► I wish for this coin to someday reach Canada ����

I hope this coin will meet lots of Canadians to let them know the Dutch people are forever grateful for the bravery and sacrifice of Canadian troops in liberating the Netherlands in 1945.

Liberation!

Canada and the Netherlands, 1944–1945

Canadians played an important role in the liberation of the German-occupied Netherlands during the Second World War, forging lasting bonds between the two nations.

The liberation campaign

Canadians landed in France on D-Day — 6 June 1944 — fighting through the summer in the Normandy campaign. Afterwards, they advanced northeast through France, Belgium and the Netherlands.

In October and November 1944, Canadian and Allied forces defeated the Germans blocking the Scheldt Estuary. This allowed the liberation of southern parts of the Netherlands and gave Allied ships access to the vital port of Antwerp, Belgium. After pushing into Germany in early 1945, Canadian and Allied forces liberated large parts of the Netherlands in April and May.

In 1944 and 1945, Canadians faced the challenge of liberating villages, towns and farms in the heavily populated Netherlands.

The First Canadian Army, which included Canadian, British and Polish units, fought to clear the Scheldt Estuary. In April 1945, the First Canadian Army swept north, liberating more of the Netherlands from nearly five years of German occupation, and providing food and medical aid to the starving population.

The “Hunger Winter”

In retaliation for a railway strike that harmed the German war effort, Germany stopped food shipments to the western Netherlands, creating the “Hunger Winter” of 1944-1945. By spring 1945, millions of Dutch civilians faced starvation. The Allies arranged emergency food deliveries, even before the fighting ended.

Operations Manna and Chowhound

This Dutch ceramic plaque commemorates Operations Manna and Chowhound, during which British and American bombers dropped food into and around occupied Dutch cities. The Royal Canadian Air Force’s 405 Squadron helped mark drop zones for British bombers, many of which had Canadian crew members.

The “Sweetest Spring”

Throughout April and May 1945, Canadian and other Allied forces were enthusiastically welcomed by the Dutch people, freed from almost five years of German occupation. Joyous crowds thronged the streets and mobbed liberating forces in what came to be known as the “sweetest spring.”

German Forces Surrender

On 5 May 1945, Canadian general Charles Foulkes accepted the surrender of the German forces in the Netherlands at Wageningen. That morning, the First Canadian Army was ordered to cease offensive operations.

A Peaceful Summer

The next few months were called the “Canadian Summer” because of the significant Canadian military presence in the Netherlands at the end of the war in Europe. It was a time marked by the joyful arrival of peace.

A Lasting Relationship

The liberation of the Netherlands created a friendship between Canadians and the Dutch that has continued to the present day and is felt in many ways.

The return of Canadian veterans to celebrate the anniversaries of the liberation attracted nationwide attention in both countries. In the Netherlands, children and adults still tend to Canadian war graves.

Thank you Canada!

Personal note:

My grandmother walked from The Hague in the west to the east of the country to escape starvation. That's where she met a Canadian soldier. They had a relationship during the summer until he returned home. As a result of their relationship my father was born. I couldn't be more proud knowing that my grandfather was part of the liberation of the Netherlands. So not only am I grateful for the bravery and sacrifice of Canadian Forces in liberating the Netherlands in 1945, I feel a deep personal connection to Canada. —Yvette