Willemsplein

The Vessies family owned a cafe on the Willemsplein in the heart of Old-IJmuiden. Before the war, Old-IJmuiden was an entertainment district which was popular far beyond the municipal boundaries, drawing people from as far as Haarlem. 
On the first day of war, they were ordered to depart for Santpoort-North without notice, where the family’s reception was not very warm. After four days, Dad had had enough and a decision was made to move in with the grandparents in Beverwijk, who lived in a street off the Breestraat, close to the Schans  [coord xxxx].  After a few years in Beverwijk, the family had to move again. This time the evacuations were prompted by the building of the Atlantic Wall.  The grandparents ended up in De Rijp, Mrs. Vessies and her sister in Krommenie, and the parents in Bloemendaal and still later in Overveen.  In order to visit their parents, the girls had to walk for five hours.
On the road, the dangers of war surrounded them. Mrs. Vessies tells the story about crossing a railway bridge near Velsen during an Allied bombardment of the Hoogovens steel mill, she was carrying a large, heavy accordion...