Canadian Liberation March

This year was the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of Belgium and the Netherlands and the 50th Anniversary of the Canadian Liberation March.

The Canadian Liberation March commemorates the liberation of the Belgian town Knokke-Heist by Canadian forces in November 1944, part of the larger Battle of the Scheldt. Each year, participants follow a 33-kilometer route from Hoofdplaat, Netherlands, to Knokke-Heist in Belgium. This journey traces the steps of the First Canadian Army, which played a critical role in clearing German defenses and reopening access to the port of Antwerp, an essential supply route for the Allies. The march is part of a larger celebration known as "Canada Week," during which the town honors the more than 1,000 Canadian and Allied soldiers who sacrificed their lives in the effort.

The route is defined by a collection of 18 markers in the positions shown on the map above.

During this week, Knokke-Heist is adorned with thousands of Canadian flags, earning it the nickname "Maple Leaf City." The event includes memorials, a visit to the nearby For Freedom Museum, and culminates in the Liberation March, attracting Canadian military representatives, veterans, and civilians alike. The march serves as a powerful reminder of the enduring bond between Canada and Belgium, strengthened by the sacrifices made during World War II.

This tradition not only remembers the past but also celebrates freedom and the enduring gratitude of the local communities.

On Friday, the Canadian Military Contingent paraded in the Netherlands cities of Eede, Aardenburg and Sluis with the For Freedom Museum Pipe Band. There were speeches, wreath and flower presentations and large local crowds at all locations.

The memorial in Eede is shown. After the Canadians crossed the Leopold Canal, the Germans withdrew from Eede destroying many buildings for better fields of fire. Over 90% of the buildings in the town were destroyed.

On Saturday, the AF North teaching staff, students and families joined the military contingent to parade through Knokke-Heist. With the For Freedom Pipe Band leading, the military contingent followed by civilian members paraded through the streets to the Resistance Square for the first ceremony of the day.

Following the parade. Its easy to tell the former military members (and ex pipe band members) as they are automatically in step with the band.

Despite the early morning, there were a lot of spectators watching the parade. Knokke-Heist is a vacation town with a ton of apartments and condos so there were lots of people in their housecoats taking in the show and Canadian Flags everywhere.

At the Resistance Square, there were speeches, wreathes and lots of local spectators. At each stop the gratitude of the residents and the high esteem the locals hold for the Canadians was evident.

The monument commemorates the  units of the 9th Brigade of the 3rd Canadian Division who landed on Juno Beach on D-Day and liberated Knokke-Heist:

·         Stormont, Dundas and Glengarry Highlanders

·         Highland Light Infantry of Canada

·         North Nova Scotia Highlanders

During the long slugging match from October 6 to November 1, 12,707 prisoners had been taken and the German dead were estimated simply as “many.” Only a few hundred German wounded were successfully evacuated from the Pocket During the Battle of the Scheldt, which took place from October 2 to November 8, 1944, Canadian forces played a pivotal role in securing the vital port of Antwerp, Belgium. The battle was particularly grueling due to the challenging terrain, weather, and strong German resistance.

Canadian casualties during the Battle of the Scheldt are estimated to be around 6,400, including both killed and wounded. This includes approximately 1,600 killed in action.

Many of the soldiers who had been continuously fighting since D-Day said the Battle of the Scheldt was the worst fighting they had experienced. They were always wet and cold and the low-lying land made it difficult for armoured vehicles to operate so it was an Infantry based assault. A quote from the Canadian Scottish Regiment war diary describes the environment.

“Living conditions at the front are NOT cosy. Water and soil make MUD. MUD sticks to everything. Boots weigh pounds more. Rifles and Brens operate sluggishly. Ammunition becomes wet. Slit -trenches allow one to get below the ground level but also contain several inches of THICK water. Matches and cigarettes are wet and unusable…. So, the soldier shakes his head, cleans his rifle, swears a good deal and dreams of what he’ll do when he gets LEAVE (if).”

