Anton Winterink

Anton Winterink (5 November 1914 in Arnhem, 5 July 1944 in Brussels) was a Dutch Communist. and a member of the Communist Party of the Netherlands. Winterink was a core member of an anti-Nazi Soviet espionage group in Belgium that came to be known as the Red Orchestra by the Abwehr. He worked as a radio operator for the Soviet espionage group's that was associated with the Soviet GRU officer, Konstantin Jeffremov, in 1940. Winterink used the alias Tino to disguise his identity. In late 1940, Winterink established an espionage organisation based in Amsterdam, that became known as ''Group Hilda'' that operated until early 1943. Winterink was arrested on 18 August 1942 by the Sonderkommando Rote Kapelle in Amsterdam. After being interrogated and involved in an attempt at ''Funkspiel'', he was shot four months later at the ''Tir national'' military firing-range in Brussels.

Life

Around 1938, Winterink met the artist Riek de Raat, at the home of De Raat's friend, Rita Storck. Two years later, in 1940, the couple became life partner's. After the General strike of 1941, Riek de Raat and Winterink moved in together, hiding at their house at 8 Oude Looierstraat.

Career

In 1933, Winterink was one of three officials that ran the Netherlands branch of the International Red Aid, a social organisation that helped displaced communists with food and accommodation. At the time, Winterink and many others members of the CPN were involved in raising aid money to buy food and clothing for communist refugees from Germany. In the 1930s, Winterink was an important functionary of Rote Hilfe in the Netherlands.

In late 1936 or early 1937 (sources vary), Soviet GRU agent Johann Wenzel moved to the Netherlands, where he made contact with Daniël Goulooze and they discussed plans for the construction of a radio network in the Netherlands. Goulooze was director of the Communist Party of the Netherlands (CPN) and who acted as the main liaison officer between the CPN and the Communist International (Comintern) in Moscow. In late 1938, Wenzel again visited Goulooze to recruit potential candidates for work in Belgium. Goulooze recommended Winterink, who was taken to Brussels where he was trained by Wenzel in Soviet wireless telegraphy procedures and cyphers. Winterink was recruited to work in the Jeffremov group in Belgium and worked for the group for most of 1940. During that period Winterink made frequent trips back to the Netherlands where he established another espionage group. In later 1940, he was ordered to return the Netherlands and take charge of the network that operated under the name of ''Group Hilda''. The most important members of the group were Maurice Peper who was the main courier between Winterink in Amsterdam and Jeffremov in Brussels, Adam Nagel and Wilhlem Voegeler who were radio operators along with Jakob Hillbolling, an agent who organised safehouse and accommodation and Hendrika Smith, the liaison to the Communist Party of the Netherlands. During the whole period of its existence, ''Group Hilda'' was controlled by Jeffremov in Brussels. From late 1940 to mid-1942, ''Group Hilda'' supported a two-way radio link with Moscow via the Soviet embassy in London with the help three radios.

Arrest

On 18 or 19 August 1942 (sources vary), Winterink was arrested by the Sonderkommando Rote Kapelle at a cafe in Amsterdam. Nine members of the group with two remaining radios were not discovered and continued to work. A total of 17 people from Winterink's group were arrested. Winterink was sent to a prisoner-of-war camp (Kriegs Wehrmacht prison) in Brussels, before being sent to Fort Breendonk. He was interrogated for two weeks by the Sonderkommando in Brussels, after which he agreed to work for the Abwehr. Winterink took part in a Funkspiel operation. His station, that was known as ''Beam Tanne'', began transmitting in September 1943. In March 1944, Winterink's Funkspiel operation was abandoned. The German funkspiel operation was largely a failure. Four months later on the 5 July 1944, Winterink was shot at the ''Tir national'' firing-range in Brussels. where he was buried anonymously. The grave site is single grave 312 in row II.

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{{DEFAULTSORT:Winterink, Anton
1914 births
1944 deaths
People from Arnhem
Red Orchestra (espionage)
Dutch people executed by Nazi Germany
People executed by Nazi Germany by firing squad
Dutch communists