Annexure V, Brutus & Apollo

In the Autumn of 1943 (september?), London enquired, over station 'GOLF', whether we were in a position to slip through from Belgium to Holland two agents who had a special mission. For the purpose, London asked us to give a contact address in Brussels and password. Abwehr III-F gave the necessary information. (GOLF is Willem van der Wilden)
Uffz. KUP was commioned to arrange the contact address and prepare details of the clandestine journey. he was assisted in this work by the V-Mann RIDDERHOF. London had not informed us when, and by what route, the agents were to arrive in Belgium.
During the next moom-period (early October?), London asked over station GOLF whether APOLLO (Jan van Schelle) and BRUTUS (Johan 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 Brussles, had confided in him, and had no suspicios 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 jumped 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 day' search for the case without success, as BRUTUS could not find 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 Belgium-Dutch frontier by V-Mann DE WILDE (van der Waals) aka WILDERING (a safe crossing having been previously arranged with the frontier post at Baarle-Nassau by III-F). From Eindhoven (?) he travelled to Amsterdam 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 permanent residence. Nothing was yet known to III-F of his acual mission.
Meantime, a few days after the arrival of BRUTUS, APOLLO made an appearance at the Brussels safehouse. APOLLO had like wise lost everything in the forced landing, W/T 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 afresh for Holland. Suitable messages giving this intention were sent to London over the station GOLF. England raised objection to APOLLO's return, but then agreed to let him journey back through a Paris address. APOLLO was thereupon sent to France in company of ARNAUD (Uffz. CHRISTMANN, III-F Niederlande). I nolonger 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 atcivity in connection with his own mission. These reports were sent from BRUTUS to APOLLO via RIDDERHOF and through this III-F received exact knowledge of BRUTUS' mission in Holland, as follows:

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

Through the activities of BRUTUS and their observation 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 can be recollected by the writers of this.
APOLLO was sent back to England, principally in order to let a genuine English agent return, one who had had actual contact with the Dutch groups run by London. Abwehr 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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