As a Canadian soldier who visited the country for the first time in 2019 people in the Netherlands are very friendly and hospitable especially when they find out your Canadian even more so when your a soldier. They definitely never forgot about Canadians it was pretty touching
I can agree with you the Dutch don’t forget,the fact I was Scottish and ex soldier was what made them smile ,be the same as the Canadians,the Dutch won’t forget🇨🇦🏴
I visited Holland in 1970 as a member of the Royal Canadian Navy. In Rotterdam, we went ashore in uniform and we never once had to buy a drink no matter where we went. Wonderful people.
My father went overseas with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry but was transferred to the Royal Canadian Signal Corps shortly after his Normandy landing. He was there for the Liberation of Holland and never shied away from telling us what a formidable fight the Germans put up and then compounding the problem by controlling the release the dykes. If you were wounded and fell, you were in about 8" of freezing cold water... My parents went to the 25th and 50th anniversaries of the liberation and said that the reception of the Canadians by the Dutch was overwhelming. Not many of those veterans left now but the Dutch still teach their children about the Canadians and that will keep them alive in perpetuity.
Did your father play a part in the Dieppe raid? My late auntie's first husband was with the RHLI and landed at Dieppe in Aug. '42. He was one of the 900+ soldiers who were killed during that debacle.
Thank you for this! Canada has forgotten these men. My grandfather fought here, on returning from my tour in Afghanistan I explained the situation and he said “oh my god another Sheldt will they ever learn”! Thank you too the people of the Netherlands for remembering them.
@@johnarmstrong472 Well, we've never celebrated our generals. Who remembers General Currie, arguably the ablest WWI corps/army level commander (others may say Monash)? Or Sam Hughes or ...? Basically, we don't like people who stick out and dare to excel in this country.
My Dad was part of the Mighty 8th. His best buddy had been a soldier in the Timberwolf Division that fought alongside the Brits and Canadians in the lowlands, I think. Hell of guy. Taught me much here in the swamps of Mississippi.
As a dutchie born in Breskens I know that the Canadian soldiers are well remembered and every year at liberation day there is a service at the local monument.
Then he must have done something extremely brave because that's the Dutch equivalent of the US and British distinguished service cross/medal. Was he the medic that during the landing at Flushings went back from the beach in to the water of the scheldt to their sunken LCA while under enemy fire, to retrieve the radio from the sunken LCA so that the supporting artillery fire of the 15th Regiment Royal artillery located on the other side of the Schelde could be directed on the German positions?
@peterkralt2478 yes, that's him. He never ever spoke about the war, we only found out about the award about ten years ago, long after his death. I have no idea what happened to the actual medal!
@@nickjung7394 That's a pitty he never told about it and that the medal it's where abouts are unknown to you! Your uncle was a courageous man and his story is well worth knowing and remembering! Coincedently i had been reading about him a few months ago when i was wondering trough the online archive of bronze cross recipients and hist story impressed me, So when i saw your reply here i thought that must have been him! Hope the medal is still in the family somewhere or maybe donated to a museum? That's what we did with my grandfathers awards when the last of his kids had past away recently!
@@peterkralt2478 he was also among the first soldiers to enter the prison camp, Belsen. He could never stand the smell of rotten food for as long as I knew him. He was one of four brothers, including my Father, that joined up after the Germans bombed their home city of Rotterdam.
@@nickjung7394 Wow 4 brothers joining? Courage runs in the family i guess! Did they all make it trough the war? My grandfather was one of 3 brothers from Drenthe that each formed a resistance cell, My grandfather eventually got caught and executed in Juli 1944 when a prison raid in Amsterdam failed, his brother in november 1944 when by coincidence a German patrol showed up when they were doing a liquidation of a collaborator in Alkmaar . The third brother did survive the war.
I & my wife who was brought up in Nova Scotia & Toronto visited several of the battle sites in Holland & Germany whilst | was stationed at RAF Laarbruch on the Dutch-German Border. One of my lasting memories was our visit to the Candian cemetery at Groesbeek. It is an amazing place. My Uncle whom I was named after is listed on the left-hand memorial wall & also in a book of remembrance at Ousterbeek.. Although he was not Candian but was with the K.O.S.B's with the 51st Highland Div, he may well have been with the Canadians during some of their battles. He was killed the day after the Armistice was signed at a place called Magdeburg. He was initially buried there but after the "Wall" came down he was reinterred in the Berlin Cemetery. My aunty visited sometime later only to find they had mixed up the information & the grave he is supposed to be in does not in fact contain his remains. I guess we'll never know where he is but at least we know he's in that cemetery, somewhere (we hope)
Half of my Dutch side ancestors came from the Schelde area: Nord Beveland, a low now former island SE of Walcheren, and neighboring larger Sud Beveland. They journeyed to the USA and Canada in the early 1900's. Descendants who stayed were civilians in the Battle of the Schelde. Where the Canadian army fought to free supply-port access to Antwerp, Then swung to liberate more then all the Netherlands. Always grateful! Nord Bevelanders: Dikes were cut to low flood low between areas. Walchern batteries were attacked and cleared by Canadians mostly (some Brits). Access to Antwerp finally freed, Canadian army could turn to liberate the bulk of the Netherlands.
