweg 110, Barneveld, in 1946 (his form), ◐ the "Joop Roskamp" of Teunis's form, taken here as him, on the Lunterseweg at De Biezen, "Gemeente Barneveld. Betweent [sic] Barneveld and Lunteren." (Teunis's form); in hiding from September 1944 at H. van Esveld's farm at Essen (the summary); ◐ last residence "Arnheim ( Holland )" on the Bocholt court form of 1949 (the form), if it is him; ◐ The Hague in the 1984 book, if he is the Jan Roskam of De zwarte herfst (below).

Evidence: ✓ His helper file with the Americans, US National Archives 286684591 (the summary of 22 June 1946, p. 4; his form, p. 5); ✓ his birth, Ede, 1916; ✓ the British index of Dutch helpers (page R/9); ✓ Kew's catalogue (WO 208/5457/32; WO 208/5275/2426); ◐ his brother Teunis's form, which says "his brother" and lists a "Joop Roskamp" (p. 2); ◐ Joop Piller's statement, which names only "Jan Roskam" (p. 18); ◐ the Bocholt court form of 1949 (Arolsen Archives); ◐ Willig's escape report, as "John Roskamp" (E&E 2976); ◐ Dekkers and Vroemen, De zwarte herfst (1984), p. 273 (the extract).

• ✓ Birth. Johannes Roskam was born at Ede on 15 June 1916, the son of Jan Roskam, a farmer (landbouwer), 41, and Jannetje Vink (birth, index, Ede births 1916, deed 394). His own form has "Ede 15-6-16" (p. 5).
• ◐ His brother Teunis, born at Barneveld in 1907 to parents of the same names (✓ in the two birth indexes), of Wolweg 42, Stroe, wrote in 1946 that he had found hiding places for "his brother"'s airmen (Teunis's form; his birth; Teus Roskamp).
• ◐ A fine at Bocholt, 1941. A form headed "Verantwortliche Vernehmung" (an examination of the person charged) of the district court (Amtsgericht) at Bocholt, in Germany, file 3 Ds 60/41, dated 9 August 1949, has "Roskamp", "Johannes", "Kraftfahrer" (driver), born "15.6. 1916 in Lündern ( Holland ) Ede", last residence "Arnheim ( Holland )", "ledig" (single), parents "Jan Roskamp und Janne geb. Fenk" (the form, read on the image).

Under "Zur Sache" (the matter):

The above was sentenced by judgment of the Bocholt district court of 26 November 1941, for wilful and unlawful damage to another's property, to a fine of 30 (thirty) Reichsmark, or 6 (six) days in prison instead, and to the costs of the proceedings.

German originalDer Genannte ist durch Urteil des Amtsgerichts Bocholt vom 26. November 1941 wegen vorsätzlicher und rechtswidriger Beschädigung einer fremden Sache zu einer Geldstrafe von 30 - dreissig - Reichsmark, ersatzweise 6 - sechs - Tagen Gefängnis sowie zu den Kosten des Verfahrens verurteilt worden.

— Amtsgericht Bocholt · 3 Ds 60/41 · form dated 9 August 1949 · Arolsen Archives, 2.2.2.1 · the transcript

• The form says nothing of what was damaged or why he was at Bocholt. It reached the International Tracing Service from the Bocholt district administration, sent with a letter of 24 October 1949, and went on to the Netherlands liaison officer in September 1950 (the back; the folder's README).
• ◐ Very probably him: the birth date and the parents match his birth record, the mother's name misspelt "Fenk" for Vink.
• ✓ The Knokploeg. By the Americans' summary he was a "former 'Knokploeg'-man" who "had to dive under in September 1944" (p. 4).

The Americans' Holland office summed up what his helpers told them:

Johannes ROSKAM, former "Knokploeg"-man, had to dive under in September 1944 and found shelter in the farm of Mr. H. van Esveld, Essen (Grade 5). This seems to have been the start of his pilot-work, which was very important and done in co-operation with Joop Piller (Capt. van Amstel), Laaren (Grade I), "Dick" (Frans Hals), Evert Bruinekreeft, shopkeeper, Kootwijkerbroek-Barneveld, etc.

