They are from one of the many excellent Dutch and Belgian image banks ('Beeldbank') - BB WO2 (WW2): http://www.beeldbankwo2.nl/zoek.jsp?action=setlocale&lang=en Many other photos of 12 CAR are on HaagseBB: http://www.haagsebeeldbank.nl/beeldbank A few other Dutch images banks: Broad scope - gahetna http://www.gahetna.nl/en/collectie/afbeeldingen/fotocollectie/zoeken Regional scope, but with some non-regional photos: ZeuwseeBB: http://digitaal.zeeuwsebibliotheek.nl/beeldbank GVNL http://www.geheugenvannederland.nl/ Belgian site - Pallas Cegesoma: http://pallas.cegesoma.be/pls/opac/plsp.getplsdoc?lan=E&htdoc=general/opac.htm Michel
I realize I had not mentioned that in my posts either. These photos originally come from the Beeldbank archives as well.
Thanks for the links. I've already found something relating to where my Grandparents lived, so more of an aerial then and now from the war years. Aerial Photo from April 1945. (HaagseBeeldBank.) Northern tip of Delft. A current Google Earth Image to compare it with. Javastraat 52 was where my Grandparents lived. In the aerial photo above, it showed the countryside close by. I remember walking to a farm with Mum to get fresh milk in the 1960's. A map at a slighty different angle (The canal should be used to orientate yourself) showing the location of the [SIZE=14.3999996185303px]aerodrome of Ypenburg and close by, [/SIZE]my Grandparents house. The German Paratroopers captured it at great cost to themselves in May 1940. It was also used during Operation Manna in 1945 as one of the places to drop food to the starving Dutch. Javastraat today. Apart from the cars, it has not changed at all over the last 45 years. I still can't believe today that 2 Adults and 5 children lived in a miniscule one bedroom house. An image from around 1933. Mum & her older Brother Jan are in the photo. It was not an affluent street and Opa (Grandad) had a very good job. They nicknamed him the millionaire. Around 1932.
Today, I checked both the war dairies of 12 Canadian (Three Rivers) Armoured Regiment and 48th Highlanders of Canada. Nothing in the first, but bingo in regards to the 48 Highlanders war diary. The photo of a tank being topped up outside the building with a tower, is the same location as the map reference given in the war diary. 48 Highlanders also mention they are supported by 12 CAR. They arrive and stay one night, then move on to the Hague. I attach a copy of 48 Highlanders war diary for 7/8 May 1945. I've often wondered how the Dutch reacted to their liberation and the description made from the perspective of the Canadian Diarist is priceless beyond words. It give me goosebumps to read it and think, my Dutch Family were somewhere amongst what was taking place. Absolutely brilliant. I shall treasure this find and add it to the Family History. Thanks again to those who posted the photos and identified 12 CAR and 48 Highlanders.
Great find Rob! The description of the reactions of the Dutch civilians is indeed very special to read.
Hi Pieter, The war diary of 48 Highlanders mentions that they had help from Underground Police and Scouts. I wonder if that is a reference to Mynheer Heertjes. The soldier talking to him had a Scottish cap.
What a fantastic posting, interesting stuff. This is what makes the forum so good. Learning all the time guys .thank you. Lotus7.
A map from the war diary of 12 Canadian Armored Regiment (3 Rivers Regiment) showing the proximity of Delft to the Hague.
Yes, I think you are right about Mr. Heertjes. He was the commander of the Interior Forces. I can't think of any other group than them to be meant by the Underground Police.
I've found the building behind the tank in the background. [/URL] This is a street view today. If you look at the original, the building to the right of the tank is still there today (windows are the same and the roof tiles), along with the building to the left, now a Science Centre. Also an aerial image.
The Tomb of William of Orange in the Nieuw Kerk Delft, being bricked up in 1939. The tomb in 2014. Very impressive.
I would have guessed the date as some time in May from photo #8. The jeeps not only still have windshields but they are in the up position and not broken. Not typical during the fighting. Very nice pictures. Thanks
Today, I finally nailed which were the first units to arrive in and around Delft on 8 May 1945, by looking at Brigade level war diaries. Here is the entry for 8 May 1945 for 3 Canadian Infantry Brigade together with an excellent map they kindly left in the file with the locations marked. 48 Highlanders, and HQ 3 Canadian Infantry Brigade were in the Southern part of Delft, in the location of the buildings which are in the photos posted earlier. The Map Refs also tie up nicely. Carelton & York Regiment were on the Northern Outskirts (within spitting distance to where my GrandParents lived) and West Nova Scotia Regiment were on the Western outskirts at Den Hoorn, with their Battalion HQ close to the 48 Highlanders and 3 Can Inf Brigade HQ. Thanks to Pieter for starting the thread and the other Members for finding the photos. I noticed in the same Brigade Diary that they had an AFPU Official photographer attached to them at the time, so this is who possibly took them.
Yesterday, I received a reply to an e-mail I sent to the 48 Highlanders Museum in Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The person who replied, was the son of Major George Beal, MC of Support Company, 48 Highlanders (CO of A Company until April 1945) who was in the advance party, which arrived in Delft on the 8th May 1945. He closely examined the first photo and identified his Father as being the passenger in the second jeep. He also confirmed that the men in the other photos are from the 48 Highlanders, who entered Delft on the 8th May 1945. I think the buglers and pipers are in the Java Cemetery of Delft, which is very close to where 48 Highlanders were located. My hunch is that they may have been there at the mass grave of the 67 Dutch soldiers who died in May 1940 in the defence of the airfield at Ypenburg. This would have been the first time anyone could have officially and openly honoured the war dead from 1940. The buildings in the background could be the ones where the tanks shown in the other photos were parked up. Mr Beal also told me about an airmail letter sent by his Father, Major Beal to his wife, sent on 8 May 1945 about the experience of driving through crowds of very happy Dutch citizens and of being in Delft. He came back to Canada with a small collection of the famous Delft Blue Porcelyn pottery, that he'd been presented with by the people of Delft.
Arrived in my Mum's home town of Delft this morning and spent 7 hours walking around. I've identified a number of the places in the 1945 pics and will shortly photograph them for then and nows. I hope the visit I've booked to the Archives tomorrow will be productive. Laid a poppy bouquet at the place my Great Grand Mother drowned in 1941 and learnt from an occupant of a house several doors away, more about the family business that was also based in the same place.
