In my previous post, see link below,
I mentioned the evacuation in October of 1944 till April 1945.
It was their mare Lies, pulling the horse wagon.
Here my older brother Toon is seated on Lies in probably 1941, at home with Keesje our German Spitz.
Again, Toon seated on Lies, no saddle – there were not such luxuries.
A Lithuanian horse is not that tall.
Lithuanian Horse, a cold-blooded is an ancient indigenous breed from the northwestern European cold-blood.
Height: 1.63–1.68 meters or 64–66 inches.
This is the 4–wheeled wagon, built by Pieter's Dad, which they used for their evacuation.
Dad had bought from a demolished hotel in Arnhem, for little money an enormous oak beam.
That beam got sawn into appropriate parts, by his friend Ross, in Babberich, who had a sawmill.
At a wrecker he bought axles, springs and wheels and during winter he build a nice 4-wheel wagon for Lies.
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This photo is from the early 1940s taken at home with husband Pieter seated to the right with Keesje the German Spitz.
Pieter's brother Toon, is seated to the left with a row of cousins, daughters from aunt in center top and aunt living across the street.
Pieter's and Toon's Dad is seated at the top, wearing his wool Fedora Hat and next to him is the youngest sister of Pieter's Mom who is seated to the right.
When they had Lies not that long, she got terribly wounded while pulling the wagon, the one seen in above photo.
An axle clip had come out for whatever reason and therefore the lamoen tree fell on her heels...
She hurt herself badly and ended up in a ditch. Pieter's Dad was on the wagon, and he got her home.
The vet had to come by bike and he had no hope for Lies.
But Dad did not want to give her up 'yet'.
So with the help of two neighbors he got her hind legs into a cooled down bath with natural soda granules, dissolved in boiling water.
Lies, after a few times of being helped, already stuck out her hind legs to go into her soda bath–and she got healed!
Just an impression of how such an evacuation looked like... (photo not ours).
Pieter's Dad had fastened an oak armoire on top of the wagon, for transporting some clothes and also for having the white bed sheet on top, as a cover for not getting attacked from the air.
Pieter's Mom sat on the wagon, with Keesje the dog and his Dad and the three boys all walked.
Lies, the horse pulled for two days in a row, the total distance of 40 km or 25 miles.
The first night they slept all in the Market Hall in Doetinchem and the horses got taken home by local farmers for being fed and they were returned next morning.
It was when they almost reached their destination, that Keesje the white German Spitz was gone...
In that half year, Pieter and his Dad once went back home to Groessen with the horse wagon and Lies, to pick up potatoes and carrots that had been ensiled. That ride went faster without any load and they'd left early morning for making it back in one day as well.
Actually the carrots were the neighbors, the Meijer brothers', but they no longer had a horse, as it got killed by heavy shelling before they evacuated. The neighborhood people ate it.
The ride back with the load of potatoes and carrots on the wagon, was of course heavy for Lies and they let her have a break in Kilder, at one of Mom's relatives, before going on.
Then, while passing through Terborg, they spotted Keesje!
The butcher in Terborg claimed it was his white Spitz, so Pieter's Dad enlisted a patrolman who wisely took Keesje, and ordered both parties to call the doggy.
Keesje ran towards Pieter and his Dad, so like the judgment of Solomon, it got solved.
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On the way home after liberation in April, they stayed for one night at a farmer, somewhere half way.
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1941 Dodge T203B 1.5 Ton 4x4 Heavy Truck ←click link
Several months after the war, Pieter got to ride back with his Dad, to the Varsseveld region, where they'd been evacuated to, together with the mayor and leaders from the municipality of Duiven.
Realizing that there was absolutely no public transportation re–established yet!
Seated on some benches made inside a former military Dodge truck from Jan Busink, who had a transport business.
By checking on line, for the correct spelling of Busink, we found his granddaughter Diane Busink; a Dutch writer; what a small world!
Pieter's neighbor Dr. Jan Wolters, made Pieter read a speech at the town square, to thank all the town leaders of Varsseveld, Silvolde, Terborg and hamlet Wisch; a very nice gesture by those town leaders.
Neighbor Dr. Jan Wolters had made then 16–year old Pieter practice at home in the barn, and emphasized to be 'broad out'!
Little did Pieter know at that time, that in the future he would give many lectures and speeches at International Congresses, in several languages...
The farmers where Pieter's Parents and his brothers stayed, two brothers, remained forever close like family. Pieter's family was so grateful and it was only natural that they always got included for any wedding anniversary and such.
Pieter with Toon stayed with Gerrit and Mina Nijhof, with only daughter Rieki at farmstead d'n Banninkhof and his Mom & Dad and eldest brother stayed with Jan Nijhof.
Even I have met them at the funeral of Pieter's Mom on November 24, 1989.
Just learned that Rieki Eggink–Nijhof passed away on August 19, 2021...
Maybe her children would appreciate this info.
We still have one photo where they probably could identify her.
Related link:
By Husband Pieter: MY LIFE AS A TEEN DURING THE WWII ERA | previous post written by Pieter
NEVER AGAIN | Video of a sad repeat of all the above...
