Q: Hillegom (NL) liberated May 1945 by which units

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by maple_leaf_eh

Hanno, this business of studying old trucks has a different emotional impact when you put it that way. Which regiment(s)?

Terry, I wish I knew

Mind you, the western part of The Netherlands was only liberated after the German occupation forces surrendered. So there were no large operations conducted to take the West by force, it was more a matter of entering the area to show the people the Allies were taking control. Prime interest was to reinstate civilian control.

I will post a few pictures of vehicles with unit markings hoping someone can identify the unit(s).

Thanks,
Hanno

[Hanno Spoelstra]

The picture posted in Did Canadian army in ETO use 4x2 CMPs? does not show any markings, except proves that 4x2 15-cwt CMPs were used.

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

. . . as this picture shows the same type of CMP in May 1945. This definitely is a Canadian Army truck as only (a) Canadian unit(s) liberated my home town.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

I will post a few pictures of vehicles with unit markings hoping someone can identify the unit(s).

Picture of Provost Jeep, first Canadian vehicle to enter Hillegom on 7 May 1945. Unit sign "83". Can anyone tell which unit it belonged to? I am very bad at translating unit and formation signs. . .

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Staghound. Unit sign "44".

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Sherman Hybrid IC Firefly. Unit sign "174".

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Picture of Provost Jeep, first Canadian vehicle to enter Hillegom on 7 May 1945. Unit sign "83". Can anyone tell which unit it belonged to? I am very bad at translating unit and formation signs. . .

AoS Serial 83 with white bar above - No. 3 Provost Company, C. Pro. C. (Corps Troops)
Fmn Sign - I Cdn Corps

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Staghound. Unit sign "44".

AoS Serial 44 with white bar above - 1st Armoured Car Regiment (Royal Canadian Dragoons), C.A.C. (Corps Troops)
Fmn Sign - I Cdn Corps

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Sherman Hybrid IC Firefly. Unit sign "174".

AoS Serial 174 - 12th Armoured Regiment (Three Rivers Regiment), C.A.C. (1st Cdn Armd Bde)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Thanks Mark!

Now I need to figure out how & when these units operated in the western part of Holland.

Hanno

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Some pictures of the liberation parade on 5 May this year:

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Thanks Mark!

Now I need to figure out how & when these units operated in the western part of Holland.

Hanno

Hanno;

The answer is on this forum somewhere, I remember responding to the same question before. Elements of the I Canadian Corps began crossing the Grebbe Line into the Western Netherlands the morning of 7th May 1945, when the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division took over the 88th German Corps' area about Utrecht, extending from the Ijsselmeer to the Lek. On the morning of 8th May 1945, 1st Canadian Infantry Division took control of the 30th German Corps' area in the remaining territory to the west.

Cheers

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Mark W. Tonner

The answer is on this forum somewhere, I remember responding to the same question before. Elements of the I Canadian Corps began crossing the Grebbe Line into the Western Netherlands the morning of 7th May 1945, when the 49th (West Riding) Infantry Division took over the 88th German Corps' area about Utrecht, extending from the Ijsselmeer to the Lek. On the morning of 8th May 1945, 1st Canadian Infantry Division took control of the 30th German Corps' area in the remaining territory to the west.

Mark, excellent!

This will help my search tremendously.

Thanks!

Hanno

[Mark W. Tonner]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Mark, excellent!

This will help my search tremendously.

Thanks!

Hanno

Hi Hanno;

Some more notes from an earlier post regarding this topic can be found on page 2 of the thread entitled: 'GM Foxes in N.West Europe' in the Armour Forum, located here: http://www.mapleleafup.org/forums/showthread.php?p=106087&highlight=Riding#post10608 7

Cheers

[Alex van de Wetering]

Hanno,
great to see some liberation shots from our area!

Alex

[Little Jo]

Hi

I was born in Hillegom and was 3 years of age when the town was liberated by Canadian troops. My aunty in Holland has a book about the 4 years of occupation by German Forces. In the book there are some photographs that shows the Canadian Troops arriving in the town. There is even a street scene photo of towns folk showing me as a 3 year old with my 12 year old aunty.

