Figure 1.--This photograph was taken in Heidepark during 1944. (We are not sure where that is located.) As the Allies didn't each the Dutch until September 1944 and then only the southern Netherlands south of the Rhine, we assume this photograph was taken during the NAZI occupation. The boys here apparently called themselves Woudlopers,

The Dutch Scouting movement was disrupted during the World War II by the German invasion in May 1940. The Ntherlands was occupied until libeation by the Allies in the Spring of 1945. The NAZIs at first discouraged and then outlawed Scouting. An excellent history of scouting in the Netherlands and other occupied countries is available. The NAZIs tried to organize a rival the Jeugdstorm, a NAZI-approved organization for boys (and girls in their own department), but few Dutch boys joined. Some Scouting was continued clandestinely, but Scouts could not wear their uniforms. All Scout troops got an invitation to join the Jeugdstorm. There were posters on trees and walls with the words: "Come and join the Jeugdstorm!" This youth (jeugd means youth in Dutch) movement was founded in the Netherlands by the the Dutch Nazi party (NSB) around 1934. It was something like the Hitler Jugend, but the uniform was different. The shirt was sky-blue of color, the shorts were black, If I remember correctly the scarf or neckerchief was also black or dark-blue, there was no swastika anywhere but instead some other not so offensive Nordic sign like a seagull. The most interesting thing of this uniform was the head covering. It looked like the black velvet "topi" Indonesian Muslims are wearing. They were black also, but the material was like angora wool with tiny black curls. On top vertically through the center was an opening that showed an orange-colored fabric, as shiny as silk, actually amazing, because orange was a very patriotic Dutch color, after all the royal family is the House of Orange-Nassau. In spite of this conciliatory design it is needless to say that very few Dutch Scouts joined the Jeugdstorm. Many Dutch Scouts were active in the Resistamce. A Dutch reader reports, "Once in a while you saw a Jeugdstormer in his blue uniform wearing a pair of brown corduroy shorts. Than you knew he was an ex-boy scout, a 'traitor'." Actually it proved dangerous for older boys to join the Jeugdstorm. It was organized like the Hitler Youth to recruit boys into the military. Many Jeugdstorm boys died on the Eastern Front in Dutch units fightening with the Wehrmacht.

NAZI Occupation

The Dutch Scouting movement was disrupted during the World War II by the German invasion in May 1940. The Ntherlands was occupied until libeation by the Allies in the Spring of 1945.

NAZI Regulations

The NAZIs at first discouraged and then outlawed Scouting. An excellent history of scouting in the Netherlands and other occupied countries is available.

Jeugdstorm

The NAZIs tried to organize a rival youth group, the Jeugdstorm--the NAZI-approved organization for boys (and girls in their own department), but few Dutch boys joined. All Scout troops got an invitation to join the Jeugdstorm. There were posters on trees and walls with the words: "Come and join the Jeugdstorm!" This youth (jeugd means youth in Dutch) movement was founded in the Netherlands by the the Dutch Nazi party (NSB) around 1934. It was something like the Hitler Jugend, but the uniform was different. The shirt was sky-blue of color, the shorts were black, If I remember correctly the scarf or neckerchief was also black or dark-blue, there was no swastika anywhere but instead some other not so offensive Nordic sign like a seagull. The most interesting thing of this uniform was the head covering. It looked like the black velvet "topi" Indonesian Muslims are wearing. They were black also, but the material was like angora wool with tiny black curls. On top vertically through the center was an opening that showed an orange-colored fabric, as shiny as silk, actually amazing, because orange was a very patriotic Dutch color, after all the royal family is the House of Orange-Nassau. In spite of this conciliatory design it is needless to say that very few Dutch Scouts joined the Jeugdstorm. A Dutch reader reports, "Once in a while you saw a Jeugdstormer in his blue uniform wearing a pair of brown corduroy shorts. Than you knew he was an ex-boy scout, a 'traitor'." Actually it proved dangerous for older boys to join the Jeugdstorm. It was organized like the Hitler Youth to recruit boys into the military. Many Jeugdstorm boys died on the Eastern Front in Dutch units fightening with the Wehrmacht.

Clandestine Scouting

Some Scouting was continued clandestinely, but Scouts could not wear their uniforms. This photograph was taken in Heidepark during 1944 (figure 1). (We are not sure where that is located.) As the Allies didn't each the Dutch until September 1944 and then only the southern Netherlands south of the Rhine, we assume this photograph was taken during the NAZI occupation. The photograph was captioned Woudlopers. We're also not sure what that meant. The boys are not wearing uniforms. After 4 years of occupation, many may mnot have had uniforms--at least ones that fit. Some of the boys look like they may be wearing Scout shorts. One boy wears a Scout-like shirt. Several boys are wearing cross bands. I'm not sure what they represented. The boys here apparently called themselves Woudlopers, presumably to avoid the problems associayed with Scouting. My Dutch-English dictionary says that "woud" means "forest", "loper" means "runner", and "woudlopers" means "woodsmen". A lot of Dutch words are similar enough to English that you can actually puzzle them out. So when you see "woudloper" you can think of a guy loping through the woods and not be far off. A Dutch reader tells us, "The boys in the picture call themselves "woudlopers". I have never heard of that word. I think it is a kind of romantic expression: forest walker (hiker). Boys scouts are called "padvinders" in Dutch (path finders). Many words and titles in the Dutch Scout movement are of Afrikaans origin, the language the Boers spoke. Trek, trekking, voortrekker, baas (boss), oubaas, verkenner, etc. Some of them are perfectly at home in English as well." [Stuek]

The Resistance

Many Dutch Scouts were active in the Resistamce.

Sources

Stueck, Rudi. E-mail, June 11, 2004.