Book: Onder de Trap (War diary 'Under the Stairs')

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Book content, cover and marketing material design by Hedy De Bats.

'Under the Stairs'
The Dutch Famine of 1944 - 1945

In the year 2004, my father, Herman De Bats had given me his World War II journal from 1944 - 1945 as a present. A historical treasure that documents the horrifying stories of a Dutch family in the city The Hague, during the 'Dutch Famine' that took place in the German-occupied part of The Netherlands. The famine was known as 'De Hongerwinter' (Hunger Winter). Four and half million people were affected and managed to survive because of soup kitchens, eating tulip flower bulbs and sugarbeets. As many as twenty-two thousand people may have died because of this famine.

Herman, his parents, brother Jan, grandmother, aunt Hedwich (I am named after this lovely lady) and their Fox Terrier Cora managed to get through this traumatic, horrific wartime.

Herman, then a teenager, accurately had written on nearly a daily basis how they coped to survive hunger, freezing temperatures and resisting forced labour in German factories. Men between 16 and 40 years had to report with a small packed bag. Against their will, they took the men to Germany. The Western Allies regularly bombed these factories. Herman and his brother Jan refused to cooperate and therefore had to go into hiding. They hid under the stairs in the family home, while German soldiers would search the house trying to find them.

Herman and I decided to share these real wartime stories with the world. Accompanied by many illustrations Herman often had drawn by candlelight.

The Dutch copy 'Onder De Trap" will be published in The Netherlands and Belgium on the 23rd of March 2018. We are very proud of our achievement. These stories need to be told. Ensuring intense suffering during these traumatic times will never happen again. During the entire process of writing the Dutch version, I received assistance from my friend Geert Broeren, author of the book 'Het Oog van Orbal'. I value his help very much. I have dyslexia, therefore is it is quite a challenge I have chosen to be a writer. Geert is always willing to help me out. I am very grateful for that.

TRANSLATION of the book from Dutch to English is in progress.

https://www.boekscout.nl/shop2/boek.php?bid=8614

Herman de Bats (93 yrs) had written the authentic diary back in 1943. Now 75 years ago. Herman survived the horrific World War II in his home town The Hague, The Netherlands.