Onderling strijdend voor de goede zaak. Radio Oranje en De Brandaris

Why did the two Dutch radio stations in England clash during World War II? What made them amalgamate after a while? The clash was caused by personal rivalries and differing ideas about which methods should be used to broadcast propaganda. Radio Oranje was the official radio station of the Dutch government in exile in World War II. This meant that the station was controlled to a considerable extent by the government. It was criticised for its dullness and lack of fighting spirit. Radio Oranje tried to adhere to a strict principle of truth in its broadcasts. De Brandaris originally created as a station for Dutch sailors was heralded for its fighting spirit. The radio station was less particular about the truthfulness of its assertions. A special agreement between the bbc and the Dutch government made De Brandaris less dependent on the latter. Soon rivalry developed between the two stations which only increased when they were forced to cooperate from December 1941 because of a lack of competent personnel. The problems were all the more difficult to solve because the staff of the two radio stations felt deep resentment towards each other. From December 1941 until October 1942 several attempts were made to increase the cooperation between the two stations. They all failed. The decision to ultimately amalgamate the radio stations was made because the audiences and daily work were becoming increasingly the same and because there was a need to maintain morale in the Netherlands and provide leadership for the population.

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