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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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The battle for the Tjonger bridge in Mildam
The battle for the Tjonger bridge in Mildam
In the afternoon of 12 April, rumours had reached Mildam that Englishmen or perhaps Canadians had been sighted at Peperga. The Canadian vanguards had entered Friesland. For the inhabitants of Mildam it was still a surprise when at first one and shortly afterwards another military vehicle with a few men in khaki-coloured overalls stopped at the bridge.
These vehicles were part of a patrol of "D" Squadron Royal Canadian Dragoons commanded by Lieutenant Homer Thomas. These Canadians established that unlike other bridges, the bridge in Mildam over the Tjonger had not yet been blown up by the occupying forces. The fact that the Tjonger bridge in Mildam had not been destroyed was due to the local resistance movement. The Germans had indeed planned to blow up this bridge as well. But at the risk of their own lives, resistance fighters had removed the detonators from the explosives affixed to the bridge.
The Squadron Commander immediately ordered all units to secure the bridge. And the Dutch Domestic Armed Forces were also requested to provide men. The precautions turned out to be justified. In the night of 12 to 13 April, German troops launched one of their few counter-attacks in the province of Friesland. From Heerenveen, they managed to surprise the Canadians in Mildam. They tried to regain control of the bridge three times. During the fierce fighting, Canadian vehicles were knocked out. But the Dragoons stood firm, and the Germans were driven off again. Mildam was freed.Four Canadian soldiers were injured in the fighting. The number of casualties on the German side is unknown. There was property damage in Mildam, but no civilians were killed. With a little less luck, though, there would have been several Dutch casualties. In the early morning of 13 April, a group of dozens of resistance fighters approached the bridge at dusk from the direction of Nieuweschoot. This was the reinforcement requested by the Canadians on 12 April when the undamaged bridge was discovered. The resistance fighters were partly carrying captured German weapons and were not noticed by the Dragoons in the semi-darkness until late.
Lieutenant Thomas, mentioned earlier, almost gave the order to open fire. It was only at the last moment that it became clear that they were not Germans. The resistance members had managed to make themselves known by singing songs in English.
The preservation of the bridge was important. During the following days, the Canadians would make extensive use of the bridge to advance further in the direction of Leeuwarden and liberate the province of Friesland.
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Gallery Aukje de Haan
Gallery Aukje de Haan
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Ouderwets Gezellig
Ouderwets Gezellig
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Friesland Boating Yachtcharter - Motorjacht Linda
Friesland Boating Yachtcharter - Motorjacht Linda
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Appartementenboerderij De Gelukskever - Appartement 3
Appartementenboerderij De Gelukskever - Appartement 3
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Yachtcharter De Drait Woudsend - Kotterjacht Ryanne
Yachtcharter De Drait Woudsend - Kotterjacht Ryanne
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Liefke
Liefke
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Appartementen Lytse Knipke
Appartementen Lytse Knipke
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Jachtwerf Oost B.V. - Hemmes 1400 deluxe 'Pelicaen'
Jachtwerf Oost B.V. - Hemmes 1400 deluxe 'Pelicaen'
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Hearewâltjse
Hearewâltjse
The village harbour was once located at the Hearewâltsje. This was the home of peat skipper Jan Lampe, owner of a snikke—a traditional Frisian cargo boat used to transport goods to nearby towns and villages.
In the past, Wijnaldum had a thriving local economy with a variety of shops and skilled craftsmen. Goods reached the village by both road and water. A small harbour once stood here, where cargo boats unloaded goods, including peat. Through the Ried waterway, the harbour was connected to Franeker, making Wijnaldum an important link in the region's trade network.
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Snoozz Hotels - Comfort kamer met pantry
Snoozz Hotels - Comfort kamer met pantry
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Bed & Brochje Sietsema
Bed & Brochje Sietsema
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Camping Oan e Poel - Stacaravan Bruine Beer
Camping Oan e Poel - Stacaravan Bruine Beer
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Ka & Ko
Ka & Ko
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Camping Vrijhaven
Camping Vrijhaven
Sustainability info
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Stichting De Palingaak
Stichting De Palingaak
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Minicamping en Vakantiehuis de Wynmole - Pronkkamer
Minicamping en Vakantiehuis de Wynmole - Pronkkamer
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Recreatiebedrijf de Koevoet - Hoekappartement
Recreatiebedrijf de Koevoet - Hoekappartement
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Lutz Watervilla's - Wettervilla Njoggen
Lutz Watervilla's - Wettervilla Njoggen
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Vakantiepark De Kuilart - vakantiehuizen - Watervilla Premium 6 persoons
Vakantiepark De Kuilart - vakantiehuizen - Watervilla Premium 6 persoons
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Former Courthouse
Former Courthouse
This building, now used as a shop, recalls the time when justice was administered in Kollum. It was purchased by the municipality in 1609 and has served a variety of purposes ever since. The Old Courthouse (Oude Rechthuis) played an important role during the Kollum Uprising of 1797.
The building was bought by the municipality of Kollumerland in 1609 and converted into a courthouse. It can be recognised by the statue of Lady Justice, which still watches over the street from the façade. The Rechthuis is the oldest stone building in Kollum.
Kollum was given its own courthouse because the distance between Groningen and Leeuwarden was too great to travel in a single day. The ground floor was used as an inn and even included stables for horses and cattle. To this day, the space has continued to serve a variety of purposes.
The Rechthuis played a significant role during the Kollum Uprising of 1797. In February of that year, the arrest of the Orangist supporter Abele Reitzes sparked an uprising in which a crowd stormed the courthouse in an attempt to free him. The revolt resulted in extensive damage and was harshly suppressed, with 168 people being arrested. You can learn more about these events at the statue of Jan Binnes further along this route. The prison cell in the building's basement has been preserved. From the bridge, you can still clearly see the small barred window of the former jail cell.
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Vaarkennis.nl
Vaarkennis.nl
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Stadsherberg Sneek - Comfort kamer
Stadsherberg Sneek - Comfort kamer
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