HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1985-12-04, Page 15Dec 4, 1985
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Serving over 20,000 homes
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by John Maertens
ABOVE The Perth Regiment
Colors were presented at the
opening of the service.
TOP LEFT A float in the parade
at Makkum is self -explanatory --
a memorial to the fallen
soldiers.
LEFT An Allied war vehicle
bearing the name Marry (Mary?)
with Sgt. Casemore in the
foreground.
LOWER LEFT A large congrega-
tionattended the Thanksgiving
service in the Martini Church
Sunday morning.
BOTTOM This Dutch Ensemble
played for the Canadians 40
years ago and entertained them
again on May 5 with nostalgic
tunes such as "Sentimental
Journey", "Don't Fence Me
In", etc. which were popular
with the soldiers.
MAY 5—MAY 9., 1945
In the days that followed, from Sun-
day, May 5 to Thursday, May 9, the
veterans faced a busy schedule. Here
is the program which was put together
for them by the citizens of Sneek:
SUNDAY, MAY 5
9:30 a.m. Church parade from park-
ing place in the Boschstraten
10:00 a.m.-11:00 a.m. Thanksgiving
service in the Martini Church
i• 45 p.m. Boat trip by private cruiser
from marina Dompi. Sailing in
"skutsjes", old, sturdy Frisian sail-
ing vessels.
6:00 p.m. Back in the marina.
8:00 p.m. -12:00 p.m. Festive evening
in "Amicitia".
MON AY,MAY6
9:30 a.m. e ture of a procession of
former Canadian army vehicles
from Martini s uare. "Keep them
rolling".
10:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. Viewing exhibi-
tion of war mementoes and libera-
tion memorabilia.
2:30 p.m. Leave for Eernewoude from
Martini square.
3:30 p.m. Arrival at Eernewoude.
Reminiscing and visiting familiar
locations. Having a drink at the
famous restaurant.
4:30 p.m. Departing for Sneek "Het
Princenhof".
5:30 p.m. Arrival at Martini square.
TUESDAY, MAY 7
Visit to Leeuwarden, Groningen and
Delfzyl.
8:30 a.m. Departure from Martini
square.
9:30 a.m. Arrival in Groningen. Coffee
in restaurant "Crest". Short drive
through the centre of town.
10:30 a.m. Departure for Delfzyl. Af-
ter Appingedam route goes via Hol-
wierde, Nansum and Biessum.
12:00 a.m. Reception in the town hall
of Delfzyl.
12:45 p.m. Hot lun !h.
2:15 p.m. Departure for Leeuwarden.
3:15 p.m. Tea in restaurant "E-10" in
Hardegaryp.
4:30 p.m. Short bus tour of the centre
of Leeuwarden.
5:30 p.m. Arrival at Martini square in
Sneek.
WEDNESDAY, May 8
In the morning, visit by veterans to
four high schools. Time to be an-
nounced.
In the afternoon time to be spent at the
veterans' discretion.
A full busload visits the Canadian
military cemetery in Holten
(Overysel ).•
8:00 p.m. -9:00 p.m. Farewell recep-
tion.
THURSDAY, May 9
Visit to Harderuyk.
8:15 a.m.• Departure from Martini
square.
10:30 a.m. Arrival in Harderwyk. Re-
.. ception at the town hall. Hot lunch.
2:00 p.m. Departure for Amsterdam,
Utrecht. •
3:30 p.m. Boat trip on the canals of
Amsterdam. .
4:45 p.rn. Departure for Utrecht.
Guests are conducted, to their
hotels.
The matter-of-fact : and sober
language. ,of the program not
withstanding, it turned out to be a
well-planned schedule. It was very fa-
vourably received by the veterans and
their wives and so organized as not to
exhaust the participants. Just the
same, it was taxing enough and not
everybody took part in all the activi-
ties.
Each of the following days had its
, own highlights and we, will focus on
them in pictures and where necessary
with short explanations.
MONDAY, MAY 6 •
• Morning: The spacious Martini
square in Sneek is filled with dozens of
army vehicles of the period 1940-1945.
We don't see any tanks. I suppose they
were not among the items sold from
war surpluses. There are vehicles of
all kinds, American, British and Ca-
nadian. Even the odd German truck
or armored scout car is in evidence.
The conveyances have somehow
been retrieved by car enthusiasts
from tbe_debriss_af .war an '
restored. The proud owners and their
vehicles come from all over the
Netherlands. Most belong to one club
1 1
or another and now the club members
— often in cowboy hats and colorful
scarfs — have set out early in the
morning to join in the great parade of
army vehicles through the villages of
Friesland.
We could not resist the urge to fol-
low the motorized parade, the more so
as a couple of friends offered to drive
us to Makkum, where, also, large-
scale liberation festivities were in
progress, in which other Canadian
units were involved. In Makkum we
experienced a memorable day. An
enormous parade, bringing back to us
in stark colors the horrors of the war
days, formed the day's highlight. •
MORE FESTIVITIES
The town of some 3,000 people —
fairly large shipbuilding centre — was
decorated from one end to the other
with flags, bunting garlands and tri-
umphal gates. Great banners . pro-
claimed from public buildings and
private homes alike the praise of re-
sistance and liberators from over-
seas.
Wooden stands had been erected in
the square in the center of town,
where hundreds of officials, Canadian
Legionnaires and their wives, found a
place beside grizzled resistance fight-
ers and representatives from the
media.
It happened that we found a place
beside two Dutch army officers, one a
lieutenant -colonel, the other a major.
The latter proved to be extremely
cotnmunicative. Upon learning we
were from Canada, he told us they
represented the northern military dis-
trict or something of that nature.
"When the Canadian Legionnaires
pass ;,,the reviewing stand", he con-
tinued, "the bands will play '0 Cana-
da'. I do not know the tune and am not gi
too musical. Please will you give me a
good nudge in the side, for we Fire to
jump to attention and bring the
military salute."
We .gladly obliged the request of the
unmusical officer and everything
went according to plan. The major
and the lieutenant -colonel jumped up
in time and exerted a perfect salute.
The legionnaires were cheered like F
the heroes they were and a parade t)i
passed by Such as I have seldom
watched.
Before leaving Makkum we must
mention a funny entry in the parade.
It represented a farm wagon, or
rather only the basic frame. No tires,
many spokes missing, no floor,
nothing, just a bare skeleton.
A tired dobbin pulled the miserable
vehicle. A still more tired individual•
in tattered German military garb led
the conveyance through the streets. A
sign hung from the back, proclaiming,
"Vacated according to plan", an allu-
' sion to the German war communiques
of the later,war years. A devastating
comment on the ironies and folly of
war.
In Sneek, in the meantime, several
veterans visited a war museum and
paid a visit to Eernewoude, in the
middle of the Frisian Lake .district.
1 -fere, in the summer of 1945, they had
learned to handle sailboats and in-
dulged in watersport activities.
What a memories must have come
to the surface!
The evening of the day saw more ,
' than one veteran treating his hosts in
one of Sneek's several good res-
taurants as we observed, and walking
hiou'gh the-town's-ala-rkened
streets. A good night's rest must have
seemed to them a good idea, for to-
morrow would be as busy as ever.
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