Leo Onclin *1938
I used to live in the Herenstraat 3 and I wasn’t allowed to go to the Dam. However, two words were of course interesting: ‘chocolate’ and ‘cigarettes’. I didn’t smoke but I do want the chocolate. So I went alone to the Dam because my friend was forbidden to go. When I arrived at the Dam, it was crowded, I tried to approach the soldiers who stood in front of the Bijenkorf.
Suddenly everybody start running and the bullets were flying around my ears, I let myself fall and tried to hide behind the barrel organ.
After a while the shooting stopped, a man took me by the hand and we ran to a side street next to the Rode Leeuw. We went inside through the goods entrance, several wounded people were carried inside; it was a terrible situation, screaming and moaning people. After an hour or maybe longer we walked home via the Nieuwendijk.
They were happy to see me and my parents were very thankful to the gentleman who brought me home. And I still had no chocolate.
January 2017
Discover more from Stichting Memorial voor Damslachtoffers 7 mei 1945
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