Passport of Heyman Roet and Catharina Freso. Collection

Heyman Roet was born in Amsterdam, the Netherlands, on 28 August 1914. His father Joël Roet had lived in Belgium as of 1907. After Joël married Heyman’s mother Suzanna Blom in Amsterdam on 16 August 1911, the family set up home in Antwerp. Heyman’s older sister Rachel Sara Roet was born in Berchem, Antwerp, in 1912. Heyman himself became a diamond cutter and later on earned a living as an accountant. He married Catharina Freso, who was born on 27 February 1916 in Amsterdam. On 13 May 1940, three days after Nazi-Germany invaded Belgium, Heyman and Catharina fled to France in the company of Heyman’s parents Joël Roet and Suzanna Blom, as the family wanted to avoid racial persecution. The four of them were able to reach Toulouse, France, where the Vice-consul for the Netherlands provided them with Dutch passports. Heyman and Catharina received theirs on 7 October 1940, Joel and Suzanne obtained the document on 15 November 1940. Using their passports, the family was able to obtain visa for Spain and Portugal in 1941. Joel and Suzanna sailed for Jamaica and travelled further on to Curacao where they offered their services to the Dutch government. In September 1941 Heyman and Catharina were able to sail from Portugal to the United Kingdom, where Heyman became a soldier in the Prinses Irene Brigade which consisted of Dutch military men and volunteers. Both Heyman and Catharina survived the war and returned to Antwerp in 1945. Joël and Suzanna returned in 1946.

The original document was donated to Kazerne Dossin in 2014.