大象传媒

This story was added to the People's War Site by a volunteer from 大象传媒 Newcastle on behalf of Michael Stott. Michael Stott fully understands the site's terms and conditions and the story has been added to the site with his permission.

"In the week of the 5th May the Dutch celebrate the liberation of Holland. I am part of a re-enactment group going to shows and schools keeping the memory alive of the history of WW2. I traveled to Holland for two weeks starting the 1st of May.

The first week was all parades and celebrations ending in a massive parade through Amsterdam when the city's traffic was halted for over 3 hours. There were thousands of enthusiastic people out to welcome us even though it was raining.

In the second week we took some of the veterans, who were staying in the homes of Dutch people, to places of interest or were something special happened.

Well, I was asked to take this 83-year-old veteran from Durham to the village where he was shot. He was a member of the Durham Light Infantry and was on a reconisance party. After entering the village and after meeting some opposition, he was in a back garden and was shot in the leg. The owners of the house dragged him into the house and patched him up while the Germans were still in the village.

To hide him they kicked the back out of a large wardrobe and placing it across to a corner of the room to give him more space, he hid in there for two days until the rest of his battalion took the village.

When he left he gave the little 4-year-old daughter of the family his DLI cap badge - the only thing he had to give in thanks for their help and kindness.

Well, in my WW2 radio jeep I drove him to the village where he directed me to the house on corner of a road junction at the centre of the village. The back garden was still there.

So! We knocked on the door, me in my WW2 captain's uniform and he in his dark balzer with a large DLI badge on the breast pocket. An old woman opened the door, looked at us in amazement and screamed at the top of her voice!

She had recognised the badge! Her grandson came to the door and in English he explained that she was the little 4-year-old girl.

Well, we arrived at 9.30am in the morning and did not get away until 8.45pm that night - the whole village turned out for a massive party. The fire brigade turned up and, her son being a fireman, the police turned up and closed the three roads so the party ended up being on main street. Reporters turned up. It was fantastic to see how the Dutch people appreciate and thank our soldiers for what they gave and did back in May 1945.

The last twist to the story is the old lady still had the DLI badge polished. But her mother often told her that,

"He was the Englishman who saved the village,"

and that he would return. And he did."

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