Dick Dyk

Nieulande 1933. Near the house (Family Photo)

I wrote the base of the story below for Remembrance Day in grade two. I have edited it and made it into paragraphs, but the story remains the same: Derk Dyk was born on December 24th 1933 in Drente, Holland. He was only six years old when Holland was taken over by the German army. Early one morning he and his sisters, Froukje, Corrie, Theresa, and his parents were told to leave their house, because the bridge across the street was going to be blown up to stop the Germans from using it. After a huge explosion he returned to find all the windows were broken and the furniture was upside down. Soon food was hard to get. Butter, sugar, and coffee could not be found but there were lots of potatoes and other foods from the neighbouring farms. The Germans even stole their pig from its pen and put it in a truck, but the pig jumped out again and landed in the canal. Unfortunately it was caught again...

The house (Family Photo)

Ida Dyk (nee Moss) and Simon Dyk, his parents, became the head of the resistance group. They hid people in a secret hiding spot under their floor. The Germans would bang on the door with their guns and search the house but they didn’t find anyone who didn’t belong because Ida had put the sewing machine over the secret spot.

Dick was scared when the airplanes fought overhead. His school was closed down after the Germans took over the building. Eventually, Dick’s family had to run away after someone told the Germans they were hiding people. They all quickly got away on their bicycles! They headed north so they could hide during the last year of the war. Fortunately, they were able to safely pass German checkpoints. The war brought his family close together.

General De Gaulle's signature (Photo of family document)

Both France and Italy presented Dick’s family with medals to thank them as soldiers without uniforms for risking their lives. A certificate from their home town, Nieuwlande, translates into “Simon Dijk and Ida Dijk for their courageous and unselfish conduct during the years of (German) occupation, through which their life and their family were in danger continual(ly). They saved the lives of the people they hid. They were heroes of the resistance.” A certificate from General Charles De Gaulle reads (translated from French) “Mr. Simon Dijk was part of the army of soldiers without uniforms who participated in the glorious battle for liberation, thanks to the generous help he brought to prisoners, deportees, French fugitives or soldiers of allied forces fallen to the power of the enemy. Issued in Paris, on November 7th, 1947”

Dick Dyk and his family are heroes because they were extremely brave and risked their lives to hide people. He was young, yet still was brave and smart and didn’t say anything to anyone about hiding people wanted by the Germans. It’s difficult to keep a dangerous secret, and even more so if you are a kid, just partially understanding what is happening. If they had been caught hiding people, they would have been arrested and possibly shot. They knew what the Germans were doing was wrong, so they did what they thought was right, even with possible consequences. Dick, Froukje, Corrie, Theresa, Ida and Simon were wartime heroes for justice.

Dick's Passport (Family Photo)