Our First Visit to Zeeland in April 2016
My grand-father served in the 7th Cameronians – a constituent regiment of the 156th Brigade of the 52nd (Lowland) Division. Enlisted as a Rifleman, he was later commissioned.
Like many of his generation he rarely spoke of his wartime experiences and, it is only recently that easily accessible accounts of the Scheldt campaign have become available; which can be easily accessed on the internet.
Information gathered from the Brigadier Barclay’s History of the Cameronians (1933-1946) and George Blake’s History of the 52nd Lowland Division gave us a broad overview of the actions which led to the liberation of Zeeland. Some on-line research gave me some ideas about specific sites to visit, including the 52nd Lowland Memorial at Sloedam and the Museum at Nieuwdorp.
At the Museum were given a hearty welcome from Steff Traas and his father, Kaas – the driving force behind the Museum. Not only were we given access to the Museum itself, but we were also allowed behind the scenes to the workshops and the emerging Liberation Park. There we met some of the hundred or so museum volunteers, including Maarten van Veer.
The Monument at Baarland
Later we went in search of the ‘Cameronian Pub’ in Baarland. It was closed though we were fortunate to meet Corrie and Arjaan Elenbaas, who lived nearby. We were invited for coffee at their home.
My Dad had a good chat about their links with Cameronian veterans (some of the ex 156 Brigade Association members, we discovered, had been involved in the committee responsible for the setting up of the memorial at Baarland).
Later Arjaan took us to the Baarland Monument – at the spot where the Cameronians landed on South Beveland.
We had a great time – fun but also educational- and resolved to return again at the earliest opportunity to uncover more of my grandfather’s wartime journey, and to play our part in keeping the flame of Dutch-Scottish friendship burning bright.
The Mallard Walk October 2016
On our return, having a better understanding of the battle to liberate Walcheren, Dad and myself shared our experience with other members of our family. We whetted their appetites to the extent that seven of my relatives registered to take part in the 7th Mallard Walk later in the year (organised by the Walk Committee of the Liberation Museum).
Walking in the early morning mist, in the footsteps of the Cameronians, was a particularly moving experience. Again we were overwhelmed by the reception we received and overjoyed to meet once more those who we now consider, in old Scottish dialect, ‘fast friends’ and to meet a host of new ones.
Kaas Traas
Finally, I would like to record my gratitude to Kaas for his vision and tremendous work in creating the Liberation Museum, and nurturing its growth to become a cornerstone ensuring that future generations will never forget those who took part in the Liberation of South Beveland and Walcheren.