The group then marched off to Immaculate Heart of Mary and Margaret Church  for Mass and a concert. A church was built on this site in 1227 and the Octagonal tower on a square base was built in 1642. The church was heavily damaged during the war and was rebuilt 1955-1958.

The mass featured a full band with two very talented vocalists and music from the For Freedom Pipe Band. A slide show featuring previous marches played throughout the service to give us an idea what was going to happen.

The female vocalist sang a heart-rendering version of True Colors. I interpreted the song as being sung by the occupied people to the Canadian soldiers (and all Canadians) saying be proud of your actions, your true colors are opposing tyranny and fighting and dying so that others could be free.

And I’ll see your true colors

Shining Through

I see your true colors

And that’s why I love you

So don’t be afraid to let them show

Your true colors

Your true colors

Are beautiful

There is a saying that when you are happy you hear the music and when you are sad you hear the words. I’m usually a music guy but the words really got me this time.

Another highlight was the performance of the song, the Scheldt Pocket, written and performed by Robin Langzought. The song was written to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the liberation of Belgium and the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Liberation March and honour the sacrifice of the Canadian Soldiers.

The very moving song is written from the Canadian Soldier’s point of view and can be heard here. The lyrics of The Scheldt Pocket:

Every lap around the sun, it’s as if it’s just begun

Seems like every year I live is full of war

Well we said, it was gonna be the last but we were wrong

There are battles everywhere it’s quite bizarre

Long ago, we were shipped, to a cold wet barren land

From Canada many young men on a boat

Nothing could prepare us for what we were ‘bout to see

On that cold wet barren switchback road

And although I did things I regret

It’s a story that I wont forget

Because we were the water rats, chased the Jerry’s to their hole

Landed on the sand, now the mud sticks to our soles

More than half a million men, to bring you liberty again

But there’s a price we had to pay, for the Scheldt pocket

Through the water in we came to fend the enemy away

And the people came to greet us on the way

I saw in their eyes, they had lost as many friends as I

Praying that this cold hell will soon end

Oh and we were the water rats, chased the Jerry’s to their hole

Landed on the sand, now the mud sticks to our soles

More than half a million men, to bring you liberty again

But there’s a price we had to pay, for the Scheldt pocket

There are no winners in a war

So think about what you’re willing to fight for

There’s only losers in a war

So think about what you’re willing to die for

There are no winners in a war

So think about what you’re willing to fight for

There’s only losers in a war

So think about what you’re willing to die for

Oh we were the water rats, chased the Jerry’s to their hole

Landed on the sand, now the mud sticks to our soles

More than half a million men, to bring you liberty again

But there’s a price we had to pay

Oh and we were the water rats, chased the Jerry’s to their hole

Landed on the sand, now the blood sticks to our soles

More than half a million men, to bring you liberty again

But there’s a price we had to pay

For the Scheldt pocket

Adegem Canadian War Cemetery

Adegem Cemetery has 1,109 burials including 848 Canadians. 800 of the Canadians buried here were killed between 09 September and 02 November 1944 in the Battle of the Scheldt. The speeches highlighted the fact that the Battle of the Scheldt is often the forgotten battle. In fact, there is a Dutch film about the Walcheren Causeway that is called the Forgotten Battle, but unfortunately, the film (currently available on Netflix) barely mentions the Canadians despite containing a dramatic battle scene that features Canadians.

After the Canadians cleared both the North and South banks of the Scheldt Estuary the first ships sailed into Antwerp. The Canadians were snubbed as no Canadians were invited to the opening ceremony despite the great accomplishments and heavy losses taken by our troops.

The lines from the Scheldt Pocket song were also repeated:

There are no winners in a war

So think about what you’re willing to fight for

There’s only losers in a war

So think about what you’re willing to die for

Adegem, like all Commonwealth War Grave Cemeteries is immaculately maintained.

