Lest We Forget ...

Henk & Kitty Van Bruggen,

my parents

These are my parents, Henk and Kitty Van Bruggen. My family was involved in the second world war. They provide a different, more intimate perspective. Both of them were children living in Holland during the war. My mom (Kitty Vlemminx) was five when the war ended, and my dad (Henk Van Bruggen) was fourteen. Both of their families were members of the underground resistance against the Dutch occupation by the Naziʼs. 

Ben Vlemminx,
Kittyʼs brother

Kittyʼs older brother Ben was a courier for the resistance. He was captured in 1942 and put in the Sachsenhausen concentration camp north of Berlin, where he stayed until he was released at the end of the war. All the remaining prisoners were put on a forced march north east towards Russia. Any prisoners that could not keep up the pace of the march were shot and left on the side of the road. Benʼs friend was not able to keep up because he was sick, so Ben carried him on his back. Once the Polish liberated the prisoners, Ben had to turn around and head back to Brussels, on foot, to bring his friend back home, and then go north again to get back into Holland, a trip of well over 800 kilometers.

Frans & Catharina Vlemminx
Kittyʼs parents

Every city in Holland at the time kept lists of the names of all itʼs residents. The Naziʼs wanted those lists. Kittyʼs father, a policeman, was part of the resistance, and was able to steal the lists and hand them over to the resistance. For this, he had to go into hiding himself.

Members of the resistance put not only themselves at risk, but their entire families and their neighbours. If they were caught, their entire household would be shot, and sometimes the households of their neighbours. The resistance took it upon themselves to protect, feed and smuggle people wanted by the Naziʼs, such as Jews and political figures. Both Henk and Kittyʼs families did this. Henkʼs family would protect Jews in their own basement, keeping them fed and healthy until they were able to escape. Henkʼs neighbours were members of the NSB (Nationaal- Socialistische Beweging - the National Socialist Party, or Dutch Naziʼs), so they had to be very careful, and warn the fugitives if they were at risk of being seen.

Henk & Marie vanBruggen,
Henkʼs parents

Food was a real problem for the Dutch, and many thousands died of starvation before the war was over. Henk commented that he once found an egg and his family of four feasted on that. Kitty mentioned that her father stole a steak from a Nazi officer when he wasnʼt looking and fed his family of six with it, burning his leg while carrying it home in his pocket. Henkʼs father once rode his bicycle 100 kilometers to get food for his family. When he got there, his bicycle was stolen so he had to find another way home with the food. Henk and his sister were eventually shipped north for three months with many other children of Amsterdam because there was just not enough food to feed them.

When the Canadian soldiers came, they played a large role in liberating Holland. Not only did they remove the Nazi presence, but they shared the food they had with the starving people they saw, even going so far as to give out little treats such as chocolates. Every five to ten years, veterans return to Holland, and they are still celebrated to this day when they arrive.