A Bumpy Ride Through World War II

This is a gripping first-person account of a young Dutchman's experiences during World War II. Gerrit Haagsma, arrested and imprisoned in the Amersfoort concentration camp (Polizeiliches Durchgangslager Amersfoort) in 1941, was officially labelled an "Enemy of the Reich". This designation was applied to him, as he had provided chalk to some friends who had dared scrawl "OZO", meaning "Oranje Zal Overwinnen" (Oranje Will Conquer) on the streets of Harlingen, Friesland. After enduring the brutality of the German SS guards (and Dutch NSBers) he was released; however, he was then sent as a to Germany as a forced labourer (Arbeitseinsatz). From an aluminum factory in Mecklenburg, he was transferred to Berlin to help clean up the bomb damage, where he, too, was treated to intensive bombing courtesy of the RAF and the US Army Air Forces.

While his experiences as a Dutch forced labourer cannot be compared to the horrific terrors inflicted upon Jews and other nationalities, he experienced trials, adventures, good and bad times which are recounted in fascinating detail. His adventures, too, during the utter collapse of the Third Reich, and his journey homeward, and eventual liberation by the U.S. Army armoured forces, make his story a real page-turner.