Trip of a lifetime for Kincardine Scottish, Legion Colour Party in the Netherlands

It was the trip of a lifetime for the Kincardine Scottish and the Kincardine Legion Colour Party as they travelled to Holland, May 1-10, to help celebrate the 70th anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands (1945-2015) - "Welcome Again Veterans!"
 

It is a Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band tradition to take a trip every three years, and enjoy some new surroundings.

This journey was extra special because it was not a sight-seeing tour, it was all about paying homage to our Canadian veterans who liberated the Netherlands at the end of the Second World War. It was an emotional trip in so many ways - a trip of a lifetime.

It made us proud to be Canadian and see what our soldiers did, and to witness, first-hand, how much love and respect Netherlands people have for them and for Canada.
This is the final time Canadian veterans  - the liberators of the Netherlands - will be able to travel there to celebrate liberation, and commemorate their fallen comrades with the Dutch people. They have been doing it in the month of May every five years since 1985, but now they are all in their early to mid-'90s.

 

As a band, we tried hard to do our part to enhance things at the celebrations in The Netherlands. We were in good shape. Our Pipe Major, Jennifer Farrell, had us practising twice a week for the past two months. We learned several new tunes with a military theme.
We were good ambassadors for Kincardine and Legion Branch 183.  We were lookin' good and playin' well! 

John McManus worked very hard over the past year as the organizer for our trip and was ably assisted by Dave Wilson Sr. A total of 42 people made the trip - 15 pipers, 10 drummers, one Drum Major, 10 colour party  members and six spouses/friends.

Friday, May 1, we arrived at Pearson Airport in Toronto via bus at 8 p.m. and flew out at 10:30 p.m., arriving in Amsterdam at 5:30 a.m. (our time but Noon Dutch time). It was a perfect flight on KLM Airlines. The attendants in their Royal Blue uniforms were awesome - the food and service were superb. 
There were many veterans on the flight and they were treated royally (as were we). After take-off, the captain recognized the veterans and warmly thanked them for liberating the Netherlands. The applause from all the rest of the 450 passengers on the double-decker 747 was quite loud.

Just before we made our descent into Amsterdam airport, flight staff asked Jennifer and Pipe Sergeant David Hamilton if they would pipe the veterans down from the blue skies into the airport. They struck up their pipes and marched up the aisles playing "When The Battle Is Over" and "Scotland the Brave" to great applause. 

When the plane landed and taxied into the terminal, there were all kinds of firetrucks that sprayed the airplane with great arches of water as a salute to the veterans. As the passengers entered the lounge area of the airport, the veterans were met by the mayor of Amsterdam, the chief of the Netherlands Armed Forces, and other dignitaries. 

 

We then travelled by bus for two hours to our host town, Almelo, a city of 72,000, where we were dropped off at the Theatrehotel, our home for the next nine days. We were met by the Town Crier and our tour guides, and treated to coffee and Almelo's famous raisin bread. 
Later in the evening, our hosts  provided us with a magnificent hot buffet supper. We lucked out by being housed at the old European Theatrehotel - it had every amenity you could wish for, the food was superb and the place had oodles of ambience and charm. And ... as a bonus, it was located in the heart of the city where we could walk out of the hotel down narrow multi-century old cobblestone streets to hundreds of old shops and stores that were only assessable to walkers, bicycles and  scooters.

 

Sunday, May 3, at 10 a.m., the veterans in our contingent received special commemoration medals from the deputy mayor in the Canada Room at a special reception. We then bussed for two hours to Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery where   2,361 Canadian soldiers  are buried, row-on-row. We had the option of playing prior to the service as guests arrived for the ceremony but it was pouring rain so we didn't play.



Nathan Smith of the Kincardine Scottish at Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery

The ceremony of remembrance was very moving. All the veterans were seated in the front rows. Laureen Harper, wife of our prime minister, gave a very nice speech. Ditto for 93-year-old major general Richard Rohmer a Second World War fighter pilot, who reminisced about what the veterans went through in the war. He also ripped on Hitler and the atrocities his Nazi  henchmen performed in the war. 

