Annexure V

APOLLO and BRUTUS.

In the autumn of 1943 (September?), London enquired, over the station "GOLF" whether we were in a position to slip through from Belgium to Holland two agents who had a special mission. For this purpose, London asked us to give a contact address in Brussels and passwords. III-F gave the necessary information.

Uffz. KUP was commissioned to arrange the contact address and prepare details of the clandestine journey. He was assisted in this work by V-Mann RIDDERHOF. London had not informed us when and by what route the agents were to arrive in Belgium.

During the next moon period (early October?), London asked over station "GOLF" whether APOLLO and BRUTUS (Johann Grün) had reached Brussels. They were to have started the day before. The names APOLLO and BRUTUS were first given to the agents in the London message. Some days later, RIDDERHOF reported that BRUTUS had reached Brussels, had confidence in him and had no suspicous concerning his good faith.

BRUTUS had told RIDDERHOF the following concerning the journey: The plane which was to drop him and APOLLO in Belgium had apparently made a forced landing after being hit by Flak. After landing, it had begun to burn and APOLLO. the crew and he had jumoed out and lost sight of each other. He had been able to rescue a case which he concealed in a wood in the vicinity of the landing place. He then made his way to Brussels where he reported at the address given. Thereupon, RIDDERHOF and BRUTUS carried out a two days search for the case, but without success, as BRUTUS could not finf the place again.

After being given a change of clothes by RIDDERHOF in Brussels, BRUTUS expressed his urgent desire to get to Holland; he was slipped over the Belgian-Dutch frontier by V-Mann DE WILDE (@WILDERING) (a safe crossing having been prevously arranged with the frontier post at Baarle-Nassau by III-F). From Eindhoven (?) he travelled to Amsterdam accompanied by RIDDERHOF.

Contact with him was only maintained through fixed rendezvous with RIDDERHOF. After several days he was taken by RIDDERHOF to a small genuine Dutch Resistance Group in the immediate vicinity of Doorn. This group was run by a certain BRAM VAN OORD, with whom BRUTUS took up a permanent residence. Nothing was yet known to III-F of his actual mission.

Meantime, a few days after the arrival of BRUTUS, APOLLO made an appearance at the Brussels Safe House. APOLLO had likewise lost everything in the forced landing, WT apparatus, crystals, papers and money. It was agreed between BRUTUS and APOLLO, that APOLLO should remain for a bit in Brussels, as his mission could not be carried through without the lost equipment. APOLLO was then to return as quickly as possible to London and after replacement of his equipment, start off fresh for Holland. Suitable messages giving this intention were sent to London over the station "GOLF". England raised objections to APOLLO's return, but then agreed to let him journey back through a Paris address. APOLLO thereupon sent to France in company of ARNAUD (Uffz. CHRISTMANN, III-F Niederlande) I no longer remember how and by what route he continued his journey from there.

APOLLO took with him amongst other things, several reports from BRUTUS concerning his present activity in connection with his own mission. These reports went from BRUTUS to APOLLO via RIDDERHOF and through this III-F received exact knowledge of BRUTUS's mission in Holland, as follows:

United distribution of the illegal Dutch press according to the general directive which BRUTUS had brought with him from Londen; also the publication of articles in the Dutch secret press, which Brutus had brought with him from London in the form of micr-films.

Through the activities of BRUTUS and their observations by Sipo, in about December 1943 or January 1944, several facts about the illegal Dutch press were acquired. As the more important information which was expected did not come to light, however, and the necessary supervision of BRUTUS became increasingly difficult, Sipo arrested him and a few known members of the organisation. Nothing was actually known of the results of the trial at III-F, at any rate nothing can be recollected by the writers of this.

APOLLO was sent back to England, pricipally in order to let a genuine English agent return, one who had actual contact with the Dutch groups run by London. III-F hoped for a restoration of the apperently shaken trust in the Dutch organisation founded in London. It was also hoped that London's confidence in RIDDERHOF might thus be restored.

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