— US Military Intelligence Service, Holland Office · summary on Johannes Roskam · The Hague, 22 June 1946 · his file, p. 4

• The names. ◐ H. van Esveld of Essen is Heimen van Esveld, whose own forms put the farm at Kootwijkerbroek (his form, p. 7; where the sources disagree on his page). ✓ "Dick" and "Frans Hals" are both field names of Dick Kragt in Kluiters's list of Dutch agents (Kluiters), and the summary itself gives "Capt. van Amstel" as Joop Piller.
• ✓ The men who passed through his hands. "We could definitely establish that practically all the allied airmen whose names are to be found in the files concerning" Van Esveld, Evert Bruinekreeft and "van Omme" of Kootwijkerbroek, "Wed. Kees de Munt" of the Lange Zuiderweg and Paul Versteeg of the Welgelegenweg at Voorthuizen, and "Jacob Bol, etc." "paased [sic] through Mr. J. Roskam's hands" (same page; Eb van Omme).
• ✓ His own list. His form names, as helpers he knew, "H. van Esveld farmer Essem. Veluwe Veeverloskundige.", "E. Bruinekreeft Shopkeeper Kootwykerbroek Barneveld.", "Willem ten Ham. Barneveld Nieuwstraat" and "Joop Piller Laaren." (p. 5, read on the image). The handwritten original has "Essen (Veluwe)" (p. 2). Veeverloskundige is a cattle obstetrician; the form does not say whose trade it is.
• ✓ His brother's part. Teunis, his brother, wrote:

Mr. Teunis Roskam helped his brother, who did inmportant [sic] pilot-work. His task was to find hiding places. Then his brother came with pilots in order to have them escorted by Teunis to the hiding places. Mr. Teunis R. Estimated having escorted in all 8 pilots, perhaps more . His brother was a co-operator of DICK and JOOP PILLER -alias Capt. van Amstel Laaren. and is reputed to have given help to numerous pilots.

— Teunis Roskam's questionnaire, 20 June 1946 · US National Archives, RG 498 · his helper file, p. 2

Teunis's form does not say which of the helpers in its item 11 is his brother. It lists "Joop Roskamp", a pencil stroke through the final p, codename "Jan", of the Lunterseweg, De Biezen (same page). ◐ We take him to be Johannes: the codename is the one on Johannes's own form, and Bruinekreeft's summary names "Roskam Teunis and Johannes" together (below).

• The others who named him.
  • ◐ Joop Piller listed a Jan Roskam first among the helpers who "hebben zich in dezen tijd bijzonder onderscheiden" (especially distinguished themselves at this time), the time from September 1944: "Jan Roskam, Eb van Ommeren [overtyped] (overleden), Evert Bruinekreeft, Willem van Dijk en Marinus van Beek", and in a hand added "en de koerierster Puck de Jong" (and the courier Puck de Jong) (Piller's statement, p. 18; Willem van Dijk; Martinus van Beek).
  • ◐ Gerrit Soel ("Gerard") of Kootwijkerbroek listed "Captain Dick, Lieutenant Van AMSTEL, J. ROSKAMP, E. BRUINSCHREEFT, Wijnand v.d. BERG." on 12 June 1945 (Soel's form, p. 3).
  • ✓ The summary of Evert Bruinekreeft's file, 22 June 1946, rests on "An investigation in the Barneveld-area among the helpers, who used to co-operate with Capt. van Amstel (Joop Piller), "Dick" (Frans Hals), Roskam Teunis and Johannes" (Bruinekreeft's file, p. 17).

The same summary goes on:

He was also one the escorters of an important body of paratroopers and pilots who tried to make a collective crossing of the Rhine in autumn 1944 and was one the people who looked after these menwhen this crossing turned wrong. According to all the people we saw to this effect, Mr. Roskam was one ofe the leaders in the escape-work in the Barneveld-area.

