Two women talk about their service with the Marva in the aftermath of World War II. MARVA01 (1922) grows up in Terneuzen, where she works as a telephone operator during the war and is active in the resistance. After escaping from German captivity, she tries to reach the Canadian lines with her brother-in-law Jan, head of the underground. Jan is killed, but she makes it across.After liberation, she becomes involved in the founding of the Marva and trains with the Women’s Royal Naval Service in England. In 1945, she leaves for the Dutch East Indies on the ship Johan van Oldenbarnevelt, where she works at the telephone exchange and the Marine Post Office in Batavia.
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MARVA02 (1923), born and raised in Amsterdam, distributed illegal leaflets during the war. After liberation, she worked briefly in Sweden and, out of a thirst for adventure, decided to join the Marva. In 1946, she flew to Batavia, where she worked as a secretary at the Codedienst. She recounts daily life in the tropics, dance parties, camaraderie, and military life. After her return, she remained involved in commemorations and parades, but never referred to herself as a “real soldier.”
