My dads war storys. Chapter One.

Discussion in 'Veteran Accounts' started by gpjeuken, Dec 30, 2010.

  1. gpjeuken

    gpjeuken Member

    My father, Michel Jeuken,
    Always optimistic and kind, With sence of humour.

    He did not like to be a leader, but sure not a blind follower.
    Careful, but not afraid.
    Dad was clever, always alert and prepaird to have a quick solution
    for the situations.

    Born: eldest son on 02-I0-I9I0 Holzheim. (Germany) From Dutch parents.
    Died on 05-02-2004.
    Educated in Germany til they moved back to Holland becouse of
    a new German law,foriegners less rights (german nationals first )
    His father rented a farm, sins 1910 , but becouse of this new law, the farm must be
    given to a german farmer. End of 1928 he mooved back to Holland.

    Michel, ..Army duty Holland 1930.
    His unit was,
    3-1-41 RI
    Meaning, 3th Company
    1th Battalion
    41th Regiment Infantry.

    1939 Defending South-East border of Holland, at the Maas(meuse) river
    between Alverna and Wanssum, during more then half year before
    the german attack.
    Now I am going to tell you a story about
    a compleet german soldier suit, was kept always secretly with him
    in the army.
    As he told, nicely washed and irond in a flat box under in his cubboard.
    Never know, for a emergency situation.
    The shirt was a bit damaged at the chest pocket ?????
    But easy to repair acc. my dads words.
    When I asked: From where did you get this cloths,was his answer:
    Oh , the other boys gave me, from where did they get it?
    Oh , I dont know. ( they all new, he spoke fluent German )

    But my dad told many stories, also one what I link with this.
    ,,,,Whenever you are in an emergency situation to kill a german soldier,
    than your life is in danger.,,,,
    ,,,The best solution is...unseen and allone you have to burrie the fellow,,,
    BUT... you have to undress him completely, and remove all the marks of a
    german soldier.,,,,
    Last I phoned to the son of his best friend, he told, yes, I know this story.
    It was a secret, They will have killed one.

    I think this,
    It was in between half year before the fighting,so, no enemy casualtys.
    Somewhere must be a list or report of deserted or suddenly missing
    german soldiers.
    How to get this information ??
    Next Story, next time
    ,,How my dad succesfully escaped as a POW,.. Prisoner Of War (krijgsgevangene) end of May 1940
    from Middelburg sportspark,,( He told, Voetbalveld)

    Regards, Gerard Jeuken. Holland.
     
    Last edited: Jul 20, 2019
    Lindele, dbf, nicks and 1 other person like this.
  2. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Thanks for posting Gerard - when's the next instalment coming?
     
  3. gpjeuken

    gpjeuken Member

    The succesful escape (ontsnapping) as a POW (krijgsgevangene) from the germans.

    My dad was defending the maas(meuse) S E. of Holland I0 may 1940.
    On 9th of may, he wrote a letter home,....

    ...Three days ago , they made me a guard for our captain, Res. kapitein P A M G Mignot,
    joining the police troops. (politietroepen)
    Now we have no free time at all, only duty and sleep and eat in between
    This was 9th of May 1940. One day before the german attack.

    When Germany attacket , the ordnance brought a letter for his captain.
    The captain was behind his desk ,reading... and speechless, just sitting in his chair.
    Than my dad and somebody carried him with chair and all out of his office
    for fresh air, ....after some time everything O.K.

    His captain gave orders to burn some important papers and my dad burned in the same time
    the German clothes, which he had illegal. Now it could be dangerous to have.
    His Captain got orders to withdraw over Kraaienhut to Deurne.
    In the center of Deurne they stopped one hour, in opposite of the postoffice, waiting for new orders..
    In the meantime, the soldiers bought postcards to sent home.
    My dad wrote home, 10th of May 1940, about four a clock, afternoon, now we are
    in Deurne, waiting for new orders, everybody OK.

