Soldaat Sikke Hiemstra

Today, the very last part was published on the website Soldier Sikke Hiemstra, about the postwar experiences of the Hiemstra family. This section appears exactly 86 years after the beginning of the mobilization and 1 year after the start of this project. When I (Lars) first got hold of Sikke’s diary in 2016–2017, I knew I wanted to do something with it. The diary was difficult to read, which made me determined to put his text properly on paper. I discovered , while transcribing his diary, that Sikke was entitled to the Mobilization War Cross (MOK). Sadly, he could no longer receive it himself because he passed away in 1997. Nevertheless, the MOK could also be awarded posthumously to next relatives in the first (children) and second (grandchildren) degree. In 2023, the Ministry of Defence approved the request, and Sikke was posthumously awarded the MOK for his service during the Second World War.

When I had finished transcribing Sikke’s diary, I knew I wanted to do more with it. On 28 August 2024, exactly 85 years after the start of the mobilization, I decided to launch a website: Soldier Sikke Hiemstra. Following this, I published diary fragments dialy on the website, Facebook, and Instagram. I did this from August 28, 2024 until May 31, 2025. In total, I shared 278 days of diary fragments across three different platforms, including an English version. Unfortunately, I had not programmed the website, Facebook page, and Instagram in a convenient way. Therefore, I had to post everything manually. Nevertheless, diary fragments appeared every day, even when I was sick or on vacation. After finishing the daily posts, I also wrote three articles under the heading Sikke and the War. These articles covered: Sikke’s mobilization period (published on 25 June), Sikke’s family during the war (published on 15 July), and Sikke’s family after the war (published on 28 August). In addition, I also published an article on the 28th of every month on the website. In this way, the project grew into more than just a website. It became an ongoing historical family project.

I never expected the project to turn out this way. Thanks to this project, I learned many new things. For example, I learned more about the Dutch mobilization of 1939–1940. I also gained more insight into what Sikke experienced during the mobilization. In addition, I discovered what Sikke’s family went through during and after the Second World War. For instance, I did not know that Sikke’s father had been imprisoned in Port Natal, or that Sikke’s brother had been a forced laborer in Nazi Germany. Moreover, I gained a deeper understanding of the military history from my direct family (great-grandfather, grandfather, and father). I found out that my grandfather served in the Royal Navy Reserves and was temporary stationed on the aircraft carrier Hr. Ms. Doorman. I also discovered that my father took part in the NATO exercise Operation Free Lion. The information for this project was collected through source research (both primary and secondary), requesting documents from institutions, and interviews with family members (oral history).

The project also received much attention from interested parties, media, and (local) historical associations, such as OnsWestFriesland, GooiseMerenNieuws, Omroep Friesland, de Stellingen van Amsterdam, 44th Armored Infantry Battalion, Church magazine of Schoorl-Groet-Camp, Dorpspraat (page 18), Comité 40-45 Hoorn, and soon also in the magazine Monumentaal Historisch Muiderberg. I also had the opportunity to speak about this project on the radio, such as at Omroep Friesland (February 28, 1:18:00–1:24:00) and NPO Radio 1 for the NOS (51:00–57:00). In addition, I wrote a piece about the mobilization, in which I partly referred to this project. So far, the project has been viewed 13,700 times by 2,800 people from various countries, including the Netherlands, the United States, Germany, Canada, Spain, France, Ireland, Austria, Italy, and Belgium.

The project has also brought me a great deal personally. Through this project, I came into contact with the sons of Sikke & Ymkje, Niene & Dirk, and Andries & Patricia. Therefore, some connections, that had partly faded, were restored. They also learned more about their family history through this project, since mobilization and the war were hardly discussed in the past. In addition, I connected with several local historians and historical associations, such as Historisch Muiderberg, the Stelling van Amsterdam, and Scoronlo. They found this project very valuable for their own (local) historiography. Finally, I received many compliments from interested people and from those whose (grand)fathers had themselves been mobilized in 1939-1940.

Together with my mother (Sikke’s granddaughter), I also visited all the places Sikke wrote about. These included Schoorl (his first posting), Weesp (the second), Muiderberg (the third), and Amsterdam (the fourth). I also visited places from Sikke’s past, such as Oudega-W (his birthplace), Hoorn (where he lived), and Assen (where his father was imprisoned during the war).

In Schoorl, for example, I spoke with staff members of Dopersduin. They could hardly believe that soldiers had once been stationed in Dopersduin, formerly the Mennonite Brotherhood House, since the Mennonite Brotherhood tradition is pacifist in nature. I also met relatives of farmer Galesloot, who were equally surprised that soldiers had once been stationed on their farm. When I showed them a photo of my great-grandfather as a soldier, they immediately recognized the location where it had been taken. In Muiderberg, I spoke with a local journalist and a historian, who told me more about the mobilization and the May days in Muiderberg. In Amsterdam, I saw with my own eyes where Sikke had been held as a prisoner of war. In Hoorn, I visited the various addresses where he had lived, and in Oudega-W I spoke with someone who had personally known Sikke’s brother (Fokke) and father (Jan). Finally, in Assen I visited the remains of Port Natal, the former sanatorium and prison camp where Sikke’s father had been held during the war. Unfortunately, little of it can still be found today.

I have learned a great deal from this project and regard it as one of the most impressive projects I have ever worked on. Fortunately, I received a lot of help from various people and organizations. Without them, this project would not have been possible. The project lasted one year (from 28 August 2024 until 28 August 2025) and thus now comes to an end. Nevertheless, the material will remain available on this website, and I will regularly check the contact details so that I can respond to questions and comments. I am also open to helping with certain initiatives about mobilization or the May days. For example, I recently helped someone who makes infographics on historical topics. He asked me for information for an infographic about the mobilization of 1939–1940, since I had written and read extensively about this subject in the context of this project. In addition, occasional small updates will appear on the social media channels or website, in case they are relevant.

Finally, I often say: “Historians are the journalists of the past.” I also felt this way during this project, since I had to conduct research, read and write, conduct interviews, request primary sources from institutions, make the story known to the public, and visit the historical places I wrote about. All I can say is that it has been an honor to work on this project.