The Padre of the Canadian Forces gave a  spirited speech - we were all in a bit of awe when he criticized the Canadian minister of veterans affairs, with the minister, the Hon. Erin O'Toole, present. He also blasted the Supreme Court over some of its decisions of late (i.e. prayers, etc.). 

At the conclusion of the ceremony, our band members placed 20 special Kincardine commemorative markers on the graves of Kincardine boys. Jennifer and piper Larry Whittle, in their rain capes, played a couple of tunes in front of one of the graves. 

That evening we had the night off and one of our elderly members thought he would make like everybody in Almelo and go biking around town. He rented a bike from the hotel and went exploring. One bike path led him to the gated entrance of a big estate. The gates were open so he biked in to take some pictures. When he returned, the gates were locked shut before him. He was in a quandary because there was a moat all around the property filled with water - he was one lonely Canadian locked in with no cell phone!  
He had to rap on doors to find the caretaker to let him out. Turned out the PRIVATE property belongs to Count Van Rechteren-Limpurg whose family has owned the property since the 16th Century. He was told the gates lock automatically every night at 8:30 p.m. 

 

Monday, May 4, we were off with 79 other buses for the Dutch Remembrance Day Commemorative Ceremony at the Holten Canadian War Cemetery where 1,430 Canadian soldiers are buried. The cemetery is all by itself away out in the country. We all needed clearance cards because Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet and our prime minister, Stephen Harper, were attending.  

The Kincardine Scottish and the Mariposa Band of Orillia formed two honour guards opposite each other on the entrance walk leading into and up to the very high memorial statue in the cemetery with the huge Netherlands and Canadian flags  flying on each side. Each band would take turns playing tunes as the people walked into the cemetery. We began playing at 10:30 a.m. and didn't finish until 11:45 a.m. 

Two thousand people passed by us on their way in. At 11:50 a.m., a colour party led Princess Margriet and her husband,  Canada's prime minister and his wife, the Canadian ministers of defence and veterans affairs, the mayor of Holten and many other dignitaries, up the long walkway to the memorial statue. All the veterans were seated in the front rows. One hundred Canadian soldiers were standing at attention in the background.

Many speeches were given by the dignitaries and all the speakers honoured the veterans in their opening remarks. Our prime minister gave an excellent speech regarding the fight for freedom. A Dutch MP was the guest speaker - he addressed his remarks in Dutch to all the school children present about the importance of living in freedom and to always be vigilant. 

Three school children took turns reading the poem, "The Train Whistle," and blowing a big whistle at appropriate times.  Canadian and Dutch youth read off a "Commitment to Remember". Dignitaries laid huge, beautiful, magnificent wreaths constructed of flowers. It was particularly moving when 100 school children quickly and efficiently placed a bouquet of 10  yellow baby roses on each and every burial plot in the cemetery. 



School children place roses at the graves in the Holten Canadian War Cemetery

The Victoria Children's Choir sang "The Brave Sons of Canada" and "In Flanders Fields". School children presented Her Highness Princess Margriet with the Canadian flag. The music provided during the ceremony was absolutely wonderful. During the ceremony, a helicopter made several passes over the crowd below and dropped  thousands of red poppies.

After the ceremony, the pick-up point for all the pipe bands was 500 yards along a  narrow road in a  bush. As we waited for our No. 6 bus of the other 79 buses, we lined up on either side of the road and played a tune. Next thing we knew, several of the other pipe bands had joined us and played along with us. We had an impromptu concert in the bush. 

The veterans loved it! They line up behind us - some standing, some leaning on their walkers and some in their wheel chairs but all of them clapping. One veteran danced in the street as we played. Many wanted their pictures taken with a piper or a drummer. It was a great memory for all of us!

 

That evening, we played at a beautiful century-old hospital chapel venue called Hof 88. The mayor of Almelo gave a nice speech, thanking all the veterans in the front rows. Two high school students gave speeches. The place was full of people.  Our band played several tunes, and then went outside and formed up behind three Dutch military drummers who led us in a "Silent Walk"  six blocks through the city centre to Almelo's Remembrance Monument for a Remembrance Ceremony. 

There were hundreds of people present. The City Brass Band played several hauntingly-beautiful old hymns from time-to-time during the ceremony and several times the crowd hummed along with them - very moving. The M.C. said Dankje!  Dankje!  Dankje! (Thank You)  to the many veterans sitting in the front rows. A men's choir sang "Here's To The Heroes" all the time looking at the veterans - beautiful!  

