Re: Questions about Germans in Holland
Kees Vanderheyden (keesv@sympatico.ca)
Thu, 20 Nov 1997 17:45:55 -0400
Dear friends of Wilson Stuart School
I am a bit late in answering your questions about the German occupation
in my village in Holland. I broke my leg yesterday while doing my daily
jog. I had to go for x-rays, go to the hospital, and now I'm hobbling
around with a leg in plaster and with crutches. Well that will all go
over.
Now your questions.
1. Did the Germans take our house away. No, they occupied most of the
rooms. All the bedrooms except for a room for the 5 children and a room
for my parents. The rest of the big house was theirs. We could use the
kitchen. That's where we had our meals. The house became an incredible
jumble of soldiers, officers, a General, weapons, food for the
solidiers. In the garden under a tree stood the General's car, a few
horse-drawn wagons with all kinds of interesting stuff, that we kids
tried to steal (it felt so patriotic to do so).
2. How did you come face to face with death.
First indirectly when I discovered in the church graveyard 5 fresh tombs
of Allied airmen who had been shot down the day before during an
incredibly exciting day with the sky full of planes and gliders. I thing
they were going for the Operation Marketgarden. The I learned that our
gardener "Nilleke" and my pianoteacher had been killed by bombs.
Finally, qui directly, I saw dying Canadian soldiers during the day of
our liberation, because our house was transformed into a military
hospital for the wounded of the front. I also found a soldiers helmet
with a hole and full of brains.
3. Was my father was fair to make me bring back the gasmask. I thought
he did the right thing because I didn't know that stealing military
equipment from the Germans was considered sabotage and punishable with
death. I felt awful for having put my dad's life in danger. It didn't
prevent me from "borrowing" other stuff though.
4. The anti German feeling. We hated the occupiers and to express this
we used to mock their songs in particular "Deutschland Deutschland uber
alles" we would add "Deutschland ist kaput!!" We would also imitate
their goose steps. I had to admit, then, that the soldiers in our house
were discreet and decent. No yelling or intimidation. They even would
leave some food for us on the kitchen table. That really mixed me up.
They did not hide the fact before us that they knew that we were all
waiting for the liberators, the Canadians and the British. The General
said to us on the day of his departure (while we heard the thunder of
the Allies guns" "Your friends are coming!".
I hope this answers some of your questions. Have a nice day and "Au
revoir!!"
Kees Vanderheyden