Biography

My father, PA0PD, i.e. Jan van Puffelen sr, was born April 16, 1910.

I, Jan van Puffelen jr, was born on August 24, 1944 in WWII.

As a boy of about ten I think, I once rummaged in the kitchen cupboard. In the bottom shelf was a large cast iron soup pan, which was filled with all kinds of junk. On the bottom were two identity cards (AUSWEIS) from WWII of both my parents. My mother's had a fat J. I understood the background of that. She was considered jewisch by the Germans.

Later I tried to find them again, but then they were gone.

I was born in August 44. Mixed-married couples were initially left undisturbed, I later found out. But mixed-married couples had to report from mid 43 onwards. Mixed marriages without children were still exempt, but with children the man/woman had to be sterilized. Once sterilized, one could walk without a Star of David ('desterilized') and one received a special open J in the Ausweis. I believe that clinic for unvoluntary sterilization was in the Wibautstraat, Amsterdam

There was never any mention of any religious belief during my childhood. They found it better never to raise that issue.

I think, but it has never been discussed, that after my birth in August '44 my parents thought it better to go into hiding with relatives in Monnickendam. At the Wildschut fam and possibly also the site of the sawmill De Vriendschap owned by Nico (Klaas) Dekker sr.

See Figure 1 To the right of the old mill (dating from 1786) was a modern electric sawmill operated by Klaas' son, Klaas Jr., but the old windmill was still in use by his old father. To the left was the very small house of Klaas' Sr. There was no toilet, but an outhouse. Behind the house behind the huge storage shed for the sawn wood and the boathouse.

Equipment

144 Mhz, 40 Watt transceiver, rotatable yagi antenna 100 ft high