The following is written by Louise Shapiro-van Gelderen  

  It is about the events that took place during the German invasion of Holland involving the family of Philip van Gelderen, Rosetta van Gelderen-Polack, and their two daughters Bertha Elizabeth and Louise. 

These events began in the town of IJmuiden located on the North Sea.

Day One
This is the story of a journey. This journey began on Friday, May 10, 1940. That day I woke up to what I thought was the sound of thunder. I remember getting out of bed, walking down the stairs and finding my mother in front of the house speaking with our neighbor. She was holding the morning newspaper. The one-word headline was printed in large black letters: OORLOG - WAR. What I thought was thunder were the sounds of war.

The Germans had attacked Holland during the night, crossing the border just two hours before dawn. I asked my mother questions about what was happening, and she told me that war was bad and dangerous. I asked about my piano lesson which was scheduled for later that day, and she told me that I would not be able to take my lesson, and that my sister and I would not be able to go to school. Having no love for piano lessons, and liking the idea of taking a day off from school, I decided in my 10 year old mind that OORLOG was not such a terrible thing. That thought came back to haunt me many times as I grew up.

My father, who worked for De Familie Groen - a fish import/export business located in the IJmuiden harbor, rode his bicycle to work that morning - but he soon returned. The harbor had been under attack, and some of the buildings were damaged. We were in a complete state of war.

I remember many visitors coming to the house, but in an effort to protect us my sister and I were always told to leave the room. Leaving my bedroom door open, I could hear them speak of the fighting and the bombings. The British had promised Holland they would come to its aid, and sometimes their airplanes could be seen and heard overhead in combat with German aircraft. My parents also discussed plans on how we might be able to leave the country and escape from danger. One plan of escape suggested by my father was to go to France, but my mother felt this was only delaying the inevitable, and that eventually we would still be captured by the Germans. Over the past year, many German Jews had crossed the border from Germany to Holland, bringing with them their stories of horror. My mother knew the Germans threatened our survival, and several times told my father that before the Germans could take us, she would take her own life, as well as the lives of her two daughters.

Day Two
On Saturday, May 11, a frightening event took place: My father was taken away by the Dutch police. Someone had contacted the police and reported him as a Nazi sympathizer. We all three pleaded that they not take him, but their orders were to bring him in for questioning. They seemed sympathetic and tried to assure us it was probably all a big mistake and that they would soon return him to us. After they left we huddled together, crying and thinking we would surely never see him again. But, after a few hours he returned. He was very shaken, and I am sure that it was at that time that true realization sank in: We had to leave Holland or most likely our family would not survive.

Days Three and Four
On Sunday, May 12, Mr. Donald Groen called to say that the company trawler owners had all been notified and ordered to sail their boats to England. He said the last of the boats would leave on Tuesday at noon, and said the four of us could join him and his family for the trip over. He offered space for any other van Gelderen and Polack families who wanted to join us. My father spent the next day and a half trying to reach all their relatives, urging them to travel to IJmuiden. We hoped that some would come -- but none did. *

Day five
On Tuesday, May 14, my mother packed a small suitcase with warm clothing and some bread and cheese. Then, later that morning, my parents shut their front door and walked away - leaving behind a life they had built together since their marriage in August, 1924. They never looked back! **

Then began the most intense day of my life. An automobile picked us up. The driver told us that we had to take back roads and drive through the dunes because the main roads and harbor had been closed and were under guard. Shortly after we departed we heard shots. Dutch military could be seen nearby, but since our car was not hit they must have purposely missed us. We arrived at the pier, and quickly boarded a very small fishing boat. It had no toilet facilities, and the six sleeping bunks normally used by the crew were offered to the children. A German and English plane above were in combat, and I remember a feeling of fright as we cast off and quickly departed through the small channel and into the sea! We were just in time! Six hours after our departure the Germans officially began their occupation.

The North Sea is a merciless sea; intense waves, strong currents and very cold! Most of the children and some of the adults were seasick, and to add to the misery, for the next hour and a half we had to sail among magnetic mines. Just a few days before three ships had been blown up. Then the good news was announced that we had passed the mine fields. Everyone seemed to take a deep breath, and shortly after the children were put to sleep.

But then, at about two o'clock in the morning, the moonlight revealed a submarine rising from the water. We were all awakened and everyone quickly joined the captain on deck. "Good morning! Are you English?" he shouted in the direction of the submarine. But there was no response. He then repeated the question in German, but again no reply. He posed more questions using signal lights, but again there was no response, and suddenly, as quickly as the submarine had come up, it went down once again below the water. Next a remarkable scene took place:

It was immediately anticipated that we would be torpedoed. The one and only small lifeboat was slowly being lowered, and everyone was shouting at once! I heard the words "women and children" and remember thinking "but what about my father!" To add to the confusion, the hatch to where the fish' catch was usually kept suddenly opened and about 20 stowaways came up. They were several Jewish families who had escaped from Amsterdam and had hidden quietly below. So now there were more children, and their parents were pleading that their lives also be spared.