— US Military Intelligence Service, Holland Office · summary on Johannes Roskam · The Hague, 22 June 1946 · his file, p. 4 (the typing errors are the summary's)

◐ The crossing is very probably Pegasus II, the mass crossing Kragt organised for the night of 17/18 November 1944, which failed (Pegasus II and Roekel): the summary names no operation and no date, and "autumn 1944" and "turned wrong" fit it. Murphy and James Hardy set out on it; by Hardy's report their party set out at about three in the morning of 20 November along the sand road through the Roekelsche Bosch and was hidden in a dug-out near Roekel (Hardy). No source names Roskam with Murphy, and the summary does not say which of the men he escorted or looked after.

◐ A Jan Roskam, in a boxed piece in the 1984 book De zwarte herfst (when and to whom he said it is not stated), told how the stragglers were gathered:

… I was then at Van Esveld's. We picked up stray paras and lodged them with farmers, who were paid f25 a week a man. I saw to that money myself, and to meat and ration coupons too. … And so we took those men to Brunekreef at Kootwijkerbroek.

Dutch original… Ik zat toen bij Van Esveld. We hebben verdwaalde para's opgepikt en ondergebracht bij boeren, die f25 per week per man vergoed kregen. Persoonlijk heb ik voor dat geld gezorgd, en ook voor vlees en distributiebonnen. ... En zo hebben we die mannen naar Brunekreef in Kootwijkerbroek gebracht.

— Jan Roskam · in C.A. Dekkers and L.P.J. Vroemen, De zwarte herfst · 1984 · p. 273

The book places him at The Hague; whether he is Johannes is set out below. He names none of the men. The passage gives no date for "toen" (then): the sentence before it has Kragt dropped "al in 1942" (as early as 1942), so it may not mean autumn 1944.

Two American airmen of a B-17 shot up by flak and crash-landed on 21 November 1944, Lts Sidney Willig and Harold Bonekat, listed their helpers in their escape report (E&E 2976, Appendix C, p. 1, PDF p. 7; Sidney Willig). After "DICK", head of the underground in the Barneveld area, comes:

ROSKAMP, JOHN, BARNAVELD, HOLLAND. 5'11", 155 lbs., 28 yrs. old, blonde hair, unmarried, spoke little English. Used to be a bus-driver. He is "DICK's" right-hand man. … Same as above for "DICK."

— Lts S. H. Willig and H. W. Bonekat, USAAF · E&E report 2976, Appendix C, p. 1 · the page image

"DICK" "Provided new civilian clothing, made arrangements for helpers and food. Furnished tobacco, [struck-out word] transportation, and contacts." (same page; ◐ Dick Kragt). ◐ John is probably Johannes (below).

Hardy's report puts "four U.S. Aircrew", "members of a Fortress crew" shot down on 21 November, in a barn with him and Murphy on the night of 24 November (Hardy); ⚠︎ Noordman alone names them as Willig, Bonekat and two others (Noordman, p. 285). The night is told on Teus Roskamp and Sidney Willig. Willig's report gives no date for John Roskamp's help.

