Kiek, Maurits "Maurice"

Den Haag in de Tweede Wereldoorlog

Date of birth:: August 5th, 1909 (The Hague, the Netherlands)
Date of death:: February 13th, 1980 (Wassenaar, the Netherlands)
Nationality:: Dutch

Biography

Do you have more information about this person? Inform us!

Medal of Freedom

Period:: Second World War (1939-1945)
Unit:: Military Intelligence Section 9 (MI9), Directorate of Military Intelligence (DMI), War Office, British Government
Awarded on:: November 6th, 1946

Citation:
"Maurice Kiek, Dutch civilian fought most courageously for the cause of liberty rendering aid of exceptional importance to members of the American and British armed forces who were evading capture in the enemy-occupied countries of Europe. The courage, bravery, and exceptional devotion to the common cause of freedom displayed by this person in undertaking such hazardous duties, knowing the price to be paid if apprehended, were a definite contributing factor to the termination of hostilities in this theater, meriting the highest degree of praise."
Recommendation:
"When the war broke out Kiek lived in Belgium. After the surrender he came into contact with the Belgian underground organizations. Registered as a Rhine-shipper, he regularly travelled through the occupied districts and collected military datas, which were sent to England. At the end of 1941 the German counter-espionage got on his track and he could scarcely escape an arrest. Bills with a photo were sticked in Belgium, promising a prize of Frs. 100.000. Kies escaped to Holland, where he continued his work. At the beginning of 1942 his position became untenable. A second attempt to arrest him failed at the last moment, however, his mother was arrested and sent to a concentrationcamp; she never returned. Kiek decided to go to England in order to continue his work. Via Belgium, France, Switzerland, Spain, Portugal, South America, Curacao, United States and Canada he arrived in England in the earlier part of 1943.
Via the Dutch Intelligence Service he worked for the Eng.Int.Service.
He freely went back for this service to the occupied districts. Dropped in France near the Belgium borders under difficult circumstances, he reached Brussels and arranged an escapeline, radio-contact with England and contact between Dutch and Belgian organizations.
Kiek was arrested on the 5th of Sept '43 at Brussels some days before his return to England. Kiek agreed with the plan to cooperate with the Germans, however he warned London (when he had the first radio-contact) that he was arrested. The so called Security check was not given by him to the Germans.
On the 11th of May 1944 he was sentenced to death at Brussels by the "Kriegsgericht der Luftwaffe." 27 Pilots, among who several Americans, were helped by him, either direct or indirect. All of them safely arrived in England.
After his condemnation he was placed at the disposal of the German authority which had asked for his arrest in 1941. By the fact that the allied troops had landed in the meantime in France the prisons in Belgium were vacated. Via several camps and prisons Kiek was liberated by the Americans on the 23rd of April 1945 at Amberg."