Five Brothers and a War

Leen and Kees— Onderduikers

They had no choice but to keep going. Several hours later, they found their contact who arranged boat trips across the river, conducted only when there was no moonlight. After some brief discussions, it was learned that the next boat had only one open spot. The chances to get all four young men across had evaporated. Considering the options, Leen and Kees decided to go to Leendert’s contact while the two Piets decided to head back. Leen and Kees then travelled through the polder area of Alblasserwaard, a region bounded by the Lek River on the north, oddly, the Noord (“North”) on the west, a branch of the Waal, the Beneden Merwede, on the south, and a series of canals on the east. The northeast corner of the polder is the world-renowned picture-postcard Kinderdijk , with its multiple windmills.

van Pelt

The Kinderdijk sits on the corner of the Lek and Noord Rivers. They headed for a small village, Ottoland, but Leen’s bike broke down about two kilometers away. They left it behind and continued on in the dark with Leen peddling Kees’ bike and while Kees sat on the baggage rack. They found the address in Ottoland, a 50-cow farm run by its unmarried owner, JanKees Aantjes. Living with him were two elderly aunts and an uncle. They knocked at the side door and JanKees, a big strong red-cheeked fellow, opened the door. After explaining the purpose of their trip and the connection with their father, he invited them in for some bread and milk. He introduced Leen and Kees to his family who logically were both very dubious about the story and even more importantly, whether they wanted to become involved in something so illegal.

Five Brothers and a War

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