Glossary Tobs' Diary

Much of our site is a "work in progress". Little did we know putting together a website from scratch would consume so much time. That being said, we have a tremendous amount of information to share. As we continue adding pages, we thought it helpful to create a glossary of terms and names, a type of dictionary, as a companion piece for Tobs' Diary. 

Please click on each photo to view the complete image. We would appreciate your questions and/or additions if we left anyone or anything out. 

A

Averard Hotel

(photo above) Located at 10-11 Lancaster Gate in London's West End, Tobs met here with Alfred Charles Parr, his conducting officer, several times. We are not sure if Tobs stayed here or was it just an SOE meeting spot?

B 

Baker Street

(photos above) 64 Baker Street, SOE Headquarters from October 1940 until January 1946. On the door was marked Inter Services Research Bureau (see ISRB)

Barnet

North London borough where Tobs & Eva lived.  It is also where Eva worked for the Norwegians at her listening post. Reuters Building ****more to come

Biallosterski, Tobias (senior)

Tobs' father went to England on business for HM government during the first week of May 1940. He was asked to set up an industrial diamond sawing works. When the Nazis invaded Holland on 10 May, he could not return and remained in England until the mid-1950s. 

C

Cumberland Hotel

D 

Dobson, Igor, Major

SOE Head of N Section (Netherlands Section), office 4 Montagu Mansions North

E 

Eva's Office

Eva had worked for the BBC Monitoring Services beginning in 1941. In 1943 she joined the Norwegian government in exile as a monitor at their listening post. That office was located in the Reuters Building in Gothic House, ***

F 

under construction

G 

Gubbins, Sir Colin

H 

Harrods

Hatchett's Restaurant

Hamilton-Mack, Squadron Leader

Hatton Garden

I 

Inter Services Research Bureau

I.S.R.B. or ISRB, Cover name for SOE  

J 

under construction

K 

Krost, Roland & Lies (Betty)

Cousins who lived in South Gate. More to come....

L 

Lonsdale Hotel

Frank, Dr. Ludwig

Dr. Ludwig was a German refugee physician, offices at Devonshire Place, WELbeck 9694. Residence: 140 Oakwood Court, Addison Rd, W14, WEStern 5752.  SOE trained Tobs to be able perform certain medical procedures since he would be posing as a doctor during his mission(s). Doctors were permitted to be outside after curfew and they also were exempt from being shipped off to German labour camps. We think Dr. Ludwig trained Tobs in certain aspects of the medical profession.

M 

Mount Royal Hotel

N 

Norwegian Club

Occupied the top three floors in Norway House, Cockspur Street, off Trafalgar Square, SW1. It was here Tobs & Eva met for the first time during a tea dance on 22 January 1944. http://dennorskeklub.co.uk/

O 

Office of Strategic Services (OSS)

Formed in June 1942, OSS was the American counterpart to SOE. Main Headquarters were at 72 Grosvenor Square. Most of the Grosvenor area was taken over by the Americans.

Oranjehaven (Port Orange)

(photos above) 23 Hyde Park Place, was a club opened by Queen Wilhelmina in June 1942 for the Dutch in London.

P

Parr, Alfred Charles, Lieutenant

SOE Conducting Officer, was accompanying Tobs the night he met Eva.

Q

Queen's Gate

R

Red Cross

Risdon, Kathleen

Royal Automobile Club (R.A.C.)

S

Schrader, Anton Bernard

Organised the escape of more than 80 Dutchmen to England during WWII. He did the same for Tobs and Rein Bangma, plus 9 other men including himself. They left Holland 8 October and arrived in Harwich, England 10 October 1943. Schrader, who worked for the Food Distribution Office in Rotterdam, had a law degree. Once in England, the Americans trained him as an OSS agent. Schrader, who survived the war, was awarded the Silver Star by President Harry Truman.

Skotting, Eva, "Evke"

Eva was Tobs' Danish wife. They met in London at a tea dance on 22 January 1944 and were married in the Swedish Protestant Church July 1944. Eva worked for the Norwegians at the time see Norsk Telegambrya***

Special Operations Executive  (SOE)

T

Trocadero  Restaurant 

(photos above) One of London's leading restaurants owned by J. Lyons & Company Ltd,  situated at Piccadilly Circus, W1.   http://www.bennett-family.me.uk/troc3.htm

U

"under construction"

V

 "under construction"

W

Whelan, Molly