Nestor Deweppe was born in the city of Poperinge in the province of West-Vlaanderen on October 3 1895. He went to junior school and high school where he graduated as a tailor.

Nestor at the age of 15 and at the age of 18 after finishing high school

On june 16 1915 he married his wife Magdalena and she gave birth to their daughter Emma later that year. He and his wife moved to Antwerp, where they would live in a house at the Kleine Koraalberg together with Magdalena’s parents. In August 1918 their son Joseph was born.

Emma, Nestor and Magdalena in 1919

In 1919 Nestor was drafted in the Belgian army, where he had to join the 7th Company, 2nd Battalion of the 6th Line Regiment of the 2nd Belgian Army Division.

Nestor as a soldier in the 6th line regiment, 24-25 years old.

When WWII broke out, Nestor was 45 years old and was not drafted again in active service. Since the clothing industry suffered hard from the economic situation after the German occupation of Belgium, it was almost obvious that Nestor would try to get a job at the new E.Reitz factory in Antwerp. Given the fact that he was already active in the clothing industry, he was accepted as an employee with personal number 5043.

Labour pass of Nestor Deweppe with nr 5043 and place of employment the E.Reitz Uniformwerke “Werk II”, which was the central plant at the Bramtocostraat in Merksem, Antwerp.

He received an armband with his personal number 5043 on which two yellow stripes were stitched. This was to indicate that he had a specialised job that needed specialised skills. One of his jobs was to cut the large stacks of fabric into well outlined piece, so that the - mostly female- stitchers and operators that were working on the vast line belts, could easily and rapidly put these pieces together and make the desired uniforms.

Nestor cutting large stacks of fabricin the E.Reitz factory at Merksem. Notice the armband he is wearing over his white dustcoat.

Close up of the armband : a perfect match !

When the war ended, he continued to work in the clothing business and he tried to spend more time with his family.

Nestor with family and friends in front of the Steen castle in Antwerp and on a trip with Magdalena using their tandem bicycle.

Nestor died in Antwerp at the age of 65 on March 9 1961