Stepdad was with the Fort Garry Horse armored regiment. He reluctantly told me some of what he experienced as they were ground down to six tanks, over 90% casualties and still being committed, at which point he was severely wounded by a motar shell whill doing sentry duty outsied his Sherman at night.
In Hollywood(U.S.A), it was in their own interest to make films about American WW2 battles.The British,Canadians,Australians and New Zealanders were rarely mentioned.
See, “The Polish Army, betrayed by their Allies.” ruclips.net/video/cSXmX3D0Cl8/видео.html The occupation of Poland, by the Germans and Soviets in 1939 was not the end of the Polish Armed Forces, but the beginning of their astonishing contribution to the Allied victory.
See, “The Polish Army, betrayed by their Allies.” ruclips.net/video/cSXmX3D0Cl8/видео.html The occupation of Poland, by the Germans and Soviets in 1939 was not the end of the Polish Armed Forces, but the beginning of their astonishing contribution to the Allied victory.
My father was in the 9th Brigade of the 3rd Division from D-Day to VE day. He rarely spoke of his experiences. Unless you asked him about his Bren gun. Lest we forget
Thank you for that, John. Just an FYI; Canadian forces didn't use the Maple Leaf Flag until almost 20 years later, 1965 in fact. In WW2 they fought in NW Europe under the Blue Ensign (and occasionally the Red) but only AFTER 1st August 1944. On D-Day, yes, 6th Jun 1944, Juno beach was stormed by Canadian troop fighting under the Union Jack (that's right, the Union Flag). The Commonwealth pre-1949 was a serious business, membership being limited to the heavyweight Dominion nations of the British Empire. The citizens of those nations - Canada, Australia, NZ, South Africa [1] - had absolute right of full British citizenship (family included) and right of abode in GB until 1949 - with more limited rights until the mid 1960s. That's how Commonwealth Canada fought under the Union flag. [1] The RoI rejected Commonwealth membership in the early 1920s following the Irish civil war. Can you blame them? 5.
The Port of LaHarve was not operaating significantly until the War was well over - mostly rebuilt by 1964. So not all that "essential" to the war effort.
Dieppe in France was actually a test of an amphibious invasion of German occupied coast line, so it was not meant to be other than a classroom for the Normandy invasion June 6 1944.
A question, if I may. Since the figure of well over 10,000 (encircled) Germans is close to reality (2,350 infantrymen, + over 8,500 support troops on 2 October) Some of these died during the month long fighting, others were successfully evacuated; a piece of the story is missing since those 3rd Division captured brought overall German casualties to 12,707. When did the 1,857 German reinforcements (does not of course include those troops who escaped the pocket) arrive, and from where?
My dad was with 2nd Division, 8th Recce and fought in the North Beveland thrust of the Scheldt campaign. I'm glad he was there and not on the causeway. Otherwise I might not be here.
@John Jones - @8:35 into this video, you are showing a screenshot from the German TV series Generation War, of them waiting to go on the counteroffensive in Russia.
My Dad was a 21 year old Corporal serving with 48 Royal Marine Commando. They land at Westkapelle on 1st November 1944. You dismissed their efforts and sacrifice in one sentence, this is a disgrace.
The Canadians played big part mainly with snipers. The candians get called joke by most but in both world wars there snipers could take out lots people.
The Canadian 49th Infantry? Oh dear. The 49th (West Riding) Division was attached to First Canadian Army, but it was a British Army formation. Not even two minutes in and I don't think I can watch the rest of this.
Unfortunately you made a great mistake on the map. You show modern nowadays map. In the 40s there where no dans and Walcheren was split in two islands....
You are correct. The Maple leaf flag was adopted in 1965. Out side of Canada there are few people who would recognize the old Canadian flag, but the whole world recognizes the Canadian Maple leaf flag.
