How Canada Helped Free Belgium – And What It Means Today

Map of the Battle of the Scheldt, October-November 1944.

Article written by Amynte Eygun, MA.

Westmount, Quebec – 18 October 2024: Belgium and Canada have a strong allied relationship and friendship, with both countries sharing core values of liberty, democracy, respect for human rights, openness and tolerance.[1] The connection between these two countries originates from the role Canada had in the liberation of Belgium during both World War 1 (1914-1918) and World War II (1939-1945). 

During the early years of the Second World War, Belgium and the rest of North-West Europe were invaded by Hitler’s Nazi army and subsequently under Axis control for the majority of the war. Spring of 1940 saw Germany invading Belgium and they would continue controlling the country until the end of 1944. This control meant that basic rights of civilians were stripped and they were left with minimal  supplies because of the German control over the Scheldt estuary. After the D-Day landings in Normandy on June 6th, 1944, Belgian civilians were impatiently waiting for the Canadians and the Allied forces to break open the German “Fortress Europe”;  a large-scale defensive position and obstacle across the coast of Western Europe. It was only a matter of time before the Canadians breached the German stronghold, moving towards Belgium, the Netherlands and the rest of occupied N-W Europe. 

The battle of Leopold Canal and in turn, the Battle of the Scheldt were the major military operations that would liberate Belgium, but it was not without massive casualties and difficulty. In early September of 1944, Brussels, the Belgian capital was liberated by British forces, and by the 6th of September 1944, the 4th Canadian Armoured Division crossed into Belgium. The 2nd Canadian Infantry Division also made headway in early September, after making their way along the European coast, they pushed across the Belgian border to capture the port town of Ostend on September 9th 1944. The battles and operations that took place in the fall of 1944 were not without destruction and massive losses, as the German army knew that the loss of North-West Europe would ultimately lead them to losing the war. They fought to the death with nothing to lose. This meant that Canadian and Allied soldiers suffered heavily under German attack, with more than 6,000 soldiers becoming casualties (KIA, POW and wounded), and over 800 buried in Commonwealth cemeteries around Belgium, eternally resting in the country they were attempting to liberate.

Adegem Canadian War Cemetery, 1944. Source: RMR Museum Collection.

In the case of the battle of Leopold Canal, 11 men from the RMR lost their lives between October 6th and November 15th 1944, 10 of them being killed in the initial 3 days of the battle, between October 6th-9th. Their sacrifice is acknowledged and appreciated by the Belgian population, as the 11 men of the RMR were buried in Belgium, at the Adegem Canadian Military Cemetery. Located halfway between Brugge and Ghent, in the Belgian region of Oost-Vlaanderen, the Adegem Canadian War Cemetery is a part of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, an eternal resting place for fallen heroes from Canada, the UK and a few from Poland. The majority of casualties brought to Adegem for burial lost their lives fighting in the Battle of the Scheldt, with 1,119 Commonwealth individuals buried alongside each other. 

Adegem Canadian War Cemetery, 2010’s. Source: Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

While Canada helped to liberate Belgium, Belgium has allowed for our fallen soldiers to rest peacefully in a beautiful cemetery dedicated to their sacrifice. Belgium took on the responsibility to care for the graves, the landscape surrounding them, and ensuring that visitors understand the sacrifice they made and respect their final resting spots. Surrounded by old growth trees and colourful flowers, Canadians and military veterans can rest assured that our national heroes are well taken care of, thanks to the respect, appreciation and friendship of Belgians. 

[1] Government of Canada “Canada-Belgium Relations” https://www.international.gc.ca/country-pays/belgium-belgique/relations.aspx?lang=eng

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