He was working in a laboratory as an instrument maker when he was deployed as a soldier to the Dutch East Indies (modern-day Indonesia). He completed his military training in Arnhem and trained as an armourer (geweermaker) in Zaandam. This was to be his role in Indonesia. Evert was just twenty years old when he departed for the East. The voyage by boat lasted a month.
Smilda served in Indonesia for two years. Following the departure of the Japanese, the task of the Dutch military was to attempt to restore peace and order. They moved from village to village. Once “ordinary” daily life resumed in a place, the young men moved on.
Upon returning to the Netherlands, matters were poorly arranged for many veterans of the Indies conflict. Evert had lost his job. However, he picked up the pieces and trained as an amanuensis (science laboratory technician). He later earned a degree to teach mathematics, physics and chemistry, and taught for many years at the technical secondary school (LTS) in Aalten.
Shortly after leaving the military, Evert met his future wife, Itte. In 1959, he and his wife moved to Aalten so he could take up a position as a laboratory technician at the Christian Comprehensive School (Christelijke Scholengemeenschap). Through evening study, he worked his way up to become a teacher at the evening secondary school (avondmavo) and the LTS.
Local history
Smilda had a profound interest in history. Early in the 1916s, he already recognised the importance of Aalten’s beautiful historic village scene. He lobbied the province of Gelderland to get various characteristic properties listed as heritage sites (monumentenlijst) that would otherwise have been demolished. Thanks in part to these efforts, the centre of Aalten became the very first Protected Village Conservation Area (Beschermd Dorpsgezicht) in Gelderland.
In 1962, he was involved in the founding of the historical working group ADW. Around the same time, he joined the board of the Aalten Museum (Oudheidkamer). He served on the board for forty years, nineteen of which as chairman. Together with others, he laid the foundations for what is now the Nationaal Onderduikmuseum.
In 1964, he wrote Twee eeuwen tussen Es en Slinge (Two Centuries Between Es and Slinge), which chronicled the coppersmiths of Peperstraat. Later, he oversaw the publication of Aalten in oude ansichten (Aalten in Old Postcards) and two volumes of Aalten, zoals het was zoals het is (Aalten, As It Was, As It Is) in collaboration with G.J. Timmer.
When the local Jewish community could no longer afford the maintenance of the Aalten synagogue, Evert—at that time chairman of the Vereniging Oudheidkamer Aalten—took the initiative to have the synagogue declared a Municipal Monument. In 1983, along with several others, he established the ‘Friends of the Aalten Synagogue’ foundation.
Smilda also provided Dutch language lessons at the former Groot Deunk asylum seekers’ centre in Barlo. Furthermore, he was a member of the Municipal Monuments Committee in Aalten for 22 years. In cooperation with German historians, he worked on the publication of bilingual historical works.
In 2005, Smilda became a member of the Aalten Evergreen Choir. On his 92nd birthday, the choir surprised Evert with an outdoor musical tribute (aubade) at the Zuiderkerk. This was also intended as a farewell gift for Smilda, who had indicated earlier that year that he wished to step down as a choir member. Seated in an open landau carriage pulled by two beautiful horses, Evert and his wife took a tour through the village. The presence of his family made the surprise complete.
