Dutch Civilian Load a Canadian Truck with Food

Image size: 1600 x 1584 pixel. 52,4 KB
Date: Thursday, 3 May 1945
Place: Wageningen, Netherlands
Photographer: Alex Stirton

Along the Rhenen-Wageningen road, Netherlands: Dutch civilians unloading food from a Canadian truck to the town dump, following agreement amongst Germans, Dutch and Canadians about the ground distribution of food to the Dutch population. 3 May 1945. Air drops of food by the British and United States had started on April 29th and lasted till May 8th. At the meeting in Achterveld on April 30 both sides decided that the transport by air alone would not suffice. A second operation, codenamed Faust, would also be launched. Two hundred allied trucks from the 21st Army Group would bring food to Rhenen, starting May 2nd.  Rhenen was at that moment a city on the German side of the frontline. In Rhenen the trucks would go over in the hands of Dutch truck drivers, who would take the food further into occupied Holland. According to the plan, 1000 tons of food would be transported daily by the Wageningen - Rhenen road. This photograph was taken by Alex Stirton.

Source :
http://operationmanna.secondworldwar.nl/foodtrucks.php
http://www.mapleleafup.ca/ve1.html

Food Negotiations Between German and the Canadians

Image size: 1600 x 1205 pixel. 403 KB
Date: Monday, 30 April 1945
Place: Achterveld, Netherlands
Photographer: Ernest DeGuire

Food negotiations begin. German and Canadian negotiators arrive at a schoolhouse, where they secretly discuss supplying food to the starving Dutch people still in German-held areas. While 2nd Corps of the 1st Canadian Army was crossing the Rhine River in late March 1945, 1st Corps was on a massive redeployment from the Italian front — through the Mediterranean and up through the south of France — to join the 1st Canadian Army advance into Germany and The Netherlands. Moving into northern Netherlands the Canadians effectively cut off the 117,000 German troops in western Holland, leaving them with no means of escape. The Germans were defeated and the exhausted Canadian soldiers could see the end. Nobody wanted to be the last man killed in this war in the cold bleak months of early 1945. But the occupying Germans were still fighting, and the occupied Dutch were still suffering serious privation under them. The oppressors had flooded the farmlands of western Netherlands and blockaded food and supplies to civilians. The abject neglect of the Dutch by the occupying Germans caused the death of at least 18,000 civilians in the terrible famine known as the Hunger Winter. The picture was taken by Ernest DeGuire on 30 April 1945 at Achterveld, Netherlands.

Source :
http://www.mapleleafup.ca/ve1.html

American, Soviet and British Soldiers at Elbe

Image size: 1432 x 1600 pixel. 695 KB
Date: Wednesday, 25 April 1945
Place: Torgau an der Elbe, Germany
Photographer: Unknown

An American, a Soviet and a British soldier share Camel Cigarettes, at Torgau an der Elbe, April, 25th 1945. On that day American and Soviet - even some British troops - decided to meet each other at the Elbe River near Torgau, Germany. It took some work, translators, and lots of discussion through the translators and officers on the radio but, the now famous meeting was put together. Soviet, British, and American forces embraced each other, some even kissed one another, out of joy that Germany had been split in two and the war was finally coming to a close. However, the war was not yet won and many would still be killed. Some were not even killed in combat but by drunks, accidents, etc. The Meeting at the Elbe became a popular example of peace once had and chances of peace during the Cold War. Several songs were written about it and its date, April 25th, was even considered being made a “World Peace Day” but unfortunately it was rejected by the UN. However, those who were there never forgot it and for many it touched them deeply. The picture was colorised by Paul Kerestes from Romania.

Source :

https://www.instagram.com/p/BkC3G6GnsG8/

https://www.world-at-war.co.uk/?p=57&

Canadian Soldiers with Their Dutch Girlfriends

Image size: 1600 x 1232 pixel. 82.5 KB
Date: Friday, 16 November 1945
Place: Amersfoort, Netherlands
Photographer: Ken Bell

16 November 1945: Though the victory against the German in Europe came in May 1945, some of the young Canadian soldiers would live in The Netherlands well in to 1946 before becoming eligible to come home to Canada. Here, personnel of 4th Canadian Armoured Division and their Dutch fiancées.Left to right: Grenadier W.G. Dobbin with Wilhelmina De Groot, Grenadier R.A. Jennings with Rita Nies, Corporal E.P. Weiss with Nancy Raven, and Private N. Landry with Aaltaga Berends. It is estimated that approximately 43,500 war brides went to Canada following the demobilization of Canadian troops. Accompanying them were some 21,000 children born to European mothers and Canadian military fathers. The picture was taken by photographer Ken Bell at Amersfoort, Netherlands. Now becoming the collection of Library and Archives Canada No. a140422.

Source :
http://histomil.com/viewtopic.php?t=3918&start=4850

http://www.mapleleafup.ca/ve2.html