Portrait of a requetè during the Spanish civil war. DVX

Por la Patria y por Diòs

Infantrymen of the Royal Netherlands Army stand to guard in their natural element (up to their knees in it), 1939-'40.  

This photo was captioned as relating to Dutch mobilization, but it looks to me more like a light-hearted propaganda shot taken, certainly, before actual hostilities commenced.  The happy faces and "Sunday best" uniforms suggest that this was taken before bullets were actually flying.

As to standing up to the knees in water - I am reminded of the story of Queen Wilhelmina of the Netherlands (the wartime Sovereign of the Netherlands) who, as a teenage queen, visited her "Cousin Willi" (Kaiser Wilhelm II) before WW1.  The Kaiser, in boastful mood, remarked to the young queen, "Do you know that none of my grenadiers is less than six foot, three inches tall ?".  Wilhelmina sweetly replied, "Yes, cousin, but do you know that when we open our dykes the water rises to as much as ten feet ?".

Perhaps this was the point the photo was attempting to make ... Best regards, JR.

Dutch infantrymen defend their country ...

Old nationalist soldier "captured" in an expressive portrait. DVX