This page contains interviews and contributions of eyewitnesses, who were involved in the actual operations.
Mrs. D. Frumau – Delft – The Netherlands
  Mrs. D. Lörtzer-Frumau, eye-witness in Delft, The Netherlands. | Memories of the war years and the food drops “My name is Doortje Frumau. My last name is from my husband, Lörtzer, a name of German origin. My great-grandfather immigrated to the Netherlands and became a Dutchman at that time. During the war, eighty years ago, I was just a ten-year-old girl. I lived in Delft, in the Kempenaarstraat, near the Sportfondsen swimming pool. They were difficult, but also formative years, in which the Hunger Winter, the food drops, and the liberation made a deep impression on me. My Family and Youth I grew up in a family with two brothers as an only girl. My father lost his leg during the war. There was no penicillin to heal the wound, so his leg had to be amputated. He had an incredibly hard time with that mentally. My mother had MS and therefore could do very little. That meant I was given a lot of responsibility at an early age, but also that during the war years, we had a servant in the house who received board and lodging from us. Because of the circumstances, I was raised strictly. A lot had to be done at home, and I quickly learned to be independent. But that strict upbringing also helped me in my later life. I took vocational training as a seamstress and then did more luxurious training in clothing. Eventually, I even had my own studio. Later, I also studied at an art school, where I learned textiles and painted. It was a busy life, but I look back with satisfaction on what I accomplished. |
Daily Life During the War
In 1944, I was ten years old. My father worked for the municipality and was also in the resistance, although as children we did not know much about his activities. He deliberately kept his work secret to protect us. Only later did I understand that there were people in hiding in our house. They were hiding under the floor, where my father had removed a board and made a hiding place. The tarp across the floor hid the entrance. There was also a courier sleeping in our bedroom, a boy I knew from before. Together with him, I had to transport secret bills. Those bills were hidden in our stockings because children were less likely to be checked. I didn’t always know what I was doing, but I felt that I shouldn’t let anything show.
Our daily life was sober. During the Hunger Winter, we ate very little: one or two sandwiches a day and a simple hot meal at noon. Meat was rare, and if we were lucky, our chickens laid an egg. There were no cookies or other treats. My mother, who could do little because of her illness, did have a lot of hoarding, so we were just a little less hungry than others.
The Food Drops
In April 1945, everything changed. My father received word through secret channels that food drops were coming. That news brought hope into the house. We looked forward to it immensely, but at the same time, we were also cautious. During the war, we had often thought that the end was in sight, such as on “Dolle Dinsdag” in September 1944, when everyone thought that liberation was near. But just then the thunder really began.
On April 29, we saw the first planes. It was a clear day, and the sky was full of planes dropping packages down. My father thought the drops would take place near Ypenburg, and he was right. From our house, on the outskirts of Delft, we could see the packages coming down. They were bags and boxes without parachutes, collected under German supervision and stored centrally.
I remember there was a sense of excitement in the air. The sound of those planes was piercing, a rumble you won’t soon forget. At the same time, there was also fear. What if the Germans shelled the planes? Fortunately, that didn’t happen. For us, the moment the packages fell was a sign that we had not been abandoned.
The Distribution of Food
The packages were strictly controlled by the Germans. Everything was taken to sheds, where it was then distributed. Anyone who tried to take anything before it was officially distributed risked being shot. Still, some did try, driven by sheer desperation. We did not have direct access to the food. Distribution was probably arranged based on family composition and food stamps. My father, who worked at the town hall, was also involved in the distribution of coupons, also for people in hiding.
The food that was dropped was special. There was white bread, something we didn’t know at that time. Normally we ate bread made of poorly milled wheat, dark and watery in texture. That white bread must have come from Sweden, I heard later. What else was in the packages, I don’t remember exactly. It was probably not enough for everyone, but it gave hope.
The Liberation
On May 5 came the news of the liberation. I remember that night we celebrated in the street. My parents probably knew before that the time had come, but it didn’t dawn on me until later. I was allowed to get out of bed that night to join in. It was a joyous experience, although I remember few details. I was just a kid, and in many ways at that age you’re just kind of hopping around.
Looking Back on the War Years
When I think back now to the war and those food drops, I see it all again before me. The image of the planes, the packages falling down, the sound of that thumping…. They are memories that give me a warm feeling, despite the hard time. The drops were a small bright spot in a dark period. It wasn’t just the food that helped, but mostly the idea that we weren’t forgotten. That feeling gave us the strength to keep going.
The war shaped me. I stayed frugal, raised with the idea that wasting is a waste. I still carry that mentality with me. Sometimes I look at today’s youth, and how easily they handle food, and I think, “If you had gone through what I went through, you would look at a plate of food differently.”
The food drops and liberation marked the end of a dark period, but the memories of the war remain an important part of my life. I like to tell them so that future generations will know what happened then.”
Rijswijk, The Netherlands, 8th January 2025 ( Erwin-PA3EFR)