Belgian Grave Resistance Member Jules Goffin

Belgian Grave Resistance Member Jules Goffin #3

On the cemetery of Voeren is located the grave of;

GOFFIN Jules, 46 years old, doctor at teh village of Voeren and member of resistance group 'Clarence'. He was known in the resistance network by his code name 'Marat'.

Doctor Goffin had already been involved in resistance activities during World War I and would not remain on the sidelines during this new German occupation. He was the leader of resistance group 'Clarence'. From 1940 he was engaged in observing train movements. And especially at rail network of Visé (B). There, two important rail connections converged. The lines from the Ruhr area that went via Venlo and Visé to Belgium and France. And the line from Aachen that also passed through here.

He also smuggled photos of cities such as Cologne and Aachen after bombing raids conducted by the English RAF to England. These showed the English the result of their bombings.

From 1942, the 'Clarence' group decided to work together with the resistance group 'Luc'. This was led by Arthur Renkin from Liège. This resistance group also included the friars from the monastery at Val-Dieu (B). Father Hugo (Karel Jacobs from Antwerp) codename 'Charles' and Father Stephanus (Piet Mühren, from Bergen op Zoom).

The Luc group managed part of the escaperoute from the Netherlands through Belgium into France. Also members of this resistance group were the two brothers Hubert and Alphons Smeets from Eijsden and the Count of Eijsden Castle, Raphaël de Liedekerke de Phailhe. The Count was of Belgian descent and was an officer in the Belgian army. Among other things, they helped escaped French prisoners of war. Resistance member Nic Erkens (an officer of the Dutch army) had his own resistance group en he decided to word together with group Clarence and Luc. Before the war he worked and lived in Liège. So he knew the regian and language.

A connection was also sought with the Belgian resistance group 'Jean'. Witness to this is the memento of this resistance group on the grave.

This led to a large resistance network to get escaped prisoners of war or pilots who had crashed, through the Netherlands, Belgium and France to England. Also the helped Jewish refugees and people in hiding who where seeking to escape.

Eventually, the German SD (Sicherheidsdienst) led by Max Strobl and Richard Nitsch would dismantle the resistance network in 1942 through counterintelligence, and several individuals were arrested on Oct. 7th, 1942.
Among them Jules Goffin, Alphons and Hubert Smeets and Count Raphaël de Liedekerke. Nic Erkens was arrested a month later on November 11th as Sittard. Also both Fathers Hugo and Father Stephanus were arrested on March 18th and 19th 1943. They were imprisoned at fort Rhijnauwen in Utrecht and executed there a year later, on October 9th, 1943. Their names are on the monument at Fort Rijnauwen. (Photo to follow).

The remains were cremated and then taken away again by the Germans. It turned out that they ended up in a cemetery in Erfurt (D) after the war. On June 26th, 1948, the urns arrived in Eijsden. At the border with Moelingen (B), Doctor Goffin's urn was handed over to his next of kin. The urn was wrapped with the Belgian flag that had flown at the Aubin-Neufchateau fort, where the docter had assisted the garrison. Also, both urns containing the mortal remains of Fathers Hugo and Father Stephen were transferred to the Order of Val-Dieu.

Nic Erkens ,age 49, is buried on the military field of honor of the cemetery 'Robertson' in Liège

LIEDEKERKE de PHAILHE Raphaël age 40, is buried behind the monument for the fallen of the 2nd World War in Eijsden.

SMEETS Alphons age 56, is also buried behind the monument for the fallen from the 2nd World War in Eijsden.

SMEETS Hubert age 50, is also buried behind the monument for the fallen from the 2nd World War in Eijsden.

Father Hugo (JACOBS Karel) age 42, is buried in the abbey church of Val-Dieu.

Father Stephanus (MÚHREN Piet) age 34, is buried in the abbey church of Val-Dieu.