Leon opened a draw and found the lost history of his WWII veteran father

1 week ago 11

Like galore children of veterans Perth antheral Leon van Erp wished helium had asked much questions of his begetter to recognize amended the profound interaction warfare had connected him.

“When you’re increasing up, you don’t inquire capable questions, and past they spell and die, and you realise you don’t cognize it all,” helium said.

Leon van Erp wearing his begetter Frans’ work medals astatine the 2024 Perth Anzac Day dawn work successful King’s Park.

Leon, 74, pestered his begetter Frans Alexander van Erp to constitute astir his acquisition successful the Dutch Navy successful World War II, but aft 2 chapters Frans enactment the pen down and Leon could spot helium didn’t privation to continue.

Little did helium cognize Frans hadn’t fixed up connected telling his communicative completely.

Proudly wearing Frans’ work medals astatine the King’s Park Anzac Day dawn work connected Thursday greeting Leon tin retell his father’s WWII acquisition successful bonzer detail.

To flight the Nazis successful May 1940 his father, past 17, fled Holland done Belgium earlier making it to Dunkirk wherever helium crossed the English Channel.

From determination helium served successful the British eastbound fleet for the Dutch Navy connected ships that besides escaped the Nazi invasion. He swept for mines connected woody sportfishing trawlers and past searched for German ships during the Norwegian campaign.

He besides served connected destroyers and fought successful Madagascar against the Vichy French.

Eventually, helium entered the Pacific Theatre wherever helium had postings successful Darwin months aft it was bombed by the Japanese and successful Fremantle successful 1943 wherever helium met his woman and joined her a twelvemonth later.

Frans stayed successful the Dutch Navy aft the warfare ended and had postings successful the West Indies and Indonesia. When helium near the navy successful 1948 helium returned to Australia, moved to Bunbury, and began beingness with his Australian bride.

Equally awesome arsenic Frans’ past is however his lad obtained it.

“What I did, I kept saying to him I privation you to constitute your communicative down and erstwhile helium got to his 70s helium did commencement writing,” Leon said.

“He wrote 2 chapters but past helium benignant of got embarrassed astir it and wouldn’t bash it immoderate much – I kept astatine him but I thought ‘oh helium doesn’t privation to bash it’.”

Leon was unaware that his begetter continued signaling his communicative successful concealed connected audio tapes until helium passed distant astatine property 75 successful 1998 – leaving his household an unthinkable past to explore.

“My parent astatine the clip was volunteering astatine the crab hospice astatine Hollywood Hospital, and helium utilized to instrumentality her each Wednesday,” helium said.

“She did that for 20 years and it appears that what helium did each Wednesday -- helium went location and helium taped his beingness story.

“We’ve got the beingness communicative - each this connected tape.”

Leon said neither helium nor his parent knew astir the tapes and recovered them successful a drawer aft Frans died.

He has shared the tapes with a Dutch historiographer and said present and past helium sits down and listens to them.

Leon said helium attends dawn services wearing his father’s medals to honour him.

“I travel present each twelvemonth for him,” helium said.

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