Dutch Foreign Volunteer

[Hendrik]

I am searching for information about my half-brother (TEUNIS BIESTERBOS) who served as a dutch Foreign Volunteer. My parents rarely broached the subject, but I believe he died during the last days of the war in April 1945. Any information on his war service (or even an alternative website I could use to get this information) would be most welcome. I have compiled a very extensive Family Tree, but a glaring omission is any information about Teunis.

[Richard Schoutissen]

Do you have more information like, date of birth, birthplace etc?

[Hendrik]

Thank you for your interest in my search. Teunis Biesterbos was born on April 27, 1923. My family home was in Epe, Holland, so I assume he was born there. There is very little else I can tell you about him, as my parents never raised the subject in our presence.

[Richard Schoutissen]

Thank you for your interest in my search. Teunis Biesterbos was born on April 27, 1923. My family home was in Epe, Holland, so I assume he was born there. There is very little else I can tell you about him, as my parents never raised the subject in our presence.

Hendrik,

I couldn't find Teunis Biesterbos in my archive, I also checked some Vermisstenbildlisten without any result.

I would highly recommend you to contact or visit the National Archive in The Hague (Nationaal Archief in Den Haag)!

[Richard Schoutissen]

Hendrik,

I forgot to mention to fill out a online tracing request a the Deutsche Dienstelle (WASt) in Berlin.

Feel free to contact me by e-mail if you need support in your native language!

[Hendrik]

Richard,
I have followed your advice and sent off search requests to the Nationaal Archief in Den Haag and Deutsche Dienstelle (WASt) in Berlin. Thank you again for all your help.

[Hendrik]

Richard,
I have had an email from the National Archief in Den Haag, saying that the name Biesterbos is not mentioned on their database, but they still have to check their card-index boxes. The search will be long and difficult, but there must be some records out there somewhere. Still waiting on a response from Deutsche Dienstelle (WASt).
Regards, Hendrik

[Richard Schoutissen]

Richard,
I have had an email from the National Archief in Den Haag, saying that the name Biesterbos is not mentioned on their database, but they still have to check their card-index boxes. The search will be long and difficult, but there must be some records out there somewhere. Still waiting on a response from Deutsche Dienstelle (WASt).
Regards, Hendrik

Hendrik,

A response from Deutsche Dienstelle (WASt) could take about 6 > 8 month's I'm afraid. On the other hand, lately, I need to wait 3 > 6 month's.

I have about 30 tracing requests running concurrently.

[Hendrik]

Richard,
There has been a twist in the search for Teunis. Even though the National Archives in Den Haag hold no record of him (databases & card systems), the Regional Archivist in Epe found a reference to him on a Civil Registration form. The reference states:-
"According declaration from his parents, deceased April 30, 1945 in Gras." Someone has notated on the reference whether the location was meant to be Graz, Austria.
If this be so, I can not let the irony of a 22 year old Dutch Foreign Volunteer losing his life within days of War's end in faraway Graz, pass without further questions. What was the situation in Graz on that fateful day? Was the city under siege? Was there active insurgency? Can anyone throw any light on these questions.

[Richard Schoutissen]

Richard,
There has been a twist in the search for Teunis. Even though the National Archives in Den Haag hold no record of him (databases & card systems), the Regional Archivist in Epe found a reference to him on a Civil Registration form. The reference states:-
"According declaration from his parents, deceased April 30, 1945 in Gras." Someone has notated on the reference whether the location was meant to be Graz, Austria.
If this be so, I can not let the irony of a 22 year old Dutch Foreign Volunteer losing his life within days of War's end in faraway Graz, pass without further questions. What was the situation in Graz on that fateful day? Was the city under siege? Was there active insurgency? Can anyone throw any light on these questions.

Hendrik,

Here a dutch link regarding Graz that period Slag om Wenen. (onder Nasleep, 6. SS-Panzerarmee)

You could also contact or visit the NIHM (Nederlands Instituut voor Militaire Historie) in The Hague, maybe there is more information in this archive, for example the Prague Archives.

Did you contact the German Red Cross already ?

You need to contact the Austrian authorities also to see if they have any information regarding Teunis, if you need help or you wan't me to contact them than please let me know.

ps. Did you have relatives living in Oberursel (Taunus) Germany ?

[Hendrik]

Richard,
I have two ongoing enquiries about Teunis, viz. the Research Department at the Epe Gemeente, and Deutsche Dienstelle (WASt). I will pursue your further suggested links, but I am limited with what I am able to do by geographics. My family migrated to Australia in 1950, and I currently reside in Melbourne. I appreciate your offer of contacting the Austrian authorities, but, In saying that, I also don't want you to be out of pocket on my account. To my knowledge I have no relatives living in Oberursel (Taunus), Germany, but my Family Tree does stem from the Prussian region of the 15th century.
Regards, Hendrik

[Richard Schoutissen]

Hendrik,

This week I travel to Germany etc. for some research, here is a English link of the Magistrat Graz.

E-mail: [email protected]

You could provide them of all information available and ask them if they have further details, don't forget that it's very common in Germany to pay for this kind of services.

[Hendrik]

Richard,
There have been positive developments in the search for Teunis. Through links provided on the "Slag om Wenen" site, we learn that remnants of the German 6th Army, after the fall of Vienna, fell back toward the Graz area, where there was subsequent fighting with pursuing Soviet forces. Among these remnants were the 5th SS Panzer Division (Wiking Grenadier), a division recruited solely from Foreign Volunteers (Danish, Dutch, Norwegian). The location and dates of the fighting, together with the unit composition, tick many of the boxes for my search criteria and strongly suggest that Teunis was part of this division.

However, there is a twist to the search. Even though the father of Teunis had declared him as having "deceased at Graz on April 30, 1945" with the Epe Gemeente, I have recently received word from the gemeente that they also have Teunis recorded on their Civilian Records, as having died in Groningen on April 30, 1945. This raises the possibility of Teunis having been wounded in the warfare near Graz, then receiving medical transport to Groningen, where he succumbed to his wounds. In this light, are you aware of any Military Base Hospital in the Groningen area around this date?

As you suggested, I have also posted requests to the Netherlands Institute of Military History and to the German Red Cross, and will follow your lead to the Magistrat Graz.
Thanks again for all your help.
Hendrik