This is the first of three posts describing my experience as Historian/Storyteller on Liberation Tour’s 8-day Holland Liberation 80^th Anniversary Canadian Battlefield and Remembrance Tour. It was great working with the Liberation Tours team, especially Marathon of History’s Mat Johnson who was alongside me as Tour Director. Peter and Karoly from Trafalgar were also aboard and a real pleasure to work with.

The biggest thanks of all however, goes to the 33 travellers with whom we shared eight days exploring battlefields and remembering loved ones who served, and in some cases, died for Canada during the Second World War. I made many new friends and hope someday to travel with them again.

Day 1 – Amsterdam to Middleburg

Our tour began at Schiphol airport in Amsterdam where our participants gathered after arriving on several flights, and by land from various points around Europe. We were soon aboard Coach Avercamp, named after Dutch artist Hendrik Avercamp, and heading south towards our destination of MIDDLEBURG, on the former Zeeland island of WALCHEREN.

The 2.5 hour drive took us past STEENBERGEN and BERGEN OP ZOOM, the former marking the northern boundary of the drive north by the 4^th Canadian Armoured Division’s 10^th Canadian Infantry Brigade in the final stages of the Battle of the Scheldt in early November 1944.

At WOENSDRECHT we headed west along the SOUTH BEVELAND isthmus, a route we would retrace several times as we explored the many phases of the Scheldt campaign. After a brief stop at our hotel we were off to the Bevrijdingsmuseum Zeeland (Liberation Museum Zeeland) in Nieuwdorp.

Everyone agreed that this privately-run volunteer-led museum was a must-see and deserved more time. The visit included a personal introduction by the founder and a short film depicting the suffering and resilience of the Zeelanders during the occupation and their subsequent liberation. We were then free to explore the extensive indoor and outdoor exhibits, including many meticulously restored vehicles (Weasels, a Buffalo, etc.) and artillery pieces.

That evening we held a Welcome Dinner at our hotel, with the entire Liberation Tour’s crew on hand, enjoying excellent food and great company.

Day 2 – The Breskens Pocket

Today our focus was the Breskens Pocket, the scene of a month-long slog through the flooded polders and heavily defended terrain that formed the southern bank of the Scheldt estuary. It was here the 3^rd Canadian Infantry Division would earn its nickname the “Water Rats”.

However, our first stop was at the DEVIATION DE LA LYS and LEOPOLD CANALs, where the 10^th Canadian Infantry Brigade’s Algonquin Regiment fought to establish a bridgehead in mid-September 1944. Despite their courageous efforts the Allies vastly underestimated the strength of the German forces opposing them and the Algonquins suffered 153 casualties.

The Canadians regrouped and devised a new multi-pronged attack, the Breskens Pocket phase of which was named Operation Switchback. We visited several sites including memorials at EEDE and HOOFDPLAAT, as well as an original Canadian-built Bailey Bridge.

At each site I delivered a brief recounting the battle and telling stories of the men that fought and died there.

Most of our participants were remembering someone who fought for Canada in the First or Second World War, in many cases more than one. Every one of the 60+ servicemen and servicewomen were remembered at some point during our eight-day tour. For me this was the most rewarding and humbling experience of our time together. I’ve travelled extensively over the last 40 years and have participated in many tours, however sharing these personal memories with our group was both unique and very special.

After a brief rest at our hotel we spent our evening in the centre of medieval Middleburg, sampling beers and enjoying more good food.

Day 3 – Woensdrecht, South Beveland and the Walcheren Causeway

Our exploration of the Battle of the Scheldt continued this morning, our focus being the 2^nd Canadian Infantry Division’s drive north to WOENSDRECHT and then west along the SOUTH BEVELAND isthmus towards the infamous WALCHEREN CAUSEWAY.

Our first stop was the Calgary Monument where we learned about the courageous attempt by The Black Watch and the Calgary Highlanders to capture the half-mile long causeway that connected SOUTH BEVELAND to the then island of WALCHEREN. Barely 100 yards wide the cratered causeway was a heavily defended and meticulously registered killing zone.

We then travelled on to WOENSDRECHT, the scene of desperate fighting by the 5^th Canadian Infantry Brigade. On Friday October 13^th The Black Watch suffered 145 casualties, a date that to this day is commemorated as Black Friday. The Calgary Highlanders and the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry both saw heavy fighting, with the latter capturing the town on October 16^th, 1944.

A 10-minute walk through the centre of town brought us to a café where we enjoyed a coffee on their sunny patio. We were greeted by the mayor of WOENSDRECHT who welcomed us to his town, relating the experience of those who endured the German occupation, and how those who live here today remain grateful to the Canadians who liberated them. I can’t emphasize enough how palpable this feeling of gratitude is while travelling in the Netherlands, especially in the smaller rural communities.

We then travelled north to the Bergen Op Zoom Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery. Along the way we listened to a recording of Micheal Krewiak, a soldier from the Lake Superior Regiment and the uncle of two of our participants, describe his experience being wounded at nearby WOUWSE PLANTAGE.

After paying our respects at the cemetery we boarded our coach and headed 200km east to ARNHEM, where we would spend the next four nights. Our first stop was at a magnificent church, now converted to a restaurant which served us a delicious 3-course lunch.

As we continued our drive towards ARNHEM we discussed the First Canadian Army’s winter spent holding the line at NIJMEGEN and along the MAAS river. The river includes a flat featureless island that in late January 1945 was bitterly contested by the Canadians and the Germans who occupied it. Our last stop of the day was on this island, at the KAPELSCHE VEER monument, where we remembered the lives needlessly lost in a battle that should never have been fought.

Stay tuned for Part 2 where I will share the highlights from days 4 through 8 our our tour.