An autobiography of Klaas Dijk during his time in The Resistance in Amsterdam (1940-45).
Klaas Dijk was 20 years of age when the War broke out in Holland on 10th May 1940. He attended English classes at the Simon Noort Institute and it was there he first became involved with The Resistance. Simon helped Jewish refugees from Germany to find a new homeland. When the War broke out Klaas was ordered to work in Germany. He was able to escape the German guards after receiving his train ticket to Germany and was lucky that train was blown up by the Allies and therefore he was declared ‘missing’.
In his book he describes two women. Esther, a Jewish girl, who loses her whole family and joins The Resistance. Els, a courier, whose Jewish fiancé escapes from a train destined for Germany.
Together with Ton they received arms from Allied planes, printed food vouchers and looked after 300 Jewish refugees with housing, shoes, food and medical care, all under the constant threat of being caught. After the War finished on 5th May 1945, by not signing The Declaration of Principle he did not consider his future and had trouble finding work.
(Translated by his son, Rod Dijk)
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