That's a question only you can help answer, Cambridge, because after reaching out to local legion halls and the Royal Highland Fusiliers of Canada for leads, I've come up short.

Here's what we know:

De Groot says the photo was taken on the morning of April 17, 1945 near the Town Hall of Harlingen, beneath a large Netherlands flag and among a crowd filling the street in celebration. The soldier is wearing his fatigues, on which a local military historian says is the outline of a Canadian Volunteer Service Medal ribbon, above the left breast pocket.

If you want to get specific, the photo was taken at the Noorderhaven, writes De Groot, adding If you search on Google Maps for Noorderhaven 86, Harlingen “you will see nothing has changed since then.”

A parade of old military vehicles passes through the street during the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the liberation at the Noorderhaven in Harlingen. – Johnny De Groot photo

“I have known the photo for decades,” De Groot writes. “I saw it for the first time in the book Harlingen in oorlogstijd (Harlingen in wartime), published in 1946. The photo was later often used in the local newspaper for articles about the liberation of Harlingen. Almost everyone in Harlingen knows the photo.”

De Groot explains how he saw the photo again recently and asked if anyone knew the name of the Canadian soldier.

“Nobody knew his name. And I thought that was strange.

“For the Dutch population, Canadian liberators are all heroes. And a hero without a name? That is not possible,” he writes.

The unknown Canadian soldier at Noorderhaven in Harlingen, April 17, 1945. | Johnny De Groot collection

De Groot is eager to know if the soldier survived the war because after Harlingen, the Highland Light Infantry moved on to continue to root out Nazis.

“I hope he survived the war and hope that someone will recognize him,” De Groot writes.

Next year, Harlingen will host a celebration marking the 75th anniversary of the liberation with an exhibition in the museum "The Hannemahuis", among other events.

“The Netherlands has not forgotten the war and its liberators.”

Hopefully, there's someone in Cambridge – a veteran, a family member, an historian – who hasn't forgotten and can help identify the soldier in the photo, making this Remembrance Day and next year's Dutch liberation celebration in Harlingen memorable for our two communities.

Anyone with information can contact me directly at the Times office at 519-623-7395 ext. 795081 or by email at newsroom@cambridgetimes.ca.