The Kincardine Scottish played several tunes. At exactly 8 p.m. sharp, the first part only of "The Last Post" was played  - there was then dead silence for a very long time with only the song birds singing in the background  - sort of symbolic of peace! Both national anthems were played and sung proudly. Wreath laying took place - the wreaths were huge and made from beautiful flowers. 

At the conclusion, children came out of the crowd to lay single flowers at the cenotaph - very touching! It was a much longer march this night than we had expected. Jennifer was still recovering from her broken leg but thought she would take her walking cast off so she would not have to swing it as she marched. A car was arranged to take Jennifer back to our hotel to spare her having to walk another six blocks. All of us were in awe how our pipe major had been able to march in every parade so far. She is tough!

 

Tuesday, May 5, at 10 a.m., we marched from our hotel a block to the market square. We were then led by the Town Crier, bikers decked out in blue and yellow, and several motorcyclists a few blocks to Almelo's City Hall to the Liberation Memorial for the Celebration Of Liberation. Mayor Willem Urlings gave a stirring speech, first warmly welcoming  the Netherlands liberators - the Canadian veterans - and thanking them.

The theme of his speech was, 'Those Who Close Their Eyes To The Past, Are Blinded To The Future".  He mentioned that during the war, 250 Jews from Almelo never returned. Their names are engraved on memorial plates on this square so that they will never be forgotten. Today, Jewish life has virtually disappeared from the city, according to the mayor. He said we must never get used to freedom and that the price of freedom is eternal vigilance.
He then lit the Freedom Torch, passed it to two children who passed it to other dignitaries and then back to the mayor who climbed a ladder and lit the liberation fire caldron shaped like a giant torch - impressive!  We then marched a block over to the new town hall (not opened officially yet) for a reception hosted by the mayor. More raisin bread - yum!

 

At noon, we departed for the City of Wageningen where the declaration of surrender was signed at the conclusion of the Second World War. There was a torrential rainpour which delayed the parade for an hour-and-a-half. When things cleared, there was a Lancaster bomber making passes over the city followed by four Spitfire planes.
When I saw the Lancaster, I thought of my old friend, Nute Cuyler, who was a tail gunner in one of them on many missions. Nute made it back home to Kincardine but carried shrapnel in his leg from enemy fire for the rest of his life.

There were all kinds of brass bands and pipe bands warming up - 25 in total. The Burlington Teen Band let out one loud ear-popping drum beat never heard before. Just prior to the parade starting, a Cessna plane dropped thousands and thousands of tulip petals down on the crowd - the petals symbolized the bread-drops in the war.

The parade began and there were thousands and thousands of people of all ages lining the narrow streets six-deep. It was very moving - the people clapping and cheering reminded me of the news reels at the movie theatres when our soldiers paraded and rode in army vehicles on these same streets at the end of the war. 

At the centre of the parade, at the dignitary platform as we passed by, major general Richard Rohmer in his distinguished Second World War Air Force uniform, climbed down and walked out on the street and shook hands with piper Leslie Ray.  The general's daughter, Ann Rohmer, and Leslie were summertime pals growing up at Bruce Beach.
The parade was an hour long. John McManus' pedometer on his smart phone said that we had marched just over five miles so far that day. Jennifer put her walking cast back on today and did not miss a single step along the march. Gutsy lady!
 

In the evening, we travelled to the City of Zutphen for another parade. Prior to the parade we were treated to a great hot meal (steak, veal cutlets) at a beautiful old restaurant. Hundreds of people came out to line the streets of this old city for the parade. The city was hit hard in the war by the Germans. The city water tower still stands on the parade route - it is gigantic - six or seven stories high and made of cement. German snipers used the small windows away up high in the tower to pick people off during the war. 

After the long parade in Wageningen, my bad knee was killing me so the pipe major let me sit out this the third parade of the day. I lucked out - I rode in the parade in the passenger side of a restored small 1924 bus (wood panelling on sides and interior) while six Canadian ladies sat in the back singing "O Canada" and waving their flags.

