Bram De Graaf

Memoir of the war time adventures of Bram Grisnigt, written at the end of his life by a journalist of two popular (populist) glossies. As usual the title is a misnomer. The main author hated it, because of its embellishment and allusion to that most popular of war hero books, film and musical – 'Soldaat van Oranje' (Royal Soldier). But, as we all know, commerce is everything for publishers, who are like the bankers of this world – morally bankrupt, inure to modesty.

Bram’s story is quite incredible – taking off on his bicycle in Spring 1941, he ends up in a camp in southern France, to leave by boat from Barcelona, surviving miraculously its torpedoing; washing up at Guantanamo bay (Cuba), spending some time at Curacao, before finally reaching England via New York and Canada (training for a Dutch army brigade). In England Bram runs into his future wife and is trained as special agent for a newly established Dutch counterpart to the SOE. He is dropped into Brabant in September 1943, successfully operating as a go-between for the Dutch resistance in Amsterdam and (occasionally) Zeist.

In February 1944 the whole network of radio operators (network Barbara) is sniffed out by a special SD operation, and Bram’s journey through various work and death camps starts. He is first subjected to several interrogations which are characterised by psychological torture rather than bodily harm. Then he is moved to Hotel Haaren (groot seminarie Haarendael), where all resistance related pick-ups are brought together (sometimes literally – Bram spends time with Henk Letteboer a colleague and friend for life). The German SD tries to set up a second Englandspiel (called Egmont spiel) by making some radio operators play along, but all make deliberate mistakes so the English side knows the network has been betrayed and fallen. By end of July 1944, they are moved to concentration camp Vught, and from there on to Sachsenhausen (in September). Bram ends up digging tank trenches in a small work camp near Aurich (part of Neuengamme camp). He returns to Neuengamme in December, very weak, unable to perform any more hard labour. In April the camp is evacuated and Bram through a small but crucial gesture by a Latvian hiwi gets selected for the survivors and ends up in Ravensbruck – the male camp (the main camp is for women). End of April Bram joins a death march, but manages to escape and returns to the Ravensbruck camp, where he starts taking care of the survivors until he gets picked up by some Dutch soldiers, who bring him back to Holland quite soon after conclusion of the war.

He reports to his old unit (for espionage) and meets Henk again. Via Henk he gets in touch with Shell and lands himself a job in Curacao – Bram does not like the closed mindset of the Dutch anymore. He marries Ann in England and they move abroad. When he finally returns to NL after retirement, he starts frequenting reunions, while hating their heroic treatment – he is quite sober when it comes to passing on lessons. Only when Ann is dying, he finally opens up and shares his life story with the author of this book.… (meer)

Een boek die voor buitenstaanders (waar ik zelf ook een van ben) moeilijk te lezen is. Veel van de namen en situaties die door de auteur genoemd worden zijn onbekend. Verder bewandelde de auteur dezelfde weg die ook collega schrijver Jan Brokken deed. Veel interviews met (nabestaanden van) betrokkenen

Anders dan bij 'De vergelding' is er bij deze gebeurtenissen wel een schuldige aan te wijzen, toch blijft de vraag wel 'deden ze het om er zelf beter van te worden, of dachten ze oprecht dat ze iets goeds deden?' Nu, meer dan 75 jaar na dato zal dat nooit meer duidelijk worden.
… (meer)