The Liberation of Belgium - 1944

60th Anniversary

2004 marks the 60th anniversary of the liberation of Belgium by Allied forces after more than four long years of harsh German occupation. Canada had an important part in this struggle with our soldiers playing a key role in defeating the Germans and restoring liberty to the people of Belgium. We mark this anniversary by remembering the sacrifices made by these brave Canadians in bringing freedom to others.

Fortress Europe

For much of the Second World War, Germany controlled most of Europe, invading and occupying country after country- including Belgium- in the embattled continent. The Germans transformed the continent into what came to be known as 'Fortress Europe'. Formidable defences bristled along the coasts as the Germans watched and waited for the Allies' move to retake the continent. The Allies invaded Italy in 1943 and began to battle their way north. Then on June 6, 1944, the enormous opening move to free Europe from the west came in Normandy on D-Day. However, this great invasion was only the beginning of the mighty struggle in northwest Europe that would finally bring the Second World War to an end.

The Canadians Break Out

In the months following D-Day, the embattled Germans began to give way and the Canadians began to break-out north and east against the retreating German defences. First Canadian Army was tasked with securing the ports along the English Channel as they pushed their way up through coastal France and into Belgium and Holland on their way towards Germany itself.

The Canadian advance held extra importance due to the fact that the Allies were in need of a good port. They were still using the vulnerable port facilities they had constructed on the Normandy beaches to supply the invasion forces. Keeping the flow of Allied men and materiel into the fiercely-contested region was vital. The Germans were aware of this pressing need and were determined to hold these key ports at all costs.

Into Belgium

By early September the First Canadian Army- with some British, Polish and other troops under command- had liberated much of the French coast north of Normandy and pushed on into Belgium (although several fortified port towns in France would still have to be taken at great effort over the ensuing weeks).

In places it seemed the German resistance was faltering and Allied hopes were high for a speedy end to the war. Brussels, the capital of Belgium, was liberated in the first days of September, 1944. As the Canadian Army had swept north and east along the coast they encountered abandoned V-1 (or "Buzz Bomb") launch sites. Knocking these powerful and terrible weapons out of action offered great relief to the people of southeast England, who were their primary targets, and gave the Canadians much satisfaction.

Some Belgian villages were empty of the enemy when Canadian soldiers got to them, and others had to be fought for in what were usually brief but costly affairs. Large parts of western Belgium were quickly liberated as the Germans marshalled their defences in certain key areas. It was not always this quick however. For example, the battle to cross the Ghent Canal was a bitter one, with the Canadians establishing a bridgehead only after a mighty effort. There was also stiff fighting as the Canadians pushed north of Antwerp.

The efforts of the Belgian Resistence were key in the struggle to liberate the nation as well. They worked with the Allies in fighting the Germans and in securing some key locations. But the Allies still needed its all-important seaport.

Opening up Antwerp

The first ports liberated were either too small or too damaged to solve the supply problems of the liberating forces. Antwerp, a major port in Belgium, was able to be taken relatively undamaged in early September. The problem was that it lay some 80 kilometres from the open sea. Between it and the sea lay the West Scheldt estuary, passing through parts of Belgium and Holland which the Germans still controlled. The vital task of clearing these German defenders from the Scheldt and allowing the Allies to make use of Antwerp fell largely to First Canadian Army. To free the Scheldt, they would have to clear the Germans out of parts of Belgium and Holland.

The Battle of the Scheldt was a bitter and prolonged battle, much of it taking place in terrain that made fighting a nightmare. Flat, often flooded lands, with little cover that made passage nearly impossible, mud that sucked at men and machines, frequent dykes and canals that had to be crossed, and an entrenched, battle-hardened enemy made the struggle to liberate the area a mighty effort. Indeed, some of the toughest fighting of the war would be to cross the flat, wet, ditched terrain around the Leopold Canal in the north of Belgium.

Over six thousand Canadian soldiers would become casualties in the Battle of the Scheldt, but it was a vital and necessary effort- one First Canadian Army and its Allies were equal to. The German defenders were defeated, the Scheldt cleared of mines, and by late November Antwerp was finally opened to shipping. Fittingly, the first Allied ship to arrive was a Canadian one.

Sacrifice and Gratitude

Many a veteran would tell the story of entire Belgian towns coming out to joyously greet the soldiers, often showering the Canadian troops with thousands of flowers as they passed by in dogged pursuit of the retreating Germans.

However, victory in Belgium only came at a high cost. Over 800 Canadian soldiers are buried in Belgium, having made the ultimate sacrifice in helping drive out the occupying Germans and restoring liberty to the people of the country in 1944. Others returned home with injuries to body and mind that they would bear for the rest of their lives.

In the Second World War, Canada did not fight for national gain or power- Canadians fought for ideas of freedom, peace and justice. Canada joined with other nations to battle and defeat those who would deny these rights to others. The liberation of Belgium was an important part of this effort. The Canadian soldiers who helped liberate Belgium were true heroes, but these heroes were regular people- Canadians willing to volunteer to fight for their country to uphold the basic human rights of others and to defeat the forces of tyranny. Canada, and the world, owes an everlasting debt of gratitude to the men and women who have served their country in times of war and peace and sacrificed so much.

Want to Learn More?

For more information on Canada's role in the liberation of Belgium and in other battles during the Second World War, please visit the Veterans' Affair Canada website at www.vac-acc.gc.ca. While there, you can also browse the on-line version of the Second World War Book of Remembrance, a special book which records the names of the Canadians who fought and died in that great struggle. The book itself is located in the Peace Tower in Ottawa.

Canada Remembers Program

The Canada Remembers Program of Veterans Affairs Canada encourages all Canadians to learn about the sacrifices and achievements made by all those that served, and continue to serve, during times of war and peace, and to become involved in remembrance activities that will help to preserve their legacy for future generations of Canadians.