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[Vervolg vel 7]
Sunday 10. In the morning to the old gardener who came back to his
house; Th. explained the
state it was in: even the doorposts broken away, stairs gone, nothing
left in it save the old people's portret and the picture I gave them.
Since some days we got milk from the cremery. Allso from farmer Jansen
at our neighbours' whose meadows are over the border in Germany. Last
week the waterworks up to our home were put to order, but the main tap
was found leaking, so still no water in the house. They are working at
the electricity, putting up new posts.
Monday 11. In the morning through the fields between Cr.straat en
d.Heuvel. Many gliders and
several G. and All. tanks there. Some fields mowed or ploughed and sown,
but as the farmer Derks warned: "You have to keep to the cart-track,
the rest is dangerous". He reaped in his fields three cart loads of
mines and projectiles. He himself towed the gliders out of it.
Complained of the weeds, especially the cornflowers: "I will never
again get that out of it"
[achterzijde vel 7]
June 1945. All sorts of rubbish laying around: curled shells, pieces
of white, red, yellow and
green camouflage parachutes, some places where the weeds were very green
and where a pityfull little heap of rags and bones lay with a helmet and
a band of machine-gun bullets. Journey's end.
A profusion of flowers everywhere, our national colours: the red of the
poppies, the white of the margarets, the blue of the cornflowers and the
yellow of buttercups and dandelions one could fancy to be orange. Larks
singing everywhere about.
Last week a telephone line to Nijmegen was laid, not officially though
it beeing an Eng. tel. wire they used for it. Officially it could not be
done yet, not yet in weeks.
12. Today the plumber and his brother came to put the plumbery and
the electr. in order.
Light and water to-night! Water put off again for here are some leaks.
14. This evening Eng. lesson of nurse v.D. She got bedding and some
linen from Mrs.
Vroom{?}. Told how people who have a permit for passing are standing at
the Waal bridge - about a hundred - waiting for a lift. Mrs. Lantsink
sent me two frocks.
15. Our wireless working again. Got letter from Rein telling Victor
came back, and letter
from Kerkhoven. Wireless out of order.
16. Man killed by picking-up mine. Horse of Piet Bernebeek killed in
meadow by mine.
Advertisement in the paper: to let: meadow without mines.
17. Birthday of Lies Jansen; Zus, Ineke, and El[ly] (El went in the
afternoon to Gemert
to spend some time on Kerkhoven's farm.)
[vel 8]
I went there in the morning, Sunday. They showed us the ammunitioncar
and gun at the hedge of the Lamers orchard with the four All. graves.
The amm.car having been struck by a shell. Lamers intended to dwell in
his pigsty, but soldiers in blowing up a heap of mines quite near it
damaged the wall very much. Went in the evening to Miss Gildemeester. In
the evening and the night an extraordinary lot of explosions. Next day
again, and quite near, our window panes clattering in a nasty way, of
course mines again.
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