Five Brothers and a War

May 14, 1945—Dutch Capitulation

The view, from the top floor back bedroom of Margrietstraat 20, showing the city of Rotterdam as it is carpet-bombed on May 14, 1940. The center of Rotterdam is about 24 kilometers (15 miles) from the Margrietstraat. This view shows the houses on the Speenkruidstraat, where Immie Tadema lived with her family in the house just to the left of the smoke. Piet and his then-girlfriend Henny Bender walked the short distance to Kijkduin, where they sat on one of the taller dunes to watch the attack. Leendert’s older brother, Jan, was killed by a bomb fragment in the attack.

van Pelt

Five Brothers and a War

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