    In the evening , they crossed the canal at Veghel, to proceed north of Tilburg and Breda
    Direction Rosendaal Army camp (kazerne)... One building was bombed by the Germans My dad told, not so bad damaged. They slept there one night, and next morning early they proceedet to Oostkapelle, passing Middelburg.
    On 13th of may he has send a postcard home, he was in a sportspark at
    Oostkapelle S. W. OF Holland,
    In that place his army surrenderd on 17th of May, evening.
    Here, army surrendered and was disarmed most probebly on 18th of May 1940.
    Dad told, we had to give our rifle, and put it on a heap, in the same time registering the names.
    Slept in the open air, sitting on our bags, with two persons, and our backs together.
    It was half may and not so cold in the night.
    Everybody had to peel some potatos for our cook in the kitchentruck.

    After that, they Moved to a small sports field, ( voetbalveld) direction Middelburg.
    .
    It was crowdy and the park was surrounded by armed German soldiers.
    After some days dad saw ,every morning there was a group of dutch
    prisoners marching to the railway station of Middelburg for transport.
    Behind guarded by two dutch prisoners with a bicycle.
    Dad told, To morrow morning I go with the group, ...BUT..
    We have to go with two people, and asked his best friend to go with him.
    He told, We have to dress the same as the two last guards and search a good bike.
    Next morning early they stood ready close to the gate .....
    When the group was passing the gate, they joined immedeatly.
    THIS TIME FOUR GUARDS !!!
    Now they where out of the gate, but the problems where not over yet.

    Next time more. Regards. Gerard Jeuken.Holland.
     
    Last edited: Apr 27, 2020
    Lindele and dbf like this.
  4. ronald

    ronald Senior Member

    Keep them coming Gerard...

    Ron
     
  5. KGoddard

    KGoddard Junior Member

    Thankyou for posting these Gerard looking forward to more.
     
  6. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    Gerard, like a lot of members, awaiting the next episode.

    P
     
  7. 52nd Airborne

    52nd Airborne Green Jacket Brat

    Interesting read Gerard, I look forward to the next part.
     
  8. Oldman

    Oldman Very Senior Member

    Gerard
    thanks for the post, looking forward to the next installment
     
  9. gpjeuken

    gpjeuken Member

    Edited by gpjeuken.
     
  10. gpjeuken

    gpjeuken Member

    My dads war storys Chapter 3.
    They where out of the gate, BUT, the two guards before them, started to
    chout : WHAT OF HELL YOU BOTH ARE DOEING THERE ??
    Dad told, keep silent..........WE HAVE ORDERS FROM OUR CAPTIAN,
    WE ARE INTELLIGENCE HOLLAND ARMY . (GEHEIME DIENST)
    One fellow kept silent, but the other was stil a problem.
    The group soldiers went on, Left, Richt, Left, Richt,Left.....................
    Then dad told keep silent, WILL TAKE YOU TO COURT.
    One moment there was a small forest and a bend in the road, (the leader in front
    could not see the last guards)
    This was the good moment to escape in the bush.
    They kept hidden, and wayted about 20 minutes, nothing happened.
    They hid the things they not need and kept the food and drink for underway.
    Also a small roadmap. The road home was about 80 Miles,the wether was good.
    Real springtime.
    They started biking home, but underway more places cheqpoints.
    Every time to tell the lie.......We dont know,last days we kept hidden in a farm,
    we where separated from our compagnie.
    Next time more, Regards, Gerard.
     
  11. Lady Prime

    Lady Prime Discharged

    These are great!! Please keep them coming...:D
     
  12. Jakob Kjaersgaard

    Jakob Kjaersgaard Senior Member

    Good stuff, keep them coming :)
     
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  13. At Home Dad (Returning)

    At Home Dad (Returning) Well-Known Member

  14. gpjeuken

    gpjeuken Member

    When they passed cheqpoint about Bergen op Zoom, Germans
    where strict and sent them to the major of the place, we wayted one hour valuable
    time . The major was frendly and wrote a letter , < this men can travel freely to their homeplace < THIS WAS a GREAT HELP.
    His friend was Hendrik de Groot from Boekel, so they biket together direction
    Helmond, passing Breda and Tilburg still more than 50 miles. but together, the way
    home is never far. The weather was perfect.
    Once , came a moment to go there own way, dad approched the channel, Willems vaart.(bar le duc)
    south of Helmond in direction south , to Asten, direction Meijel.
    Next time more, Gerard.
     
