CANADIANS

[Surpmil]

I can tell you that not all interactions in a liberated country were on the level. Sorry to burst your romantic bubbles! These people were desperate and had nothing to offer. The reality of Holland was that many were taken advantage of and in fact it was no better than their German oppressor. Do your research before you romanticize war.

"Many were taken advantage of" Can you expand on that?

Holland offers interesting contradictions: great expressed gratitude for liberation alongside a high degree of active collaboration.

"...and in fact it was no better than their German oppressor."

That sounds like a rather extreme statement, considering that Germany basically put the Dutch on starvation rations from 1944. Not quite as bad as what Greece and some other occupied countries endured of course.

[Flying10uk]

"Many were taken advantage of" Can you expand on that?

Holland offers interesting contradictions: great expressed gratitude for liberation alongside a high degree of active collaboration.

"...and in fact it was no better than their German oppressor."

That sounds like a rather extreme statement, considering that Germany basically put the Dutch on starvation rations from 1944. Not quite as bad as what Greece and some other occupied countries endured of course.

Perhaps he was referring to "German-Canadians" whom the rest of us have never heard of before? A bit like "French-Canadians" only different.

[Gil Boyd]

Crikey guys, this thread was supposed to be a bit of fun starting with the Sherman image and the 1000 yard stare from the guys talking to the Dutch girl..................didn't realise it would open Pandora's box................whoever she is!!!

[Flying10uk]

Ja, achtung, Deutsch-kanadisch, Soldaten.

[Gil Boyd]

.. ..-. / .. - / .-- .- ... -. .----. - / ..-. --- .-. / - .... . / -.-. .- -. .- -.. .. .- -. ... --..-- / - .... . / -.. ..- - -.-. .... / .-- --- ..- .-.. -.. / -. --- - / .... .- ...- . / -... . . -. / .-.. .. -... . .-. .- - . -.. / ... --- / ... ..- -.-. -.-. . ... ... ..-. ..- .-.. .-.. -.-- .-.-.-

Who knows morse code?

[old rockape]

My father served with 418 RCAF as a navigator. The squadron moved to Volkel near Eindhoven early in 1945. He remembered how little the Dutch people had however their generosity and friendship was boundless. Much later in the early 1970s as a young Rockape I received a posting to Germany and ended up on a Bofor squadron based at RAF Laarbruch (now Niederrhein Airport). The base was located on the Dutch border and I ended up spending most of my spare time in Holland. Inevitably I met a young Dutch girl. She lived in a village not far from Overloon. The older folk rarely spoke of the war. I was introduced to the family who made me feel very welcome, a home from home. One day her mother took her aside and warned her 'English soldiers are only after one thing.'

The village was liberated by the Hereford Regiment in 1944.

[Daan Kemp]

Wonder how the mother knew that?

[lawrence_n]

One of the biggest slaps in the face by the brits was the exclusion of so much as one Canadian at the opening of the port of Rotterdam. Considering the bulk of the heavy lifting in the taking of the Scheldt estuary and the losses suffered were predominately Canadian, Monty didn't see fit to have a single Canadian officer or OR at the official opening. Personally, I don't think he was half the general the Currie or Simmons was.

[Flying10uk]

.. ..-. / .. - / .-- .- ... -. .----. - / ..-. --- .-. / - .... . / -.-. .- -. .- -.. .. .- -. ... --..-- / - .... . / -.. ..- - -.-. .... / .-- --- ..- .-.. -.. / -. --- - / .... .- ...- . / -... . . -. / .-.. .. -... . .-. .- - . -.. / ... --- / ... ..- -.-. -.-. . ... ... ..-. ..- .-.. .-.. -.-- .-.-.-

Who knows morse code?

I was trying to respond in a jest way, bearing in mind that you said that "this thread was supposed to be a bit of fun".

[Gil Boyd]

This is it in plain speech:

IF IT WASN'T FOR THE CANADIANS, THE DUTCH WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN LIBERATED SO SUCCESSFULLY