SD officers escape to Schiermonnikoog

February 4, 2020

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SD officers escape

to Schiermonnikoog

In the night of 14 to 15 April, a group of 120 SD and SS officers fled towards Zoutkamp to escape falling in the hands of the Canadians. They managed to reach Schiermonnikoog.

In the night of 14 to 15 April, a group of 120 SD and SS officers fled towards Zoutkamp to escape the battles in the city of Groningen. A Canadian victory would have meant the arrest of the larger part of them.

They were prepared and had devised an escape plan to reach Germany via Schiermonnikoog. These high-level men and women went by car to Zoutkamp, whilst a large part would make the journey to West-Groningen by bike. Early in the morning, four overloaded vessels left the harbour of Zoutkamp.

The fugitives stayed on Schiermonnikoog for more than a month and only surrendered at the end of May. On 31 May 1945, two boats left the harbour of Zoutkamp for Schiermonnikoog at half past nine in the morning.

Under strict supervision, all the SD and SS men and women boarded and were taken to the mainland that afternoon.

When the boats arrived in Zoutkamp, local people watched on as the men and women were put in lorries. Then they were taken to Groningen, where they were put in prison.

In the listed building Rijksbetonningsloods, a former buoy shed located centrally at the old inner basin, has housed the Fishery Museum Zoutkamp since 1994. Here you can see the history and the development of fishery in Zoutkamp. In 2020 you will hear this story and many other stories about fishery and smugglers.