 

Wednesday, May 6, was our one and only "day off" so most of us went on a bus to Amsterdam to take in the sights at that old historic city. Our water canal tour in the centre of the city via a scenic tour boat, was fantastic. Amsterdam has hundreds of miles of waterway "streets" (canals) that its 800,000 inhabitants use from time-to-time. Our boat must have gone under 100 arched bridges that pedestrians and bikers use. 

Each waterway is lined with beautiful 17th-century townhouses, three and four stories high. Most of the homes still have a hook mounted near the eaves, part of a pulley system to haul furniture and wares to upper levels. People love the historical atmosphere and the fact you are near Amsterdam's opera and museums. The captain pointed out Anne Frank's house as we paddled by it.

All along the waterways are old boats and ships of every size, shape and vintage which people use as year-round house boats. Most are legal - they get hydro and water from the city and, in turn, pay taxes. The waterways are a photographer/artist's delight - I must have snapped 50 pictures on my camera.



Kincardine Scottish band members out on the town in Amsterdam

 

After the boat tour, we all went our merry way, exploring things around the city centre. We sampled Amsterdam's famous French fries with mayonnaise. Young Nathan Smith bought wooden shoes - Keith and Jennifer bought  a few big bungs of gouda cheese in a cheese house that had bungs of cheese piled up 12 feet to the ceiling. 

The wee group I was with, sampled some great European beer in a quaint old pub along one of the waterway streets and then we went window shopping along several of the old cobblestone streets. I left our group to visit the world famous 18th-century Riiki Museum  where Rembrandt's and several other Dutch Master artists' paintings are displayed. The museum has just opened again after being restored over 10 years. 

I viewed Rembrandt's "Night Watch" painting and several of his other paintings. Bought some souvenirs there for my artist daughter, Cathy D. Visited Van Gogh's museum, too, but as soon as I entered it, the place was closing up for the day.  What a day! I love Amsterdam!

 

Some trivia for you:
 

• In the Netherlands, there are no screens on doors or windows because they have no bugs!
• The Netherlands (at least the area we were in) is very, very flat out in the countryside with green, green fields and nice looking dark brown arable earth.
• People over there don't like to hear that they live in Holland - Holland is a province so they like to say they live in the Netherlands.
• The buses we travelled on were luxury buses with nothing but windows, comfortable seats with all kinds of leg room, and the bathroom was in the middle of the bus down two steps next to a side door.
• Lots of times on the bus, it was lunch time so our hosts gave us each a yummy bag lunch, consisting of ham on a bun, cheese on a bun and a raisin bread bun, an apple, a chocolate bar and a fruit box drink. I always ate every bit of mine because I was so hungry after being on march in the morning.
• In  Holten Cemetery, Terry Reid found Frank Hall's gravesite and placed a special band commemorative marker on it. Frank grew up in the Hall "Green" House across the road from him on Huron Terrace.
• Leslie Ray's hobby is the study of Royalty so instead of going to Amsterdam with us, she visited the town where Wilhem Kaiser, King of Germany, is buried in his estate mansion grounds. He was Queen Victoria's grandson and was exiled to the Netherlands after the First World War.
• One of the tunes we play is "The 10th Highland Light Infantry Crossing The Rhine". While travelling on our bus one day, it was pointed out that we were just 50 miles from where the crossing took place. Neat, eh?
• 7,700 Canadians have been laid to rest in the Netherlands, most of them at at one of the three major cemeteries: Berfgen op Zoom, Groesbeek, and Holten.

 

Thursday, May 7, this morning we paraded from our hotel down to Almelo's Market Square where all kinds of  booths  were set up on the street for their weekly market. We played in two locations and broke off at 11:30 a.m. where we were invited in to a pub for free beer (again). A beautiful young lady in a period dress gave all the ladies in the band a single rose. She also toured up and down the street giving roses to other ladies and she offered everybody a shiny wrapped chocolate from her basket.

