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Heavy shelling on Pingjum
Heavy shelling on Pingjum
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.
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Flietsterbosk Forest
Flietsterbosk Forest
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Easysup supstore
Easysup supstore
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d'Oude Herbergh - Vakantiewoning de Koumelker
d'Oude Herbergh - Vakantiewoning de Koumelker
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Skrins Meadow Bird Reserve
Skrins Meadow Bird Reserve
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Execution monument in the forest Elfbergen
Execution monument in the forest Elfbergen
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Groeneweg bunker complex
Groeneweg bunker complex
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The Former Dairy Factory in Trynwâlden
The Former Dairy Factory in Trynwâlden
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St. Paul's Church in Aldtsjerk
St. Paul's Church in Aldtsjerk
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Cultuurhistorisch Museum 't Behouden Huys
Cultuurhistorisch Museum 't Behouden Huys
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Forest House ''Vroeg''
Forest House ''Vroeg''
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Yachtcharter De Drait Drachten - Sloep Cabin Drait 151 t/m 155
Yachtcharter De Drait Drachten - Sloep Cabin Drait 151 t/m 155
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REM Yachtcharter - Motorjacht Voyager
REM Yachtcharter - Motorjacht Voyager
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Lutz Watervilla's
Lutz Watervilla's
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Allied War Graves in Workum
Allied War Graves in Workum
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Tusken de Marren - Vakantielodge Knilles 4p
Tusken de Marren - Vakantielodge Knilles 4p
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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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Stadslogement De Vooruitgang - Appartement De Franekervaart
Stadslogement De Vooruitgang - Appartement De Franekervaart
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Under de Wol - Boerderij appartement Ien
Under de Wol - Boerderij appartement Ien
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HarTeluk Joure
HarTeluk Joure
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Op`t Skik
Op`t Skik
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Public toilet at Skatting in Heeg
Public toilet at Skatting in Heeg
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Tusken de Marren - Vakantiehuis Sneekermeer buitenspa 8p
Tusken de Marren - Vakantiehuis Sneekermeer buitenspa 8p
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De Fochtel Monument
De Fochtel Monument