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  15. englandphil

    englandphil Very Senior Member

    Brilliant, anyone any good with plotting routes on Maps as would love to see the path of this journey.

    p
     
  16. gpjeuken

    gpjeuken Member

    Hello, all,
    Dont think I am creating this story,
    This all told my dad during his life,again and again,even mutch more details,
    He had to ventilate it out. By time.
    This was so exiting to me, and I asked questions, how did you do this and that.
    Whyl he was telling I felt his tension, and it was like I was with him, that time.
    My dad is my great teacher.
    Regards. Gerard.
     
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  17. gpjeuken

    gpjeuken Member

    When my dad approched the cannal, it was the
    zuidwillemsvaart, he will have crosst it at sluis 10 stright to muncipal Asten town,
    from there 5 miles more direction Meijel, to his home.
    His home ,(my grandfathers place) was exactly in the middel of the rural area,
    Asten Peel, (junction buizerdweg.)
    From Asten, in small village Heusden, he spoke short with Piet v Tilburg, and his doughter Paula (1928) remembered as a girl of 12 years, that it was on a satturday, the day of selling peat in the city Helmond.
    Now I can calculate, it was on Satturday 25 May 1940.

    Going on , direction Peel, there is a one mile fir wood,(Eeuwsels bos) on the right side.
    Behind it, his father was building a farmbuilding for him, on the 20 acre of poor land
    He had chort look, the boundation and small basement was finished.
    In october he is gone to marry.........I am born two and a half year later..........
    This is the place of a central point in 1944 Battelfield ,where end of oct. 1944,
    Americans, B cie of 814 tankdestroyers, and the 10th HLI and Sudherland Highlanders sufferd there casualtys.(peelarea)

    Now he is going on, one mile more till home.
    It was late in the afternoon, about 2 hours before dark.
     
  18. gpjeuken

    gpjeuken Member

    Home coming, his parents, brothers and sisters where happy and surprised
    Unexpected he came home, in a good health.
    He told, mother make me somthing to eat, I gone to change my army clothes.
    How are the other soldiers ?? They are still in the camp.
    Then mother told: Sure, Michel hase don again a trick.
    How did you do it,?? I tell you an other time,
    I have to go on, to Neerkant, Promiset my friends to tell their families that they
    all in agood health. Doeing this, he told< I was so tired< even the last place I visited
    in the dark.....
     
  19. gpjeuken

    gpjeuken Member

    Now to go to the most important place of all,
    his girlfriend, center of Neerkant, she got the last postcard of him written on
    13 may 1940 from Middelburg. About 12 days ago. not knowing anything .
    She saw him, walking,healty, around the house to the backdoor.
    From here, no words........They were in eachother arms,
    and the tears where flowing.

    The story after, next time.
     
  20. gpjeuken

    gpjeuken Member

    Dad was at home now, working on his fathers farm, for him
    the war was over. Never had got concequensis of the escape.
    His other friends/prisoners came home safely about three weeks later,
    but they had a travel throu Belgium, but Hitler ordered to send them home.

    Friends of my father in the army, I know:
    Hendrik de Groot. from Boekel (escaped with him)
    Jan v/d Mortel Asten
    Wiel Rovers Asten Heusden
    Madou Asten Heusden
    Jan Linden Neerkant (later my agryculture teacher)

    This is THE END of dads escape as a prisoner from the Germans,
    On the 25th of may 1940
    Regards..... Gerard Jeuken. Holland.
     

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