h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Dear Rob, I see from this contribution, that I am indeed corresponding with a female, thank goodness.
My stories are all on separate CDRoms, and are mostly full length novels. Much of 'The Will to Live' (name given by BBC ww2) is included in 'Kept-The Other Side of Tenko' available on CDRom and in hardback. I'm not allowed to give the hardback (original) price (incl, P&P) here, but if you double the CDRom price as shown on my website, that would be £1.50 too much.
Liefde van Len Baynes

22/8 - Goeiemorgen Len, Sorry not to have reacted sooner but I have been away on a surprise trip together with my husband Jack, for our 38th wedding anniversary. My daughter ordered us to pack a bag for a typical English summer, ie damp/wet/hot/cold, to take passports and visa (just in case), camera, mobile and comfy shoes. She gave us a flight nummer when we arrived at Stansted airport and left us to it! We ended up in Prague from Wednesday till late yesterday! An absolutely wonderful city with the most amazing architecture. Even people who could not care a monkey's about buildings would be greatly impressed and taken by it. It is still noticable that the country is getting over the depressing communistic regime but they are learning fast how to cater for the tourists, especialy now Easyjet has such cheap flights, hurray!! If you are reasonably fit & able I can recommend going there!! We certainly shall be back!
Right, now answering your post.
First of all to be able to read my mum's contributions, either click on 'anak-bandung' at the top of this post, to get into my personal page and then pick up all three stories from Nel (part I, II and III) plus the latest one I contributed ('an explosion of punishments') but which has only been my unofficial translation of part of a slim volume written by Ko Luijckx, which tells all about the latest camp we were in too. It has been out of print for decades.
Another way to find Nel's stories (not one I just mentioned above, which has not yet been categorised) is to go to the front page of the WW2 site, click on 'world', then 'Asia', then 'Indonesia' and the three Nel stories are listed there.
Good hunting.
The 'goesunder' I was born in, is the same as 'gozunder' as you mentioned. I only did not know how to spell it apparently! It could explain why sometimes I could be or feel quite p****d.
What do you mean, you thought I was a young lady but now...? As I explained in my personal page introduction, I am anak Bandung (child of Bandung) but nowadays I am called Rob, short for Roberte (spelled with an 'e' and not an 'a' - my mother is to blame for that, as she was convinced I would be a boy. When she heard I was not she said, o, just stick an 'e' on the end. Of course I am a young lady: I am a mere 62 years old!
After my nice break in Prague I find to my delight that this site has returned to its former glory (so far, hush, better not be too delighted too soon!) I even felt vindicated to read that Frank and the other researchers also had trouble. It helps to share problems!
Len, if you want to email me direct, give a shout and I could send you mine via your email address at the bottom of your personal page intro.
Het allerbeste en tot schrijfs!
Groetjes van Rob, aka Anak

22.8 Dear Frank, thanks for looking into things for us. I suppose the combined efforts of you and your colleagues must have given the good old Beeb a hint. Well, at least after my surprise trip (see a short summary above to Len) I have returned to the old format, I see. I am now just keeping my fingers crossed! I was, must admit, quite pleased it was not just us and it caught you researchers also on the hop. Not nice, I know, but 'schadenfreude' is a human emotion.
love Anak and a special for you as thanks

22/8 Len again! I just saw how you ended your little post (# 21): 'Liefde van Len Baynes'. Er.... I think you'd better sign it with 'liefs van..' which is the usual form. The other one needs to be unrequited for the moment, as I still have a husband . Liefde = LOVE in capital letters. Not having met me and after only a few messages this word would be quite inappropriate and your wife (who I hope you still have) might not be too impressed either.
Thanks for the CD infor.
Liefs (!) van Anak @->-

Dear Rob
Please forgive my ignorance. I didn't learn abour addressing the fair sex while prisoner. Moreover, I already have a wife (she was my first and only girl friend), whom I married 55 years ago. And one's quite enough for me!
I have started reading your contributions, which I'm finding very interesting.
And, also, I like your sense of humour.
Liefs van Len

Dear Rob
Thanks for all that, which explains a lot. I don't think I shall ever be able to feel my own way round the Beeb websites. And I would be pleased to have your email address to send you odd snippets from time to time.
Liefs van Len Baynes

