On April 9, 1940, I got up early, heard a terrible racket in the air, and saw the large grey machines flying north. At the workplace, one could hardly bring oneself to do any work after the upheaval that had taken place during the morning hours.
On May 10, 1940, the Germans went through the Netherlands, Belgium, and into France. While this fighting was going on, I traveled to Glostrup, where I got work at “Pilevang” until I was to begin at the dry cleaner’s again.
On June 23, 1940, we had a large demonstration march and meeting in Thureby and Herfølge, which went well, and that evening Esther and I traveled together to Glostrup.
On June 25, 1940, France collapsed.
On June 30, I attended an eventful meeting in Roskilde, where things nearly became a bit rough. At the beginning of July, I had five days of vacation, during which I was in Vendsyssel together with Esther, visiting my parents-in-law. At the end of July, I returned to the dry cleaner’s, but moved to Køge. First, I stayed at the Folk High School Home, and later on Brogade, where I had a small apartment.
On September 1, 1940, Esther came to Sonnerup as a housekeeper, and on September 7, for her birthday, we held our engagement celebration (at a meeting in Boulevard Palæet on August 25, we had ordered our rings from the goldsmith Hernø on Nørrebrogade, who then made a pair with our symbol in them, and they were made from two gold pieces of jewelry that we had each received as gifts from our grandparents). That evening, we agreed to get married at Christmas.
At the beginning of October, we rented a tandem bicycle and took a trip to Lolland, where we visited my sister-in-law Karen, who was living there at the time.
When we returned home from that trip, I had a housekeeper until October 17, when Esther was to travel to Jutland. I accompanied her part of the way to Greve Strand, where we had coffee at a café and then said goodbye to each other.
On November 17, we attended a meeting at Forum, which was nearly destroyed by the mob.
I spent Christmas Eve with my parents and brothers. On Christmas morning, I traveled to Vendsyssel, where I was met by Esther at Agersted Station and took the bus to her home. Two days later, my two brothers arrived.
On December 29, the day dawned with sunshine despite the winter cold. At 2 PM, we drove to Albæk Church, where an hour later we were husband and wife, and I do not regret that. The rest of the day was spent on photography, congratulations, and a wedding dinner for friends and acquaintances.
On New Year’s Eve, our “honeymoon” began. We reached the station at the very last moment before the train chugged off from Aalborg, and from there we took the express train down through Jutland and across the island of Funen. As the train was one hour late, we had to wait in Roskilde until 11:13 PM. We then arrived in Herfølge right at the turn of the New Year and walked to Sædder, where many congratulations awaited us from family, workmates, and party comrades.