On the occasion of the TRC Gallery exhibition: Textile Tales from the Second World War, we publish a series of blogs about some specific objects in the exhibition. Today we include a short, personal story written by Ms Pien Lambermont, who donated some ration cards ('Stamkaart') from the Second World War to the TRC (TRC 2020.3463a, TRC 2020.3463b, TRC 2020.3463c). These cards were needed in order to obtain ration coupons for food, garments, shoes, etc:

Ration card ('Stamkaart') issued in 1944, belonging to Seraphine (Pien) Lambermont (TRC 2020.3463c).

Reverse of the ration card of Seraphine Lambermont (TRC 2020.3463c).

The ration cards belonged to my parents and myself. I am Pien Lambermont and nowadays live along the Hogewoerd in Leiden [the same street as the TRC], but I spent my childhood, and the war, in the village of Zeist, near the city of Utrecht. On my ration card you can see a symbol that notes that I was frequently ill and allowed extra rations, and my parents were consequently able to buy me shoes twice.

I remember from my illness that I was often unable to keep food down and that I was frequently sick. What I also remember from the war was the enormous effort to obtain food, especially during the last few months of the war. For example, I remember that as children we had to take turns grinding rye in the hand coffee grinder and then making it into porridge. This rye porridge had to cook for a long time and stood on the back of the wood stove for hours, so we could eat it in the evening. I still remember the awful (for me at least) smell that I couldn't handle.

Another reminder is that my mother went three times with either my father or one of my much older sisters on the bike to the Achterhoek in the neighbouring province of Gelderland, to exchange some of their possessions for food. It took days for them to return and I remember that in particular, because I was always afraid that they wouldn't come back. A ray of hope was that I was allowed to sleep in my parents's bed during their absence.

Pien Lambermont, 11 September 2020.