大象传媒

I was 18 years old when the war started for us.
I was living with my family in Leeuwarden, Friesland, the eldest of 11 children. I was working as a housekeeper for another family, they ran a company called British Butter Exports.
As I remember, it was overnight on the 9th - 10th May when our 'Five day war' began. It was not a long conflict. After Rotterdam was bombed and flattened, the government capitulated. They were afraid that Amsterdam would be next to receive the same treatment.
Needless to say, my 19th birthday on the 13th May was virtually forgotten.
When the German army eventually entered Leeuwarden, I remember many of the men were riding bicycles, some on foot, the officers in cars. Some of the soldiers thought that if they crossed the dyke across the Zuider Zee, they would be in England.

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