One of the many pieces we are working on is interpreting Tobs' diary in order to create a timeline for the months he lived in London. He arrived in England in October 1943 and left on his second mission in September 1944. His diary remained behind with his wife, Eva. For further details, please see our GLOSSARY page which is a companion piece to the diary.
Tobs was not fluent in English and often used a phonetic or Dutch spelling for similar sounding words in his diary: "foon" for "phone" or "Norfolkstr" instead of "Norfolk Street", "Kursen St" for "Curzon Street". Sometimes Eva would make entries as well as others which you will see going through the pages.
We uploaded 30 images and hope you can help us solve the entries on the pages that have us stumped. The same pages within the slideshow (above) appear below with our interpretation. Items followed by a question mark is where we need help. We would appreciate any insight you may have. Please email us directly using the CONTACT page.
Instructions:
- Click on one of the images below to make it larger.
- Words that are bolded and all in uppercase (above) are links. Click on GLOSSARY or CONTACT and you will be taken to that page.
- The London telephone exchange used names of specific areas such as PADdington and MAYfair for telephone numbers. Only the first three letters were used followed by four numbers. London exchanges until the 1960s are listed here: http://www.rhaworth....eak/tenp_01.htm
- Major cities outside London's telephone exchange: http://www.rhaworth....eak/tenp_uk.htm
- Our details below are brief, for more information please refer to the Glossary page
- Details followed by a question mark (?) is where we need help.
Left hand page:
The diary was named "Vrij Nederland" after a Dutch underground newspaper.
Diary was published in England for the Dutch & features a list of essential addresses in London.
Right hand page:
"eigen flat" (My flat): BAYswater 5027 (telephone of SOE flat? Main SOE number) ?
Howick Place: Post Office (see link below. Used as mailing address ? )
Left hand page:
Jan 16 - 19
Sun 16: (Unknown # 26, 19, 12 ? buses ?)
Tue 18: 11:20, 12:00 (unknown times ? Bus? Train ?)
Left hand page:
Jan 30 - Feb 2
Mon 31: "Red Cross" (See Glossary)
"Oranje Haven": (Dutch Club)
Wed 2: "Kap? na 5 uur" ? (Is this Capt he meets @ 5 o'clock ? )
Right hand page:
Feb 3 - 5
Thu 3: "Schrader" (escaped with Tobs)
"WHItehall - 3021" ?
"Graven ? Hotel near Strand" ?
Fri 4: "Father 6 1/4 uur, Trocadero ground flr"
Sat 5: "Schiet” (Shooting) ?
"3:45 Cumb Parr": (Cumberland Hotel) ?
"aanval. of. Norske Marine." ? (For Eva with the heart) ?
Left hand page:
Feb 6 - 9
Sun 6: "Eva Skotting 22 Oakley St Chelsea, S.W.3." (Eva's writing, her flat)
Mon 7: "BARnet 6065" (Eva's office)
"FLAxman 1874" (Chelsea phone number Eva) ?
Tues 8: "Cumbert 3:30 Amerikaans"? Cumberland Hotel or American named Cumbert ?
Wed 9: "Telephone Miss Skotting"
Right hand page:
Feb 10 - 12
Thu 10: "Call Eva 4:30"
"Mr. Collips BBC" ? (Phonetic spelling) ?