After an initial panic, we all waited in silence for the torpedo to hit.   We waited for what seemed hours.. but nothing happened.   We waited some more, but then slowly we began to relax.  The children were put to sleep under heavy blankets on the deck.  Several hours later I awoke to sunshine - and to the first day of my new life.  ***

My New Life
When I first awakened, there was a quietness and a feeling that danger had left us.  But it was also the very first time that I felt a sadness and a separation from my homeland of Holland!   A feeling I have carried  with me my entire life!  Of a separation not by choice, but one that was forced upon us!

Later that day, after another period of going through more mine fields, we finally arrived in the English Channel.    There were many small boats there, mostly Dutch.   Fifty hours from the time we left the harbor in IJmuiden, we were allowed to come ashore in Dover, England.  We had no money (all banks had  been closed during the invasion) and we were cold and hungry.  The English were very kind to us.  Over the next few days they provided us with warm food and clothing, and a place to sleep.  After we had been "processed," they helped my father get a job and provided us with a small apartment  in London.

My father's sister, Sara Drukker-van Gelderen and her husband Salomon Drukker had decided to immigrate to America after the Germans annexed Austria in March, 1938. My uncle had predicted that it was Germany's goal to eventually dominate and occupy all of Europe. As a result they sold their house and clothing business in Rotterdam, and arrived in the United States with their three children, Eva, Leendert and Bertha on August 11, 1939. Before leaving Holland, they visited every member of the van Gelderen and Drukker families urging them to leave Europe before it was too late. I can still remember their visit! Not one family member followed their lead.

After we arrived in England, my parents notified them of our escape. They immediately started the process of acquiring entry visas so we could travel to the United States. My father obtained an $800 loan from The Queen Wilhelmina Fund.**** And, with the assistance of the Holland American Line, passage was booked for us on the s.s. Evanger, an empty Norwegian freighter which was traveling to Canada to pick up ammunition.***** We departed from Liverpool, England on December 18, 1940, and arrived in Halifax, Canada on January 4. Then by train we arrived in New York City on January 6, 1941, where our two families were reunited. It was not until after the war was over that we learned that all but one member of the van Gelderen family had perished in the death camps.

I still often reflect on these events, and have not yet been able to put them behind me. After 60 1/2 years it was a heartwarming and emotional experience to return to Maassluis with my entire family to attend the Joods Leven in Maassluis 1688-1942 exhibit and book publication. The exhibit reminded us of a culture and of a people that no longer exist. But maybe, in a small way and for a short while, we have been able to bring their memory back to life.

POSTSCRIPTS

*
Before we left Holland, my Father tried to reach all the van Gelderen and Polack families urging them to travel to IJmuiden. It was not until after the war that we learned that some of them had tried, but they were unable to get there due to road closings and other complications caused by the ongoing war. Time had started to run out.

**
I believe that when my parents closed their front door and walked away, that was the bravest thing that they did during those terrible four days. Try to imagine what it must be like to shut your front door, leaving everything near and dear to you, and walking away into the unknown. My parents had only one thought, and that was the survival of their two children. My sister and I appreciate their love!

***
I often reflect on the incident with the mystery submarine. There was never an explanation as to its identity, but over the years as I grew up I developed the following "romanticized" theory: The sub could not have been English because surely the captain would have identified himself. That means it could only have been a German u-boat. And if it was a German u-boat, there must have been a soft-hearted captain who saw a small fishing boat with civilians, many of whom were women and children, trying to escape to England. Maybe at home he had a wife and child, and he decided there would be no pleasure or advantage to killing innocent civilians. There might have been other reasons: An explosion would have caused attention, or maybe we were not "worth wasting a torpedo on." I prefer to think it was for kinder reasons.

****
The Wilhelmina Fund, Inc. was established for the "support of Hollanders in Distress." This amazing organization provided funds to our family in our time of need. There were hundreds of famous benefactors. Some familiar names are: Mrs. Vincent Astor; Mrs. James Roosevelt; Hon. Alfred E. Smith; Mrs. Cornelius Vanderbilt; Hon. Fiorello H. La Guardia, and many hundreds more - too many to mention. My father was able to completely repay the $800 loan by early 1942.

*****
Traveling on the Norwegian freighter, s.s. Evanger was another voyage filled with drama and suspense! But today I think of it warmly because the crew treated us so very kindly. They were especially kind to the children. At first the crew was reluctant to have us on board as this was wartime, and females passengers on a ship were considered bad luck. But when we arrived in Halifax, Canada, the crew thanked us for "bringing them good luck!"
About two months later we received a visit from Mr. A. Jacobsen, the ship's engineer. Mr. Jacobsen had been unable to return to England with the rest of the crew due to an appendicitis attack and hospitalization. He brought us the very sad news that after the ship took on ammunition in Halifax and was on its return trip to England, it was hit by a torpedo. There had been no survivors.