Christopher Cadeau

I have written about Christopher Cadeau previously. He was the cousin of my sister-in-law, Marg Columbus. He joined up at 18, trained as a tanker, but was transferred to the infantry following heavy losses in Normandy. He joined the Canadian Scottish Regiment on 23 October 1944 and was tragically killed 4 days later just outside Cadzland during the Battle of the Scheldt, at the age of 19. He was originally buried in an Orchard outside Hoofdplaat and transferred to Adegem Cemetery after the war. I identify strongly with Christopher as I was the same age as him when I joined the military and with slightly different circumstance in space or time, his story could easily have been mine.

I also visited the Scheldt Estuary a few weeks prior and posted about the Canadian battles North and South of the Scheldt.

A photo of Rachel visiting Christopher’s grave.

Charles Atkinson

One of the teachers, Mathieu, had the great idea  to print out small placards with the Picture, Regiment, Age and grave locations  of specific soldiers and give them out to all the teachers and families. In that way, each person had a service member to find and honour by placing his picture at his grave site. Looking up specific soldiers is the best way to explore a cemetery. It can be overwhelming to see the mass of graves, but picking a specific soldier, unit or date allows you to focus on individual stories. Teachers and families finding their soldiers.

My soldier as Lance Corporal Charles Atkinson. As well as finding his headstone and leaving his picture, I looked up his service record as well. Charles was born on 06 August 1921 in Islay, Alberta just across the border from Lloydminster, Saskatchewan. He enlisted with the Edmonton Fusiliers on 12 October 1940. He landed in the UK in May 1942 as a member of the Regina Rifles. He spent 2 years in England and was part of the D-Day landings arriving on the Beach near Courcelles at 0815 as part of B Company Regina Rifles. He was listed as a scout and sniper.

On 15 January 1944 Charles married Margaret Docherty from Dundee, Scotland. On his request to Marry, the 7th Brigade Commander authorized his marriage on or after 22 December with best wishes for a Merry Christmas! The Regina Rifles had been stationed in Southeast England (Hastings, Brighton and Hampshire) before D-Day.

Charles was promoted to Lance Corporal on 21 July 1944, in the midst of the Normandy campaign. After the D-Day landings, the Regina Rifles fought in the Battle of Carpiquet, Capture of Caen, closing the Falaise Pocket, liberation of the port of Boulonge and the Battle of the Scheldt.

Charles was wounded during the crossing of the Leopold Canal on 06 October. B Company suffered so many casualties that it was absorbed into A company. He was severely wounded in the stomach and spent 25 days in hospital before succumbing to his wounds on 31 October. He was originally buried in the La cimitiere de Bruge, before being moved to Adegem after the war.

The final stop of the day was at the For Freedom Museum for drinks and food after another parade through town. The For Freedom Museum is a private museum run by Danny and Freddy Jones that has a tremendous collection of uniforms and artifacts from the War. The more than 100 mannequins all have wax heads, mostly produced in the 1930’s, which give a very life-like image for their dioramas. The maintenance and refurbishment of the heads is done in house.

The museum is heavily focussed on Canadians, and the uniforms are from the units that fought in the battle of the Scheldt.

The brothers are also heavily involved in the sponsorship and promotion of the Canadian Liberation March and one of them was present at all of the ceremonies. A local artist, Theo Claerhoudt produced the sculpture, the Scheldt Pocket Warrior that was on display at the museum. The sculpture will be sent to the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa and a twin of the statue was unveiled at the Hickman Bridge the next day.

Windmill near the For Freedom Museum wearing the Canadian Flag.

Canadian Liberation March

Sunday was the day of the 33 km march. The teachers and families had the option of walking the entire route, the first half, the second half or the final 4 km. The day started early at Hoofdplaat, Netherlands with the military personnel visiting the beach of the Scheldt.

Some smiling marchers on the Beach ready to take the challenge.

After visiting the beach, the contingent then moved up to the first March Marker for speeches wreath laying and the unveiling of the new 80/50 plaque.

This year is the 80th anniversary of the Battle of the Scheldt and the 50th anniversary of the Canadian Liberation March.

A close up of the plaque.