Fri 11 : "22:30 Hatton Garden" (jewellery centre)
"7:45 phone Eva"
"PER 4956" ? (phone of ) Kathleen Risdon ? (not Tobs or Eva’s writing, area is Perivale) (See Glossary)
Sat 12: "7 o'clock Hatchetts" (Restaurant)
Memoranda: Veeraswamy, Regent St, Piccadilly. (See Glossary Indian Restaurant)
Left hand page:
Feb 13 - 16
Sun 13: "12 o'clock, Oakley Street" (Eva)
Mon 14: "Queen's Gate, (Map see Glossary)
Tue 15: "
Wed 16: "
Right hand page:
Feb 17 - 19
Thu 17: "
Fri 18: "
Left hand page:
Feb 20 - 23
Page: Work In Progress
Right hand page:
Feb 24 - 26
Page: Work In Progress
Left hand page:
Mar 19 - 22
Sun 19: "Major Dobson, 4 Montagu Mansions North; Agents The Portland Estates Office"
Mon 20: "Fokkard & Hayward, Baker Street; Bakker & Strouts, Sloane Street"
Tue 21: "Harrods, Marylebone Road, 3 o'clock churchman"
Wed 22: "Hamilton-Mack, Mr Jansma Weteringschans 93"
Right hand page:
Mar 23 - 25
Thu 23: "Cumberl.., 10 o’clock Euston-Watford Junction (crossed out) West Brom (tube?) 5 o’clock"
Fri 24: "3.45 D Club, Clergyman"
Sat 25: "Portman Square 26A; O.lly Hamdon Road, R.O.W. 58"
Left hand page:
Mar 26 - 29
Mon 27:
Tue 28:
Wed 29:
Right hand page:
Mar 30 - Apr 1
Thu 30:
FRIDAY 31: Tobs leaves on his first mission
Left hand page:
"Liesje Krost, HOLborn 7076, 37 Ellington Ct, High St Southgate N14 PALmers Green 3883"
"Mia La Costa, Stockton-onTees, 49 Clarendon Road, Thorsby, Yorks"
"Lonsdale Hotel, 23 Montague St WC1, MUSeum 1812"
"HOLborn 0490 Hatton Garden, 63 New House EC1, Sapinworks"
Right hand page:
"Warendorf, Arlington REGent 2141 -2143"
"Gwen Brushett, 7 Chelsea Embankment London SW3, FLAxman 7255" "Wren 64214"
"Mrs. Rutta, Fawley Henley-on-Thames"
Left hand page:
Right hand page
Left hand page:
Right hand page:
Left hand page:
Right hand page:
Left hand page:
Right hand page:
Left hand page:
1/9 tandarts
1/3 fooi hotel
1/3 bagage
25 ct brief Oranje Haven
1/3 ben ik voor Kerstmis terug
Right hand page:
Left hand page:
Tru..
24 N…
18 3…
ABL, Abercorn Place 15 Suffolk…
Maida Vale (area)
Forssey could this be Thursday in Danish “Torsdag”? 18 2:30
Right hand page:
"23 Aug Woensdag 11.30 Consul-Generaal"
"17 Aug Donderdag 11.15 8e verdiepng, Adj. De Greuiter"
"16 Aug Consul-Generaal, Por..y, Mariam"
"18 Aug NAVRAAG Adj. H. Bootsma, Vader diamand voor Lt. Schiliep"
Right hand page:
"21 Aug: 4 o’clock Mariam, Cumberland, Fhoon: 5-6 Lonsdale"
"21 Aug: Party Ludwig Evening 7.15 o’clock. Derry and Toms Kensington, High Street"
"21 Aug: 3 o’clock van Heuven-Goedhart"
"25 Aug: Vrijdag Oliver ’s avonds in Barnet"
"22 Aug: Vader Barnet, Lunch Roy" ?
Right hand page:
"23 Aug: Lunch Jimmy. Ring 22 Aug"
"23 Aug: Jan – Barnet"
"24 Aug: Dames – Barnet"
"26 Aug: 10 o'clock Jimmy R.A.C."
"28 Aug: 4 o’clock Mariam, Park Street"
"Woensdag: 3 uur Ex Min van Heuven-Goedhart"
Right hand page:
"Dinsdag: 4 uur Marian Bloomsbury Square"
"Dinsdag: 5.45 Ring Jimmy"
"Dinsdag: 2.30 Erik"
"Vrijdag: 4.30" (Hazelhoff-Roelfzema) ?
"Vrijdag Kart ‘s avonds"
Right hand page:
"Vrijdag: Do… Lunch met Vr.." ?
"Vrijdag: Eva’s koker" (Eva container, case ? )
" Dinsdag: Wim – Barnet"
"Woensdag: Parr ’s avonds"
"’s morgens voor 10 uur om 1 uur en 6 uur, COLechester 2903, Mr. Borgess, Mrs Tyrrell, Klyzing. "
Left hand page:
(Eva's handwriting) "Margie, YMCA / CVWW, c/o AWS, 21st Army Group HQ <Rear> BLA ? "
"Regence Pension, 63, Rue de la Charité, off: Ave. des Arts, Brussels, Tel: 11-6283" ?
