Hans Larive

Etienne Henri (Hans) Larive, RMWO, DSC,(23 September 1915 - 28 December 1984) was a Dutch naval officer during World War 2. He escaped from Oflag IV-C (Second World War prisoner of war camp). He is the author of "Vannacht varen de Hollanders" (1950), translated to "The Man who Came in from Colditz" (1975).

Early days and May 1940

Hans Larive was born on September 23, 1915 in Singapore. In 1934, he went to the Dutch naval academy (Royal Netherlands Naval College, KIM) from which he graduated in 1937. In May 1940, just a few days before the Germans attacked Holland, he returned from his tour of duty in the Netherlands East Indies as a lieutenant on board the destroyer HNLMS Van Galen. When war had started HNLMS van Galen was tasked to bombard German paratroopers which had landed around Rotterdam and Waalhaven airbase. To do this HNLMS van Galen had to sail into the Nieuwe Waterweg which was narrow and partly mined. Here she was attacked and eventually sunk by stuka divebombers. Larive distinguished himself during these attacks by calmly navigating the ship through the narrow channel.

POW

After the Dutch capitulation, all Dutch officers were asked to give their word of honour not to act in any hostile activities against the Germans. Larive with about 60 other officers and one rating refused and they were all sent to German POW-camps. Their first camp was Oflag VI-A in Soest, Germany where Hans Larive made his first escape attempt in October 1940. This attempt brought him very close to the Swiss border where he was arrested by the police. Germany was still in a winning mood and the interrogating gestapo officer arrogantly showed him where he went wrong and also how he would have reached the Swiss border without problems because the gestapo offcier was convinced the war would soon be won by Germany. Larive remembered well and many Dutch and British prisoners later used this route to get to Switserland. After this escape attempt all Dutch POW's were moved to oflag VIII-C near Juliusburg and after a successful escape by two Dutch officers all were moved in July 1941 to the maximum security camp or sonderlager, oflag IV-C Colditz.

In Colditz all Dutch escapes were coordinated by the Dutch escape officer captain Machiel van den Heuvel, known as "Vandy" by the British. Van den Heuvel quickly recognised the escape possibilities of the park and had his first escape plan ready. On August 15th 1941 Hans Larive escaped together with Lieutenant Francis Steinmetz. During a walk in the park, the two naval officers quickly hid inside a manhole in the park. Lieutenant Gerrit Dames created a diversion by cutting a hole in the barbed wire, when the guards caught him he shouted to imaginary escapers to run away so the Germans thought several Dutch officers had escaped. In the meantime Larive and Steinmetz were still hiding inside the manhole. The lid was fixated with a heavy bolt but Van den Heuvel replaced the real bolt with a fake glass one. Once it was dark the two escapees got out of the manhole and after they replaced the broken glass bolt with the original one they made their way out of the castle. At Leisnig they took a rain to Neurenberg where they had to wait for their next train and had to pass the time in the park. Here several couples were making love and to avoid supsicioun, Larive and Steinmetz pretended to be a kissing couple. Steinmetz pulled a blanket over his shorts so it looked liked a skirt and after this night both men felt sorry for women who have to kiss unshaven men. They reached the Swiss border the next.

Post POW

Via Switzerland and Spain, Larive and Steinmetz arrived in Gibraltar on November 4. They sailed to London on board HNLMS submarine O 21 and arrived in London December 17 1941. Larive requested to be assigned to the Dutch MTBs. During the following two years, he would remain Senior Officer for the Dutch MTB-service, often distinguishing himself during missions. The Dutch MTB service was disbanded in 1944 because its personnel was needed to form the socalled "Port Parties", Larive became head of the Naval Press Agency (MARVO, or "Marine Voorlichting Dienst"), a post he held until his retirement in July 1946. When he left the navy he was employed by the Shell company in various positions. In 1950, he published his wartime memoirs titled "Vannacht varen de Hollanders" translated as " the man who came in from Colditz" . Hans Larive died at the Hague December 28 1984.

Ranks

Sublieutenant August 13, 1937
Lieutenant August 13, 1939
Lieutenant-Commander (Acting) September 2, 1942
Retired July 1, 1946

Postings

Navigation Officer, destroyer Van Galen - May 10, 1940
In German captivity July 15, 1940 - August 16, 1941
Commanding Officer, motor torpedo boat MTB.203 March 2, 1942 - April, 1943
Senior Officer, Dutch division, 9th MTB Flotilla March 2, 1942 - October, 1942
Commanding Officer, 9th MTB Flotilla October, 1942 - October 1, 1943
Senior Officer, Dutch MTBs October 1, 1943 - September 16, 1944
Commanding Officer, Dutch MTB service January 15, 1944 - September 16, 1944
Head, Naval Press Agency (MARVO) 1944 - 1946

Other activities
Employee of Royal Shell Group September 1, 1946 -
Deputy Director, N.V. Curaçaosche Scheepvaart Maatschappij(Curaçao Shipping Company, a subsidiary of Shell) December, 1951 - May, 1954

Awards

1. Dutch Knight 4th class in the Military Order of William (MWO)
2. Knight in the Order of Orange-Nassau (ON.4)
3. Bronze Cross, 2 times (BK.2)
4. War Remembrance Cross, with 3 bars (OHK.3)
5. Foreign Distinguished Service Cross (Britain) (DSC)
6. Mentioned in Dispatches (Britain) (MID)

References

1. http://www.netherlandsnavy.nl/Men_larive.htm
2. Leo de Hartog: Officieren achter prikkeldraad 1940-1945, uitgeverij Hollandia 19833. http://www.onderscheidingen.nl/decorandi/wo2/dec_l01.html