This week many of us caught a glimpse via television and the internet of the activities taking place to mark the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands and honour the more than 7,600 Canadians who sacrificed their lives during the campaign.
It is particularly meaningful given that one of Kelowna’s sister cities is Veendam, in recognition of the role played by Kelowna troops in the liberation of Holland in 1945.
On Remembrance Day we say it is our duty to remember. But of course, it is a duty we have all year round and it is important to recount the history of these events with younger generations who have no memory of the Second World War.
For this reason, I would like to share with you the following excerpt from the Veterans Affairs website (www.veterans.gc.ca) about the liberation, part of the Canada Remembers Program which encourages all Canadians to learn about the sacrifices and achievements made by those who have served—and continue to serve—during times of war and peace. I hope you and your family will enjoy learning why Canada and the Netherlands have such an enduring friendship.
The "Hunger Winter" of 1944-45 was a terrible time for the Dutch people. Food supplies were exhausted; many people were reduced to eating tulip bulbs just to try to survive. Fuel had run out and transportation was almost non-existent. By 1945, the official daily ration per person in the Netherlands was only 320 calories, about an eighth of the daily needs of an average adult. Thousands of Dutch men, women, and children perished of starvation and cold.
After three months of holding the front line in the Netherlands, the Canadians joined the final push to liberate the country. In February 1945, the First Canadian Army joined the Allies in a fierce push through mud and flooded ground to drive the Germans eastward out of the Netherlands and back across the Rhine.
In early April, the First Canadian Army began to clear the Germans from the northeast of the country. Often aided by information provided by Dutch resistance fighters, Canadian troops rapidly moved across the Netherlands, recapturing canals and farmland as they drove for the North Sea. Canadians also began to advance in the western Netherlands, which contained the major cities of Amsterdam, Rotterdam and The Hague. British and Canadian forces cleared the city of Arnhem in just two days by fighting a house-by-house battle. Only days later, they cleared Apeldoorn.
Canadian forces were prepared to continue their push in the west of the country, however, there were concerns this would prompt the now-desperate Germans to breach all the dykes and flood the low-lying country. To ease the pressure, and allow for a truce in late April, the Canadian advance in the western Netherlands came to a temporary halt. This allowed relief supplies to reach Dutch citizens who had almost reached the end of their endurance. To show their appreciation to the Canadians who air-dropped food during this time, many Dutch people painted, “Thank you, Canadians!” on their rooftops.
Through the hard work, courage and great sacrifices of Canadian and other Allied soldiers, the remaining German forces in the country surrendered on May 5, 1945, finally liberating all of the Netherlands. All German forces would surrender May 7, 1945. The next day was declared Victory in Europe (V-E) Day.
From the fall of 1944 to the spring of 1945, the First Canadian Army played a major role in the liberation of the Netherlands and its people who had suffered terrible hunger and hardship under the increasingly desperate German occupiers. The warm friendship that Canada still enjoys with the Netherlands is a poignant reminder of the ultimate sacrifice made by thousands of Canadians and the enduring gratitude of the Dutch in ending the reign of tyranny in their country.
The Honourable Ron Cannan is the Member of Parliament for Kelowna-Lake Country and welcomes your feedback at [email protected].
This article is written by or on behalf of an outsourced columnist and does not necessarily reflect the views of Castanet.