On Easter Sunday, I was once again fortunate to receive a remarkable donation. Mrs. De Gids from Schiedam donated a collection of personal documents from the Second World War to Erfenis 40-45.

These documents provide a fascinating insight into the experiences of her family during and immediately after the war and include:

• A letter from the Rotterdam Police Headquarters at Haagseveer concerning an arrest following acts of sabotage at Wilton-Fijenoord, where Mr. Marinus de Gids was employed.
• The identity cards of Mr. De Gids and Mrs. Van den Berg.
• A medical declaration card.
• A Dienstausweis (service identification card) issued by the Deutsche Reichsbahn.
• A provisional foreigner’s pass issued by the German Reich.
• A possessions record card documenting the personal belongings Mr. De Gids still had upon returning to the Netherlands. After the war, he travelled a considerable part of the journey home from Bremen on foot.
• A commemorative card distributed to schoolchildren in Rotterdam to mark the tenth anniversary of the liberation.

Documents such as these reveal the personal stories behind major historical events. They show how war affected ordinary people and provide a valuable addition to the Erfenis 40-45 collection.

I would like to sincerely thank Mrs. De Gids for this generous and meaningful donation. These documents will be carefully preserved and given a special place within the collection, ensuring that future generations can continue to learn from this personal history.

Lest We Forget.