On 10 May 1940 at eight o’clock in the morning, Mayor IJzerman of Wageningen received a telegram from General Sillevis with the following message: “Evacuate the civilian population; embark them immediately”. The South Holland municipalities of Zwijndrecht, Ridderkerk and IJsselmonde were designated as evacuation destinations for Wageningen. The council had already drawn up detailed evacuation plans at an early stage.

The evacuation of the population took place by boat across the Rhine. Wageningen was divided into 33 districts. In the harbour, 31 boats were standing by to accommodate the entire population of over 12,000 inhabitants. Each boat carried over 400 people from the same district. Doctors, nursing staff, priests and ministers were the last to be distributed amongst the boats.

An eyewitness account by Mrs J.J. van Dodewaard-Rijksen:

“Then the official order comes: evacuate! Meet at the block entrance at 12 noon. The time has come! Dad opens the chicken coop and lets the rabbits out onto the grass. They’ll just have to fend for themselves now. Oh, and the cat! Out she goes too. We can’t take you with us, little one. Take care! Then we get dressed and strap our luggage onto our backs. Just a small suitcase and some handbags. My sister and I quickly stuff some precious photos into our bags, and then we’re off. We look back one last time.

More and more people are joining us and gathering behind the raised sign bearing our group number. Until the group of about 50 people is complete and marches behind the leader through the town towards the harbour. In Hoogstraat, the residents are still at home. They stare at us with pity, knowing that their turn will come soon. There is a lot of glass on the pavements. Soldiers are using explosive charges to bring down trees across the road, as a barrier against the enemy. The shop windows shatter in the explosions. Shopkeepers are clearing their shopfronts and handing out all sorts of food to the people passing by.”

At four o’clock in the afternoon, the first ships set sail, towed by tugboats. Some vessels had not been cleaned, or had been cleaned inadequately, with the result that the previous cargoes of cement and coal divided the people of Wageningen into ‘whites and blacks’ upon arrival. More important than that colour distinction was the timely departure, for when the last ships sailed past Rhenen around six o’clock, bombs were already being dropped in the area near Wageningen.