27/8 Dear Len, or if I should stick to the Dutch letter-writing etiquette: if I end with 'liefs', [which is somewhere between the 'met vriendelijke groeten' (ie kind regards) en 'heel veel liefs en kusjes' - for the LIEFDE - so that's out] and which means a sort of forged friendship with mutual affection (are we there yet ?), I should also start the missive with 'lieve Ken'. Now is the time your male ego should be feeling flattered!
You have one up one me: 55 years , I have only been married to Jack a mere 38 years. We have some catching up to do. Give my regards to your wife.
Glad you found your way round my, or rather my mother's, contributions. Life gave her many knocks, also after she was repatriated to Holland: a mother-in-law who did not really want us and even questioned the validity of my birth. Her struggle to keep us going in a cold and not very friendly country. Then in a second marriage a son who contracted meningitis which made him mentally retarded plus her having to cope with increasing health problems caused by the camp.
I am sure your period in the POW camp must have affected your health appreciably as well.
I am off to Holland on Wednesday, have printed off your 'Will to live' and take it with me for some bedtime reading! And don't read anything in that either!
Must dash , got some errands to run. Love to hear from you again
Liefs van the tough chick Anak

Dear Rob
Thanks for all that. Now that I have your email address, I'll close this public chin-wag, and stich to emails, now that I have that address.
All the best, Len

28 Aug. Hi Len,your name is in my "friends"list.I wanted to write you before,but things got out of hand.( too much to tell you about and you might
not be interested in it anyway.) I am impressed by your talking dutch.I have been told that it is a horrible language to learn.
But it didn't faze you.
Anak is a great gal isn't she?We were born in the same city in Java:she was in a Jap concentration camp,I was under German occupation .
We exchanged stories and became best friends.
Who would ever have thought that this Forum would bring people together from opposite parts of the world during the war.
Take care, I'll keep an eye out for more stories from you
Josephine..

Dear Josephine
I wondered who Odyssee was, now I know. Do they call you Jo? T'would save a few key-strokes! So you are best friends with Rob, do you both live in Hitchin? I didn't know the Germans had a foothold in Java, so how did they happen to get you into their clutches?
I'm in Stapleford, a village 4 miles south of Cambridge.
Since I have about twenty email correspondents I don't get a lot of time to spare, but it was good to hear from you. Attached is a pic. of Betty (my wife of 56 years) and myself. Tot schriefs!
Liefs, Len Baynes

Aug. 30 Dear Len, Thanks for your email. No Jo! I am called Josephine if that is too long to write just use the initial J.I live on the W. coast of the US. I was born also in Bandung like Rob.But my parents returned in '30 to Holland.So, Rob went to a concentration camp of the Japs and I was 5 years under German occupation.
If you have some spare time? I wrote stories about those 5 years under the name Odyssee.My User I.D. is 555516 I know your user I.D,-I wrote it down somewhere-Rob and I have a lot in common;we write each other often.Sorry, I can't find the foto of your wife:no attacment??
I just sent Rob a message:I've been reading your life story,but I can't find the chronological order I had yesterday.I would like to read#28.I was impressed about you talking dutch to Rob.I've been told that it is an awfull language to learn.
I read about your health problems:I hope you are doing better.I am a retired Nurse,I went from Holland-after an early liberation -compared to the rest of Holland-to England and Australia to wait for the capitulation of
Japan. 6 nurses were flown to Batavia in a B 25 bomber
to take care of the concentration camp victims We had to refurbish a completely empty hospital: everything was stolen ) We had the Camp Tjideng victims,not the ones from Rob's camp.That is in short what happened.
I loved London when we were there.We were put in a mil. camp in Wolverhampton,no time and/or money to travel.The only city I visited was Sheffield.
I won't keep you any longer.Take care and all the best,Josephine.

30/8 Josephine and Len, may I just butt in for a mo!. J., if you want Len's stories in chronological order, go first to his personal page, then click on his contribution 'The will to live, chapter 40'. When you pull that one up, beneath it is a thread called 'the will to live .. and then some' Click on that and go to message #2, they are all there! Aren't I a clever dickie Anak?rob

30 Aug. Rob You are. Have to fend for myself when you are gone!!
I wrote your message down,so I can do exactly as you wrote it.Doeiiii, J.

