Vancouver’s Seaforth Highlanders of Canada landed on the shores of Sicily on July 10, 1943, and fought across the island, gaining fame in the capture of the town of Agira, where the pipe-band arranged an evening ceremony of Beating Retreat.

With the German surrender of Sicily, the regiment crossed the Strait of Messina and fought its way along Italy, enduring many battles, including the toughest of all at Ortona, where the regiment suffered many casualties. The battle was fought throughout Christmas Day 1943 and the regiment’s padre, Major Roy Durnford, had organized Christmas dinner in a ruined church. The soldiers came in, company by company, to eat Christmas fare, then return to the battle.

Further north, in a battle to push the Germans back across the Savio River, Private E.A. (Smoky) Smith was awarded the Victoria Cross for destroying a German tank at close range with his PIAT rocket-firing anti-tank weapon. The regiment continued northward, skirting Rome and later, Florence, both cities protected by mutual agreement between the opposing sides.

The regiment was ordered on March 13, 1944, to make preparations to sail across the Mediterranean Sea to Marseille and make its way to Northern Europe to take part in the liberation of Belgium and Holland. The hardest fighting in which the Seaforths took part was in crossing the Ijsell River from Germany into Holland. It was discovered that at this stage of the war, the German army now included the Hitler Youth, an indication the situation on the enemy side was becoming desperate. Most were taken prisoner after the Ijssel River fighting.

Veteran Col. David Fairweather, 96, of West Vancouver recalls that although fighting continued, it was the last decisive battle for the Seaforths. The Germans were facing defeat on all fronts and peace negotiations were begun, with surrender set for 8 a.m. on May 8, 1945. The Seaforth Highlanders of Canada were given the honour, along with the Princess Louise’ Dragoon Guards, of officially entering Amsterdam on that morning.

It was very early when the Seaforths crossed the Berlage Bridge at Diemen and as the convoy reached the outskirts of the city Col. Fairweather’s first impression was of thousands of still and silent Dutch citizens lining both sides of the road. Suddenly, as the convoy approached, the silence gave way to an outpouring of joy and gratitude that quickly spread to many thousands of voices, audible for miles. When the convoy approached the Vondelpark gates, where the vehicles would be parked, there were more young women than soldiers in, or on, every vehicle.

The Seaforth’s commanding officer, Lieut. Colonel H.P. (Budge) Bell-Irving was invited on May 9, by the Dutch prime minister to address a crowd of over 100,000 people from a high podium in Dam Square. He said:

“It has been our good fortune to have the honour of relieving you from your tyrannical invaders. On behalf of the Seaforth Highlanders of Canada and the Princess Louise’s Dragoon Guards, may I express our warm thanks and deep appreciation for your tremendous display of gratitude and your friendliness and hospitality to all of us.

“After several years away from home, the constant loss of friends in battle and a good deal of personal misery it is natural to ask, ‘Why did I do this?’ The good people of Amsterdam have given us the answer. We may go home now filled with the knowledge our journey has indeed been so well worthwhile. Thank you, Amsterdam.”