I still can’t put up with heat and am glad that there’s a stiff breeze today, and yet the sun still shines.
Yours, Anne
Monday, 5 June, 1944
Dear Kitty, Fresh ‘Secret Annexe’ troubles, a quarrel between Dussel and the Franks over something very trivial: the sharing of butter. Dussel’s capitulation. Mrs. van Daan and the latter very thick, flirtations, kisses and friendly little laughs. Dussel is beginning to long for women.
The Fifth Army has taken Rome. The city has been spared devastation by both armies and air forces.
Very few vegetables and potatoes. Bad weather. Heavy bombardments of the French coast and Pas de Calais continue.
Yours, Anne
Tuesday, 6 June, 1944
Dear Kitty, ‘This is D-day’ came the announcement over the English news and quite rightly, this is the day. The invasion has begun!
The English gave the news at 8 o’clock this morning: Calais, Boulogne, Le Havre, and Cherbourg, also the Pas de Calais (as usual), were heavily bombarded. Moreover, as a safety measure for all occupied territories, all people who live within a radius of thirty-five kilometres from the coast
were warned to be prepared for bombardments. If possible, the English will drop pamphlets one hour beforehand.
According to German news, English parachute troops have landed on the French coast, ‘English landing craft are in battle with the German Navy,’ says the B.B.C.
We discussed it in the ‘Annexe’ breakfast at 9 o’clock: Is this just a trial landing like Dieppe two years ago?
B.B.C. English broadcast in German, Dutch, French, and other languages at 10 o’clock: ‘The invasion has begun!’ that means the “real” invasion. B.B.C. broadcast in German at eleven o’clock, speech by the Supreme Commander, General Dwight Eisenhower.
The B.B.C. news at twelve o’clock in English: ‘This is D-day.’ General Eisenhower said to the French people: “Stiff fighting will come now, but after this the victory. The year 1944 is the, year of complete victory, good luck.”
B.B.C. news in English at 1 o’clock: 11,000 planes stand ready, and are flying to and fro non stop, landing troops and attacking behind the lines; 4000 landing boats, plus small craft, are landing troops and materiel between Cherbourg and Le Havre incessantly. English and American troops are already engaged in hard fighting. Speeches by Gerbrandy, the Prime Minister of Belgium, King Haakon of Norway, de Gaulle of France, the King of England and last, but not least, Churchill.
Great commotion in the ‘Secret Annexe’! Would the long-awaited liberation that has been talked of so much, but which still seems too wonderful, too much like a fairy tale, ever come true? Could we be granted victory this year, 1944? We don’t know yet, but hope is revived within us; it gives us fresh courage, and makes us strong again. Since we must put up bravely with all the fears, privations, and sufferings, the main thing now is to remain calm and steadfast. Now more than ever we must clench our teeth and not cry out. France, Russia, Italy, and Germany too, can all cry out and give vent to their misery, but we haven’t the right to do that yet!
Oh, Kitty, the best part of the invasion is that I have the feeling that friends are approaching. We have been oppressed by those terrible Germans
