Walter Cronkite Photographed a Dutch War Hero with the 101st Airborne Division
To hell and Back
Jaap Bothe, a very well respected name within the history of the Dutch
Korps Kommandotroepen , was a member of the No. 2 Dutch Troop. As a 16 year old, he started working as a servant on the S.S. Towa on the Dutch-South America line. In the port of Montevideo he witnessed the sinking of the German battle cruiser
Graf von Spee in 1939. On his way home he witnessed the hell of Dunkirk and made an emergency stop in Cardiff, only to miss the boat back home. That same ship was torpedoed and Jaap Bothe had escaped death.
Eventually, Bothe ended up in Canada and joined the Prinses Irene Brigade where also the No. 2. (Dutch) Troop was formed. In September 1944 some of these commando's were attached to several Airborne units to take part in Operation Market Garden. Jaap W. Bothe was attached to the 101st Airboren Division. He was given an American paratrooper uniform and US army equipment and came in by a glider near Son, Holland on September 18, 1944. During the flight, war correspondent and post-war TV-Host Walter Cronkite was sitting opposite him. Most of his tasks were related to translating and madiating between the Dutch civilians and American troops.
Nieuwe alinea
In the middle of October, Jaap Bothe and the other members of No. 2 Dutch Troops were attached to the Nr 4 Commando Brigade and would join the 52nd Lowland Division in the attack on Walcheren near Westkapelle and Vlissingen (Flushing). On November 1st, 1944, Corporal Bothe was part of the group that would go from Breskens to Flushing. "When they launched the first attack near Flushing, I was in the second landing boat. Medic Bill de Liefde showed us the way and signalled with a green army lamp. Our ship hit a pole head. They were slippery wet and I couldn't get over it because of my rubber soles. I slipped back in and my backpack was in the way. Not really enjoyable when they fire their machine gun at you with tracer rounds." The battles that followed were some of the toughest phases of his war time experiences. Fortunately, Vlissingen was captured on November 3, 1944. Corporal Bothe made it out alive and survived the rest of the war.
Jaap Bothe left the Army shortly after the liberation of Europe in 1945. He had a tough time finding getting back to work. He became a crane operation, but was physically rejected and had to retire early after a heart attack. For his actions in World War II and the liberation of The Netherlands, Jaap was awarded the Bronzen Kruis (Bronze Cross) by Prins Bernhard on May 12, 1951. In 1985 he donated his commando dagger, which he received after completing his commando training 1942, to the collection of the Prinses Irene Brigade. It was a very emotional moment for him, but at least it was preserved.
Jaap Bothe passed away on August 12, 2005.
Sources Used:
- US National Archives
- http://www.prinsesirenebrigade.nl/
- https://www.korpscommandotroepen.nl/
