Aviodrome receives donation from estate of Trix Terwindt

The Aviodrome Historical Aviation Archive was recently fortunate again to receive an important donation from Trix Terwindt, one of KLM's first flight attendants and a resistance fighter during World War II.

The legacy
These were two suitcases belonging to Trix Terwindt, packed with photographs, documents and other personal items that recall Trix Terwindt's extremely eventful life. The estate contains unique aviation-related photographs and documents from before and after the war. This is the period when Trix was employed by KLM as a (head) stewardess and many other things.

History
Trix Terwindt decided to join the resistance, and during the war years had herself dropped by parachute from England over occupied Holland as a secret agent. In this way she wanted to set up an escape route for stranded English pilots. This she had to pay for by betrayal with her arrest and imprisonment in SD research camp Haaren and later in the concentration camps Mauthausen and Ravensbrück.

Unintentionally, she had fallen victim to the post-war espionage scheme that became infamous under the name "Englandspiel," the devious way developed by the German counterintelligence service to defuse Allied secret agents.

Handwritten reports
Broken and suffering from concentration camp syndrome that was only later recognized, she was liberated after the war. She was one of the first to be treated in the Jelgersma psychiatric clinic in Oegstgeest by the well-known Prof. Bastiaans with his, later discredited, LSD method. The experiences Trix underwent during these treatments are clearly reflected in many unique, often very personal and handwritten accounts made under the influence of LSD.

The suitcases
The donation includes unique wartime documents, including personal correspondence to Trix from the prison of some post-war convicted German officers, who played an important role during Trix's imprisonment.

In addition, the very extensive and lengthy correspondence with KLM pilot/writer and friend Adriaan (Jons) Viruly, as well as the annual personal Christmas wishes from Queen Wilhelmina, who valued her highly as a resistance fighter and as a human being.

In the accompanying photo, Will Porrio, representative of the Aviodrome Historical Archives, gratefully accepts Trix Terwindt's two suitcases with contents from Hans Bal, son of Trix's last life partner. Here Trix Terwindt looks on sternly but contentedly from the painting (by Frieda Tas, 1950), which is also part of the donated estate.

Aviodrome Historical Archive
Historically, this donation is a very valuable addition to the Aviodrome Historical Archive and we are very happy about it!