APELDOORN, THE NETHERLANDS--(Marketwire - May 9, 2010) - A Canadian Forces (CF) contingent finished its participation in the 65th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands with a parade in Apeldoorn today.
It was in April 1945 that members of 1st Canadian Corps liberated the city of Apeldoorn from Axis forces. The operation, which lasted seven days, resulted in 506 casualties for the Canadians while at the same time capturing over 2,500 German soldiers.
Following the parade, contingent members were given the opportunity to take part in a battlefield tour of the Scheldt Estuary, where the Canadian Army fought in 1944. Securing this particular area of the western Netherlands was vital to the Allied war effort as control of the area allowed access to the Belgian deep sea port of Antwerp; access to Antwerp allowed for easier resupply of Allied troops in the last months of the Second World War.
The 52-person CF contingent is composed of individuals from across the country and is in the Netherlands in support of commemorative activities organized by Veterans Affairs Canada. The group participated in events at Groesbeek, Holten, and Bergen-op-Zoom Canadian War Cemeteries. The group also took part in a special parade in Wageningen, where the German forces in the Netherlands surrendered to Canadians in May 1945.
The liberation of the Netherlands was one of the most significant events leading to victory in Europe and the end of the Second World War. Over 1 million Canadians served at home and abroad with the Canadian Army, the Royal Canadian Navy, and the Royal Canadian Air Force during this time. Over 40,000 made the supreme sacrifice.
Note to Editors / News Directors:
For more information on the Liberation of the Netherlands, please visit the Veterans Affairs Canada Web site at www.vac-acc.gc.ca.
For more information on CF participation in the 65th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands, please contact the Media Liaison Office at 1-866-377-0811/613-996-2353.