Let me introduce to your great forum/ website

Hello,

My name is Bastiaan van der Wal. I came to this website by Flickr and Daniel B.

I'm living in The Netherlands, and have great interest in WWII and model building. At the moment I'm not active in building, but it's one of the things I have a warm heart for.

I'm 48 years.

To introduce myself I quote what I wrote to Daniel B.


"Hi Daniel,


No, I fortunately have no first hand experience from WWII. But my father was forced to work in Germany as a slave labourer, in Leipzig.


He was treated so badly, that he got tubercolosis. A german doctor said, when inspecting him: "Der geht kaputt" ("he will die").
My father went furious when he heard this, and was determined to survive.


He was liberated by American troops from the First Army. He told me much about his gruesome experiences and in a way this made me a victim too.


I became determined this was never to be happen again, and, God willing, if it ever happens again I will take up arms and die.


Maybe you can correct the part of having me first hand experience.


Anyway, thanks for your interest, and I wish you and The War shop all the best. We owe your country so much, and will never forget that."


I Want also say 'thankyou' to Otto, for his kind words.

I'm humble, yet proud that I was chosen Modeler of the Month.

I wish everyone of you the best.

Bastiaan van der Wal

You can see pictures I made at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/battle14/

 

Hello Slipdigit,

Thanks for your kind words.

Best regards,

Bastiaan

 

Nice to meet you Bastiaan and welcome aboard! I look forward to hearing about your family's history.

 

Hi ULITHI,

thanks for your welcome! I don't want too much emphasize my particulary family history, after all for example the Duch Jewish went through a much more gruesome fate, but I'll later add some more info.

Have a great day,

Bastiaan

 

Hi there Baastian and welcome to the forum. I had Jewish relatives in the camps and relatives on both sides of the war.

 

Hi Spitfire_XIV

Thanks for your welcome. I take it You have first hand knowledge then of the fate of the jewish people.

All the best.

 

Welcome! Enjoy!

 

fredleander thankyou!

 

Welcome to the forum!

 

belasar thanks!

 

Hello baastian,hope you have a good time.

 

Thanks 4th wilts!

 

Welcome Bastiaan. Nice to have you here with us. By all means feel free t opost your dad's story. I have always wondered about a grave of man in our little village in central France who died during a bombing in Leipzig in 1944. The man was a slave labourer there too and he was probalby returned home by his family after the war. Maybe he was in the same factory as your father.

 

Skipper thanks for welcoming me. Interesting that you too got known of Leipzig. My fathers story is complicated and gruesome. To my deep regret he died in 1999. I know my mother has some reliques from his time near Leipzig. I'll take picuteres of it and post them. He was actualy placed in Markranstadt, some 10 kilometres from Leipzig.

What I can tell at the moment, my father told me American troops were liberating them. At that moment he was standing a few metres from a Polish slave labourer, who was shot by a German Sniper. The Americans rushed to this sniper, who had to be one of those insane NAZI fanatics, and they in turn shot their guns empty at this Nazi. Had this Nazi aimed at my father, I couldn't have told you this story.

there is more to tell, but I'l do that later.