Five Brothers and a War

1938 German Vacation

The center of Andernach

Andernach became cemented in the family’s memory. There they witnessed hundreds of German soldiers jumping off the bridge near Andernach into the Rhein River and cutting holes in the bottom of waiting dinghies. These dinghies were holding other German soldiers, who had to fight them off while others were throwing large ropes down from the bridge for others to climb back up. Obviously the Germans were training in earnest. All this went on while large trains rolled by loaded with tanks on their flatbeds. Back in their small hotel, Leendert and the hotelier discussed and debated current events, but the hotelier assured him that there was nothing to fear because Hitler was a peaceful man who just wanted to be friends with everyone. Ten-year-old Bertus recalls the conversation in the car on the way back to Den Haag where great concern was expressed about what the future would hold in Germany.

van Pelt

Five Brothers and a War

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