This cluster is part of the Collection Vandevelde, created by Calixte Vandevelde from 1946 until 1968. Being member of the local resistance from 1941 to the end of the war, he was part of the preparations of this attack and gathering intelligence on the Sonder Transports including the transports from Sammellager Mecheln towards Auschwitz.
The cluster consists of 11 documents, several pictures and a handwriten diary. The content of the documents : - Besonderen Hinweis from the Sicherheitsdienst Headquarters of Brussels (Sachgebietes IV/B3) towards the Dienststelle Löwen (Leuven), dated 23 April 1943, rendering information on the attack in Korbeek-Lo, specifics on the assembly of the train of the XXth Convoy, the order to search and arrest Jewish prisoners that have escaped in the vicinity of the St. Kamillus Institute and the identification of the remains of Pieter Scheepers, killed during the action against the convoy. Also the order to transport the body to the FH Hechtel. - Police rapport dated 28 April 1943 in the village of Leuven, testimony from Maurice Swinnen, railwayworker and present that night , giving details on the behaviour of the transport, location and things he noticed like shots being fired and the location of the dead body (being Pieter Scheepers). - Letter from the Cabinet of the Governor of Brabant (Mr. Wildiers at that time), directed to the Commissioner of Police of the village of Leuven on 14 May 1943, asking for the investigation towards the ones responsible for the attack on the transport of 19 April 1943 in Korbeek-Lo, by the demand of the NMBS (National Society of Belgian Railways). Structural wood was used to build the obstruction across the rails. - Section of a German" Bescheinigung Gruppe C" (temporary exemption from the forced labour) belonging to Pieter Scheepers, valided by the Werbestelle until June 1943. Part of the Dienststelle files recovered at the Vital Decosterstraat in Leuven in 1945. - Picture of Pieter Scheepers, kept by his friend Calixte Vandevelde. On the back of the picture is noted :" Pieter Scheepers, neergeschoten 19 april 1943 aan den talu statie Corbeek-Lo (Pieter Scheepers, killed 19 April 1943 near the railwaystation of Korbeek-Lo), also his wartime codename" HERMAN" is noted. - Picture of Aron Luksenberg, kept by Mme Bultot. On the back, information is noted by pencil :"Aron Luksenberg - dans la cache en veste- 23 IV 43 Rue de Waterloo 23, timbres nr 4 - nr 6 - nr 12. Mouchoirs, brancelette, chaussures semelle" (Aron Luksenberg, hidden in his vest - 23 IV 43, Rue de Waterloo nr 23, ration stamps nr 4 - nr 6 and nr 12. Also handkerchiefs, bracelet, sandals) - Letter of Mme Bultot from Rixensart to Mr. Lousse, dated 3 september 1945, giving her testimony on Mr Eggerickx, being a traitor in the hunt for Jewish families, the names of the other helpers she knew in her network and her help in giving shelter to Aron Luksenberg, escaped from the XXth Convoy near Korbeek-Lo. - Carbon copy of the letter (3 pages) from Sister Clara (Angeline Vandevelde), validated by the Mother Superior of the Annonciade de Tirlemont, dated 4 May 1946, towards Mr Benzen. She is giving the extensive list of names of the children and their helpers she knows, that were saved in the vicinity of Wavre, Malèves, Rebecq, Jodoigne, Ottignies, Braine-l'Alleud, La Hulpe, Ceroux-Mousty, Rixensart, Limal, Limette, Tangisart, Rosières et Bierges lez Wavre. Extra notes give extra information on helpers and more detail on Aron Luksenberg and his stay at the Providence Institute of Wavre. - Letter (2 pages) from Sister Clara to Mme Bultot, dated 11 June 1946. A friendly letter (Sister Clara -Augustine Vandevelde- is related to Calixte Vandevelde and Mme Bultot), talking about her illness and her reply by letter to the" Service du Régroupement des Enfants et Familles Juifs, with more details on Isy Steiner, René Fispan and the sad evolvement for Aron Luksenberg, who has caught meningitis under the care of the family TYGER-LEVY. - Picture of Alfons Cyriel Coremans, participant of the railway attacks in Korbeek-Lo, as stated by Maurice Swinnen (also in his diary). - Letter from the Armée Secrète Fraternelle B3 in Brussels directed on 2 March 1951 to Calixte Vandevelde as an answer to his writing. Mr Vandevelde has been asked to bring all of his documents and testimonies towards a meeting on 21 March 1951 at the building of the association. These documents are needed to complete the files of Gustav Poncelet, resistance member of the partisans and executed in 1944 by the SS. Also information regarding the quest conducted by Mr. Vandevelde towards IGO GROSS, who escaped from the XXth Convoy near Korbeek-Lo, is given since the address provided by Mr Vandevelde ( Haachtsesteenweg 406 ) is no longer occupied in Schaarbeek. - Diary of Maurice Swinnen, participant of the action against the XXth Convoy in Korbeek-Lo, railwayworker at that time. Handwritten, partially in 1944 and 1945. The section on the timeperiod and facts related to the XXth Convoy holds 20 pages. Higly detailed elaboration of the facts during the night of 19 april 1943, their engagement in collecting information on the Sonder Transports, details on the participants and the death of Scheepers, the facts regarding EVA RESLER, who was killed during her escape with her brother Mircea Resler, involvement of the St. Kamillus Institute, information on Joseph Patron (escaped the transport near Korbeek-Lo).
Cluster of documents, pictures and a diary related to the incident and attack on the XXth Convoy near the railwaystation of Korbeek-Lo ( Belgium ) at midnight of April 19th, 1943. The cluster has been validated by the facilities of Kazerne Dossin in 2024.
Consulting of the documents is possible in the museum during opening hours, after sending a motivation of research and request to : info@hbfv.be Opening hours are available on www.hbfv.be
Originals are preserved at the Museum House of the Belgian French Resistance
This cluster is collected in one archival map, the documents being separated from the pictures.
High resolution digital copies are available after permission at the Kazerne Dossin archive facilities.
The documents and pictures in this cluster are part of the big collection, acquired by Calixte Vandevelde during the period of 1946 until 1951. Within his quest for the reconstruction and recognition of the facts, he also went in search of the escaped Jewish prisoners that he encountered during the facts of 19-20 April 1943. The diary of Maurice Swinnen was donated separately. After his death in 2013, the collection was handed over to his grandson Jo Peeters, director of the Museum House of the Belgian-French Resistance, ensuring the proper inventory and preservation of the artefacts. In 2023 a part of collection, related to the internal life of the barracks of Kazerne Dossin during the war, was transfered to the Kazerne Dossin archives. The cluster of the XXth Convoy incident and attack at Korbeek-Lo is still kept at the archives of the Museum of the Belgian French-Resistance.
Documents of the Collection Vandevelde relevant to the attack on the XXth Convoy in Korbeek-Lo 19 april 1943
Direct reproduction or copying by photography in our facilities is prohibited.