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Philip de Jong

Philip Felix de Jong met Otto Frank in camp Westerbork. Like Otto, he survived Auschwitz. After liberation, they travelled back to the Netherlands together.

Person

  • Philip Felix de Jong
  • Born on: April 4, 1913
  • Born in: Amsterdam, Nederland
  • Died on: April 19, 1972
  • Died in: Amsterdam, Nederland

Philip Felix (Flip, Phil)[1] de Jong was born in Amsterdam, grew up in Belgium and graduated as an economist. He worked as an accountant at the HEMA head office where he met his wife Leentje (Lenie) van Naarden (1915-2015).[2] On 5 August 1942, they married in Amsterdam. This was no longer allowed at the city hall, so they married in the Jewish community building at Plantage Parklaan 9.[3]

Hiding

In early 1943, Philip and Lenie went into hiding with a cousin of his in The Hague. There they stayed until the group was betrayed in late 1943. His cousin, Maurits Blankenzee (-Vigeveno), was shot at Camp Vught on 4 September 1944.[4] Philip and his wife managed to escape and took the train to Amsterdam, where they were able to go into temporary hiding with friends. From there, a hiding address in Friesland was arranged. From March or April 1944, they were in hiding with a working-class family with two children. In early August 1944, the house was betrayed and Philip, his wife and the husband of the family providing the hiding place were arrested.[5]

Deportation

Philip and Lenie van Naarden were sent to Camp Westerbork via Lemmer, Leeuwarden and Assen, arriving on 12 August 1944. There they were considered punishment cases and, like the Frank family, ended up in punishment hut 67.[6] They were put to work on the batteries. In Westerbork, they met the Frank family for the first time. Philip had good contact with Otto Frank.[1]

On 3 September 1944, Philip and his wife were put on a transport to Auschwitz, along with the Frank family.[5] After a three-day journey, they arrived in Auschwitz-Birkenau on the night of 5-6 September 1944. There, Philip and Lenie were separated on the rampe. After selection and registration, the prisoners were shaved bald and a number was tattooed on their arms.[7] Philip was issued the number B9223, his wife Lenie the number A25145.[8]

Philip was transferred to the Stammlager, Auschwitz-I, after the selections and registration. At the end of October 1944, he was assigned to the Peterson labour command where, under harsh conditions, he had to dig and turn the earth.[9] After two months, Philip was admitted to an infirmary with frozen hands and feet on 20 December 1944. There he was liberated by the Soviet army on 27 January 1945.[10]

Return

Philip de Jong kept a travel log during the trip back to the Netherlands. Otto Frank also noted in a notebook what he experienced during the return trip. In it, Otto noted that he had encountered 'Filip de Jong (HEMA) '. Philip travelled to Kattowice on 11 March 1945, where Otto Frank had probably been staying from 5 March. From Kattowice, they continued by train on 1 April to Chernivtsi, where they arrived on 7 April after a long train journey. On 21 April, they had to continue by train to Odessa. Like Otto, Philip had to wait a month here for further transport. On 20 May, they were finally ferried on the New Zealand ship the Monowai to Marseille, where they arrived on 27 May. From Marseille, Philip continued travelling by train towards the Netherlands. Once in Amsterdam, Philip went to see his good friend Chris Allebes, where he and Lenie had agreed to go if they survived the camps.[11] A month later, he was surprised by his wife's return. Lenie wrote in her diary on 30 June 1945 :

'I ring the bell and the door is opened by Chris. He doesn't say anything but quietly leads me inside, because he wants to surprise Flip. He's quietly standing in the kitchen shelling broad beans.[12]

Soon after his return, Philip went back to work at HEMA.[13] Philip and Lenie had two children. Philip died unexpectedly on 19 April 1972.[14]

Source personal data.[15] Addresses: Belgium; Amsterdam, J.W. Brouwersstraat 13bv (Aug '38), Zuider-Amstellaan 146-II (May '40), Tugelaweg 127-II (July '40), Lekstraat 162-I (July '45), Stadionweg 214-II (Aug '45), Uiterwaardestraat 142hs (June '48), Jekerstraat 63-I (Feb '56)[15]

Footnotes

  1. a, b Anne Frank Stichting (AFS), Getuigenarchief, interview Lenie de Jong-van Naarden, 22 maart 2010.
  2. ^ AFS, Getuigenarchief, interview Lenie de Jong-van Naarden, 22 maart 2010; Marijke Barend-van Haeften & Hetty Plekenpol (red.), Retour Auschwitz. De dagboeknotities van Philip en Lenie de Jong over hun repatriëring uit Auschwitz en Liebau in 1945, Zutphen: Walburg Pers, 2006, p. 12.
  3. ^ Willy Lindwer, De laatste zeven maanden. Vrouwen in het spoor van Anne Frank, Hilversum: Gooi & Sticht, 1988, p. 149. Zie ook https://www.joodsamsterdam.nl/plantage-parklaan/ (geraadpleegd 13 september 2022).
  4. ^ Barend-van Haeften & Plekenpol Retour Auschwitz, p. 12; Arolsen Archies - International Center on Nazi Persecution, Bad Arolsen: Registratiekaart kamp Vught, Maurits Blankenzee, https://collections.arolsen-archives.org/en/search/person/338393?s=%20Maurits%20Blankenzee&t=2117883&p=0.
  5. a, b AFS, Getuigenarchief, interview Lenie de Jong-van Naarden, 22 maart 2010. Lindwer, De laatste zeven maanden. p. 152-154.
  6. ^ Lindwer, De laatste zeven maanden. p. 152-154; Arolsen Archives: Kaart Philip de Jong https://collections.arolsen-archives.org/en/search/person/130313594?s=Philip%20de%20Jong&t=2574889&p=1; Bas von Benda-Beckmann, Na het Achterhuis. Anne Frank en de andere onderduikers in de kampen, Amsterdam: Querido, 2020, p. 84.
  7. ^ Von Benda-Beckmann, Na het Achterhuis, p. 149-159.
  8. ^ Erika Prins, Onderzoeksverslag naar het verblijf van de acht onderduikers uit het Achterhuis in de kampen (2016), p. 80, 85.
  9. ^ Prins, Onderzoeksverslag, p.30, 34; Barend-van Haeften & Plekenpol, Retour Auschwitz, p. 24.
  10. ^ Barend-van Haeften & Plekenpol, Retour Auschwitz, p. 26-28.
  11. ^ Barend-van Haeften & Plekenpol, p. 35; AFS, Getuigenarchief, interview Lenie de Jong-van Naarden, 22 maart 2010.
  12. ^ Barend-van Haeften & Plekenpol, Retour Auschwitz, p. 128.
  13. ^ Barend-van Haeften & Plekelpo, p.35.
  14. ^ Familieberichten, Nieuw Israelietisch weekblad, 28 april 1972; SAA, DIenst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart Philip Felix de Jong.
  15. a, b Stadsarchief Amsterdam, Dienst Bevolkingsregister, Archiefkaarten (toegangsnummer 30238): Archiefkaart Philip Felix de Jong, https://archief.amsterdam/indexen/deeds/985333ef-00f1-56a3-e053-b784100ade19?person=985333ef-00f2-56a3-e053-b784100ade19.