Soldier Sikke Hiemstra

The life of a Dutch soldier during the Mobilization of 1939-1940

This year (2024/2025) marks 85 years since the Dutch mobilization began. In order to protect the country from a potential attack, approximately 280,000 Dutch men were conscripted. One of those men was my great-grandfather, Sikke Hiemstra (1905-1997), who recorded his experiences in his diary. I have transcribed and digitized this diary. From August 28, 1939, to May 31, 1940, he wrote in his diary about his experiences during the mobilization period.

The mobilization period remains unknown terrain for the average Dutch person, as it is not extensively covered in the history books. For this reason, I created this website to share my great-grandfather’s experiences with a wider audience and with those interested in the Dutch mobilization period.

In his diary, my great-grandfather wrote a few lines each day to capture his experiences. Therefore, something from his diary will be posted daily on this website and across all social media channels. On August 28, 2024, his entry from August 28, 1939, will be posted, and on August 29, 2024, his entry from August 29, 1939, and so on.

Would you like to read Sikke’s diary? Then go to the Diary section and choose either Version I or Version II.