Five Brothers and a War

Leen and Kees— Onderduikers

When Kees came to the bridge to get to the other side, he gave a little tug on the rein a moment too soon, resulting in a tighter turn than was needed. That bridge had an iron railing. When the protruding axle caught the first vertical bar of the bridge, the strength of the horse, as well as its speed, took the entire railing with it. Realizing that no one would be pleased with the damage he caused, he expected to have a chewing out session, but was very pleasantly surprised when no one was upset. In fact, it became the village news of the day, accompanied by a lot of laughter and jokes. JanKees’ onderduiker (“hider”), that young city slicker, showed just how good he was at driving a horse and cart through town.

van Pelt

A similar bridge to the one Kees damaged over the canal in Ottoland.

One of the jobs assigned to Kees, which would have a lasting impact on his life was chopping down willow trees along the drainage canals on the farm. The trees were used to draw off water from the ground, thereby solidifying it, as well as to have their roots bind the soil to prevent erosion. They are also fast growing, and JanKees wanted them thinned out, so Kees spent several weeks cutting them down with a large saw. He would not realize for a few years that it was this singular activity that would give him a visa to enter Canada. Canada needed “tree surgeons” and Kees was an experienced tree surgeon. He had three weeks in that field, which apparently was good enough. In contrast to his fellow countrymen, Kees put on a significant amount of weight during the Hongerwinter.

Five Brothers and a War

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