HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Wingham Advance-Times, 1985-12-11, Page 17December 1 1 , 1 985
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tures and entertainment
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in Ontario's heartland
Tuesday, May 7
A t vvr
By John Martens
TUESDAY, MAY 7
This was really a special day for the
veterans. They were going to visit the
region around Delfzyl in the province
of Groningen, by bus, courtesy of the
city of Sneek.
Around Delfzyl the Nazis had put up
a fanatical resistance in the waning
days of the war, and here the Perths
had fought one of the fiercest engage-
ments of the whole campaign against
Germany. Their casualties were
heavy and the more grievous as it was
clear the war was winding' up.
Delfzyl is situated on the river
Eems, estuary. Across the water is
Germany and the port city of Emden.
A return to this flat country, dotted
with cement bunkers dating from the
war and protected by great dikes from
the sea, was like a trip back into the
uncertain past, when the veterans put
their lives on the line day after day.
On to of thebunkers anti-aircraft
batteries were mounted, which could
also be used against ground targets.
A glimpse at the accompanying pic-
tures will give you an idea how expos-
ed the attacking Canadian ground
forces really were.
Names like Holwierde, Nansum and
Biessum, little hamlets in the vicinity
of Delfzyl, will forever by remember-
ed by the Perths. We wondered, too,
how ,the farmers and other country
dwellers came through the battles. On '
this score our guide, who was born in
one of the nearby hamlets, had a little
story to tell us.
BLOWN FROM BUGGY
The Canadian liberation forces took
up positions near the little town where
he was born, in the spring of 1945.
Their artillery fired a volley and our
guide told with obvious relish and
pride how the baby buggy he was in;
was overturned by the blast and he
himself flung out. His mother never
tired of telling him of his early child-
hood adventure. She told him how she
placed his buggy by the roadside
later, after freedom was regained, so
that the Canadian soldiers hopefully
would throw in chocolate bars.
When we departed to Delfzyl after
inspection of the weathered bunkers,
our two buses returned via the same
extremely narrow country roads we
had followed to reach the bunker sites.
This is the border of Holland and it is
very quiet in the countryside now.
Our bus passed a farmhouse and a
barn. An old farmer, yellow "klomp-
en" on his feet, leaning on a sturdy
cane, stood by the gate.
He held himself up with difficulty.
His frail hand moved to his cap and
took it from the snow-white hair cov-
ering his head like a crown.
His smile and eyes reflected what a
thousand speeches of welcome and
appreciation will never be able to ex-
press, for even into the far corners
and out-of-the-way places of Holland,
the Canadians brought freedom.
The old man had seen the Perths in
action with his own eyes.
In Delfzyl itself there was the usual
official reception at the town hall. A
great welcome was also accorded the
Perths despite the fact 'the town had
just gone through a week of celebra-
tions in honor of some of the other Ca-
nadian units which had taken part in
the liberation of the city.
BACK TO SNEEK
The return journey to Sneek, led
through some of the most lush pasture ,1
lands in the Netherlands. The great
abundance cif _ducks and swans in the
.low-lying fields and innumerable
ditches filled with water especially
excited the nimrods among the veter-
ans. The enormous number of water -
e to aug L
fowl strikes a traveller in Holland as
nothing but extraordinary. The
aquatic bird population is rigidly pro-
tected and claimed to be a factor in
keeping the water clean by the birds'
foraging habits. The birds are believ-
ed to be a positive element in control-
ling the environment and keeping it
healthy. The birds seem to reprocate.
In many places one sees swans brood-
ing two or three feet from the roadside
and nobody will disturb them.
Some time was spent in Leeuwar-
den, the capital of Friesland. The
town is home to some 90,000 people
and after Groningen the second larg-
est city in the north of the Nether-
lands. Leeuwarden has a rich history.
Just outside of the city, tea was enjoy-
ed in a beautiful restaurant, close to a
village that bore the strange name
Hardegaryp, after which a ,hort bus
tour was made through the center of
the city.
At one time Leeuwarden was situat-
ed by the sea. Today 15 miles or more
separate it from the water. In the
course of many centuries a Large part
of the present-day province of Fries-
land was wrestled by man from the
grip of the sea. It was rumored after
the war that following an eventual
Nazi victory its rich lands and farms
were destined to be -distributed among
S. S. soldiers in recognition of their
"services" for the Nazi cause.
