On May 10th, 1940, Nazi Germany launched a surprise invasion of the Netherlands, marking the start of five days of fighting which ended in a five-year occupation. One of the operations the Germans undertook when they invaded the country involved deploying paratroopers and airborne troops to seize key airfields surrounding The Hague with the aim of capturing the Dutch royal family, overpowering the government and securing a quick capitulation. The elimination of the Dutch supreme leadership was expected by the Germans to take no more than a few hours. To initiate the mission, German paratroopers and airborne troops were dropped at Ypenburg airport, located on the outskirts of The Hague. However, the operation did not go as planned for the Germans. The Dutch defenders at Ypenburg put up a fierce resistance despite heavy bombardment, shelling, and large-scale airborne landings. By the evening of May 10th, they managed to successfully push the Germans out of the airfield. The remaining German troops retreated to nearby sand dunes and continued to fight the Dutch forces until the general surrender of the Netherlands five days later ultimately secured their victory. There were several factors that contributed to the failure of the German operation at Ypenburg. Firstly, the number of actual paratroopers that landed was relatively small, which made it hard to hold all the objectives once they were captured. Additionally, poor navigation and anti-aircraft fire caused some of the paratroopers to be dropped far from their intended targets. The success of the paratroopers also relied on the timely reinforcement of conventional infantry, which was not effectively carried out. The failure of the operation at Ypenburg was a significant setback for the Germans, as it frustrated their plans to force a rapid surrender. The battle demonstrated the resilience of the Dutch defenses and remains a notable event in the history of the German invasion of the Netherlands during the Second World War.

When she was not quite two years old, Wil Opten experienced the Second World War. Her childhood memories are embedded and intertwined with historical events, the battle of Ypenburg among them. Wil vividly recalls how she found herself behind the Rijswijk airport together with her parents and sister. She explains how, during the night, German soldiers intended to shoot her father, Ernst. However, they let him go the moment they saw little Wil being carried in his arms.

In the days after the battle, Wil’s mother, Klazina Willemina—after whom Wil is named—buried seven German soldiers who had landed in the field close to their house. As a mother herself, Klazina felt compelled to take a compassionate and courageous step to write letters to the mothers of the German soldiers, letting them know that their sons had fallen in combat. They did not cry out in the name of Hitler, Wil says—rather, they all screamed for their mother. Despite learning of her mother’s experience through the memories that she passed on while she was alive, Wil explains that, to this day, she still has many questions she wishes she could ask her.

When Wil had reached a certain age, she received a box that contained the objects now exhibited, objects her mother had collected from the war and that today bore witness to the traumatic experience she had to endure. In the box there was a notebook with the names of the soldiers Klazina buried, as well as the letters she received in reply from the soldier’s mothers. Wil is particularly moved by a piece of cloth remaining from a German parachute, as she recalls how her mother had fashioned her communion dress out of that material.