After the liberation of Sneek on April 15, 1945, Canadian troops advanced to the Afsluitdijk. The Frisian resistance advised against the attack. It remembered the May days at the beginning of the war in 1940.
After the Canadians had been festively welcomed in Leeuwaren, it was important to advance quickly to Franeker to prevent the last escape option of the Germans over the Afsluitdijk and the IJsselmeer. The attack against the Afsluitdijk was launched from the southeast on 16 April, but the tanks of the Queens Own Rifles soon ran into the strong German defenses.
After that, the village of Wons was surrounded, but the Germans defended themselves very fanatically at Pingjum. There were many snipers and the Canadians were fired on from the farms. Allied fighters and artillery were deployed to break the German resistance. During the shelling, five farms went up in flames, six civilians, one Canadian and 46 Germans were killed. On April 18, 1945, the Canadians were able to report that the entire area had been cleared of enemies.
BEKENTENIS Doej’ et me op die zuver wat zoele dag bi’j de meitied verteld hadden, veraanderde de kille waorhied et leven zomar iniens in een wippelig spullegien. De koekoek vergat op slag zien naeme en an de raand van de boswal verscheuten sepiepen en birken schrikachtig van kleur. Ik ston mit lege hanen, zag et witte winterlaand weer veur me, dat kracht en eigenweerde gaf. Onder de beriepte bomen mit et had beschosselde grös kon ik eindelik wezen wie a’k was. Mar deur iene brieke schoeverd kan ’k now mien grip kwietraeken op ’e gladde baene van et leven.