Although he delves out some unknown eyewitness
accounts from German soldiers, the re-writing of earlier
publications mars his story. What makes this work
dangerous is that it clings to obvious historical
wrongs, and has a very tendentious style too. In the
series: Militaria Magazine, as issue appeared, dealing
with the battle for the Scheldt. Not much news, just a
few photos'. This author published a real photo-book
about Walcheren. A genuine novelty (for Zeeland) was
the publication of a battlefield guide about the lan
dings in Walcheren. Andrew Rawson sketches the his
torical background, mainly based on archive-research,
and gives many tips for a tour along the battlefield,
with all the monuments and fortresses that remain
today. A more detailed book was also dedicated to the
Liberation of Middelburg. The struggle for liberation
in the Belgian and Zeeuws-Flanders border-area was
well researched in the books by Belgian authors George
Spittael and Constant Devroe. Jacques Cats wrote a
book-brochure "Free Folk" with a lot of attention for
ordinary citizens, during, and after the liberation.
The inundation and land winning of Walcheren
are central themes in some books. Jacques Cats wrote
one about the Inundation. The Foundation for Nature
and Recreational Information delivered a book on the
landscape-aspects of flooding. A. den Doolaard's key-
novel about dry-land winning was published in an
annotated and illustrated form, allowing this literary
work to be judged in its true historical context. Cor
Heijkoop published a book on the use of caissons for
sealing off dykes.
Cornelie van de Reepe published a literary novella,
based on her childhood-memories of the shootings in
West-Zeeuws-Flanders in 1944. A novel by Hans
Koning suggests by its cover that it deals with the libe
ration of Walcheren, but upon reading it seems to
only touch lightly on the subject, and the background-
details are historically inaccurate too. In short, one
may conclude that over the past 15 years, there has
been a shift in the nature of using (military) stories.
We do not shun the German side to the story.
This overview of most literature appearing in the
past 15 years about the Second World War in Zeeland.
Of course there will have been more publications,
magazine articles too, that are not mentioned here. I
did not mention books with a broad subject matter
that only slightly deal with issues of Zeeland during
wartime. The choices I have made here are arbitrary,
as are some of the notes. It is however a personal
choice made by somebody, who is also a player in this
field.
Finally, the question can be asked if, overseeing
this barrage of war-literature, there are any omissions
in our war-history. There shall always remain atten
tion for detailed subject matter, but in general, you
would expect all main subjects have now been treated.
One thing still missing is a comprehensive study
of the war-movements in both May 1940 as fall 1944,
that weighs up both the Allied and the German sides
of the story, and dares to compare both. The period of
regional liberation (September/November 1944) up
until the National Liberation of the Netherlands in
May 1945 still has its murky aspects.
A detailed book on the completion of the Walcheren-
dykes is yet to be published. The maritime aspects of
the war are also far from complete. In short, on main
issues, and in details, there is still some subject matter
to be found, so the stream of publications shall continue.
This autumn there will be publications on Souburg
during wartime (Historical Society Aldegonde), the
British radar-post at Westkapelle 1944/1945 (Paul Crucq),
memories of the bombardment of Breskens on September
nth 1944 (by Wilma Valk and Frans Meijaard), two titles
in the series 'Eyewitnesses of the 20th Century' and a
book by Hans Sakkers about Vlissingen, with plenty of
details about the Second World War. There can be no
doubt that more books will be published on Zeeland
during WWII, but if there will be as many as in the
past 15 years remains to be seen.
Noten
1. J.N. Houterman. Zeeland 1940-1945: bibliografie (Middelburg, 1988).
2. L.W. de Bree. Zeeland 1940-1945, dl. 1 (Middelburg, 1979): Gijs
van der Ham. Zeeland 1940-1945, dl. 2 (Zwolle, 1990).
3. H. Sakkers J.N. Houterman. Atlantikwall in Zeeland en
Vlaanderen gedurende opbouw en strijd 1942-1944 (Middelburg,
1990): Johan den Hollander Hans Sakkers. Walcheren, een
fotografisch document: Duitse oorlogfotografe 1940-1944 (Middelburg,
1991); J.N. Houterman. Osttruppen in westelijk Nederland: Soujet-
militairen en Panjepaardjes in Zeeland, 1945-1944 (Middelburg.
19931-N. Houtennan H. Sakkers. Stützpunkt Oostburg,
divisiehoofdkwartier aan de Atlantikwall: 712. Infanterie-Division,
1942-1944 (Middelburg, 1995); B. Muller. Stützpunkt Groede
van artillerieopstelling in de Atlantikwall tot hertenkamp, 1942-1988
(Vlissingen, 1998); Ben Muller. Breskens onder beton: vesting in
de Atlantikwall (Middelburg, 2003); Hans Sakkers. Bunkers op
Toorenvliedt: Duits hoofdkwartier van de Atlantikwall op Walcheren
1942-1944 (Koudekerke, 1998); Hans Sakkers. Batterij Baskensburg:
het laatste bunkercomplex van Vlissingen aan de Atlantikwall
(Middelburg, 1997); Hans Sakkers Hans Houterman.
Landfront Verteidigungsbereich \1issingen 1942-1944 Atlantikwall:
Vlissingens laatste vestinggracht (Middelburg. 1997).
54 Zeeuws Tijdschrift 2004/6-7
