All the cares at our dwelling place number 74 were a veil, on what happened in the big bad world outside the safety of our home. As it happened our Aunt Jo van der Wal- Bosmans, our Dad’s elder sister was arrested accused of helping Jewish children finding a hiding place and transported to Scheveningen and locked up in jail that was called in popular parlance ‘Oranje-Hotel’ (Orange Hotel). From there she was transported to Camp Vught.
Not so long before her apprehension, Jo had approach her sister-in law (our Mum) with the daring request if she would be prepared to accept one or two Jewish children. ‘They would easy absorb in our big family without suspicion’ were her insisting words.
Mum got hot under the collar,’ how you dare to ask that from me, to put my family in danger’! So you’ll guessed it, her answer was an emphatically ’no’.
She later reminded us, ‘See, I was right, not to give in, now she is in big trouble’. Yes, Jo’s situation looked precarious.
My niece Martha den Ouden (daughter of my cousin Annie Melde –Bosmans) mentioned to me that aunt Jo was arrested at home in Oudenoord, Utrecht, betrayed by a woman neighbour. However luck was on Jo's side, as both Jewish girls were not at her place at the time of her detainment. By chance the girls were a day earlier brought to a brother of her husband Herman, in Hilligersberg near Rotterdam. Luckily our uncle Herman was on a business trip for ‘Haka’ co-operative and was alerted by a female co-worker not to return home. Jacques, Jo’s brother residing at his daughter Annie’s place after the death of his wife Rika on 29th May 1942, woke up one day and said “I’m off to Vught and have a look there, what I can do for ‘onze Jo”, our sister Jo’.