The March then started in earnest. The Dutch and Belgians like a good long hike, with an amazing 1775 walkers checked in for the walk. The weather for the last few years had been bad and very bad so a non-rainy day drew record crowds. The crowd following the military contingent through Hoofdplaat.

Looking back on more of the marchers.

Once the march cleared town, the pack started to spread out. The plowed fields show the muddy conditions.

A great shot of a military member walking with his daughter.

It was wonderful to see the number of teenagers, most of them scouts or other outdoor groups marching together and having a grand time. Many groups had music with their march, everything from Heavy Metal to Christmas carols. I saw one young guy carrying a Giant speaker that I’m sure weighed as much as he did.

There were lots of spectators throughout the route. Many people provided drinks and snacks and offered up their washrooms for the hikers.

The most famous of these kind people is the Holy Water Lady. Early on in the March’s history, she was told she couldn’t pass out alcohol to the marchers. She proclaimed she was dispensing Holy Water and had the bottles blessed by the Parish priest.

Teacher Christine hydrating for the walk and Teacher Shannon doubling down on the Holy Water.

Cheers to all the Teachers and family members who made the trek. Holy Water and snacks for all.

I was fortunate to be able to ride in the Support Van for the afternoon (thanks Dwayne and Joe) so was present when the Holy Water Lady received a Thank You for her dedication in supporting the marchers.

The starting point for the march is just down the dike from the Canadian Monument at Biervliet to honour the landing site where the Canadians circumvented the Germans by conducting an amphibious landing to bypass German strong points.

On 09 October 1944, the 9th Brigade North Nova Scotia Highlanders and Highland Light Infantry of Canada regiments made landings in 100 Buffalo Amphibious vehicles just east of Hoofdplaat on the river’s edge.

The Buffalos were tracked amphibious vehicles that carried 30 troops and used their treads as paddles in the water to advance at 8 mph. A photo of the Buffalos landing on the Scheldt bank.

The southern bank of the Scheldt is sand based at low tide with a wide strip of marsh grass followed by a steep dike. The landing areas are shown below. A number of Buffalos got bogged down on the shoreline, but the troops got ashore with relatively few casualties.

The height of the dike is difficult to see in this picture, but the top of the dike is about 30 feet above the water level.

The contingent also stopped in Oostburg at the Town Hall memorial. The memorial is to the destruction of the town during bombings in October 1944 and the loss of civilian lives.

Also in Oostburg is a memorial to the Queen’s Own Rifles (QOR), who liberated Oostburg on 25 October 1944.

The left hand plaque is in Dutch, the centre plaque commemorates the 17 QOR soldiers who died in the assault and the right hand plaque describes the action.

On the right-hand side plaque, the following text can be read:

The Queen’s Own Rifles of Canada“In Pace Paratus”

The Liberation of Oostburg – 25 Oct 1944 The QOR of C dug in at Steenhoven on the 20th of October and were then ordered to conduct a Battalion attack and take the strongly-held town of Oostburg. The most promising line of attack was from the south alongside a small body of water, the Grote gat. On the 25th of October A and D Companies, supported by extensive artillery High Explosive and smoke concentrations, began the attack. At the same time B Company put in a diversionary attack from the north side of Grote Gat.

By 1400 hrs A Company, now only 2 platoons strong, had advanced to within 300 yards of the town by crawling up the water-filled ditches while under constant fire and observation. At this point, the Company Commander, Major R.D. Medland DSO, moved forward to discuss options with the Platoon Commander, Lt J.E. Boos. It was a tough proposition as little cover was Available. In a humorous exchange, it was suggested that only a bayonet attack might work.

As Maj Medland turned to arrange for more mortar support, Lt Boos jumped up and ordered his remaining rifleman to fix bayonets. In full view of the enemy, Lt Boos then led a wild charge down the main road into Oostburg and quickly overcame the startled enemy positions with few casualties. Entrance into the town was thus gained and D Company quickly passed through to carry on the fight. Lt Boos and his platoon successfully held off 3 counterattacks later that night. The enemy forces surrendered on the 26th and over 200 prisoners were taken.

For His actions, Lt J.E. Boos was awarded the Military Cross.

