Memorial Réseau Clarence

This monument, near the Fort de la Chartreuse, commemorates the fallen members of the Réseau Clarence, a Belgian-French intelligence network during World War II.

This resistance group also had ties to a Belgian-Dutch resistance group 'Luc' and 'Erckens'.. The 3 people listed below had ties to this resistance group, which helped smuggle people (pilots, soldiers, people in hiding, Jews) across the border near Eijsden from the Netherlands to Belgium.

Among those remembered are docter GOFFIN Jules from Voeren who was arrested on October 7, 1942, and Father Hugo (JACOBS Karel from Antwerp) pseudonym 'Charles' and Father Stephanus (MÜHREN Piet, from Bergen op Zoom) who were both arrested on March 18 and 19, 1943. On the monument, they are described as RP Jacobs C. and RP Mühren P.J. (RP means Révérend Père, reverend father).

Both Fathers were buried in the cemetery next to the Abbey after the war. When the cemetery was cleared, both Fathers were interred in a separate monument inside the Abbey and are remembered for their acts of resistance. Dr. Goffin was buried in the cemetery in Voeren (B) after the war.

They were imprisoned in prisons in the Netherlands and transferred to Fort Rhijnauwen in Utrecht on the day before their execution. On October 9, 1943, they were executed here. Their names are on the monument at Fort Rijnauwen. (photo 2)

Also remembered is resistanceman DRESEN Alphonse (age 58), born in Liège and living in Maastricht. He worked for the Dutch Railways at Maastricht station as chief loading master. From his job he had a good view of what equipment and troops were being transported at Maastricht station. The notes he secretly took about this he passed on in the line of resistance. In this case his information reached Count de Liedekerke de Pailhe in Eijsden. On November 11, 1942, he too was arrested and imprisoned. On November 27, 1943, he too was sentenced to death. On January 5, 1944, the sentence was carried out at the execution site of Fort Rijnauwen. His name is also mentioned on the monument at the fort.

Alphonse Dresen is buried in the cemetery on Tongerseweg in Maastricht, in the special section where Dutch soldiers and members of the resistance are buried.

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Source

• Text: Ed Lewandowski
• Photos: Ed Lewandowski