The Dutch resistance group NV counted Tette Meines among its members, an operative who spent the Second World War securing ration cards and safe houses for Jewish families while evading capture. His wartime experience included assuming the identity of a deceased minister to evade Nazi authorities, a role that required him to deliver sermons to full congregations.
Wartime Resistance
Born in Huizum on 25 September 1921, Meines was the son of a provincial politician. He joined the Dutch resistance at age 22, operating primarily in Limburg and Twente. Despite being arrested in 1942, he was liberated by comrades before deportation to a concentration camp. He remained active within the Binnenlandse Strijdkrachten until the liberation of the Netherlands on 5 May 1945. For his efforts to save Jewish lives, Israel recognized him as Righteous Among the Nations in 1992 and later granted him honorary citizenship in 2015.
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In August 1945, Meines enlisted as a war volunteer. He underwent officer training in England, where he became acquainted with Prince Bernhard of Lippe-Biesterfeld. Commissioned as a professional soldier in 1948, he served in the Dutch East Indies from 1949 to 1950. His subsequent career included training at Fort Sill in the United States and various artillery assignments. He steadily climbed the ranks, serving as deputy quartermaster-general before retiring as a major general in 1976.
Veterans Advocacy
Meines is acknowledged as the primary architect of Dutch veteran affairs policy. He founded Het Veteranen Legioen Nederland and the Veteranenstichting, and spearheaded the creation of the Veteranenplatform in 1988, which unified dozens of military associations. His lobbying efforts influenced Defence Minister Relus ter Beek, leading to the establishment of the annual Veterans Day in 1995 and the enactment of the Veterans Law in 2012. He was promoted to titular lieutenant-general in 1994 and effectively to lieutenant-general in 2014 for his lifelong contributions to the military community.
Final Years
Following his military retirement, Meines directed the Nederlandse Hartstichting until 1986, focusing on organizational restructuring. In his later years, he remained active in public advocacy, including a 2016 address to the House of Representatives regarding the potential conversion of Soestdijk Palace into a veterans center. Meines died on 24 December 2016 in Leidschendam at the age of 95.
Fast facts
- Born: 25 September 1921, Huizum
- Died: 24 December 2016, Leidschendam
- Military Rank: Lieutenant General
- Award: Righteous Among the Nations (1992)
- Organization: Veteranenplatform
- Citizenship: Kingdom of the Netherlands
Questions readers ask
What was Ted Meines's role in the Second World War?
He was a resistance fighter who organized hiding places for Jewish children and secured ration cards while operating under the alias of a deceased minister.
Why is Meines considered the founder of Dutch veterans' policy?
He united numerous veterans' organizations under the Veteranenplatform and successfully lobbied the government for institutionalized support, including the Veterans Law and an annual Veterans Day.
Achievements
- Righteous Among the Nations — 1992
- Knight of the Order of the Netherlands Lion
- Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau
- Worked as resistance fighter and military personnel
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