Groupe G
General Sabotage Group of Belgium Groupe G | |
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Groupe Général de Sabotage de Belgique Participant in the Belgian Resistance (World War II) | |
Active | 1942-September 1944 |
Leaders | Andre Wendelen (founder), Jean Burgers (founder) [1] |
Area of operations | Across Belgium |
Strength | 4,046 (total) |
The General Sabotage Group of Belgium (French: Groupe Général de Sabotage de Belgique), more commonly known as Groupe G, was a Belgian resistance group during the Second World War, founded in 1942. Groupe G's activities concentrated particularly on sabotage of German rail lines and it is widely considered to have been the most effective resistance group in Belgium during the period.[2]
History
Groupe G was founded in 1942, by a group of former students of the Free University of Brussels and its ranks were mainly filled by students.[2] Unusually for a resistance cell of the period, the unit's activities were not restricted to a single area as it operated across the country.
Actions
In 1944, Groupe G was responsible for a co-ordinated action on all electric train lines in Belgium.[2] This action alone is estimated to have cost German forces around 10 million man-hours of reparations before the communications were restored.
References
- ↑ O'Connor, Bernard (2013). *Sabotage in Belgium in World War Two*. Retrieved November 9, 2015.
- 1 2 3 "A Brief - History of Belgian Resistance". Retrieved 26 December 2012.
External links
- "Groupe G - Living History". Retrieved 26 December 2012.