Canadian Veteran Returns to the Netherlands 75 Years Later
In 1944, young Private Ernie Wiles, a paratrooper with the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion, found himself in the air above Holland, in the middle of a war.
75 years later his vantage point was considerably more comfortable, and much less dangerous, as he found himself once again touching down in The Netherlands.
The opportunity to return was thanks to the generosity of a group of Dutch businessmen, and their desire to acknowledge the debt owed to those Allied Forces members who fought to liberate Holland during World War II, by paying for a group of Veterans to return and receive a hero’s welcome.
The trip occurs annually, coinciding with the anniversary of Operation Market Garden, which resulted in the liberation of the Dutch cities of Eindhoven and Nijmegen and several smaller towns.
So, on September 12, Wiles, who now resides in Lindsay, Ontario, found himself in the company of two other Canadian veterans, as well as three American and twelve British veterans, all bound for Europe for 10 days of celebrations and 75th Anniversary commemorations. Most of the participants were aged 95 and up – “at 93, Ernie was the baby of the group,” says Larry Day, who helped to organize the trip and accompanied the veterans overseas.
Day adds, “Ernie got to talk to the British and American paratroopers, and instant friendships were made. It was as if seventy-five years had just melted away.”
There were many activities planned for the veterans, and everywhere they went they were greeted with such enthusiasm. “Everybody knew we were coming!” says Wiles. “I couldn’t ever have dreamed we would be treated like that after all these years!” He explains that wherever they went, they had to work their way through a crowd. “Everybody was cheering and shaking our hands – I really did feel like a rock star,” he adds.
One of the highlights of the trip was a football game in Arnhem. Day says, “the Veterans were announced and as they entered the field the stadium went wild!” Wiles adds to that by saying “everybody in the stadium stood up and cheered – we couldn’t hear a thing except the roar of the crowd.”
There were also quiet visits to cemeteries, get-togethers with Dutch cadets, and many other events which allowed the Dutch people to say thank you with sincerity and fanfare.
Looking back on the trip, Wiles acknowledges the support of Fenelon Falls Legion Branch 238, which worked to arrange additional funding to cover insurance costs for his trip. “I couldn’t have done it without them,” he explains. “It really was a “bucket list” trip, and I am so grateful to everyone who helped make this happen.”
By Belinda Wilson