Hi J. Did you know you can read my contributions on Microsofft Internet Exploorer, 'Prisoners of War'? Len

Sept. 2.Hi len,I am out of luck:I do not have Internet Xplorer. I have an iMac and use differtent Websites-if that is what one calls them-.
But Rob told me there is CD available with all the stories.That is something I would be interested in as my sons all have computers.And I would like to have one myself.
I'll copy the http:// as one of them has a PC. My grandaughter-14 years-might be interested in it.She is very proficient in working with comp. She even can help me whenever I am stuck putting my stories on a wordprocessor-something I never had-. One of my young neighbour friends installed it for me. (he is a whiz kid in comp.)But I need more RAM first.
Thanks for the info, J.

Hi P.,
Het is jamer, I fear I misled you with 'Internet Explorer', I should have just just said 'on the web', and you must be able to get that, otherwise you would have been unable to get BBC ww2. There you will be able to find the site.
Tot het volgenda keer, Len

Sept. 3.It must be around midnite in the UK.len, thanks fot your last message. Last nite I clicked on the http:// you had written previously;You know what I got?? A whole new list with who was in what Stalag.
on the left were different places to find f.i
NEWS
CAMPS
CAMP HX
POW STORIES
Etc
Your name was mentioned of course in a Jap camp.
underneath was the name of :LESLIE SPOORS in Rangoon Jail. Did you know of this site?
There are also a lot of pictures that might mean something to you,
I was very surprised. I read Leslie's Story: He had a hell of a time too, but came home in one piece.
But at your site was a wealth of different stories that you wrote.I don't think they are the ones you wrote for WW2.
Tonite I'm going back to read what you wrote.It might take a long time before finishing them all. So, I'll do it in several eve's when I don't get caught up in other "things to do". I got a note from Rob,:the weather is warm:25 C. I am glad for her. She had an uneventful flight.
This news in case she did not have time to write you a few lines. She seemed rather busy
Hartelyke groeten van J.en tot schryfs.

Lieve J'
Voort bedankte voor uv scryfje, ik veet niets op Rangoon, als Ik daar blyft maar en paar dagen (en hospital)na het oorlog was geeindig.
is quite the best site on the subject I have come accross, wwell laid out and informative; and I must read Leslie Spoors contribution.
Thanks also for news of Rob - the weather has also been lovely here over the last few days (for a change), Rob left at the wrong time. Is she staying near you? Hope it's not near Florida, where I have cousins from whom I have had no news lately. Incidentally my personal website is
Liefs Len

4 Spt. L.Len,Thanks for your quick answer especially
since you are so busy!
I really wished I lived close to Rob. She has become my best friend.But I live in W. USA,Rob in the UK so....not next door to each other. At the moment she is in Holland-where I'm from originally-. It is a family visit; her husband Jack went with her.I am so glad that the weather is warm,Holland can be miserable ,even in the summer as England I suppose.
Thanks for your www. I'll use it next time. I can't get over the fact that you learned dutch when you were a POW and through the Bible in dutch??
You must have a gift to learn languages.You'll be interested in L. Spoors story.
If I get another scribble from Rob II'll let you know.But I doubt it;she will be pretty busy.
I hope your cousins are OK.I lived a short while with my husband and kids in Florida.I detested it. We went through a hurricane too.The only nice thing was that we lived close to the beach,but the climate was hot and humid like when I lived in the Dutch East Indies.And the scenery was not something one writes home about.The N.W here is just beautiful.
Take care Len ,Liefs van J.-sounds like a secret agent initial does'nt it??

Lieve J.,
Ik dacht Rob secht ze ging naar het USA op vacantie; Ik ben nu en oudje, hersels bijna kaput! Ik ook vergat u me vracht als mijne boek 'Kept-The Other Side of Tenko'(in the illustrated hardback edition)is stil te kopen.

Although it has been out of print for about 15 years, I retained some copies at the original price of £8.50. I do not know what the postage to USA would be, but let me know if you would like me to find out. It was available in your country, and not long ago one of my cousins bought a second-hand copy there.

I've now read L.Spoor's story, and soon realised that I had already read it some time ago. Poor old decrepit brain again!

Sorry to hear what an unpleasant climate pertains in Florida. No wonder they camp out in the mountains in the summer, and go deer shooting. I also have cousins in Texas, and I've heard that's pretty hot.
Liefs Len