大象传媒

AFTERTHOUGHTS
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The more I remembered of the years of German occupation in the Netherlands, the more vague memories suddenly came to the forefront鈥�., some hopefully interesting enough for present and future generations. It will, e.g., sound beyond belief now that at 12 I first tasted an ice-cream ! Presumably there were more important ways to use its ingredients in a country where millions were starving than to use them for anything as luxurious as ice-cream鈥�.
It was not until that day of sheer bliss long after the war when we went to the Belgium town of Liege, not far from where the famed Battle of Bastogne took place. Not only was it the first time I went abroad, but the day also represented a first in experiencing the kind of things most youngsters now find quite normal鈥�. There was this wonderful place that looked like a huge supermarket although in reality it was probably no more than just a corner shop where on entering we were greeted by the sound of wonderful music and the heavenly scent of flowers, chocolate, fresh coffee, oranges, spices and all things nice, certainly for one who had never tasted anything more exotic than potatoes in all its many varieties if he was lucky鈥�. Suddenly the war years seemed well and truly over when my father appeared with a huge ice-cream in many flavours and colours! I had many others in my life, but that first one was unforgettable鈥�.
As a small child in occupied Europe one often only remembers the most dramatic moments of the war such as burning planes being shot down; innocent people indiscriminately picked up from the street, lined up against a wall and shot in retaliation for perhaps a German officer killed by the Resistance; or people shot outside their houses for, perhaps, hiding Jews, a regular occurrence.
Some of the more delicate and resentful episodes did not become fully known till after the war. For instance, had the following incident not been potentially very serious for those involved, one might even find it amusing. Some Dutch people offered to keep possessions of their Jewish friends or neighbours till after the war鈥� In this case , a large suitcase was left with people in one part of Utrecht whilst others in a different part were given another suitcase, both well locked. The families did not know each other . During the midst of the war, when many were forced to wear old rags, including home-made 鈥� shoes鈥�, and the winter was at its most severe, one of the families out of desperation decided to open their suitcase to see what was inside. They found a large selection of practically new shoes, but just when one or two were taken from the suitcase, in the hope that it might not be noticed, given also the harsh conditions, it appeared they were all right foot shoes ! After the war it was discovered that the other suitcase in a different part of Utrecht, contained left-foot shoes only .. 鈥� a shrewd idea, but it is not known to me what the general feelings were鈥�.
Finally, people experience things in different ways and perhaps nowhere more so than the manner we all adjusted to life after he war . To most people life went on, but some never forgave the Germans as a race for what they did, such as a distant relative , an eminent middle-aged surgeon, who was expected to operate on the invaders. Knowing his anti-German feelings ( it was believed he played an important role in the Dutch Resistance), the Germans decided to watch him very closely during the operations... Apparantly they had someone standing closely behind him, gun in hand, to remind him of the situation when he operated on a leading Nazi !
Even though he spent a good deal of his retirement travelling abroad, his feelings about anything German were such that he never set foot in Germany again after the war. He often made very elaborate arrangements to avoid the country, but he always stuck to his word. Unfortunately , avoiding them altogether was impossible, because he lived in a small village near the Dutch coast that happened to be very popular with German tourists. Not to keep bumping into them every day was impossible, but one cant imagine he ever said or did anything to make them feel welcome !
Other former Resistance people like my father were, perhaps, more lenient about the German nation, because after the war he often reminded everyone that not only are there 鈥� good鈥� and 鈥� bad鈥� Germans (and he knew both types) but most of all, younger generations should be given a fair chance. Also, few Germans were given an alternative.. In this respect those in occupied countries were perhaps more aware of not generalizing Germans, in contrast perhaps to the Brits who were daily told how monstrous they were, but rarely met any personally.. The more recent phrase of 鈥� you are either with us or against us鈥� was a sinister reminder of the kind of 鈥� choice鈥� people sometimes have in life, a solemn thought regardless of the scars that some of us carry.

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