For the Netherlands the war officially ended on the 5th May 1945, when the Germans army in Holland surrendered. From then on Holland was free again and so were the Dutch citizens. It would take years, however, before life returned to normal again. Meanwhile, not only lives and cities had been shattered, but also many dreams of those who had survived World War II.
In 1947 the family finally returned to Holland. They went to The Hague, where Piet's friend Leib Simons offered him a job at his whole sale firm Haags Staalkantoor N.V. (The Hague Steel Office Pty). Two girls were born in The Hague: Marijke and Bernadette. But Alice was not happy anymore in little, crowded Holland after having lived abroad for five years. On 28th March 1951, Piet, Alice and children emigrated to Australia and from 1955 onwards they would live in the same house for more than fifty years in Toongabbie, Sydney. In Australia four more children were born: Anthony, John, Stephen and Therese. Piet finally came to work for American Express, a job that he enjoyed and which gave him the opportunity to travel abroad. He died in Blacktown, Sydney, on 28 February 2009 at the age of nearly 89.
During the last months of Piet's life, eldest son Ray made an effort to have his father awarded a medal for his war service. As a result Piet received the Mobilisatie Oorlogskruis (Mobilisation War Cross), granted to him by the Dutch Ministry of Defence on 5th March 2009—five days after his death. The medal was presented to Alice by the Dutch Consul-General in a ceremony at St Hedwig Village, Blacktown, where she lives. A little report can be found in the Blacktown Sun.
With the help of Jack, Li van Gorkom had left Switzerland illegally on 23 May 1945. After her return to Holland with daughter Louise, she moved in with her parents, who lived in Rotterdam at the time. In May 1946 Johanna was born and two months later Li and her parents moved to The Hague, where Jack and Li managed to find their own place to live. In 1947 Ineke was born in The Hague and in 1949 Dick. So by then, the score between Piet and Jack was more or less equal, both having four children now, of whom two were born in The Hague and the eldest in Switzerland. In the mean time, Jack had left the army in September 1947 and found an administrative job as a civil servant at the Council in The Hague.
In Jack and Li's case, it was Jack who did not want to stay in Holland. Inspired by the emigration of Piet and Alice, they too started to make plans and finally on the 16th October 1959 they emigrated to Australia as well, where they were met by their old friends. In 1960 a fifth child, John, was born in Penrith, a Western suburb of Sydney. The van Gorkom family, however, returned to Holland after five years where Jack and Li went to live in Delft. Jack died in Delft on 2 January 2000 at the age of nearly 79. Li (Ada) passed away in Amsterdam on 16 June 2011.
Piet and Alice van den Nieuwenhof
For Piet van den Nieuwenhof it was the end of his dream to become a journalist. Neither did the end of the war mean his immediate return home. On the contrary, he remained in London for another two years. Alice van den Nieuwenhof had to wait as well. She had to stay in Switzerland for more than half a year before she was allowed to come over to England and have her family reunited. Meanwhile she was completely on her own with her two little boys Ray and Andy. It had been decided that Alice's chances to be allowed to go to England would be better if she were living on her own and so she spent the months after the liberation in a house on the premises of a hotel in Caux sur Montreux; a beautiful but lonely place to live. She had to stay there until early 1946 before she and her sons were finally granted permission to move to London. She did this in style by British war plane.In 1947 the family finally returned to Holland. They went to The Hague, where Piet's friend Leib Simons offered him a job at his whole sale firm Haags Staalkantoor N.V. (The Hague Steel Office Pty). Two girls were born in The Hague: Marijke and Bernadette. But Alice was not happy anymore in little, crowded Holland after having lived abroad for five years. On 28th March 1951, Piet, Alice and children emigrated to Australia and from 1955 onwards they would live in the same house for more than fifty years in Toongabbie, Sydney. In Australia four more children were born: Anthony, John, Stephen and Therese. Piet finally came to work for American Express, a job that he enjoyed and which gave him the opportunity to travel abroad. He died in Blacktown, Sydney, on 28 February 2009 at the age of nearly 89.
During the last months of Piet's life, eldest son Ray made an effort to have his father awarded a medal for his war service. As a result Piet received the Mobilisatie Oorlogskruis (Mobilisation War Cross), granted to him by the Dutch Ministry of Defence on 5th March 2009—five days after his death. The medal was presented to Alice by the Dutch Consul-General in a ceremony at St Hedwig Village, Blacktown, where she lives. A little report can be found in the Blacktown Sun.
Jack and Li van Gorkom
For Jack van Gorkom it was the end of his dream to become a sports instructor or physical education teacher. He was less lucky than Piet and had great trouble to find employment after his army contract had ended on 8th August 1945. He also suffered from what he had seen during his months of active service; something one would call Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome nowadays, a condition that did not have a name or face in those days. In the end he had little choice but to enlist again as an Oorlogsvrijwilliger (war volunteer), and so he served another two years in the Amsterdam regiment 2-11 R.I.With the help of Jack, Li van Gorkom had left Switzerland illegally on 23 May 1945. After her return to Holland with daughter Louise, she moved in with her parents, who lived in Rotterdam at the time. In May 1946 Johanna was born and two months later Li and her parents moved to The Hague, where Jack and Li managed to find their own place to live. In 1947 Ineke was born in The Hague and in 1949 Dick. So by then, the score between Piet and Jack was more or less equal, both having four children now, of whom two were born in The Hague and the eldest in Switzerland. In the mean time, Jack had left the army in September 1947 and found an administrative job as a civil servant at the Council in The Hague.
In Jack and Li's case, it was Jack who did not want to stay in Holland. Inspired by the emigration of Piet and Alice, they too started to make plans and finally on the 16th October 1959 they emigrated to Australia as well, where they were met by their old friends. In 1960 a fifth child, John, was born in Penrith, a Western suburb of Sydney. The van Gorkom family, however, returned to Holland after five years where Jack and Li went to live in Delft. Jack died in Delft on 2 January 2000 at the age of nearly 79. Li (Ada) passed away in Amsterdam on 16 June 2011.
