Canadian delegation travelling to Belgium to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Scheldt
OTTAWA, Aug. 26, 2019 /CNW/ - The Government of Canada is committed to remembering and honouring the sacrifices and achievements of Canadians in uniform, including the more than 75,000 of our service members who took part in the Battle of the Scheldt in the fall of 1944.
A Government of Canada delegation will head to Belgium to participate in a series of events marking the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Scheldt. The delegation will depart Montreal on 4 September 2019 and will return to Canada on 9 September 2019.
The delegation attending events overseas will include Canadian Veterans of the Battle of the Scheldt, representing some of the regiments that took part in the campaign. The First Canadian Army played a leading role during the Battle of the Scheldt and will be well represented by the delegation's campaign Veterans.
The Canadian delegation will be participating in events in Belgium to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Scheldt. These will include:
- The launch of Joy and Sorrow, Liberated Antwerp (1944-45) a temporary exhibit at the Antwerp City Archives.
- A ceremony at the Adegem Canadian War Cemetery (Maldegem) where 848 Canadian service members are buried.
- A ceremony in Antwerp's central city park (Stadspark) at the Monument to the Fallen of the Second World War.
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"We are pleased to send a delegation to Belgium this summer to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the Battle of the Scheldt. The Government of Canada will continue to recognize the sacrifices made by the brave Canadians who have served our country in the defence of peace and freedom. We are honoured to have our Veterans return to the region they helped liberate decades ago and visit burial sites of their many comrades who fell during the Battle of the Scheldt."
The Honourable Lawrence MacAulay, Minister of Veterans Affairs and Associate Minister of National Defence
Quick facts on the Battle of the Scheldt
- After some unsuccessful opening actions in September 1944, the Battle of the Scheldt began in earnest on 2 October and ended on 8 November 1944. Victory in the Scheldt provided access to the major Belgian port of Antwerp, allowing crucial supplies to be delivered to the Allied troops advancing in northwestern Europe.
- The Canadians saw heavy action in northwestern Belgium and the southwestern Netherlands and they freed the citizens of many towns and villages there during the Battle of the Scheldt.
- The main portion of the Battle of the Scheldt lasted for some five weeks and involved more than 75,000 Canadian service members. Over 6,300 Canadian soldiers were killed, wounded or taken prisoner.
- The First Canadian Army was an outstanding example of international cooperation. It was made up mainly of Canadian, British and Polish forces, joined at various times by American, Belgian, Dutch and Czech soldiers.
- The Canadians who fought in the Battle of the Scheldt were among the more than one million men and women from our country who served in uniform during the Second World War.
Join the conversation on social media by using the hashtags #CanadaRemembers and #Scheldt75, or visit www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/events/scheldt-75th-anniversary
SOURCE Veterans Affairs Canada
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