Water and shipping played an important role in the Verhoef family. Willem Verhoef (1889–1974) was a tugboat captain. His second wife was Geertrui Drinkwaard (1895–1981), the mother of Pieter and Jan. Pieter, known as Piet, was born in Hardinxveld on 9 August 1921. His younger brother Jan was born on Read more
Hendrik Prins was born in Sliedrecht on 30 January 1916. He was the son of Arie Prins (1893–1957), an engineer, and Arina Elisabeth Bernhart (1893–1985). Niesje Visser was born in Sliedrecht on 27 July 1917. She was the daughter of Klaas Visser (1891–1967) and Hendrika Lanser (1891–1965). She had a Read more
Adrianus Visser was born in Papendrecht on 4 January 1926. He was the son of Bastiaan Visser (1906–1932) and Neeltje Veth (1907–1991). The family lived at 18 Nanengat in Papendrecht. His father worked as a carpenter and bicycle repairer. Adrianus was only six years old when Bastiaan was killed in Read more
Adriaan van de Graaf was born in Papendrecht, South Holland, on 4 March 1927. He was the eldest son of Gerrit van de Graaf (1903–1987) and Jacoba Verweij (1908–1963). Before emigrating, Adriaan lived at 5 Plein in Het Zand, part of Papendrecht’s Kraaihoek district. On 22 July 1950, he departed Read more
Introduction Broome, on the remote north-western coast of Western Australia, occupies a particularly important place in the shared wartime history of Australia, the Netherlands and the former Netherlands East Indies (NEI). During the opening months of 1942, as Japanese forces advanced through Southeast Asia, Broome became a vital evacuation point Read more
Republished with permission. Section Two: Military, from the book A Touch of Dutch – Maritime, Military, Migration and Mercantile Connections on the Western Third 1616–2016, edited by Nonja Peters. This section explores Dutch military and civilian experiences in Australia during the Second World War and its aftermath, particularly the close Read more
Marigje Maria van Rijsbergen was born in Sliedrecht on 19 August 1916. She was the daughter of Cornelis “Kees” van Rijsbergen (1874–1952), a merchant, and Marigje Nederlof (1882–1950). On 13 December 1947, Marigje married 36-year-old Heike Bakker in Sliedrecht. Heike had been born in Delfzijl on 31 October 1911 and Read more
Jan Lavooy was born in Sliedrecht on 21 March 1913. He was the son of Johannes Lavooi (1881–1969), a barge skipper, and Marigje Bot (1883–1966). Jan grew up in a family of seven children. From 1914, the family lived at Wijk B 292 in Sliedrecht, an address later renumbered as Read more
Rias Nicolaas Spee was born in Gouda on 28 May 1926. He was the son of Cornelis Bastiaan Spee and Johanna Hendrika Maria Nederhoed. His father was born in Gouda on 13 July 1901 and operated a hat and cap shop at 229 Voorstraat in Dordrecht. His mother was born Read more
Pieter Brandwijk was born in Sliedrecht on 1 May 1901. He was the son of Gerardus Brandwijk, a ship’s captain, and Neeltje Vuijk. On 15 November 1924, he married Arina Ariaantje de Vroomen, who had been born in Sliedrecht on 4 October 1905. The couple lived at 13 Wilhelminastraat in Read more