GOD WON, I LOST
The Outbreak of the War — A First-Day Account (May 10, 1940)
This chapter recounts the author’s personal experience on the first day of the German invasion of the Netherlands. The text has been translated from Dutch, revised for clarity and narrative coherence for an American readership, and annotated to provide historical context for readers without living memory of the Second World War.
Morning Over Amsterdam
In the early hours of the morning of May 10, 1940, I was awakened by the sound of airplanes flying overhead and by the anxious voices of people in the street.
At the time, I was staying in a boarding house on Lange Kerkstraat in Amsterdam. I worked there as a sales representative for a company based in The Hague that imported groceries and luxury consumer goods.¹
I dressed quickly and looked outside. Flying low in the sky was a Dutch fighter plane, circling again and again over the same spot.²
Against the overwhelming strength of the German attackers, there was little our few aircraft could do.
A fear that many people had long carried—that we too would be drawn into the war—had become reality. Even so, the shock came more suddenly than anyone expected.
At that moment, I had only one thought: to get to The Hague as quickly as possible, where my parents, sisters, and brother lived.
The Journey South
The trains had stopped running. I was still able to leave Amsterdam on what was known as the “blue tram,” but no one could say how far it would go or how long the journey would take.³
Along the way I saw bombed houses and burned-out cars. It took a long time to reach Leiden, and beyond that point the tram went no farther. I had to find another way to continue on to The Hague.
Everyone was extremely nervous. Bombers flew very low over Leiden, and soldiers in the streets fired their rifles at them.⁴
Suspicion and Fear
At one point, I was able to ride with a woman who was also trying to reach The Hague. That ride was short-lived. During a military checkpoint, Dutch soldiers ordered me out of the car and took me to their captain.
Because of my dark complexion, they assumed I was a foreigner—possibly a spy. The soldiers themselves seemed extremely nervous and on edge.⁵
The captain ordered that I be escorted out of Leiden. As a soldier led me through the streets to carry out this order, I heard people say, “There goes another spy.”
The soldier escorting me, however, remained calm. I was able to explain my situation to him. He told me that once outside the city, they would stop a car heading toward The Hague so I could continue my journey.
And that is exactly what happened. I was able to ride with a Dutch food-supply official.
At Gunpoint
When we arrived in Voorburg, we were stopped again by a Dutch soldier. I was ordered out of the car and told to open my suitcase. Inside, he saw a bundle of letters with American postage stamps and immediately shouted, without further investigation, “Sergeant—suspicious papers!”⁶
A sergeant standing about thirty feet away drew his revolver and rushed toward me, shouting, “Hands up!” His finger trembled on the trigger.
There was no room for explanation. I understood immediately what was happening. I knew I had to remain calm and obey every order.
Here too, panic was everywhere. Our soldiers were completely unprepared. Earlier that morning, fighting had taken place in this area with German paratroopers who had landed nearby.⁷ They apparently suspected that I was one of them, carrying secret orders in my suitcase.
I was taken to a makeshift headquarters set up in a private home. Fortunately, a colonel was in charge—a man who remained calm and quickly realized that a mistake had been made.
“Wait here,” he said. “A car with several soldiers and a sailor will soon be leaving for The Hague. You can go with them.”
And so I did. One soldier sat next to the driver with his revolver drawn. I sat in the back seat beside a sailor.
Arrival in The Hague
They were headed to the Frederiks Barracks in The Hague and dropped me off at my parents’ home on the Hooigracht.⁸
At that moment, an air-raid alarm was sounding, and my parents, sister, and brother were sheltering in the downstairs apartment. When my father saw the sailor, he assumed he himself was being called back into service. He was a retired naval officer and would gladly have joined again in the defense of the country.
The First Day
This all happened to me on the very first day of the war. Every Dutch person could tell a similar story, if given the chance.
What I experienced in the days and months that followed is something I will not go into here.
Historical Notes and Annotations
1. Pre-war normalcy
In early 1940, daily life in the Netherlands still appeared largely normal. The country had declared neutrality, as it had during World War I. Many Dutch citizens believed—incorrectly—that this would protect them again.
2. Dutch air defenses
The Netherlands had a very small and outdated air force. Most Dutch aircraft were destroyed on the ground within the first day of the invasion.
3. The “blue tram”
An intercity electric tram system that connected Amsterdam, Leiden, and The Hague. It was slower than trains but sometimes continued running after rail service was suspended.
4. Shooting at aircraft
Firing rifles at low-flying planes was largely ineffective but reflected fear, confusion, and lack of preparation.
5. Fear of spies
German forces made extensive use of spies, saboteurs, and paratroopers disguised as civilians. This led to widespread suspicion and false accusations.
6. American postage stamps
Foreign correspondence was highly suspicious during invasions, as intelligence was often communicated by mail.
7. German paratroopers
On May 10, 1940, German airborne troops landed near The Hague in an attempt to capture the Dutch government and royal family. Though the attempt failed, it caused panic throughout the region.
8. Frederiks Barracks & Hooigracht
Both are real locations in The Hague. Military barracks became centers of emergency coordination during the invasion.
End of Chapter 1
God Won, I Lost 