Saturday, May 2, 2020

PE75FREE and the liberation of my village in 1945

The YNOMY DX group asked me a while ago if I would like to participate in another event. Something like the previous event in 2015. So I will be active with the call PE75FREE during the entire month of May. Updates and announcements will be made on my blog.


Time to tell a small story about the liberation of my village. We live in a 1935 built house so it was quite new when it was in WW2. What I understand is that the family that lived in the house at the time of war were the first residents that lived here and they didn't leave till 1965. They have seen the German occupiers from the living room window and also the Canadian soldiers that liberate us here. At the evening of 20 April 1945 everyone in the village was hiding in the cellars of their homes since it was just too dangerous to be in the houses because of the constant bombardments from the German Island of Borkum to the Dutch coast.

I can imagine people trying to sleep down in the cellar, or not sleeping at all because of the danger, hearing planes and thunder all around not knowing if the house will be hit. The cellar is still there below the stairs and we have some of our supplies stored there. I believe that the light hanging in the cellar is still the original light from those years although it now contains a big LED lightbulb. The cellar contains one small window and in those years you could probabely view just a small part of the sky, I can imagine people did look at it in great anger. They probabely had some seats and blankets brought down and water and food so they didn't have to go to the kitchen. When I'm down in the cellar I'm really thinking about that sometimes. It was probabely a great relieve when they saw the first Canadians in the village driving through. Our living room window has a view out on the main road so the family was probabely one of the first seeing them.

Interesting read (in Dutch and original military dairy in English):

http://www.roodeschool.net/bevrijding-roodeschool/

Official permit using PE75FREE

6 comments:

MadDogMcQ said...

Absolutely fascinating Bas! I'll make a real effort to contact you during this time.

73, Tom, M7MCQ.

John AE5X said...

I'll be looking for you Bas!
73 - John

VE9KK said...

WOW very cool Bas to have the history of the house and to think all that was going on around and in the very house you are now living in. Thanks for sharing this.
73,
Mike
VE9KK

Kingdom Lion said...

Awesome historical story, thank you for sharing. 73's KF7DSA

Partyboy35 said...

Hi Bas, long time no hear, hope you are well, I used to have a blog when I was M6PCZ, lost the login for that blog unfortunately as I'd like to start blogging again as just recently got back into ham radio after 6 years away. I think I may have just worked you on 17m FT8, anyway best wishes and 73 Paul.

PE4BAS, Bas said...

Yes I remember. Long time no see....let me know when you have a blog again and I will publish it in my blogroll. 73, Bas