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For the first time, the City of Hamilton opened its council chamber doors to host a delegation of visitors from a small Dutch municipality that was liberated by the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (RHLI) during the Second World War.
The nine-person delegation from Woensdrecht, in the Netherlands, is in the city to commemorate the 82nd anniversary of the municipality’s liberation — a battle that saw heavy casualties and ended a stalemate between other Canadian units and the Axis forces.
On Tuesday, the delegation met with members of the RHLI and Mayor Andrea Horwath at city hall for a ceremony to honour the anniversary and the inaugural visit.
“This is a very important visit for us, because the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry has a great role in our liberation,” said Woensdrecht Mayor Steven Adriaansen, who led the delegation.
Members and retired members of the RHLI have been to Woensdrecht several times over the years to honour the 21 members killed and 140 others who were wounded during battle, Adriaansen said.
“Now it’s time to go back to Canada and show that we want to really make a strong bond between Canada and the Netherlands, especially with Hamilton,” he said.
“Freedom is not taken for granted.”
‘We want to really make a strong bond between Canada and the Netherlands, especially with Hamilton,’ said Woensdrecht Mayor Steven Adriaansen during a visit to Hamilton. (Brittany Spencer/CBC)
The battle for the small, yet crucial village of Woensdrecht took place from Oct. 16-22, 1944.
According to a news release from the RHLI, its soldiers were ordered to take the village with just two days to prepare and went into the battle with many new, untrained soldiers.
The RHLI took the village and held it while the 4th Canadian Armoured Division launched a separate attack, which forced a German withdrawal.
That withdrawal opened a way to liberate the strategic Beveland Peninsula, which was key to allowing the Allies to bring food and other crucial supplies for soldiers and civilians in the area through the Port of Antwerp, the release said.
Major Mike Rehill, regimental secretary of the RHLI and chair of the city’s veterans committee, said he’s personally visited Woensdrecht and a number of other communities that were liberated by Canadian forces throughout the Netherlands, Belgium and France.
To host this delegation is an important way to honour the special bond between Canada and the Netherlands and the key role Hamilton plays in that bond, he said.
Major Mike Rehill, regimental secretary of the RHLI and chair of the city’s veterans committee, says hosting the delegation from Woensdrecht is an important way to honour the special bond between Canada and the Netherlands, and the key role Hamilton plays in that bond. (Brittany Spencer/CBC)
“The Dutch people have lived with the liberation of their country for the last 80 years and it was basically done by the Canadian army. That’s why this huge debt of gratitude exists,” Rehill said.
“As a Canadian reserve soldier, the fantastic role the Canadian army played in the liberation of Holland has always been forefront for me.”
During the ceremony, both cities mayors pledged to continue remembering the sacrifices made by the RHLI during the battle for Woensdrecht.
“Our city has a long and proud history of military service,” Horwath said.
“The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry is an important part of that history and the sacrifices made in Woensdrecht remain part of Hamilton’s story. But they’re also part of yours, and that’s what makes the relationship between our two communities so meaningful.”
Steven Adriaansen speaks to the delegation and members of the Royal Hamilton Light Infantry, expressing his gratitude for the sacrifices Hamilton’s soldiers made to liberate his community during the Second World War. (Brittany Spencer/CBC)
As the number of people with first-hand memories of the Second Word War gets smaller, Horwath said the city has a responsibility to preserve and share stories like these for future generations.
The delegation’s visit, which included a trip to Niagara Falls, continues with visits in Burlington on Thursday.