While browsing through our local electronic newspaper The Millstone I came upon an article by Ingrid Hamster. I have known Ingrid – and her son and late husband – for many years but I hadn’t any knowledge about what I read in the newspaper.
May 5th, 2025, marks the 80th anniversary of Liberation Day in the Netherlands, when Canadian troops freed the Dutch from Nazi occupation. I was listening to CBC’s Nahlah Ayed’s WWII special about this day, when I received a text from my Almonte friend George Bedard: “Thinking of you and your Grandfather this weekend”.
George had mentioned to me that her father had been Capt. Mike George, heading up the Baker platoon with the 48th Highlanders, liberating the Dutch town of Apeldoorn in April 1945.
Memories of Liberation – Ingrid Hamster
Coincidentally I have a number of indirect associations with this event so long ago. In 1968 I was Regimental Sgt. Major of St. Andrew’s College Highland Cadet Corps No. 142 affiliated with the 48th Highlanders of Canada.
St. Andrew’s College has a strong historical and ongoing association with the 48th Highlanders of Canada. The cadet corps, established in 1905, shares the same motto (Dileas Gu Brath – Faithful Forever) and uniform design (scarlet tunic and modern Gordon tartan) with the 48th Highlanders. The Highland Cadet Corps is now a multi-year leadership program, but still culminates in an annual inspection and parade in April.
By further coincidence, shortly after I arrived in Almonte in June of 1976 I attended an art show in the Old Town Hall. As I was backing up to get a better look at a painting, I mistakenly bumped into someone. I turned around to apologize and saw John Cameron (an Old Boy of St. Andrew’s College and a contemporary of mine). I exclaimed, “John, what are you doing here?” He replied, “I live here. What are you doing here?” I replied, “I live here!” It was then I learned that John (and his brother Bernard, who was also an Old Boy of the school) lived with their parents John and Peggy at The Glen on Malcolm Street in Almonte. John and I had also been at law school together at Dalhousie University in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
As much as I acknowledge there are many unsung war heroes (including my father whose Hudson aircraft was shot down in the North Atlantic by a Nazi submarine), I persist to have a distasteful overall view of the subject. My flimsy recollection of rifle practice at St. Andrew’s College does nothing to improve my regard. I am however grateful to learn of the improvement of the lot of the Dutch. As a youngster I was especially fond of the Dutch, some of whom I acquainted when visiting my parents in Stockholm, Sweden (where my father was connected with the Canadian Embassy). By additional coincidence I was privileged later in life to represent (during my law practice) a number of people from the Netherlands all of whom I can say without qualification were inspiring.
The St. Andrew’s College association with the 48th Highlanders of Canada is now predominantly ceremonial but it was not always so.
St. Andrew’s College (SAC) is an independent boarding and day school founded in 1899 and located in Aurora, Ontario, Canada.
Over 600 Old Boys fought in the First World War, and 104 lost their lives along with 2 masters. From 1918 to 1920, the college temporarily moved to Knox College, as the Rosedale Campus served as a military hospital for wounded soldiers from the First World War.
Over 600 Old Boys served during the Second World War, and 45 lost their lives. Plaques listing the names of those who lost their lives are displayed in the Memorial Chapel.
In the current atmosphere of war and civil war in many parts of the world, a revival or recollection of historic events of a similar nature are warranted. There continues to be in my mind no logical reason whatsoever that differences cannot be resolved by agreement and accommodation, neither of which in my opinion is more impossible or egregious than war.