Locations
1897 to 1920 of 2317 results
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Ambush at Oldeholtpade
Ambush at Oldeholtpade
On 12 April, the bridge over the Tjonger in Mildam fell into the hands of the Royal Canadian Dragoons reconnaissance regiment. Because the occupier had blown up many other bridges, the Canadians attached great importance to preserving this bridge for the crossing of other Canadian units. That is why dozens of armoured cars, mobile artillery guns and numerous other vehicles were sent to Mildam that day to reinforce the bridgehead over the Tjonger.
In one of those armoured cars, a Staghound, was 24-year-old Trooper Wilfred Robert George Berry from Ontario. The young Canadian had volunteered for military service in Europe. And had already fought with the Royal Canadian Dragoons in Italy. At the end of February 1945, they were transferred to Northwest Europe.
For Berry, the war ended in Friesland. In Oldeholtpade, on the road to Wolvega, his vehicle drove into an ambush along with at least one other Staghound. In the vicinity of a broken-down German car, German soldiers had hidden with Panzerfausts. The Panzerfaust was a very powerful and easy-to-use anti-tank weapon. The first shot missed, but the second projectile hit the front Staghound, on the side where driver Wilfred Berry was sitting at the time.2 The Staghound went off the road and overturned. The three other crew members got injured, but were able to leave the vehicle and took cover behind the second Staghound. One of them stated:
"[…]Flames burst through the turret, where the officer and I were half in and half out of the hatches. Any skin surface not covered was burned and the flames badly singed our eyebrows, eyelashes, moustaches and hands, sending me and the officer both wounded to the field hospital."3
Immediately after the first Staghound was hit, the second Staghound opened fire on the Germans. Seriously injured, Wilfred Berry remained in the vehicle. After about fifteen minutes of shooting back and forth, the other Staghounds retreated towards Oldeberkoop. The exact reason for this remains unclear. Berry was already dying and was briefly cared for by the elderly Andriesje Dekker-Oosterhof in the vehicle when the shooting had stopped. The tragedy had unfolded right in front of her house. He died in the wreck shortly afterwards.
Berry's remains were eventually transferred to the farm on "De Bult" in Oldeberkoop and buried there. After the war he would be reburied at the Canadian war cemetery in Holten. The other crew members were eventually able to return to their units after receiving medical treatment. The commander only had burns on his face.
The event made a deep impression on the inhabitants of Oldeholtpade. In 1945, a monument to Berry was erected. And in 1965, a street was named in his honour.
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Poppebeam tree at Jubbega
Poppebeam tree at Jubbega
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De Weyde Blick - het Hofje
De Weyde Blick - het Hofje
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Het Bosmeer holiday park
Het Bosmeer holiday park
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Beach Resorts Makkum - Strandvilla 6 persoons
Beach Resorts Makkum - Strandvilla 6 persoons
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The liberation of Friesland
The liberation of Friesland
By 18 April, the whole province of Friesland had been liberated, except for the Wadden Islands. Compared to other provinces, there was little fighting in Friesland. Overall, the few thousand German troops who had been unable to escape from Friesland were defeated by the Canadians relatively quickly.
The commander of the Royal Canadian Dragoons, Lieutenant Colonel Landell, praised the actions of the resistance by stating that "Friesland liberated herself". While that may be a bit of an exaggeration, the actions of the Frisian resistance undoubtedly accelerated the liberation. And reduced the number of casualties on the Allied side.
At least 31 resistance fighters lost their lives in confrontations with German troops and their Dutch accomplices. At least eleven Canadians and one Frenchman were killed on the Allied side. Dozens of civilian victims were also killed in the fighting and shelling. The number of casualties on the German side is not known, but it is believed that the number ran into hundreds. With 320 destroyed and 4000 damaged homes and 80 destroyed bridges, Friesland was materially the least damaged province of the Netherlands.
Many German soldiers fled towards the western part of the country. The retreating German troops gathered mostly in Harlingen, Makkum and Lemmer. From there, they tried to get away by boat across the IJsselmeer or via the Afsluitdijk to North Holland. The Wadden Islands also became a refuge for collaborators and German soldiers. Here, liberation was longer in coming.
On the island of Terschelling, the last German troops were disarmed by a British artillery regiment on 29 May. Two days later, the British crossed from Terschelling to Vlieland, and the liberation of that island was also a fact. Ameland was liberated on 3 June.
Personnel from the infamous Scholtenhuis, the SD headquarters in Groningen, had entrenched themselves on Schiermonnikoog. After their departure on 31 May, there was a celebration on the island, in spite of the six hundred members of the occupying troops who still were there. Only on 11 June did the last German soldiers leave Schiermonnikoog, and then the whole province of Friesland was free.
Most Canadian units that had liberated Friesland continued the battle in Groningen and North Germany after 18 April. Their war ended on 8 May 1945, when the surrender of all German armed forces became effective.
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Johannes de Doper Church
Johannes de Doper Church
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Yachtcharter De Drait Woudsend - Monty Bank Trawler Tessa
Yachtcharter De Drait Woudsend - Monty Bank Trawler Tessa
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Beach Resorts Makkum - Schakel+ 6 persoons
Beach Resorts Makkum - Schakel+ 6 persoons
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Watervillapark Idskenhuizen - Twadde Thûs
Watervillapark Idskenhuizen - Twadde Thûs
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Kitesurfing Spot at Stavoren
Kitesurfing Spot at Stavoren
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Zijda Yachting - Florien Elite
Zijda Yachting - Florien Elite
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Public toilet on Geeuwkade in IJlst
Public toilet on Geeuwkade in IJlst
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Kitesurfing Spot at Kornwerderzand
Kitesurfing Spot at Kornwerderzand
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Sint Gertrudis church
Sint Gertrudis church
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Nero: coffee & foodbar
Nero: coffee & foodbar
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It Soal near Workum
It Soal near Workum
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Fogelsangh State Country House and Estate
Fogelsangh State Country House and Estate
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Wooden house on high poles
Wooden house on high poles
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Vakantiewoning in woonboerderij
Vakantiewoning in woonboerderij
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Waddensea fishtours and Workshops 't Ailand
Waddensea fishtours and Workshops 't Ailand
Sustainability info
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Ruime tweepersoonskamer in historische pastorie
Ruime tweepersoonskamer in historische pastorie
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B&B Gaasterland-Hoeve 44
B&B Gaasterland-Hoeve 44
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Marchjepolle Island beach on Lake Tjeukemeer
Marchjepolle Island beach on Lake Tjeukemeer
