FEATURES
to drop food parcels into the areas of the Netherlands that remained under occupation. In amission known as Operation Manna, British pilots – assisted by other Allied forces –flew over the Netherlands and provided sustenance to the residents there. It was not amoment too soon –tens of thousands of people had already died of starvation. The pilots involved in the mission saved countless lives.
They flew so low,Thea recalls, that she could see the faces of the pilots. Last year,in2015, she had the opportunity to see those faces again; she met the remaining thirteen crew members and thanked them wholeheartedly for the help they provided all those years ago. They,inreturn, described Operation Manna from the perspective of those in the
air.That mission in April 1945 saw them greeted with cheers, celebration and Dutch flags, areception that demonstrated just how welcome –how vital –their work was. It drove the pilots to tears.
The End of the War Thea remembers precisely where she was upon hearing the news, in May 1945, that Holland was to be liberated. Cold, hungry and tired, she was curled up in her bed in Amsterdam in an apartment, she recalls, that was on the third storey up and situated at the back of the building –ideal for the illicit, dangerous task of sharing rented rooms with Jewish friends. Suddenly, the landlord knocked on the door to deliver the news the country had been longing to hear: at eight o’clock the next day,the occupation of the Netherlands would end.
Thea and her family were giddy with excitement and wept and hugged each other.Looking through the window they saw that anumber of students, no longer able to find the patience to adhere to the curfew imposed by the Nazis, had taken their jubilations to the city’s streets. Until the next day, of course, this curfew was still in place –afact made known by the soldiers present, who tragically shot anumber of the joyful youths. For the Dutch people, though, there was finally hope. After what had seemed like an eternity of fear and deprivation the city buzzed with an atmosphere of anticipatory celebration.
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The Present Day For many years, Thea spoke relatively little of her wartime experiences; the memories of the stress and uncertainty she felt at the time were difficult to confront. After being approached by veterans keen to hear her story,however,she began to talk –and her schedule soon filled with people who listened to her every word. The popularity of her compelling storytelling led to adecision to compile her wartime stories into abook –abook full of gripping stories like the ones relayed to me today in
Rugby.AsIdepart Thea’s home, this remarkable woman’s most poignant remark repeats itself in my mind with newfound meaning:
“Wemust never forget”
Special thanks to Thea Coleman- Tielrooy for sharing her
story.Thea’s book, Evading the Gestapo in Holland, is available now on Amazon.
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