6. A truck in the ditch near Villa Amstelwijck in May 1940

Perhaps this is the delivery van mentioned by Medical Officer Van Hattum in his combat report. The German paratrooper who was driving this vehicle was captured by the Dutch. Medical Officer P.W. van Hattum reports the following in his account:

“While I was positioned there, I saw a delivery van approaching at high speed from the direction of the Moerdijk bridges. Near Amstelwijck it was called to halt and fired upon. I then saw a soldier, dressed in a uniform unfamiliar to me, jump out of the vehicle and quickly disappear behind the roadside embankment on the far side of the highway.

When we called out in Dutch and German for him to come forward, nothing happened. Only after a hand grenade had been fetched from Amstelwijck and detonated on the far side of the road did we see a white cloth appear above the embankment. The German paratrooper then crossed the road, was helped by us across the ditch, disarmed, and brought to Major Van Hoek, who at that time was positioned at his command post in the woods near the casemates.”

It is possible that this is the delivery van Van Hattum refers to in his report.

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