• ✓ His form, 21 June 1946: Lunterseweg 110, Barneveld; married ("yes"), no children given; next of kin a woman of 21 with his surname, not named here (she may be living); known to the Allies as "Jan"; underground movement "KP" (p. 5, read on the image).
• ✓ His grade with the Americans.
  • The summary and both copies of his form are pencilled "Grade 4" (p. 4; p. 2; p. 5).
  • The folder cover has "US grade 5 Five. 4" struck through, then "Grade 5 / Conf 59, 24-6-46" (the cover, p. 1).
  • The Americans' list of Grade 5 awards (the Eisenhower certificate) has "(3555) ROSKAM, Johannes / Lunterscheweg 110 / Barneveld, The Netherlands", his brother next at (3556) (the list, p. 134, read on the image).
• ✓ The British. The British index of Dutch helpers has "ROSKAM, Johannes", Lunterscheweg 110, Barneveld, certificate 27179, grade 4 (page R/9, National Archives WO 208/5477, in John Howes's photograph). Kew's catalogue has, for Johannes Roskam born at Ede on 15 June 1916, a "Commendation for services to the Allied Cause", dated 25 June 1946, "Duration of service: 2 years" (WO 208/5457/32; the catalogue entry), and "Award: Certificate 17: Reference: BM/4153" (WO 208/5275/2426; the catalogue entry); neither file is digitised.
• ✓ The Resistance Memorial Cross. The 1985 register of its bearers has "Roskam, Johannes 15-06-1916" (the register, p. 198, read on the page image).
• Later life. ◐ If he is the Jan Roskam of De zwarte herfst (1984), he lived at The Hague (Dekkers and Vroemen, p. 273). Nothing we hold gives his death. The Arolsen Archives index a post-war tracing case, no. 222.473, for "ROSKAM, JOHANNES born 15.06.1916", which is not online (the folder's README).

• Willig's "John Roskamp". ◐ Probably this man.
  • For: "Jan" is his own form's name for him; he was 28 in November 1944 (birth); the Americans' summary makes him a leader with Piller and "Dick", as Willig makes John "DICK's" right-hand man; Soel's form has a "J. ROSKAMP" beside "Captain Dick"; and Willig's "Used to be a bus-driver" loosely fits the "Kraftfahrer" (motor-vehicle driver) of the Bocholt form, which is itself only ◐ his (sources above).
  • Against, weakly: Willig has him "unmarried", and his own form of June 1946 has him married; the two can both be true, a year and a half apart.
  • Against: his own papers give Johannes no trade, while his brother Teunis was a chauffeur when he married in 1935 (marriage, index), so "Used to be a bus-driver" fits Teunis at least as well.
  • Neutral: the widow Van de Munt's house on the Lange Zuiderweg, which hid Willig from 19 December, is on the summary's list of houses whose airmen "paased through Mr. J. Roskam's hands", but it ties the house to Teunis too: her own form names "Roskam, Stroe, Gem. Barneveld", and Teunis's form lists her (Sidney Willig; her form, p. 3; Teunis's form, p. 2).
• The Jan Roskam of 1984. ◐ Probably this man. De zwarte herfst has "Jan Roskam te Den Haag, destijds bij de Veluwse ondergrondse bekend als 'Jan de Hollander' of 'Jan met de rode snor'" (Jan Roskam of The Hague, known in the Veluwe underground then as "Jan the Hollander" or "Jan with the red moustache") (Dekkers and Vroemen, p. 273).
  • For: the name "Jan", Van Esveld's farm, Piller and Kragt all fit his file, and Piller's list names a "Jan Roskam" (p. 18).
  • Against: ⚠︎ "de Hollander" may mean a man from outside the Veluwe, which is our reading, since no source says what the nickname meant; Johannes was born at Ede and lived at Barneveld. Where Johannes lived in 1984 we do not know.
  • The same passage has Kragt dropped near Ede "al in 1942", where Kluiters's list of Dutch agents has Kragt dropped on the night of 23/24 June 1943 ("KRAGT, D.", 19430623/24; Kluiters; Dick Kragt).
• His grade. Grade 4 on the summary and his forms, Grade 5 on the folder cover and the Americans' list of Grade 5 awards, grade 4 on the British index (sources above).
• His birthplace. Ede in the civil record and on his form; "Lündern ( Holland ) Ede" on the Bocholt form (the form). Lündern looks like the German spelling of Lunteren, a village in Ede municipality (our reading), so it need not be a second birthplace.
• Single or married. The Bocholt form, typed in 1949, has him "ledig" (single); his form of 1946 has him married. ◐ The 1949 form apparently carries over the details of the 1941 case; it does not say so.

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