The Canadian casualties were so high that they had to thin out the rear echelon to the max during the Battle for Woensdrecht. They even had to move troops from Italy for the 1945 push.
I'm an American. When I was a teenager (in the 190's) I traveled about Europe quite extensively. The only genuine welcome I ever received was in the Netherlands.
But seeing those lancasters fly over our country towards Germany gave us pleasure and hope during the occupation and espacially when they dropped food during the last winter, That food was much needed and saved many Dutch citizens their lives! During that winter my grandfather was imprisoned by the Gerrmans because the Jewish man he was hiding in his house would frequently sneak out and take the tram to the nearest city (Leiden) for a strawl trough town, and eventually got arrested by the Germans doing so.Within an hour they came for my grandfather and arrested him for hiding a jew! Therefor my grandmother during the hunger winter had to walk 220 km to the rural east of the Netherlands in the hope to find something to feed her starving kids, 5 km before she was back home 2 German soldiers confiscated the small bag of potatoes a farmer had given her, and as the tulp bulbs and wall paper glue as alternative protein form were running scares also that food dropped by allied bombers saved my family on my fathers side including my back then 5 year old dad!
The Canadians playing an important part in liberating the Netherlands is not forgotten here. They are part of history class.
À
The Netherlands is our Brother!! 🇨🇦❤️🇳🇱
❤
Amazing to hear. Less we forget.
As a Canadian soldier who visited the country for the first time in 2019 people in the Netherlands are very friendly and hospitable especially when they find out your Canadian even more so when your a soldier. They definitely never forgot about Canadians it was pretty touching
I can agree with you the Dutch don’t forget,the fact I was Scottish and ex soldier was what made them smile ,be the same as the Canadians,the Dutch won’t forget🇨🇦🏴
And well deserved
I visited Holland in 1970 as a member of the Royal Canadian Navy. In Rotterdam, we went ashore in uniform and we never once had to buy a drink no matter where we went. Wonderful people.
My father went overseas with the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry but was transferred to the Royal Canadian Signal Corps shortly after his Normandy landing. He was there for the Liberation of Holland and never shied away from telling us what a formidable fight the Germans put up and then compounding the problem by controlling the release the dykes. If you were wounded and fell, you were in about 8" of freezing cold water...
My parents went to the 25th and 50th anniversaries of the liberation and said that the reception of the Canadians by the Dutch was overwhelming. Not many of those veterans left now but the Dutch still teach their children about the Canadians and that will keep them alive in perpetuity.
Did your father play a part in the Dieppe raid? My late auntie's first husband was with the RHLI and landed at Dieppe in Aug. '42. He was one of the 900+ soldiers who were killed during that debacle.
Thank you for this! Canada has forgotten these men. My grandfather fought here, on returning from my tour in Afghanistan I explained the situation and he said “oh my god another Sheldt will they ever learn”! Thank you too the people of the Netherlands for remembering them.
The swelling attendance at Remembrance Day services across the country would say that's not the case.
Canada has not forgotten.
Yes, we remember the soldiers, but the details? Very few know. Crerar was our Ike/Monty, but his name is virtually unknown.
@@johnarmstrong472 Well, we've never celebrated our generals. Who remembers General Currie, arguably the ablest WWI corps/army level commander (others may say Monash)? Or Sam Hughes or ...? Basically, we don't like people who stick out and dare to excel in this country.
My Dad was part of the Mighty 8th. His best buddy had been a soldier in the Timberwolf Division that fought alongside the Brits and Canadians in the lowlands, I think. Hell of guy. Taught me much here in the swamps of Mississippi.
As a dutchie born in Breskens I know that the Canadian soldiers are well remembered and every year at liberation day there is a service at the local monument.
My Uncle was awarded the Dutch Bronze Cross for his actions during the attack on Walcheren
Then he must have done something extremely brave because that's the Dutch equivalent of the US and British distinguished service cross/medal. Was he the medic that during the landing at Flushings went back from the beach in to the water of the scheldt to their sunken LCA while under enemy fire, to retrieve the radio from the sunken LCA so that the supporting artillery fire of the 15th Regiment Royal artillery located on the other side of the Schelde could be directed on the German positions?
@peterkralt2478 yes, that's him. He never ever spoke about the war, we only found out about the award about ten years ago, long after his death. I have no idea what happened to the actual medal!
@@nickjung7394 That's a pitty he never told about it and that the medal it's where abouts are unknown to you! Your uncle was a courageous man and his story is well worth knowing and remembering!
