Today I plucked up courage and knocked on the house door and was ready with my best French to ask all about them. The knock was answered by a smiling Dutch man called Henk who was delighted to tell me the story of the bikes.
When he bought the house a few years ago the three bikes were in the yard. The family other than a daughter in Normandy had died. She explained to Henk the bikes had belonged to her mother and father and the little bike had been hers. This was before the second world war. When the Nazis were here they insisted all bikes were registered and and an immatriculation name and number on each bike, even the tiny girl's cycle. Those details in a silver band are still on the bikes.
Henk has very unhappy memories of the war as he was incarcerated in a Japanes prisoner of war camp for 3 years before being freed by the Americans. He nearly died twice and had 3 different types of malaria.
Laughingly now he is 80 years old and in good health, so he thinks in the end it did not do him lasting harm. He has an American flag in the house, as he will never forget that rescue.
The bikes he feels are a potent reminder of that war " lest we forget"
Harry says
Hello Val
It was not the Nazis who insisted on the plaques
see link
http://babethhistoires.unblog.fr/2012/08/15/1923-15-aout/
Val says oh dear and now I am going to have to tell him that. Still a good story though. Thanks Harry.
Malc says " why tell him, do not spoil his story?"
Message Body
k
