Albert Meems

Albert Meems (28 February 1888, Nieuw-Buinen – after 1957, possibly in India) was a Dutch spy for Germany in the Second World War, "one of very few German agents who successfully moved in and out of the UK during the Second World War without being detected".

Meems was the son of Okko Meems and Hindekien Veentjer, factory workers in Borger. In the 1930s and during the war, Meems lived in Hanover.

He spent a lot of time in India where he worked as a livestock dealer sourcing animals for European zoos.

Second World War From October 1939 to April 1940, Meems, who had the nickname "Dickert" ("fatty") made four visits to London, and always stayed at the Grafton Hotel in Tottenham Court Road.

It was not until 1944 that Meems' work came to the attention of MI5 after other members of Nest Bremen were captured.

After interrogation one of his commanders described Meems as, "...clumsy, bluff, half-educated fellow who spoke English, German and Dutch all mixed together – a most amusing and companionable man with an endless fund of tales on the tricks of his trade".

His younger brother A.B. Meems (August or Aike Berend Meems, *11 May 1891) was also a German collaborator and spy. For being a Verwalter (a person who took over leadership of expropriated companies, mostly of Jewish owners), Aike was sentenced to 5 years prison on May 29, 1949. He died 19 March 1955 shortly after his release.