Coincedently i had been reading about him a few months ago when i was wondering trough the online archive of bronze cross recipients and hist story impressed me, So when i saw your reply here i thought that must have been him! Hope the medal is still in the family somewhere or maybe donated to a museum? That's what we did with my grandfathers awards when the last of his kids had past away recently!
@@peterkralt2478 he was also among the first soldiers to enter the prison camp, Belsen. He could never stand the smell of rotten food for as long as I knew him. He was one of four brothers, including my Father, that joined up after the Germans bombed their home city of Rotterdam.
@@nickjung7394 Wow 4 brothers joining? Courage runs in the family i guess! Did they all make it trough the war?
My grandfather was one of 3 brothers from Drenthe that each formed a resistance cell, My grandfather eventually got caught and executed in Juli 1944 when a prison raid in Amsterdam failed, his brother in november 1944 when by coincidence a German patrol showed up when they were doing a liquidation of a collaborator in Alkmaar . The third brother did survive the war.
I & my wife who was brought up in Nova Scotia & Toronto visited several of the battle sites in Holland & Germany whilst | was stationed at RAF Laarbruch on the Dutch-German Border. One of my lasting memories was our visit to the Candian cemetery at Groesbeek. It is an amazing place. My Uncle whom I was named after is listed on the left-hand memorial wall & also in a book of remembrance at Ousterbeek.. Although he was not Candian but was with the K.O.S.B's with the 51st Highland Div, he may well have been with the Canadians during some of their battles. He was killed the day after the Armistice was signed at a place called Magdeburg. He was initially buried there but after the "Wall" came down he was reinterred in the Berlin Cemetery. My aunty visited sometime later only to find they had mixed up the information & the grave he is supposed to be in does not in fact contain his remains. I guess we'll never know where he is but at least we know he's in that cemetery, somewhere (we hope)
Half of my Dutch side ancestors came from the Schelde area: Nord Beveland, a low now former island SE of Walcheren, and neighboring larger Sud Beveland. They journeyed to the USA and Canada in the early 1900's. Descendants who stayed were civilians in the Battle of the Schelde. Where the Canadian army fought to free supply-port access to Antwerp, Then swung to liberate more then all the Netherlands. Always grateful! Nord Bevelanders: Dikes were cut to low flood low between areas. Walchern batteries were attacked and cleared by Canadians mostly (some Brits). Access to Antwerp finally freed, Canadian army could turn to liberate the bulk of the Netherlands.
Stepdad was with the Fort Garry Horse armored regiment. He reluctantly told me some of what he experienced as they were ground down to six tanks, over 90% casualties and still being committed, at which point he was severely wounded by a motar shell whill doing sentry duty outsied his Sherman at night.
Underrated and amazing.
Very interesting as my father was in the 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment.
In Hollywood(U.S.A), it was in their own interest to make films about American WW2 battles.The British,Canadians,Australians and New Zealanders were rarely mentioned.
And the poor bloody Poles were so forgotten that they weren't even allowed to march in the victory parade!
See, “The Polish Army, betrayed by their Allies.” ruclips.net/video/cSXmX3D0Cl8/видео.html
The occupation of Poland, by the Germans and Soviets in 1939 was not the end of the Polish Armed Forces, but the beginning of their astonishing contribution to the Allied victory.
God bless the 👍Canadians ❤‼️
kind regards from poland
See, “The Polish Army, betrayed by their Allies.” ruclips.net/video/cSXmX3D0Cl8/видео.html
The occupation of Poland, by the Germans and Soviets in 1939 was not the end of the Polish Armed Forces, but the beginning of their astonishing contribution to the Allied victory.
My father was in the 9th Brigade of the 3rd Division from D-Day to VE day. He rarely spoke of his experiences. Unless you asked him about his Bren gun. Lest we forget
Maybe forgotten by most, but NOT by the Dutch.
I had a friend Conrad Carrière who fought 1945 January till the end of war. He participate to the liberation of Netherlands. He was Canadian. 💪
Thank you for that, John. Just an FYI; Canadian forces didn't use the Maple Leaf Flag until almost 20 years later, 1965 in fact. In WW2 they fought in NW Europe under the Blue Ensign (and occasionally the Red) but only AFTER 1st August 1944. On D-Day, yes, 6th Jun 1944, Juno beach was stormed by Canadian troop fighting under the Union Jack (that's right, the Union Flag). The Commonwealth pre-1949 was a serious business, membership being limited to the heavyweight Dominion nations of the British Empire. The citizens of those nations - Canada, Australia, NZ, South Africa [1] - had absolute right of full British citizenship (family included) and right of abode in GB until 1949 - with more limited rights until the mid 1960s.
