Motorcycle courier service from the Emergency Supply Committee

Well before the end of World War II, the Dutch government in exile in London was already working on plans to rebuild the Netherlands.
To cope with the post-occupation chaos, legal authority would be temporarily transferred to the Military Authority. After the liberation of the southern Netherlands, some discussion followed between the Military Authority (Dutch abbreviation: M.G.), Order Commission (Dutch abbreviation: O.D.) and Resistance as to who was actually in charge. In the end, everyone acquiesced to the leadership of the M.G.
While they were busy in the South of the Netherlands, the northwestern part of the country had to endure the hunger winter. The M.G. realized that the population there would have a shortage of everything after the liberation. In the second half of 1944, the M.G. established the Emergency Supply Committee (Dutch abbreviation: C.N.V.). The task of this organization was to arrange the distribution of food intended for the Dutch population, in cooperation with the Allies (Civil Affairs).
From four large depots, which were set up in Amsterdam, Rotterdam, The Hague and Utrecht, the goods were distributed over thirteen districts:
· for North Holland: Amsterdam, Haarlem, Alkmaar, Den Helder and Hilversum
· for South Holland: The Hague, Rotterdam, Dordrecht, Leiden, Gouda and Gorcum
· for the province of Utrecht: Utrecht and Amersfoort
To know what was sent and received they set up a motorcycle couriers service.

Aankondiging oprichting motorkoeriersdienst C.N.V.

At the Committee, it was believed that there would be enough (young) men with motorbikes who wanted to join this service. Apparently, these bikes had been well hidden during the occupation. They were given temporary employment but had to bring their own motorbikes, for which they had to arrange their own maintenance and insurance.

Foto motorkoeriers C.N.V.
Image from the book: H. van Dissel, Motorfietsen 1900-1960

Een motorkoerier van het C.N.V. in actie
Image from the report: Slag om B2

The fuel and oil were reimbursed by the Committee. To enable this, each courier received a list of available garages and petrol stations.

Vergoedingenlijst voertuigen C.N.V.

The motorcycle couriers maintained a permanent mail service, which initially included three, but after a few days already five trips along different routes. The motorcycle courier service was used as of mid-May / beginning of June for sending official letters.

The letters had to be provided with a paper slip with the text "per koerier", Dutch for "by courier".

Plakstrook 'Per Koerier' van koeriersdienst C.N.V.

If the slips were used up, "per koerier" had to be written on the letter in red pencil. The intention was that the motorcycle courier service would be transferred from the Emergency Supply Committee to the PTT (Dutch Post & Telephone company) as of 1 August 1945. However, at the beginning of August there was a strike by the motorcycle couriers and the main board of the PTT announced that the motorcycle courier service would be discontinued as of 13 August 1945. Letters with the slip "per koerier", sent from a known government office, would then be delivered separately after arrival at the post office.

Aankondiging opheffing motorkoeriersdienst C.N.V.

Since the motorcycle courier service existed for a short time only, from the end of the war until August 13, there will not be many of these letters, with a slip "per koerier" or with a pencil note "per koerier", that have been sent and delivered. Despite this, I still hope to see or buy one in my collecting life.

From the above, it seems that the C.N.V.'s motor courier service would completely disappear. But that turns out not to be the case after all.

Overname koeriersdienst C.N.V. door P.T.T.

The above letter from the Military Authority to the PTT seems to prepare a transition of the motorcycle courier service from the army to civil society, in this case the PTT. Why? That will be discussed in a next episode.

 

Nico Helling

 

Sources:
· KNBF library Houten: Postzak xx uitgave Po & Po
· National Archive: Archive Main Board PTT
· H. van Dissel: Motorfietsen 1900-1960
· W.H. van Baarle: Slag om B2, herinnering in woord en beeld van het CNV (to be found on internet at the
    Royal Dutch Librabry: http://resolver.kb.nl/resolve?urn=urn:gvn:EVDO02:NIOD05_8499&role=pdf)

 

 

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