Herman Laatsman

Johan H. Laatsman de Bailleul (14 September 1903, Ghent – 28 May 1976, Den Haag) was a Dutch diplomat who organized resistance networks during during World War II.

He was made "Knight in the Order of Oranje-Nassau" by the Queen of the Netherlands for his heroic behaviour during World War II (Royal Decree 21-10-1946).

On 21 November 1946, Johan H. Laatsman de Bailleul received from the President of the United States, Harry Truman, the Medal of Freedom with Silver Palm. The President's decision is motivated by his "meritorious achievements" which helped the United States to win against the nazi enemy. Between January 1943 and February 1944, Herman Laatsman showed exceptional abilities in commanding the French section of the Dutch-Paris network. Disregarding personal danger, he embarked on a "self-imposed mission with outstanding success". He personally succeeded in enabling the escape of at least 112 Allied fliers.

Self-imposed mission
Herman Laastman was appointed at the Dutch Embassy of Paris on 16 September 1939. After the fall of France, the Netherlands Consulate ceased to exist and became a "Dutch Section" of the Swedish Consulate. In October 1942, the Swedish Consul warned Laatsman that the German authorities refused to protect Dutch interests in France anymore. All of the members of the Dutch Section were asked to return to the Netherlands.

When the German invaders had occupied the Netherlands at the beginning of Second World War, the Dutch armies were defeated. Nevertheless, its Government decided to continue the war against Germany. On the 13 May 1940, Queen Wilhelmina and her family arrived safely in England on HMS Codrington, a British destroyer missioned by the British Government. The Dutch Government followed and formed a government in exile in London. On the BBC, Queen Wilhelmina addressed messages twice a week to the Dutch people, asking them to be courageous and to fight an enemy whose objective was to reduce the Dutch people to slavery.

About 5.000 Dutch people were living in Paris at that time. The retired people needed their pensions to survive. Many Dutch people fled from the Netherlands and travelled through France to join the Dutch fighters in England or to escape from religious persecution. Laatsman had to deal with all these problems.

Few of the Embassy staff remained in Paris. The staff was confronted with crucial choices: move to Vichy where the French legal government had established? Obey to the German Government which now ruled the Netherlands? Join the underground and become a freedom fighter?

Herman Laatsman and his family made the third choice. They decided to resist, protect Dutch interests and fight the nazis. His situation in Paris was most perilous. He and his wife organised and participated to French underground movements and helped Dutch people to flee religious persecution or to join the Dutch forces in England. He managed to maintain contacts with the Dutch Government exiled in London through various chanels.

Herman and his wife, Rocca Laatsman, hid at Saint-Nom-la-Bretèche 78860. He would take the train every day to Paris to help his fellow-citizens solving the many problems they had to face. He set up and developed several resistance networks. He kept his flat 11 rue Schoelcher at Paris XVIe, which was used to hid refugees threatened by the nazis. He managed to bring back funds from the Netherlands to finance part of the Dutch people residing in Paris.

Foundation of Dutch-Paris
In September 1943, writes Laatsman in his autobiography, he became acquainted with J. Weidner, thanks to Baron Brantsen, major of Special Services at the Dutch Embassy in Paris. The order to merge part of their resistance networks and organise an escape line for allied pilots shot down by the Nazis all over Europe came from London. It was notified by the Dutch Ambassador in Switzerland, Bosch Van Rosenthal, whom Laatsman and Weidner met in Switzerland on November 1943.

Captain John Weidner became the overall chief for the escape line. He had two talented lieutenants, Jacques Rens and Edmont Chait, who operated along the escape line from the north of the Netherlands to the Pyrenees and the south of Spain. Dutch-Paris received funds from the Dutch, British and American Governments, mainly through the Dutch Embassy in Switzerland.

Laatsman commanded the French section of Dutch-Paris in Paris. He received money from several sources for the various resistance activities he carried out with Baron Brantsen.

Important financial support was brought through General A.G. Van Tricht, Netherlands military attaché at the Dutch Embassy in Bern. Dutch-Paris provided a strong support to allied airmen in return, as well as precious information on German activities. Through the connections of Suzanne Hiltermann-Souloumiac, Laatsman had direct entries and support inside the German Embassy. Strong opponent to Hitler’s regime, Karl-Heinz Gerstner provided precious services to Dutch Paris, confidential information and false-true papers.

Herman Laatsman was considered by the pilots he rescued as a genial manager and everybody around confirmed his exceptional qualities. He had kept many of the airmen hidden in his Paris’ flat 11 rue Schoelcher. According to their testimony, the following airmen were saved:
 * SHERMAN Howard N°742098
 * MILLER W-J., N°33365620
 * HORTON Jack, Lt. SW0672358
 * MILLER Karl, Lt. 801163044
 * DOWNE Charles, Lt. 0678624
 * GRUBB Ernest, F/O 120800
 * TRACY James, Sgt 31128008
 * HICKS Chaucy, Lt. 0735197
 * TRIOBRANSKY Jan (RAF).

The personal role of Laatsman in the existence, organisation and operations of Dutch-Paris was decisive. It was he who suggested the name of the network, because as the work of the network was primarily concerned with Dutch people and the centre was in Paris. The organisation was named ‘Dutch-Paris’.

