Victory demonstrations in Holland

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Interestingly, the photos taken at Leiden on 22 May show Rob Roy IV with spare track blocks neatly draped around the turret:

141206.jpg beeldbankwo2 141208.jpg

While five days later on 27 May 1945 at Amsterdam, all the additional track blocks have been taken off the turret:

beeldbankwo2 204167.jpg beeldbankwo2 204166.jpg

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

Caption: "Canadian tank. "Mine clearer" before the parade. Canadian soldiers in the Netherlands. Demonstration with a Sherman Crab (minesweeper) prior to the parade on Dam Square in Amsterdam. Leiden, Schuttersveld. May 22, 1945."

This is Sherman V Crab "ROB ROY IV" of the 1st Lothians and Border Yeomanry, 79th Armoured Division:

Attachment 111278
Source: https://beeldbankwo2.nl/nl/beelden/d...a-dc1c4e714a73


Plus a second picture of what looks to be the same Sherman V Crab, possibly while on parade on its way to the demonstration?

Edited to add: another source has this picture captioned as "Canadian soldiers with a Sherman Crab (minesweeper) and Churchill tank on their way from the line-up area to the parade on Dam Square in Amsterdam."

Attachment 111279

And a third, dated 27 May 1945, Amsterdam:

Attachment 111280
Source: http://proxy.handle.net/10648/6a32e0...c-003048944028

[Dan Martel]

Hanno,

First off, great photographs and great thread. I've linked a history of the Three Rivers Regiment from the Second World War written by Charles Prieur. Prieur joined the Regiment in 1941 and served with it until the end of the war. You can view it here.

On the final pages he mentions two post-war parades held in Holland. On May 20-21 the Regiment lined its tanks along a roadway in The Hague for a victory parade. [page 294]

On June 3, the entire 1st Canadian Armoured Brigade paraded in Doorn in front of General Crerar. "More that 250 tanks and self-propelled guns advanced 28 abreast and 10 deep towards the reviewing stand..." Participants included the 98th Sussex and Surrey Yeomanry, Royal Artillery. [page 295]

Unfortunately, there are no photographs of either event in Prieur's book. It might be worth a look in the archives.

Cheers,
Dan.

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Thanks Dan,

I'll scrutinize the document later.

Hanno

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Here are some vehicles parading in Dordrecht on 15 May 1945:

Sherman Hybrid IC "Commodore" in the Van Baerlestraat (source):
prints_3_2_552_326225.jpg


Sherman Hybrid IC "Courage" followed by a Sherman Crab on the de Hugo de Grootlaan turning in the direction of the Krispijnseweg (source).
Note: we have seen "Courage" on here before: http://www.mapleleafup.net/forums/sh...ourage+sherman:
prints_3_2_552_326226.jpg


LVT-4 and Sherman Crab at the Krispijnseweg (source):
prints_3_1_552_319914.jpg


Vehicles lined up (source):
552_319924.jpg

C8A HUPs in the parade (source):
prints_3_2_552_320625.jpg

There are many more pictures in the Dordrecht municipal archives, search for "bevrijding" at https://beeldbank.regionaalarchiefdordrecht.nl/