Dames, Chaplains and Smugglers

December 22, 2015November 17, 2016 mogromo

A moon shines brightly on the wintry hills in the Geuldal. Shadows on snow, shadows and silent footsteps. Carrying trade ware. Cigarettes or other goods that can be used or resold. Over the Dutch-Belgian border. German guards and dogs patrolling in the dark. Careful. Run. Silence. Walk, walk, walk. Through the night. Keep to the trees, careful with the moonlight. Shhhh, I hear something. Keep in the shadows. Wait. Run. Walk. Continue reading Dames, Chaplains and Smugglers

History, People10 Comments

Reflections

December 18, 2015December 21, 2015 mogromo

For several years there is no evidence of any further action in the search for Jan. And then suddenly there is a whirlwind of activity, starting at the end of 1965 Continue reading Reflections

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Joining the Maquisards in the Ardennes

December 9, 2015November 21, 2016 mogromo

Greetings in German and French rang out as they were introduced to an international maquis group, a group of Partisans Armés, armed resistance fighters. Continue reading Joining the Maquisards in the Ardennes

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Being a Number: KZ Saal an der Donau, Ring-Me

December 7, 2015February 3, 2016 mogromo

What Jan really experienced we will never know, and we never will know the thoughts he had and the choices he had to make. But armed with both Arthur ‘s accounts and the witness reports by villagers, labourers and prisoners I am able to clear some of the fog created by the Nazi regime ever so slightly. Continue reading Being a Number: KZ Saal an der Donau, Ring-Me

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Oisterwijk: the southern marshes

December 2, 2015November 17, 2016 mogromo

That first evening, the 10th of January, was spent with the daughters Janssen and a few members of the Oisterwijk resistance group, including “ a lean, bespectacled man named Jantje Brunnekreef who could play wonderful jazz on the piano”. As Jan himself improvised with jazz he must have enjoyed that tremendously. The young people danced and laughed all night. Continue reading Oisterwijk: the southern marshes

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Off to England and the great unknown

November 20, 2015November 27, 2015 mogromo

His dream is to fight the Nazis from the skies, and he is planning to run off to England. How did Jan spend those months preparing for his flight to Belgium? Luckily we have some of his diaries and oral family history to rely on. Continue reading Off to England and the great unknown

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A dire warning…

October 30, 2015November 27, 2015 mogromo

He sent it from a coded address to a friend who was also in hiding, but it never made its way to them until much later. It is a birthday letter for his two smallest siblings, my mother and her younger sister. But it is also a warning, a cryptic letter with a hidden message. My mother did not receive this letter until 1995, my grandma never saw it. Continue reading A dire warning…

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Reweaving the tapestry of a lost life

October 23, 2015December 15, 2016 mogromo

Where should I begin this tale of adventure, idealism, survival, death and suffering? Maybe there is no beginning or end. There are snippets of information contained in registers, photographs, oral history, correspondence, maps, scientific research, testimonials, newspaper articles and interviews. Continue reading Reweaving the tapestry of a lost life

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Confronting tough truths

October 21, 2015November 27, 2015 mogromo

Later on I learnt that my uncle was indeed listed as NN, a ‘Nacht und Nebel’, prisoner who would disappear into darkness and mist never to be heard of again. In the case of the resistance fighter Jan van Boeckel they greatly succeeded. He is still a missing person. This storyline is my attempt to sabotage their succes. Continue reading Confronting tough truths