The next stop was at Retranchement, at the Hickman Memorial Bridge. At the end of October 1944. The Royal Canadian Engineer Regiment, under the leadership of Sgt. J.L. Hickman, reached the drainage canal at Retranchement under heavy shell fire. They erected a Bailey bridge on this site on 31 October 1944. Sgt. Hickman was mortally wounded. In tribute to him and his comrades. This bridge was dedicated in his name on 30 October 1986. This simple monument was adopted by the children of the local school.

The memorial seen from the Bridge.

The memorial to the engineers. At this site the Military Engineers fall out to honour Sgt Hickman.

On this anniversary, the niece of Sgt Hickman was present for the ceremony. There was also the unveiling of the Scheldt Warrior statue conducted by the Mayor of Retrancement and the local sculptor Theo Claerhoudt. This statue is a twin to the statue currently at the For Freedom Museum, which is destined for the Canadian War Museum in Ottawa.

After the Bridge ceremony, the contingent crossed the border into Belgium and were joined by a fleet of WW2 vehicles and reenactors for a Beer.

The final stop was at 4 km from the finish. A giant barn beer garden was the final recharging spot for drinks and snacks and many people joined the march (including me) for the final march into Knokke-Heist. The ranks of the marchers swelled, led by the military contingent and joined by the For Freedom Pipes and Drums  and the Scouts Band from Brugge for the home stretch.

The final stop was at the memorial in Knokke and there were again crowds of spectators in attendance. Canadian flags again were plentiful.

After a final round of speeches, wreaths and flowers the Canadian, UK, Dutch and Belgian national anthems were played. It was fitting that a flight of four Canadian Geese flew overhead while O Canada was playing.

After the final ceremony, the parade adjourned to the town Octoberfest Tent for some well-deserved Brats and Beers.

Summary

The entire weekend was fabulous and very moving. It started out with a raucous bus ride featuring buscuterie, a mobile feast and drinks for all. The bus ride home was a little quieter.

The organization of the weekend was first rate. As you read, there were a lot of stops and everywhere the residents went out of their way to make us feel welcome and show their appreciation. Warrant Officer Andrew Tubb had all of the locations marked out so everyone knew where they were and where they were going next, and made sure everything ran smoothly. Dwayne had the unenviable task of keeping the AF North staff and families in line and made sure all of the many moving parts moved forward.

The military contingent represented Canada admirably. It did my old ex-Air Force heart good to see all ranks and occupations parading together and always putting on a first-class display. I have marched in more than a few ceremonial parades and can confirm it is way more fun to be a watcher than a marcher.

The For Freedom Pipe Band earned their keep this weekend providing the tunes for 3 busy days of commemorations.

During the march, to no one’s surprise, Rachel had a few chats with her fellow walkers.

I had the good fortune of walking and chatting with the honourary ambassador who shared stories of all the personal elements and stories of the individuals that often get lost. I also had the opportunity to walk alongside Hickman’s niece, for whom the bridge was named.  But the most special connection was with a local Belgian woman and her daughter, who shared the story of her grandmother during the war, and then looked us in the eyes and thanked us "you made us survive". That her family wouldn't exist today without the help of the Canadians. I was incredibly humbled. What an absolutely powerful moment. The mother took her daughter on the walk so she would be able to understand the importance of remembrance. We were able to offer the daughter a poppy and rounded up a spare Canada pin at the rest point. They were so incredibly grateful for these small gestures. I was incredibly emotional after our interaction. What an absolute privilege to be their point of contact with the “Canadians” they so respected.

Walking the ground where the battles actually took place really brings the war stories to life. I encourage anyone who has the opportunity to attend the Canadian Liberation March as you will get a greater understanding of the Canadian contributions and the deep appreciation of the locals which is undiminished 80 years on.

I was greatly moved by the respect and gratitude that the Dutch and Belgian people have for the Canadian sacrifices. I am very proud of the Canadian actions during the war and appreciative of the fantastic job the military contingent and AF North family did representing their country.