I have always been told by family that it was the canadian Forces that first entered and liberated the town.

Hope that helps, Cheers

Little Jo

[Bob Moseley (RIP)]

Hi all - Jo is my latest recruit to join MLU. Have known him through work in my previous life. Welcome Little (yea right) Jo and be prepared to be infected by anything green pretty soon.

Bob

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Picture of Provost Jeep, first Canadian vehicle to enter Hillegom on 7 May 1945. Unit sign "83".

Another picture of the same Jeep, thanks to Mark we know it belonged to No. 3 Provost Company, C. Pro. C. (Corps Troops), I Cdn Corps

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Another liberation parade on 5 May this year, part of the Bollenstreek Liberation Tour. Great crowd in Hillegom!

H.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Hanno, now you know why I was pointing at the building...

Alex

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

Hanno, now you know why I was pointing at the building...

Alex, excellent "Then & Now" photography

Thanks a lot!

Hanno

[Alex van de Wetering]

Alex, excellent "Then & Now" photography

Well, it wasn't easy with such a huge amount of spectators! Fantastic. It put a smile on my face....especially when you consider that every year there is a discussion about whether or not to celebrate the liberation, more than 70 years after the fact!

Here's two more....I am not sure if these are better placed in this thread or in the then and now thread, but I will leave that up to you

Alex

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Alex,

Here is the next one we should take a then & now picture of: a Windsor carrier in Hillegom.

Captioned: “At the Leidsestraat a tank stops to talk to bystanders.”

Do I see a Maple Leaf unit sign on the left-hand fender?

[Alex van de Wetering]

Captioned: “At the Leidsestraat a tank stops to talk to bystanders.”

That's right around the corner from your house, isn't it? The building in the background on the left is the building where the Tatra used to sit years ago?

Do I see a Maple Leaf unit sign on the left-hand fender?

Polar bears maybe?

Alex

[Mark W. Tonner]

Hanno, Alex, - The carrier belongs to the 49th (British) Reconnaissance Regiment, RAC, of the 49th (British)(West Riding) Infantry Division. 49th (British)(West Riding) Infantry Division was under command, and control of Headquarters I Canadian Corps at this time.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Mark W. Tonner

Hanno, Alex, - The carrier belongs to the 49th (British) Reconnaissance Regiment, RAC, of the 49th (British)(West Riding) Infantry Division. 49th (British)(West Riding) Infantry Division was under command, and control of Headquarters I Canadian Corps at this time.

Thanks Mark, so it is another Polar Bears Windsor.

I have yet to find a Windsor Carrier in Canadian army service....

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Alex van de Wetering

That's right around the corner from your house, isn't it? The building in the background on the left is the building where the Tatra used to sit years ago?

Alex, I think is a bit further more up the road. Note the houses on the right side of the road. The typical bulb storage building on the left is obscured from view.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Alex, I think is a bit further more up the road. Note the houses on the right side of the road. The typical bulb storage building on the left is obscured from view.

Well done Hanno!

I have yet to find a Windsor Carrier in Canadian army service....

Here is one in Den Haag 1945......sadly not the full vehicle is visible, but it does show a maple leaf on the back.
source:https://haagsgemeentearchief.nl/medi...beeldcollectie

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Here are some more photos for Tony.

Ford CMP trucks in postwar Holland: Mr. Eef Scholte of Hillegom operated at least two of them. Eef is the man on the left in the first photo. His transport company no longer exists.




On its way in Haarlem:

Photo courtesy of Alex.

[Alex van de Wetering]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

On its way in Haarlem:
Photo courtesy of Alex.

I think the credits go to Bill Murray; he posted the pic on the forum back in 2013.
http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...720#post175720

The picture is held at the "Noord-Hollands archief". Attached is a bigger version of the pic.
Source: https://hdl.handle.net/21.12102/F59E...869EF080EBCFED