We met Rolf in Surinam, which used to be Dutch Guyana, and again in French Guyana and yet again in Manaus in 1977.

He was from Holland, about 6 foot 4 and as Aryan as could be in appearance. He worked for a Dutch milk company, selling milk powder in South America.

As a child, at the beginning of the war, he lived in Amsterdam in what was predominantly a Jewish quarter. Although he was not aware of it then, most of his friends were Jewish.

One day during the war, all his friends were wearing yellow badges on their clothes. He was terribly ashamed because he didn't have one so he went around with an arm over his chest to hide the fact that he hadn't been given one.

Some time later he was in a friend's house having a meal with the family when some rude men came into the house and everyone had to get up and go outside. But he was not allowed to, so he sat there at the table with all the half eaten food and waited for them to come back.

But they never did.