THE NET CLOSES IN

The group was forced to suspend operations in October 1943, when a number of unfortunate incidents alerted the Germans to their activities in the area. The Gestapo arrested three parachutists in Aarhus in December of that year. Their arrest meant consequences for the resistance groups they had contact with and led to around 200 arrests and deportations and to 25 executions. Two of the parachutists were well known in Hvidsten, and under hard interrogation revealed just about all they knew.

 

When the group was ready to restart receiving drops in the spring of 1944, the Germans were waiting and some of the group were arrested on 11 March. Johan Kjær Hansen, Søren Peter Kristensen, Niels Nielsen Kjær and Henning Andersen were not amongst them. They decided to stay in Hvidsten and remove all compromising material. They also believed that flight would be an admission of illegal activities, which they felt would not be to the advantage of their captured comrades. But six days later, on 17 March, the Germans came for the remaining members. A total of 14 members of the Hvidsten Group were arrested in March 1944.

 

Only Gudrun Fiil, Andreas Stenz and Svend Andersen remained at liberty. Gudrun was able to stay in the inn, but the men fled to Sweden and joined the Danish Brigade. The men who were arrested were sent to the Horserød concentration camp, whilst Tulle and Gerda were put in prison. The men were transferred to prison on 23 May 1944 to be brought before a military tribunal.