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My story is about the bombing by the British RAF of an area in the Hague.

We, my parents and I, (as so many other people) were forced by the Germans, to move to a back street area in the Hague, from our lovely seaside town of Scheveningen, which was overran by German soldiers, tanks, machine guns on street corners and the beach was barricaded by large rolls of barbed wire. Bunkers were built in the beautiful dunes, they are still there for every one to see.
In other words we were occupied by the Germans.
Whilst living in the back street, mentioned earlier, the area seemed to have been devided by the main railway line from the Hague to Amsterdam.
Our 'house' bordered on the back on the railway line and the gas factory. The other side was the target to be bombed.

However, quite near us, on the other side of this railway line, the Germans built the launching sites of the V1 and V2, their flight path was right over our 'house'.
Believe me when I say, that only a fraction of the V1 and V2 reached their destination.
Many fell, before they reached even the coast, which was only a few miles away.
So, the British tried to bomb the lauching pads, but mist!!!! and all the bombs fell onto a very densly populated part of the Hague.
My school was bombed flat and so was the bussiness my father worked at. narrowing escaping being bombed himself.
Our school was flattened just after all the children had walked home.
This was a devastating time, as anyone can immagin.
The bombing rades seemed to last for weeks on end. We were only too pleased when it rained heavily then we had a day without bombs.
Never could anyone understand how the RAF could have made mistakes like this. Not just once, but for weeks on end.
Never at any time has this been mentioned during commemoration of any part of the war.
exept of course in the Netherlands.

thank you for considering to include my short summing up of this terrible experience during my childhood.
Mrs. Cornelia Dean-Brouwer.

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