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province was liberated in three regions: the borderland
between Musselkanaal and the Dollard inlet, the city of
Groningen and the 'Delfzijl bridgehead'. A
reconnaissance unit of the First Polish Armoured
Division, led by General S.W. Maczek, crossed the
provincial border on April 11th at Musselkanaal. After
the liberation of Stadskanaal, Onstwedde and
Tange-Alteveer, the Polish vanguard advanced further
north. On the morning of April 13th, they reached Wedde
and Blijham. Under German machine-gun fire, two light
tanks stormed, shooting, through Blijham towards
Winschoten. But at the bridge across the Pekel A the
tanks were fired upon by German artillery. The tanks did
an about-turn.
A young girl who lived near the bridge recalled: 'We
discuss what we have to do and decide to leave the house
and take cover in the fields. Father had always said:
'If anything happens then we have to head towards
Winschoterzijl'. My 15 year-old sister, Martha, tucks
the photo albums under her arm and spontaneously runs
across the street with the dog, but in the exact
opposite direction of what Father had always said. We
take the wheelbarrow that we had filled with emergency
provisions some time before, and follow her. Our
neighbours join us along with Widow Kunst and her foster
daughter. We find shelter behind the sheep fold in the
pasture by hiding in the embankment on the other side of
the causeway there. Towards one o'clock Mr. and Mrs.
Pathuis, an older couple, join us as well. With eleven
people in all, it's pretty crowded and so Martha and I
are no longer able to get sufficient cover behind the
causeway and in the embankment.'
After the encounter at the bridge, both parties called
in reinforcements.
But in the evening the enemy crept out of Winschoten.
Winschoten was liberated on April 15th without further
fighting.
Anecdote by Mr. K. Heikens: As far as I can recall,
Dommering Hotel was requisitioned by the Canadians.
Lieutenant Silz was in command. Performances were given
there every month, especially musicals like America
America. Dutch men were not allowed to attend these
shows.
We were building a bar in Dommering Hotel. When my men
arrived at work in the morning, they would find women
there fast asleep among packages of cigarettes which
they were given as payment for their services during the
night. So my workers would take the cigarettes under the
pretext that the women hadn't paid any import tax on
them. They would then awaken the women with a bucket of
cold water.
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BERGEN NH
They slowly picked up their normal lives
The liberation of Bergen in the province of Noord
Holland
The Canadians arrived in Bergen on May 8th, 1945.
Those who still lived in the town were wide-eyed at the
sight of the ordnance that came rolling in:
three-tonners, jeeps, etc. In the town centre the
liberators were received with loud cheers, flags were
waved in exuberance and immense joy prevailed. The war
was over. The liberators handed out candy, chocolate and
cans of food. A day never to be forgotten.
In the presence of the local Dutch commander of the
Domestic Forces in the Netherlands, Mr. A. van Ulsen,
and others of the Resistance, the surrender of the town
became a fact. The Canadian staff car drove to Van
Reenenpark 12 where the Canadian commander, the German
Ortscommandant and Mr. Van Ulsen signed the documents.
The Canadians set up camp at "Het Oude Hof' and in an
opening in the woods along the tramline between Jan
Willemlaan and Sparrenlaan. Canadians were also
accommodated in houses and large buildings, including
Westerwolde Estate which had functioned as a refuge
(“Fliegerhorst”) for German flyers operating out of
Bergen airfield.
The people of Bergen, who were forced to evacuate to
other towns, returned after May 8th, 1945, and slowly
picked up their normal lives under the leadership of
interim mayor, Mr. Lovink. Civil and military
authorities joined forces to arrange for food supplies
and to carry out the most urgent repairs. The first
commemoration service in Bergen after the liberation was
held on June 6th, 1945, the same date as D-Day in 1944,
when allied forces carried out their first landings in
Normandy.
WAGENINGEN
Order in which the detachement will participate
5
May 2005
Wageningen has obviously organized elaborate
celebrations this year on the occasion of the 60th
anniversary of the liberation.
Guests invited to attend the
Commemoration Ceremony in the
municipality of Wageningen May 5th,
2005:
Mr. Pieter van Vollenhoven / Chairwoman of the (Dutch)
Upper Chamber Ms Timmerman-Buck / Chairman of the
(Dutch) Lower Chamber Mr. Weisglas |
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/Deputy Chairman of the Council of State Mr. Tjeenk
Willink / Defense Minister Kamp / Defence State
Secretary Van der Knaap / Chief of the Military
Household of Her Majesty the Queen/ Lieutenant-General
Blomjous / Chief of the Netherlands Defense Staff
General Berlijn / Inspector General of the armed forces,
as well as Inspector of the Veterans Lieutenant-General
Van Baal / Many Ambassadors and military attachés of the
Allied Countries / Commanders of the Armed Forces and
many other military authorities
Guests invited for the march-past after the
Commemoration Ceremony; Crown Prince Willem Alexander of
the Netherlands will take the salute:
Prime Minister Balkenende / Governor-Generaal of Canada
Ms H.E. Clarkson / Minister of Veterans Affairs of
Canada with a delegation of Canadian veterans / and many
thousands of allies, particularly Canadian and British
veterans.
Order in which the detachement will participate on May 5th,
2005.
Total number participating in march-past in bands: 736
Total number participating in march-past in detachments:
4485
Total number participating in march-past: 5221
Wageningse Harmonie/ Drumfanfare Korps Natres /
Fanfarekorps KL Bereden Wapens / Vlagprotocol det. 13e
BAT RSPB / Vereniging 8 RI – 1940 / Dragers Bronzen
Leeuw/Bronzen Kruis / Stichting Samenwerkend Verzet /
Vereniging Oud-strijders Prinses Irene Brigade / BNMO /
Jeugdband RBL Brentwood / Erepeloton v.m Binnenlandse
Strijdkrachten / 13 Infbat Lmb (Reg Stoottroepen Pr.
Bernhard) / Bond Oud-Stoottroepers en Stoottroepers /
Dutchbat 3 / Canadian liberation 60 Band / Erewacht CA
Delegatie / Royal Canadian Legion / Thank You Canada /
US Air Force Marching Band / US Color Guard / Honor
Platoon / Nr 2 Dutch Troop / Bond Oud-Parachutisten /
Vereniging Oud-Commando's / Korps Commandotroepen / 11
Poolse Pantserdivision ( muziekskorps + erewacht ) /
Vereniging Poolse Oud-strijders / Brigade Piron België /
Belgisch Nationaal Herdenkingscomité / Stichting
Oud-Gedienden Militaire Luchtvaart / Pipes & Drums Royal
British Legion / Royal British Legion / D-day & Normandy
Veterans Associations / Market Garden Veterans
Associations / 51 Highland Division / Polar Bear
Division / Normandy Veterans Associations / Seaforth
Pipes & Drums / Seaforth Highlanders / Wiltshire
Regiment / Somerset Regiment / Royal Airforce
Association / Thank You Britain / Band of Liberation /
Peloton 48 / KNIL/Madjoe / Glodok Groep
Vereniging Oud-strijders Indiëbataljons Prinses Irene /
VOMI / Tamboers & Pijpers Korps Mariniers / Korps
Mariniers / Contact Oud-Mariniers / Reünisten
Matrozenkapel / MTB/MGB Koninklijke Marine / Koopvaardij
1940-1945 / Gouvernementsmarine / OVW’s Koninklijke
Marine / EX/ACT Vr. Militairen / MARVA / AVOM /
Koninklijke Marine H.M. De Ruyter / Reünieorkest |
