Freeing the Netherlands

Watch a video with Canadian veterans speaking about their experience of liberating Holland from Nazi occupation in 1945.

by Nelle Oosterom

Five years ago, Veterans Affairs Canada created a video that includes interviews with veterans who took part in the liberation of Holland.

From the fall of 1944 to the spring of 1945, the First Canadian Army played a major role in liberating the Netherlands from Nazi occupation.

During this operation, more than 7,600 Canadians lost their lives.

Their sacrifice and their part in freeing the population from hunger and hardship earned for Canadian soldiers the lasting gratitude of the Dutch people. A warm friendship still exists between the two countries.

To commemorate the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands, the Government of Canada and surviving veterans will take part in commemorative events in the Netherlands from May 3–9, 2015.

Read an article about the liberation of the Netherlands in the April-May 2015 issue of Canada’s History magazine.

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