Five Brothers and a War

Leendert & Maria Geertruida van Pelt

Holland was neutral in World War I. Yet they did mobilize its small armed forces on July 31, 1914. Leendert was mobilized, a matter of eight months after he and Maria were engaged.

Leendert in his gray uniform, representing that he was either in the field army or artillery. It is unknown how long he was mobilized, but considering that at the beginning of the war he was 26 and at the end he was 30, it would seem logical to assume that he was in the army for the duration, though likely not on a full-time basis.

van Pelt

Leendert (standing), with Kees Sonneveld, Marie’s brother.

Five Brothers and a War

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