Simone De Ceunynck, age 17
Simone survives one of the worst V-weapon strikes in the city.
V2, November 27, 1944, 12h06u, Teniersplaats
Pieter Vande Velde (Flemish Cross) and Pierre Lepomme (firefighter) are often among the first to arrive at the scene of an attack. They were also quick to arrive at the Teniersplaats.
All hands on deck!
When observers of the Passive Air Defense warn of an attack, an 'incident officer' is the first to arrive on the scene. He coordinates the rescue operation. While the police seal off the area and redirect traffic, emergency services arrive from the Red Cross, the Flemish Cross and the fire department. Their first concern is the victims. Are there still people who can be pulled from the rubble? Members of the Passive Air Defense, Allies soldiers, scout troops and volunteers all lend a hand. A first aid station is set up in a nearby building.
First aid on the scene
At the site of each attack, a mobile emergency medical station is set up to provide first aid.
She lived happily ever after
Luckily, Simone is just lightly wounded during the attack on the Teniersplaats. In 1945, she starts work as a typist for the US Army, and she meets Sergeant Cecil Anderson. Cecil and Simone are married on April 16, 1946, in Antwerp. After their wedding, Simone travels to the United States, where she moves in with Cecil's parents. Her husband joins het after he's discharged from the army.
They have five children. In the 1970's, she earns her nursing diploma. She dies on May 24, 2015, at the age of 87.
