Second World War commemoration event held in South Netherlands

November 16, 2023 @ 8:45 amNews

From left: Canada’s Ambassador to the Netherlands Hugh Adsett, cousin to Advertiser publisher Dave Adsett, stands with Martin Reelick, president of the Dutch branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, and Colonel Marc LaFortune. Reelick organized this event and others in honour of Canada’s WWII efforts for many years. Although he was quite ill, he asked the Make a Wish Foundation to take him by ambulance one final time to the commemoration event. He passed away a few days following the event. Submitted photo

In late October, a Second World War commemoration event was held in the town of Bergen op Zoom in south Netherlands.

Unlike in Canada, WWII commemoration events are not held on a single day in the Netherlands, but rather each community holds an event on the day the town was liberated. Bergen op Zoom was one of the first to be liberated by Canadian troops on Oct. 27, 1944.

The Canadian War Cemetery just outside the town is the final resting place of 1,119 servicemen, 989 of them Canadians.

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