BORN in Holland in 1939, Joe van der Hulst's first five years were spent during the grips of WWII in Europe.

His country was under German occupation for that time and some of the memories of things he's seen are as if they happened yesterday.

"I remember the Germans retreating through our village back in Germany," Mr van der Hulst said.

"As they went through they took almost all of our animals.

"They cut the fences and herded the cows out onto the road.

"An officer gave my father a slip of paper noting everything they'd taken - he got compensated for it, but it wasn't until years later."

At one point the Warwick man's family were forced to take shelter in a neighbour's basement, as American forces chased the retreating Germans.

"Someone found a whole heap of little Dutch flags," he said.

"The next morning, an American soldier lifted the flap to the basement with the bayonet on his rifle and we all waved our Dutch flags, so he'd know we were friendly.

"There were six of the village's occupying German soldiers with us, who were all taken prisoner."

In the late 1950s Mr van der Hulst followed a couple of his nine brothers and emigrated to New Zealand.

After 26 years, five children and a divorce, he went on holiday to Holland and met his second wife, before moving to Jimboomba, near the Gold Coast.

When that marriage ended nine years later Mr van der Hulst moved by himself to Leyburn.

"After about six months alone, I went to the Philippines," he said.

"It took me five trips to find the right girl and today Nancy and I have been married 25 years."

The couple, who live on Lyons St have two children, Symen, 25, and Amy, 21.