Then and Now pictures: IJMUIDEN Holland

[Little Jo]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Phil, Bill, Terry, Tony,


Tony....you were born in Hillegom? You do know that's where Hanno lives? And right around the corner from where I live (Hoofddorp). Fascinating. You must remember the brick factory(?). Indeed V1's were launched from Vogelenzang, close to Hillegom. Would you believe that they actually found a V1 in a field today!?....in the Eastern part of Holland though.

I will try to add some more then and now shots soon.

Alex

Hi Alex

Yes mate I was born in Hillegom, in my grandmothers house, Meerdorpstraat 13. The house and those surrounding my grandmothers house were all knocked down some years ago, but I guess that's progress. It is a small world, my other grandfather on my fathers side worked at the Hoogovens Steel Factory.

I know where Hooftdorp is and have driven there many times on visits to visit family in Holland. I only have an aunt left now, the one holding me in the photo. interesting that Hanno lives in Hillegom, it sure is a small world. I don't recall the brick factory, I was 7 years old when we immigrated.

Keep the thread going Alex, we learn so much from our past which has been a passion of mine for years. I have a cousin in Spaarndam who does a lot of research for me.

Cheers

Tony

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Excellent research plus pictures, Alex!

Must do the same in my backyard, and make some then & now pictures of where Tony was born.

H.

[Alex van de Wetering]

it sure is a small world

It sure is, Tony! The brick factory is just outside Hillegom on the road to Lisse. It's still in business today.

Excellent research plus pictures, Alex

Thanks Hanno....and thanks for correcting the title


Here are three more then and now shots. I took the "today" pictures 45 minutes ago. Location is about 100 meters from my house! Marktplein/Kruisweg Hoofddorp

Period pictures were taken 7 may 1945. source: www.beeldbank.noord-hollandsarchief.nl

Alex

[Barry Churcher]

Thanks Alex for the excellent thread. Then and now photos always amazed me. Thanks in particular for the photo with the C15TA. As Tony says we non Europeans can't really grasp what the war did. I think if more Canadian young people could visit some of these places they would have a better appreciation of history. As a young child in Canada the war touched us in small ways but it did not have the impact that it must of had on European youth. My uncle died in the war, another was an alcoholic because of the war, another uncle got shot in the stomach and had spinal injuries and consequently wore a leg brace, again because of the war. Anyway you get the picture. Children today only see things on TV which to them is the same as a video game or a movie. I know the effect that seeing some of the remnants of the conflict had on me. Seeing tank traps still in a field in Noord Holland and gun bunkers and submarine pens in Ijmuiden is kind of sobering. Brian took this photo of Albert, Dirk and I on the farm where Dirk stores his beach equipment in Camperdun.

[motto]

A few years ago I was driven around East Sussex by a knowledgeable local pointing out some of London's defences in the form of dragons teeth and pill boxes. It was an impressive and in some ways chilling experience to see these remnants of a time when the outcome was very much in doubt.
If not for the RAF and the Royal Navy these defences would have been put to the test. Today they are easily missed unless you know where to look. It would be brilliant to have them all recorded, particularly with photos. Especially then and now.

David

[Alex van de Wetering]

I am glad everyone enjoys these then and now shots. Barry, I will see if I can take some more "C15TA" then and now shots.

Attached are some more then and now shots I took a few years ago. All four taken in Holten in the Eastern part of Holland.

Alex

[Robert Bergeron]

It is indeed a great series of pictures Alex and thank-you for posting them.

I was touched by memories and events of the war even if i lived in Canada and was born in 1960.

I have an uncle in New-Brunswick ( my mother's brother ) who served in the North Shore Regiment during the war. I only realized what he had been trough during the war once he had died.

In my mother's village , Baker Brook New Brunswick while i was about 12 , i met a gentleman named Morneau who was missing a hand.He was the caretaker of the skating rink. I was visiting my grandmother and really did'nt know he was a veteran so I asked him what had happened with his hand.

He directly and nicely answered that he had his hand blown off by a German booby trap set up in a child's toy while picking it up in Holland during the war.He thanked me for asking and we became friends . He told me his story of going through France, Belgium and finally how it all came to an end in Holland.

People in Canada were touched by the war but even more when the guys came home .

Thanks for remembering their sacrifices Alex .

Robert