WWII Survivors

More than 150 Dutch survivors of World War II, who emigrated to Canada and the USA in the postwar years, submitted stories for the Dutch in Wartime book series. The project was initiated by some of the participants themselves. They started sending us their memories and urged us to publish them.

These stories, by and large, are not about the heroes and the villains of the war, the focus is on ordinary people, young adults, teenagers, children even, who had to live through an extraordinary time - people you can immediately identify with.

For many it took courage to return in mind to those awful years. ‘I always wanted to write this down for my kids and now I have a purpose,’ we heard from several people. Others had already started that endeavor and sent us their drafts, or completed manuscripts.

The stories were collected in a series of nine books, edited by Anne van Arragon Hutten and Tom Bijvoet.

 

Memories from the following WWII survivors are collected in the series:

Pieter Aarsen, Elsa Abma, Cecil Adema, Anton Audretsch, Herman Bakker, Cap van Balgooy, Trix Barlage Bodde, Nelia Barnfield, Els Bauman, Aubrey Beauchamp, Jacoba Bessey, Else Bevelander, Rita Binder, Jenny Blad, Maria Blöte Rademaker, Carla de Boer, Bill Bongers, Michael van der Boon, Art Bos, Henk Bosveld, Anne Bourne, Liesbeth Boysen van den Blink, Riekje Brandsma, Schelte Brandsma, Johanna van Breda-Csank, Johanna van den Broek, Hans ten Bruggenkate, Ankie Bruigom, Gerry Bijwaard, Nan Casey, Harry Caubo, Olga Chesbrough, Robert Colyn, Bep Crawford-Haagedoorn, Christine Dodenbier, Petronella van der Donk, Frans Dullemond, Joe van Dyke, Rita Dijkstra, Harm Duursma, Josine Eikelenboom, Nelly van Eyk, John Eyking, Cor Feenstra, Cornelia Gilbert, Elizabeth Gilbert-de Graaff, Karl van de Goede, Caty de Graaf, Charles de Greef, Bill de Groot, Lisette de Groot, Martha Gubbels-van de Ven, Margaret van Gurp, George Hansman, Dolf Hantelmann, Yvonne Harvey-Shea, Adriana Heim-van Belle, Gerty Heinen, Anne Hendren, Jan van Hensbergen, Wouter Hobe, Audrey Hoeflok, Hans Hofenk, Pauline Hofman, Tina Hofman, John Holthuis, Dirk Hoogeveen, Johanna Hoogeveen-van Gelderen, Ella Hoogwater, John in ’t Hout, Antonia Huysman-Bamberg, Bouk Jobsis, Wilma Johannesma, Loes de Kater, Anthony van Kempen, Minie Kerstholt, John Keulen, Arie de Keyzer, Janna de Klerk, Frank van der Kley, Anne Kluver, Pieter Koeleman, Klaas Korver, Roland Krijgsman, Truce Kuyper, Cornelis Langewis, Truus Leader, Catherina de Leeuw, Art van Leeuwen, John Looyenga, Atie Lunshof-Holmes, Adriana Lyffyt, Coby Markwat, John Markwat, Jaap Matz, Jerry Meents, John van der Meer, Ernest Meershoek, Adriana Meershoek-Dekker, Willy Mensing-Traa, Henny Merkley, Henk van der Meulen, Ben Meyer, Nel Meyer, Ann Mons-Veldhuis, Maria Neijmeijer, Henry Niezen, Johanna Oostra, Richard Oostra, Johanna Opdam, Henry van Ommen, Jack de Pagter, Maria Pais, Gerda Pauw-Ondang, Petra Poutsma, Johanna Prior-Bruinhout, Atty Prosper, Peter van der Pyl, August Pijma, Enno Reckendorf, Nina Reitsma-de Groot, Afine Relk, Anne Rietkerk-Houthuyzen, Jacoba Robertson,Susan Rombeek, Paulina Rompelman, William Rooyakkers, George van Rijn, André Schabracq, Ralph Schotsman, Marijke Shaban, Doortje Shover, Ruth Gabriele Sarah Silten, Jantina Smittenaar, Christina Sobole-van der Kroon, Corry Spruit-Degeling, Tine Steen-Dekker, Greta Stephany, Bertine Strengholt, Tony Stroeve, Karel Stuut, Gerrit Top, Toni Trommelen, Amy Verhagen, Kees Vermeer, Joe Verstappen, Tom de Vries, Hetty Wear, Reni Wertheim-van Dijken, Icke Weston-Bousema, Gerard van der Weyden, Sjenta Wilkinson, Ben Wind, Clazina Wisman, Hidde Yedema, Con Zaat, Beatrix Zeeman-Chamberland, Brita Zeldenrust, Jan de Zwager.