The Frisian people were to be •
marched to Poland to form a Ger-
manic bulwark against the "hordes"
from the East. Nothing came of that
plan of course.
A freedom -loving people resisted
and forged an unbreakable bond of af- '
fection for the soldiers from Canada
with their unfamiliar names, who
came to the rescue of a nation in dead-
ly peril. And there has been peace in
the land till this day.
'rl
Getting ready for the par-
ade through Delfzyl.
Lt. Col John S. Whyte of
the Perths presents the
Mayor of Delfzyl Mr. Ivo
Opstelten with a flag of
the city of Stratford, On-
tario, Canada. To the
right Mrs. Whyte.
Visiting a German bun-
ker
The exact replica of the hull of The Prince Willem of the Dutch East Indies Com-
pany is being built for the Japanese at Amel's ship wharves at Makkum and will
cost in excess of 1.5 million dollars. The Dutch were, with exclusion of Western
nations, the only whites allowed to trade with Japan. They maintained, often
under humiliating circumstances, a trading post on the island of Decima. Upon
completion the vessel will be towed to Decima.
F
Veterans walking in
thought near bunkers.
By Kim Dadson
Children are -the main reason most
people find themselves donating gifts
and toys to goodwill programs at
Christmas. -
Most people would agree that chil-
dren are one of the important ingredi-
ents for a merry Christmas.
And children are a motivating fact-
or at the heart of the WoolWich Com-
munity Information Centre's Christ-
mas Goodwill program. Last year, 117
children received clothing, toys and a
family Christmas dinner due to the
project.
Equally important, but perhaps not
thought of as often, were the 119
adults, the mothers, fathers and
guardians of these children, who were
also helped by the Goodwill program.
---------- kn adult-rec-eines a41W0-gni€-t-thre.ugh....
the program but possibly more im-
portant, according to one of the pro-
gram co-ordinators, Eugene Roehr, is
the contact an adult has with someone
!r- at a difficult time of the year.
Depression is -common when you
can't meet the expectations of your
own children or society.
"It's being in touch with these
people that is all-important," says
Mr. Roehr. Sometimes it is the only
contact they have and it is a contact
that demonstrates someone does care
— at a time when it feels like no one
cares or understands.
"Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa
aa -us"-,` dal—in posters which advertise
the Goodwill program. Even adults
need to know that onee in a while.
The Christmas Goodwill program is
co-ordinated this year by Bev Jackson
and Mr. Roehr, who is also a board
member for the Community Informa-
tion Centre. The two are aiming at
expanding the number of families re-
ceiving help this year. They want to
reach out further into the. township to
help families missed in past years.
Volunteer co-ordinators in such vil-
lages as St. Jacobs, Maryhill,
Breslau, or Conestogo will be sought.
There are no paid salaries associated
with the program — everyone is a
volunteer.
School and church Contacts are
made as most families are referredlii
the centre by, school officials or even
neighbors who feel there may be a
problem. Each referral is checked by
the co-ordinators and all the names of
families helped will be kept confiden-
tial.
Mrs. Jackson and Mr. Roehr esti-
mate they will help 100 families, up
from 75 last year.
About 50 volunteers assist by shop-
ping for presents, wrapping and sort-
ing purchases while the Kinsmen Club
delivers the package which includes
Christmas dinner.
Local shopkeepers last year,
demonstrated their own , spirit by ',
offering bargains to Christmas Good-
will shoppers.
The majority of families are wel-
fare recipients while others have
found themselves in a temporary bind
due to illness or accident.
"A lot don't have a family or,
friends," comments Mr. Roehr..
This year Mr. Roehr would like to
stress that there are people "in our
own backyard" who really need a
helping hand. "We take so much for
granted," adds Mrs. Jackson. "Many
people under the poverty level feel the
pressure to'conform at Christmas."
Donations of new toys, clothing or
cash can be made at the Woolwich
Community Information Centre. A
family that is able or a willing church
group`or o -Cher organrzat�ons or n ll-
viduals can sponsor a family or an in-
dividual child.
Mr. Roehr says his participation in
the program is "my way of expressing
what Christmas is all about." He en-
th-USieStically -tells of how the spiriT
Christmas moves in people who come
to donate.
"It's a time when we take the "Do
Not Open" stickers off our hearts!".
Inspection before the
parade.