Zahns Fish Mongers had all kinds of fresh fish for sale. They gave everybody in the band free fried fish in a box. Yum! The Town Crier was right beside me and he tried some raw herring lathered in diced onions. The herring had the back bone, innards, fins and skin removed and the two filets were still attached at the tail. He held the fish up by the tail, tilted his head way back and dropped the herring into his mouth and started eating it.  When in Rome, do as The Romans do, so I tried the raw herring too. It was delicious. I kid you not! Renee, the Town Crier, said that eating fresh raw herring is the way the Dutch get their vitamins and their blood thinned.

 

In the afternoon, we travelled to the Town of Nijverdal and the Oorlog en Vrede Museum. We were given a very wonderful reception. In his welcome  to the veterans, the mayor said, "We live in peace because of the Canadian boys".  he food they served us was decadent - pudding bread - Danish bread with fruit on top - lemon cake - buns with ham/cheese, coffee and tea. And lots of free beer (again!).

Our museum visit was an unforgettable experience. The museum is set up as a theme park where visitors walk through and feel the history of the rise of National Socialism in Germany and the liberation of Europe in 1945.  You can experience what it is was like to be a soldier in a German bunker during the Allied invasion of Normandy. We could feel the earth shudder as bombs and shells fell around. We entered the chilling barracks of a concentration camp. There were all kinds of pictures and information about Anne Frank  and what she and her family went through. The museum wants to  keep memories alive about the war but also to say "this, never again!"

 

In the evening, all the shops in Almelo were open till 9 p.m.,  so we had fun shopping and visiting some of the pubs and eateries.

 

Friday, May 8, the Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band made history today. We played at no less than five gigs! In the morning and the afternoon, we played at four different Senior Centres in Alpeno and some surrounding villages. We were well-received and after each performance, we received raisin bread and a beer (again). At one of the complexes, we received a wonderful hot meal. 

In the evening, we marched and played through the Town of Wierden's downtown. Hundreds of citizens came out to cheer the veterans present. And, of course, after the parade, another beer (again) for us. The people in the Netherlands are so generous. Just before leaving Wierden's, some of Nathan's Smith's fans were waving like mad to him on the bus. Nathan grabbed his pipes from the overhead rack, left the bus and played a tune for the young ladies. As the bus pulled away, his fans were still waving to Nathan.

 

Some more trivia:
 

• Netherlands people are really friendly, very hospitable, polite, generous, respectful of others, fun-loving and they really, really like Canadians. It's reciprocal - we really like them too.
• My dad was a veteran and a strong, long-time Legion man. Every time I got a chance to shake the hand of a veteran, I did, and thanked them for their service to our country. I think I must have shaken the hand of at least  50 veterans. What an honour to do so.
• I think it would be nice once Kincardine gets natural gas, to have a 12-foot-high liberation torch caldron monument like Almelo does and place it at the municipality's cenotaph at the Legion, and light it for the day on special occasions.
• When you buy a cup of tea in the Netherlands, you get a small biscuit or cookie to go with it.
• In the Netherlands, everybody rides a bicycle. Their bikes are heavy duty, the handlebars are up a little higher than our bikes so you sit upright to pedal. They have seven or eight gears, and a simple turn of your right hand on the handlebar gears activates them quickly and quietly. When you leave your bike unattended you have a key you insert and turn under the seat which locks up the back wheel so it won't turn. Some bikes have a heavy frame plate on the front or back (or both) and  you can transport a passenger - hence the name "double Dutch"
• It rains quite a bit in the Netherlands but it never seems to last long.
• The raisin bread over there is to die for - they use both raisins and currants combined in the moist bread and you get four-times as much as you do in Canada. Dave Hamilton seldom eats bread but over in the Netherlands, he could not get enough raisin bread. Me too - I don't know what is better, the raisin bread or the beer - think they are both tied for first.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 

Saturday, May 9, our final parade, is at Appeldoorn, a city of 122,000 people. Only six bands have been invited to participate in this parade and we are one of them. Many vintage old army vehicles are in the parade which takes a little over an hour. The sun is out, my tunic is soaked wet at the finish. Jennifer swings her black walking cast in time to the lilt of her kilt.

Huge banners along the parade route that say  "HELLO AGAIN", and many signs on buildings say "Thank You Boys". Thousands of people line the streets, many waving Canadian flags. The veterans travel in open, no-roof, old jeeps, and there is thunderous applause as they pass by. People of all ages reach out to touch a veteran's hand. 



