The paratroopers were unable to capture the main airfield at Ypenburg in time for the airborne infantry to land safely in their Junkers. Though one armored car had been damaged by a bomb, the other five Landsverks, assisted by machine gun emplacements, destroyed the eighteen Junkers of the first two waves, killing many occupants.
The first days of Fall Gelb were actually not great for the Luftwaffe. A large number of their transport aircraft were shot down or otherwise destroyed rather early on in the battle. Good on the Dutch for giving some back considering how often they are treated like a footnote in the early war. Are you colourising these photos?
Don’t forget Luxembourg! As for them being treated like a footnote, I think it had a lot to do with the fate of France at the end. It kinda stole the spotlight. Also, the Dutch were neutral in World War I, so this was a surprise, but not exactly as compelling.
Very much so, yes. I’m not the only one though. Julius is also colorizing some of these photos.
My grandfather was there on 10th May 1940. Defending against the Germans.
What was his fate? Where was he as of February 1941? Is he still alive?
Hi he passed away in 76, the war broke his health.
In 1940 the attack on Ypenburg airfield in The Hague area was meant to capture the Royal House. In spite of the massive surprise and the lack of material (som people without rifles got water bottles to throw) the Dutch won there.
The Dutch capitulated but not before a large number of captured paratroopers were sent of to England. My granddad was released into Dutch society still very traumatized as he had killed a young German.
In 1943 when the war started to go badly for Germany he was put in a POW camp. He tried to escape 3 times to see my father who was born 11 September 1943. Once his was caught 30;miles from home.
He survives the punishment but had to sit in a dog cage and bark to every German that walked by. Those who refused were tortured and murdered. That was in Stuttgart.
In the end he got some medals and was too weak to be deployed in Indonesia.which happened to other POWs.
My grandmother meanwhile had a small resistance weapons depot at home. My dad told me he played with the stuff and somewhere in the 50s the explosive removal service came to collect. Mind you there was a total distrust in the police and Goverment as a lot had sided with the Nazis.
I never made this public but I think it deserves to be made.
There is a good book on this from LTC Brongers
Your grandparents’ stories are definitely worthy of a great work (literature, film, or whatever).
Damn it, I’m mere months too late. My Dad went through a similar phase after Korea, but he’s still alive. I’m saddened when thinking of those who didn’t recover from the war. Truly a fate worse than death in some cases.
Thanks, sadly he iOS no longer around to ask. Whenever a veteran dies a Library burns down. Thanks for asking what happened to him I really never but I
This on paper(ok cyberspace). Kinda painful but it is good to remember that POW camps were not like the wildly funny Hogan’s Heroes. Or Allo Allo.
I agree, Korea was horrible as well. It is really unbelievable what they went through.
Oh boy, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Also, Hogan’s Heroes (along with many depictions of WWII up to that point) were not exactly aiming for accuracy.
Especially the freezing cold and the image of hordes of Chinese and NK soldiers looking to kill you. That’s not to mention North Korean POW camps (Dad wasn’t taken as POW, thank goodness, but still, two of his friends were executed). Now you know why my family (including myself) is permanently anti-Communist.