On some photos of the liberation of the Netherlands I found this little black girl and I needed to know more about her, who she was, what her life was like, what happened to her.
I haven’t found her but did discover quite a bit.
A history detective thread on Twitter that I turned into an article here for easier reading:
I love the photos.
These girls just survived the hunger winter, they’re being given food.
These two seem like good pals, giggling, a bit shy with all the attention they’re given.
Truck from the 1st Canadian Army Tank Brigade?
It probably had been a while since she had good bread.
She’s happy, smiling, everybody is friendly.
But there must be a lot of pain and sadness behind those smiles.
So what was going on there?
I found this picture on Alamy, I think that’s the same soldier.
“‘Grocery shop of prince Bernhard’ [assistance to children’s homes] World War II, food facilities Date: 1945”:
With this description I found quite a few other photos as well:
What a wonderful day it must have been, food for people who were literally starving.
Look at this poor kid, wooden handmade shoes:
This photo is a clue, Be a Blessing it says on this building full of children.
This is an orphanage founded by evangelist J.H. Dijkstra:
Dijkstra cared for children who their parents could no longer look after because of the war, dodgy google translated Dutch newspaper article:
Shortly after the liberation there was this little protest at the orphanage showing how they’d just been given a pile of what appear to be turnips or beets.
Maybe this is what caused the soldier to come bring the bread and cheese.
I think that’s our girl there in the middle:
Dijkstra got these kids, 150 of them, through the hungerwinter.
In part by confronting black market traders with some of the children from the orphanage and shaming them into making donations of food and money.
Bringing some of the men to tears:
Here’s the story of the bread supplies as it appeared in the newspaper then, with dodgy Google translation:
The article describes how Father & Mother Dijkstra and the kids were by a Canadian with a bread truck who regularly surprises them with food.
Some of the kids are foundlings, literally, just found wandering the streets, nobody knows who heir parents are.
The “Canadian” is actually a Dutch guy from Amsterdam wearing an allied uniform.
He’s bringing bread and cheese.
The girl is mentioned, “there’s even a little negress” the journalist writes.
All the children wear rags, some don’t have shoes.
But they’re happy & healthy.
The soldier explains that the bread was made with flour “liberated” from the Germans.
Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands got his hands on it and gave orders to have bread made with it and then handed out to hospitals and orphanages.
Anything left over is handed out to public.
This letter from the ministry of war mentions the food supplies:
“the Irene Brigade, which had been instructed to confiscate the supplies of the Germans as much as possible. We received our share of this stock and this was usually delivered in person by HRH’s driver.”:
This is Pieter Wondergem, he was Prince Bernhard’s driver at that time.
Is he our hero?
More about him can be found here.
Pieter died on May 25th, 2012.
This is as much as I could find.
We may never know who the little girl or any of the other people in the photos were.
But I wish we did.
I’d love to know their story.
I need to know that she had a happy life after this difficult start.
If you know anything about the people in this story, especially the little girl, let me know.
Fake History Hunter 