Members were recruited because of their dedication to the cause of freedom and democracy. They were mainly Belgian, Dutch, French. The network also had German and Spanish members. It included 300 people who forged identity papers, looked for temporary shelters for fugitives, and escorted them across borders.

Meritorious achievements
Very few agents of the Dutch Embassy remained in Paris. Laatsman had to take many decision alone to assist the 5000 Dutch people living in Paris. As top leaders of the Dutch-Paris network, Laatsman and Weidner were "responsible for the rescue of more than 1,080 people".

Assistance to the Dutch people in Paris
Pensions for retired people were not paid any more. These people met severe difficulties to survive. Herman Laatsman decided to move to Den Haag and bring back the money for the pensions. He travelled several time using the ressource of his network, working as an employee of the Cie des Wagons Lits. In Den Haag, he took contact with Carriere at the Council of the civil pensions who gave him the necessary funds. Back to Paris he would pay the retired Dutch people.

Rescue of European Resistants and Dutch Jews
Most of the people escaped through the connections created by Dutch-Paris with the "passeurs" of the Pyrenees. One of the "passages" called the "Freedom Track" is still commemorated today. It started in the town of Saint-Girons (Ariège). Until very recenty, French survivors who could join the Free French Forces of Général de Gaulle used this lane to meet with the guides who saved their lives. This route was established for Frenchmen fleeing from the Nazis in an attempt to join General de Gaulle. As the war went on, Freedom track was used by shot-down Allied airmen fleeing along the Pat O'Leary, Dutch-Paris and Marie-Claire escape lines.

During the second week of July each year, a four-day hike cakes is celebrate to remember all those guides and safe-house keepers who opened this route open during the war.

In the book dedicated to Ann Frank, Van Galen Last & Wolfwinkel emphasize the considerable part taken by Laatsman & Weidner networks in saving Jewish people. They joined neutral countries like Switzerland, Sweden or Spain and from there, the fugitive left for England. 3000 Dutch Jews succeeded in escaping through these countries. Dutch-Paris saved almost 250 Dutchmen.

Rescue of Allied airmen
Testimonial of pilots who had fallen on enemy land are very numerous. For example, in Air Forces Escape & Evasion Society, Clayton's lands with his parachute between the Zuider Zee and Kinselmere. Unseen by the occupants, he was found by the Schouten family who hid him. Then, they passed him on to the Dutch Underground. With the help of several others, the Dutch-Paris line got him to Paris. Their Parisian helpers were arrested. The men slipped started to walk south from Paris. By nightfall, they found a place to stay. The next day, French people bought tickets and put Clayton and Ken on a train heading for Toulouse.

In the book on the Weidner’s role in Dutch Paris escape line, Herbert Ford describes Herman Laatsman as the head of his Paris underground group. Laatsman provides him with data about the work being done to move refugees through the city and also secret information which he has to take to Switzerland.

Laatsman directs the move of American pilots in Toulouse. He asks one member of the network to leave for Toulouse to guide them. He provides money and hotel reservation: "We've made good contacts there; they will keep your name out of the hotel register".

The network’s fall
The quality of the management and the loyalty of its members explains the relatively long life and efficiency of the organisation in the hostile environment where its action took place. Every place was very dangerous, not just at the border but in other parts of the territoires covered by the Dutch-Paris network. Many people were arrested and tortured. Those people would not break.

Suzy Kraay was arrested in February 1944 at the Café de l’Arc en Ciel, Place des Fêtes, by the inspectors Bottraud and Balcon, and taken to the Commissaire Bizoire at the Préfecture de Police. She was deferred to the Gestapo offices. She spoke after being tortured by her interrogators, physically and psychologically. 150 members of Dutch-Paris were arrested, including 19 American airmen. 40% never returned.

Silence and sabotage
Laatsman was arrested on the 26 February. He was detained for 8 months and tortured at "la prison de Fresnes". He was interrogated by an officer named "Willy", a tall blond German officer, who spoke fluently both French & Dutch. He suffered "third degree treatment". Tortured several times before his son, he did not speak. He would see never his son again. The circumstances of the death of his son remain unknown.

A few days before the entry into Paris of the famous French General, Philippe Leclerc de Hautecloque, and his heroic "2e DB", Laatsman was deported from Fresnes to Buchenwald on 15 August 1944. After 5 days in overcrowded cattle boxcars, he arrives at Buchenwald. 168 allied airmen are part of the terrible journey. Laatsman was transferred to Dora on the 28 October 1944. Employed as slave at building V1 and V2 rockets, he organised the sabotage of the building process.

He survived and regained freedom on 15 April 1945 at Bergen Belsen - thanks to the British Troops who helped him to return safely to the Netherlands.

Disappointment and honour
After his return to Paris and as reward for his courageous behavior, Herman Laatsman was promoted to the post of vice-consul. Like most resistants of the same period, he endured what is called a Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome (PTSS). His accusations against some of his former colleagues, for their behaviour during the war, made him an embarrassment for his superiors in Paris. In 1946, he was transferred to the Dutch embassy in Brussels as a first class chancellor.

Queen Wilhelmina then asked him to join the Order of Oranje-Nassau (20). On the medal given by the Queen of the Netherlands, one can read: Je maintiendrai.