Left hand page:
(Eva's handwriting is challenging to decipher)
"Piet de Jong: MAYfair 8/5511 ? Ext 14"
"Astor: /Leston ? GROsvenor 4181 Ext 173"
"Helga: ? Hiersin/Neersin ? CUNningham 6519"
"E. Kontoret: PADdington 55' ? 4452" (Is this Eva's Office ? why 55'' before 4-digit phone number) ?
Right hand page:
"A.A. Thys: WEStern 3475" ?
"46 Devonshire Close: 12 o'clock"
"Kapt Klijzing F.J: Ooievaarlaan 12, <Atjehstraat 8, c/o Miss E. A. v.d. Kiet/Riet> ? Den Haag" ?
Right hand page:
"Mary Wishart: W.R.N.S., St. Agnes Court, Portchester Terrace 6, London W.2, PADdington 7546" ?
"Piet de Jong: 138 Sussex Gardens, Tel: PADdington 5933" ?
"Oranje Haven: Tel: AMBassador 2381"
Right hand page:
"65 Victoria Road, WEStern 3879, Warendorf"
"Huize Floros: /Florus ? PUTney 7970"
"Lancaster Gate 50: Eigen Flat, Room 4, PADdington 7424, BAYswater 5027"
"Mr. Van Het Sand: SLOane 3666"
"VROEDVROUW: (Midwife) WELbeck 6611, 618 Oliver"
"Flat S.O.1: BAYswater 5027"
Right hand page:
"Kingston House: Knightsbridge, 3 Floor, Information Office"
"Kapt Oliver: WHIte Hall 9400, WELbeck 6611" "1502-698" ?
"Margaret: MUSeum 4111 Ext. 6"
"Lt. Warendorf: Hereford House, 3rd Floor, Flat 23, MAYfair 8511 - Ext 23" ?
Right hand page:
"Lies Krost: 8 Eaton Place, Tel SLOane 0431" ?
"Mr. Leak A: 110 Cat. Hill. East-Barnet, Tel: BARnet 2374, Barclays Bank Limited, New Barnet "
"Messrs. Sutton, Stainton, Otterhead: Veterinary Surgeons, 165 Kensington Church Street, W.8"
"Departement van Oorlog: B.B.O., Hereford House, Flat 11, 117 Park Street, London W7"
Right hand page:
"Miriam Powell: 25 Bloomsbury Square, Tel: MUSeum 0320, Tel: TEMplebar 4383 ext 250"
"Reuter Building: 57 Clifford Road Tel: BARnet 6065"
"Lt. J ? van Schellen: Mount Royal, MAYfair 8040 - Ext 218" (Mount Royal Hotel Room # 218)
"Kapt. K. Kleizink: M.R. Tel: MAYfair 8040 - Ext 212" (Room 212)
"Lt. O. de Graff: M.R. Tel: MAYfair 8040 Ext 217/9" ? (Mount Royal Hotel Room 217/9) ?
Right hand page:
"Lt. C. de W. Crookshank: 'Johnstownburn' Humbie, East-Lothian, Scotland, Tel: Humbie 2"
"T. Biallosterski: Montague Street, Lonsdale Hotel, Tel: MUSeum 1812"
"Lies - Roland Krost: 31 Ellington Court, South-Gate, PALmers Green 3883, SLOane 0431"
"Eva's Hairdresser: MAYfair 4410"
Right hand page:
"Fam Beange: Ref Flat": (Beange fam reference for flat they rented in New Barnet PalmersGreen 3843)
"Consul - Dundee: Scotland; Van der Rydt"
"Min van Heuven-Goedhart: Tel: GROsvenor 4181 ext. 321 Arlington - House"
"Margaret Watson: Belgrave Mews South Tel: SLOane 7458"
(Eva's writing: possibly a phone # in Denmark) ?