Lifeguard Henk van der Pas of the Iron Man in Vught was a resistance hero in the Second World War. As a ‘neighbour of Camp Vught’ he did everything to make life more bearable for the prisoners in the camp. Great-grandson Tieme is proud and that is why he honors Henk in a speech on Wednesday, during National Remembrance Day on Dam Square in Amsterdam.
The 19-year-old Tieme de Laat from Empel knows the illustrious history of his great-grandfather in the Second World War: “He smuggled food and medicines into Kamp Vught to help the prisoners. But what I like most is that he smuggled their letters out so they could keep in touch with the outside world.”
A corner has been set up at National Monument Camp Vught that highlights the exploits of Henk van der Pas. There, Tieme looks full of admiration at the meter-high colored photo of Henk in the exhibition space.
With the push of a button he reads Henk’s story: “Always dressed in white and always alert: lifeguard Henk van der Pas has been a familiar face at the IJzeren Man recreational lake since 1938. Residents of Vught, but also people from far away, like to come to the natural water. After swimming, they have a snack in the restaurant down the road, or have a drink on the terrace.”
In 1940 that carefree time comes to an end. Lifeguard Henk receives German guests. And literally a stone’s throw away is a concentration camp: Kamp Vught. Van der Pas could have looked away, but didn’t. He is a source of inspiration for Tieme: “I hope I can live a little bit according to his ideas.”
“I dare not promise myself that I am so brave.”
But would he dare? “I don’t know if I would be as tough or brave as my great-grandfather. I hope so. But if I think about it a lot, I wouldn’t dare promise myself. It’s very dangerous, it could cost you your own life. You don’t know what will happen if you really get into a situation like that.”
Tieme studies Astronomy in Nijmegen. Through his aunt, who is a volunteer in Kamp Vught, he came into contact with the National Committee for 4 and 5 May. And now he is allowed to give a speech on Dam Square in Amsterdam at the National Remembrance Day, for King Willem-Alexander and all the invitees and millions of TV viewers. “Deadly scary”, he says about it. “But also very special and very cool. This is once in a lifetime.”
What he is going to tell is, of course, inspired by his great-grandfather’s life: “He taught me that it is always better to help your friends than to try to bring the other side down. Henk never hurt a guard. You may think they deserved it, but he chose to always think about good, never doing wrong. I really like that.”