Marching in Appeldoorn parade

At the Olympic-size Veledrome (racing bikes), the closing of the Canadian Liberation Festival takes place. The pipe band, including the Kincardine Scottish, march behind each other as a massed band (150 pipes and drums). As we play and enter the building, I get a lump in my throat as we see about 5,000 people standing and cheering for the veterans, up along the whole one side of the Veledrome. 

We played 'When The Battle's Or' and 'The Green Hills of Tyrol' non-stop for at least 15 minutes as the 150 veterans, accompanied by school children were brought in and seated in the front rows around the big stage. Her Royal Highness Princess Margriet was in attendance along with many other dignitaries. The program was fantastic - it was "Liberation By Music" with the Royal Netherlands Air Force Band and its 48 musicians performing. What beautiful music! I have never heard/seen anything quite like what we did that day.

 

In the evening, a farewell party was held in the Canada Room at the Theaterhotel. An absolutely wonderful buffet meal was served with every kind of food you could imagine. It was awesome! Non-stop beer and wine was served. Two lady hairdressers provided great entertainment as they sang old Second World War songs to the veterans and did up ladies' hair at the same time. They were good! Several ladies in the band took the opportunity to have their hair done and serenaded to at the same time. 

The Legion Colour Party performed a neat singing skit, as did the Millarton Group from the Kincardine Scottish. John McManus and Dave Wilson presented gifts from the band to our wonderful guides/hosts for our stay - Jos, Ron and Yola.  Joan MacIntosh played our signature tune on the pipes - "Will Ye No Come Back Again" - and Leslie sang it so beautifully.  The evening wound up with everybody  singing "We'll Meet Again". A fun night!

 

More Trivia:
 

• You don't see any chubby kids or adults in the Netherlands. No wonder! They walk and bicycle all over the place all the time - they leave their cars at home. It's hard to find a can of pop to buy over there.
• Many Netherlands people are tall and statuesque - well over six feet, both women and men. The women are gorgeous and the men are handsome.
• When you flush a toilet in the Netherlands you just lean back with your back onto a recessed plate.
• You pay an attendant to use public toilets over there (not for us, though, they gave us a freebie sticker).
• Lisa Moore's pedometer calculated that she had walked 17,000 steps one day. Her pedometer informed her that she had walked the equivalent of 80 kilometres (110,000 steps) for the week. That's like marching up to Port Elgin and back!
• The complimentary buffet breakfasts we received each morning  were to die for. You would not believe what a selection of  delicious and nutritious food we had.
• The Almelo Town Crier Renne Coupee is a great guy. There are 500 Town Criers in Europe all the way from Finland to England and he is the current European Champion. He was at most of our events ringing his bell and introducing us to audiences. I think that Kincardine should consider obtaining a Town Crier to perform at special events. A good choice  would be Scott Telford, the Kincardine Scottish Drum Major. He has a loud voice, he can project, he has a mace, a Kincardine tartan kilt and all kinds of Scottish regalia. All he needs is a big Town Crier hat, a long-handled bell and a big tartan shawl to go over his shoulders. Scott watched Renee perform for 10 days and he has had all kinds of practice shouting out to the crowds on Saturday nights in the summers. He would be a natural.
• If my calculations are correct The Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band marched 17 times (some short, some long) during our stay in the Netherlands. A good way to walk off all the raisin bread we ate.

 

Saturday, May 10, farewell Almelo and the Netherlands! We flew out of the Amsterdam airport on KLM airlines at 6 p.m. Dutch time and arrived back at Pearson Airport at 9 p.m. our time. It was another perfect flight. I lucked out again and had another exit seat on the wing - nobody sitting ahead of me. There was a young 15-year-old girl sitting behind me, I asked her what her favourite moment was on her trip - she said sitting beside her great-grandfather, a veteran, in the jeep during the parade in Appeldoorn.

The captain thanked the veterans onboard again - once again, there was a huge cheer for them from all the passengers.  All the attendants were six-feet tall or over and looked striking in their royal blue uniforms - a final reminder about the  tallest people on earth. We arrived back in good ole' Kincardine at 1 a.m.



The Kincardine Scottish Pipe Band marches in Almelo; video by Jolien van Gaalen