Plaque for Next-of-Kin of Fallen N.S.B. Members.

 

Plaque for Next-of-Kin of Fallen N.S.B. Members.

Known Makers - Royal Dutch Mint in Utrecht, Koninklijke Begeer

Rarity - Very Rare

Plaque for Next-of-Kin of Fallen N.S.B. Members - Reveres.

 

 

The next of kin of the N.S.B members who fell serving with the Dutch forces in Russia received a commemorative plaque to commemorate or honour those volunteers who had fallen in action on the Eastern Front. This was known as the "Mussert plaquette" or Mussert Plaque, also referred as “Oostfrontplakaat” or "Eastern Front" Plaque. It shows the Mussert Cross above a Dutch steel helmet, which is upon an oak leaf branch. Beneath the branch is a scroll with the inscription “Hou en Trou”. At the base of the plaque is “Mussert 1941”. There is a small panel below the “Hou en Trou” scroll on which is inscribed the fallen man’s dates of birth and death. The first date is prefaced by a “Life rune” symbol, the second by a “Death rune”. Although the obverse depicts the date “1941”, the plaques were actually instated at a later date. In light of the death dates of some of the fallen soldiers, the earliest are from 1941 showing a retrospective award. The date 1941 refers to the date 22nd June 1941, when Germany commenced “Operation Barbarossa” the attack on Russia. This also explains the plaque’s nickname “Oostfrontplakaat” ,Eastern front plaque. The plaque is often confused with the Combat Sacrifice plaque, but this was only awarded to members who already had the Combat Sacrifice Badge. Death dates of 1941 are to be found less  frequently than 1942 and 1943. 

It measured 66 mm by 40 mm and is made in white metal, with considerable zinc content. The plaques are maker marked on the upper edge in the middle, with a so called “caduceus” stamp, which from 1815 and was the official maker mark used on all Dutch coin struck at the Royal Dutch Mint in Utrecht. It is also the maker mark for Koninklijke Begeer Though this is very confusing because Koninklijke Begeer is normally the very renowned official maker of Dutch royal awards.

 

 

 

Caduceus stamp.

 

The plaques are marked on the obverse in the lower right corner of the central square, with a “C” encircling an “A”. This is the designer’s mark of artist and NSB member Cris Agterberg, the designer of the plaque. He joined the NSB in 1932 and remained a member until the end of the war in May 1945. Agterberg was born in 1883, an artist from the city of Utrecht in the Netherlands. He designed mainly furniture, jewellery and other small items. His artist gallery was officially accepted and became a platform for other artists. After the war Agterberg was sentenced in 1947 but was set free immediately because this was less than the time he had already been in jail. It was also taken into consideration that he was seriously ill. He died a year later in 1948.

 

 

"C" encircling an "A". The designer’s mark of artist and NSB member Cris Agterberg.

These plaques were contained in a plain, black cardboard box lined with purple velvet. There is a possibility that these plaques were presented with a certificate. These plaques are very rare and only less than 20 are found in collections.

 

 

 

Recipients of the Next Of Kin Plaque:

Name	First Name	Born	Died	NSB member number	Rank	Job
Abcouwer	A	01-01-1921	10-02-1942
Appel	Cornelis	28-12-1918	24-11-1941	90921	SS-Mann	Office Clerk
Arends	Roelof	20-01-1920	10-10-1942		Germanic SS
Arts	J.	03-01-1923	17-02-1942
Bakker	Kurt Rudolf	30-12-1923	28-01-1943		Germanic SS
Bergen-Henegouwen	M.H	09-09-1920	15-04-1943	147737
Deelstra	J.H	13-04-1924	23-11-1943
Dijk, van	Willem	20-08-1917	04-08-1941	64615	SS-Mann
Elias	Jozef, Johannes Wilhelmus	16-06-1908	07-10-1943		SS-Stürmmann	Clerk/ Accountant
Hage	Jacob Willem	05-07-1923	17-04-1943		SS-Stürmmann
Hittenhausen	Johannes Albertus Matthias	06-03-1910	28-10-1943	144143
Höning	A.	24-09-1908	03-02-1942
Hulst, van de	Hendrikus Cornelis	27-07-1920	18-01-1943	102801	SS-Rottenführer
Iren, van	Hendrik, M	04-01-1914	20-09-1943		SS-Sturmmann	Electrician
Janssen	A.	28-11-1916	18-03-1943
Janssen	Hubertus Peter Johannes	16-01-1922	24-08-1941	96833
Jong, de	Albert	09-01-1920	27-02-1942	112588	SS-Mann	Mineworker
Jong, de	Anton	27-02-1910	26-06-1942	78978	SS-Mann	Machinebankworker
Jong, de	C.	12-04-1924	20-06-1942
Kamminga	Anne Willem	01-05-1922	31-08-1943	170145	SS-Schütze	Office clerk
Manche	Gerardus,M.L	30-12-1917	06-09-1943		SS-Rottenführer	Manager
Pejack	P.	23-12-1917	25-10-1942			Office Clerk
Persainere	Johannes, L	04-01-1921	18-08-1943		SS-Rottenführer	Office Clerk
Robertson	Paul	16-08-1918	02-08-1941	129799
Rooy, de	Gerrardus Cornelis	28-12-1918	05-06-1942	157558
Schoenmaker	Frank Hendrik	28-04-1922	24-01-1943	167534	SS-Sturmmann	Office Clerk
Tam	Adrianus, J.	23-11-1917	09-09-1943		SS-Sturmmann	Film sound technician

                                                                       

 

Tam Adrianus. J. - SS-Sturmmann.

 

 

 

 

 

Willem Van Dijk - SS-Mann. Stambocknummer -  64615.

 
 

 

Willem Van Dijk - SS-Mann. Stambocknummer 64615.

 

 

Elias Jozef Johannes Wilhelmus - SS-Sturmmann.

16th June 1908 - 7th October 1943 KIA.

Stambock No     SS Number

He was born in the city of Venlo on16th June 1908. Dutch nationality, living at Heutzstraat 35a in Venlo. He was employed as an office clerk, and then volunteered for military service in the German Armed Forces.  This led him to being enrolled in the Waffen SS as a SS-Sturmmann. Perished in the fight against Bolshevism 1942-1945 on the 7th October 1943 in Chuter/Kreschtschatik (Russia). According to the list of the Volksbund Deutsche Kriegsgräberfürsorge he would have been an SS - Sturmmann. He is buried in the war cemetery in Kiev (Ukraine), Block 4 row 12, tomb 986.