holland

RETURN TO HOLLAND 1985 AND 1995

Pictures and story by Allan (Tommy) Tomkins, Princeton, BC

APELDOORN NEWSPAPER - 6 MAY 1985

OUR VERY OWN 8 RECCE

Out of 5000 Canadian soldiers in Holland in 1985, it was the sharp looking guys
of the 8 Recce who got their pictures on the front page of the newspaper.

Barney Rapin of Lasalle, Quebec is taking our picture. I am second from the left. Colin Ridgway of Toronto,
fourth from the left. Ray Green, Port Reeve, SK is next to him. Next is Doc Benson of Port Hope, ON with
Denny Bult-Francis of Thaxted, Essex, England on the right.

On the left is Barney Rapin, and I think Wilfred Harvey from Sask is next to him and Gordon Hooey from Victoria.

VEENDAM NEWSPAPER 7 MAY 1985

Drumhead service in the town square, paying tribute to the veterans who liberated the town, especially the
Polish veterans. I am in the front rank where the arrow is pointing.

At Veendam, there is a cemetery of a complete crew of an Allied bomber. The Dutch removed the bodies
from the crash and gave them a place to call their own.

The local newspaper showed the Tour Group at the gravesite.

DURING THE DAYS OF OUR TOUR, LOCAL NEWSPAPERS RAN WW2
PICTURES AND ARTICLES, SHOWING DESTRUCTION OF BRIDGES, WINDMILLS AND BUILDINGS.

When the 8 Recce advanced across Northern Holland, we encountered many busted bridges. This was
one of the bigger ones that we had to bypass. Our Engineers did a fabulous job with their Bailey bridges.

Today traditional windmills are very rare, and the ones that still exist are used mainly for catering to special
functions such as weddings, family banquets, etc. (I didn't get a present day picture of a windmill.)

Many of the buildings suffered from shot and shell from friend and foe.

Today many have been rebuilt.

(L) Doc Benson - Port Hope, ON; Colin Ridgway - Toronto, ON; Dennis Bult-Francis - Thaxted, England;
and me again.

Many Canadians will remember the road to Emmerich and Xanten and the water conditions where the
Canadian water rats did their thing..

A picture from the Dutch newspaper.

Some idea of how big the ultimate parade was in 1995.

On the parade they had a cardboard tank with the name Dick Turpin.

Here I am with a real Half-track just like the one I called home in WW2

APPINGEDAM 1995

We went on church parade. The band in the church was great. In honor of our visit they played (in church) Canadian music.

A CHURCH AND MONUMENT IN APPINGEDAM

Appingedam - Memorial to the Jewish victims.
Out of approximately 100, only 3 returned from the camps.

BLACKSMITH SHOP IN OLDEBROEK, 1945

Left - Trooper Lever with blacksmith, Mr. Meuleveld, standing, and his brother kneeling, working on the
wagon hoop. Picture on the right shows Trooper Slater with the two blacksmiths. The two troopers were
billeted with the blacksmiths during a rest period. Around this town we had all our armour which the people
thought attracted the lightning to their town. The reason they thought this was because it struck and killed a
husband, wife and son and flash burning three 8 Recce guys sitting on a fence fifty feet away. From this rest
area, where we had played soccer with the Dutch families who had treated us like sons, we made our longest
attack in the war, from Oldebroek to Germany and captured Oldenburg. I visited many places with my Dutch
friends, but I could not find the place where the lightning had struck. The Dutch I had met found this story really
interesting and we made a futile search through Oldebroek but never did find the spot.

INSIDE THE BLACKSMITH'S HOME

The tile walls are over 500 years old and I was amazed at how well preserved they are.

8 RECCE HEADQUARTERS BUILDING IN 1945

Here I am standing in front of the building in 1995.

Some more about the blacksmith: when I visited him in 1985, he cried when I showed him the badge I'd
made in his blacksmith shop in 1945. (He still remembered.)

When I went back in 1995, I found the spot where the lightning had struck.
The blacksmith is now deceased but his son more than welcomes anyone from the 8 Recce, and you will
never get a more welcome, welcome.

I recommend a visit to Holland and you will be amazed at the overwhelming reception.

ADDED NOTE ABOUT THE LIGHTNING STRIKE

NEIL McALPINE of Box 66 Aylesbury, SK SOG OBO writes:

Yes, I remember the lightning strike. The three troopers were
from 12 Troop. JB Feist, a young fellow from Powell River, BC;
and perhaps Johnson, Smith or some other name. Someone will
know who he is; and myself.

We were by a road marker and this hellish crack and ungodly
bang, and we thought at first it was an artillery shell but all
three of us were on the bloody ground.

When we got up we found out about the ones that got the
direct hit by the thunderbolt.

Here I am at the North Sea in Holland (50 years later).

Here I am 50 years later, saving Holland with a finger in the dike (Just kidding ofcourse!)