That's how Commonwealth Canada fought under the Union flag.
[1] The RoI rejected Commonwealth membership in the early 1920s following the Irish civil war. Can you blame them?
5.
Dad fought on the Causeway with the 5th Brigade
Scheldt hell! Believe me, most Canadians have no clue about this..
The Port of LaHarve was not operaating significantly until the War was well over - mostly rebuilt by 1964. So not all that "essential" to the war effort.
Dieppe in France was actually a test of an amphibious invasion of German occupied coast line, so it was not meant to be other than a classroom for the Normandy invasion June 6 1944.
A question, if I may. Since the figure of well over 10,000 (encircled) Germans is close to reality (2,350 infantrymen, + over 8,500 support troops on 2 October) Some of these died during the month long fighting, others were successfully evacuated; a piece of the story is missing since those 3rd Division captured brought overall German casualties to 12,707. When did the 1,857 German reinforcements (does not of course include those troops who escaped the pocket) arrive, and from where?
Maybe units of atlantic wall troops and regular occuptional troops that had always been there during the occupation?
My dad was with 2nd Division, 8th Recce and fought in the North Beveland thrust of the Scheldt campaign. I'm glad he was there and not on the causeway. Otherwise I might not be here.
I had a great uncle there with the Toronto Scottish. He died just last year aged 101.
@John Jones - @8:35 into this video, you are showing a screenshot from the German TV series Generation War, of them waiting to go on the counteroffensive in Russia.
Oops Well spotted.Thats pretty embarrassing as it's nothing to do with what was happening in Holland.
Well spotted mate.
My Dad was a 21 year old Corporal serving with 48 Royal Marine Commando. They land at Westkapelle on 1st November 1944. You dismissed their efforts and sacrifice in one sentence, this is a disgrace.
Not dismissed David, but worthy of documentary of its own. Keep watching this channel.
My father, 20, also made it ashore with 47 RM Commando at Westkapelle on November 1, 1944.
The Canadians played big part mainly with snipers. The candians get called joke by most but in both world wars there snipers could take out lots people.
The Canadian 49th Infantry? Oh dear. The 49th (West Riding) Division was attached to First Canadian Army, but it was a British Army formation. Not even two minutes in and I don't think I can watch the rest of this.
Unfortunately you made a great mistake on the map. You show modern nowadays map. In the 40s there where no dans and Walcheren was split in two islands....
Wrong flag. The flag of Canada at the time was the Red ensign
You are correct. The Maple leaf flag was adopted in 1965. Out side of Canada there are few people who would recognize the old Canadian flag, but the whole world recognizes the Canadian Maple leaf flag.
This is great but in my studies I've never come across a "Canadian 49th Infantry". Can someone elaborate on this unit?
en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Loyal_Edmonton_Regiment
Thanks!
The Canadian casualties were so high that they had to thin out the rear echelon to the max during the Battle for Woensdrecht. They even had to move troops from Italy for the 1945 push.
Yes, I know it has only one M and a D, but t's pronounced "Simmons".
I'm an American. When I was a teenager (in the 190's) I traveled about Europe quite extensively. The only genuine welcome I ever received was in the Netherlands.
My father flew Lancaster's and the only mission that gave him any pleasure was dropping rations to the Dutch with a truce arranged with the Germans.
But seeing those lancasters fly over our country towards Germany gave us pleasure and hope during the occupation and espacially when they dropped food during the last winter, That food was much needed and saved many Dutch citizens their lives! During that winter my grandfather was imprisoned by the Gerrmans because the Jewish man he was hiding in his house would frequently sneak out and take the tram to the nearest city (Leiden) for a strawl trough town, and eventually got arrested by the Germans doing so.Within an hour they came for my grandfather and arrested him for hiding a jew!
Therefor my grandmother during the hunger winter had to walk 220 km to the rural east of the Netherlands in the hope to find something to feed her starving kids, 5 km before she was back home 2 German soldiers confiscated the small bag of potatoes a farmer had given her, and as the tulp bulbs and wall paper glue as alternative protein form were running scares also that food dropped by allied bombers saved my family on my fathers side including my back then 5 year old dad!
not bad - acouple of assumptions
Dad was B Coy 1st Bn Qeens Own Rifles of Canada
The Germans drunk in combat not suprised
The Canadians are peaceful people 'till they aren't. Some of the best troops on the ally's side.
The Canadians received much more gratitude from the Dutch than the British