organizations. Cooperation with the nature- and
environmental organizations lies high on our priority-
list. Some of these bunkers harbor several bat-colo
nies. With good levels of communication, we can
work together, and have a stronger input when nego
tiating with the authorities.'
History at your feet
Both Heijkoop's passions seem to stem from one
basic condition: Descent. 'I was raised in Flushing. As
a young boy, you always wound up playing amongst
the bunkers. And you find yourself confronted with
water and shipping-issues, whether you like it, or not.
On the Flushing-boulevard, history lies at your very
own feet. Within a stretch of a few kilometres, you
can find almost anything: Napoleon, the Marines, the
Pilot-service, the merchant navy, fishing-fleet, the Works!
My last book was almost written from the Boulevard.
Stranded on the Boulevard deals with shipwrecks on
and around the Flushing-boulevard. My first book in
1983, The WesterSchelde by storm and mist tackles the
same matter, as the title more or less implies.'
Of this book, over 11.000 copies were sold. A large
edition for a maritime book dealing with a typically
'Zeeuws' subject matter. A combination of genres, that
does not usually generate such a spectacular amount of
readers. Another aspect of Heijkoops descent propelled
his later interests. Heijkoop: 'My Dad was a river-
pilot, and during WW2, he was gone for five years.
He was a man who did not scare easily. That had it's
advantages, and disadvantages. In 1940, his ship was
bombed near Cadzand. He found it necessary to take
command, and set course for England. Throughout the
whole war, he remained active at sea. He was stationed
in Aberdeen. As a Tugboat-capitain, he was involved
in salvaging bombed ships, and getting caissons off to
the landing grounds in Normandy. So you see: my
double interest in both maritime history and WW2
was fed to me with my own porridge-spoon, (as they
say in Dutch!). 1 grew up in a Flushing, scarred by
WW2. With many stories that I picked up from my
Dad, and from visits to the Vissingen Pilots-Society.
After the war, my Dad became an Official Harbor-pilot
for the Wester-Schelde again.'
The stories of Heijkoop senior reveal a social
world that allowed narrow-mindedness to prevail.
'The Marine-corps presented my father the Bronze
Cross with honory recommendation, one of the hig
hest awards in those days in may 1940.' Says Cor.
'At the same time, they did not appreciate his esca
pe-action at Cadzand. He was First Officer of the
Merchant Navy when the war started, but after the
war he had to take work as a sailor again. People like
him, who had risked their lives during the war, came
home to find many petty arguments about pension
and years of service. To the Dutch bureaucrats, he
went A.W.O.L. to England. Bad career-move to some
less undertaking. He even had to pay for his own
Bronze medal."
Much ado about nothing
All of the stories Cor Heijkoop picked up during his
youth, and the intriguing surrounding of bunkers, a
devastated city and the constant scenery of passing
ships made [me] him want to find out more. And more.
'In my books I do not want to just dish up a juicy
stoiy. It's about doing good documentary research. I
read a lot of trivia. About the caissons of Schouwen,
that would have come from Normandy. Nonsense! I
have written a book about this subject. Phoenix-
Caissons: floating Colossus for Peace and Security. That is
how I work. Each book is based upon a formula, that I
research quite intensively.'
A lot of writers copy each others facts, which
leaves false yarns to gain fact of repute. According to
Cor Heijkoop, there is only one way round this issue:
'Go back to the primary source. When you look up
people, let them tell the story. It is in fact a combination
of meticulous archive-research and oral history. That's
my method. In the course of many years I have come
to research archives in the Netherlands, but also
International archives. But personal archives divulge
the most interesting information. What you find in
people's homes reveals the most unica. Of course, it is
essential that you make an effort to gain their trust.
You are dealing with their family-history.'
Heijkoop did research in both the Public Records
Office and the Imperial War Museum in London and
ECPA photo-archives in Paris. He has contacts with
American Archives, such as the National Archives in
Washington, and the German Bundesarchiv-
Militairarchiv in Freiburg. Research is combined with
8 Zeeuws Tiidschrift 2004/6-7
