Blog post submitted by:
Lieutenant-Colonel Tyler Wentzell, CD
Commanding Officer
48th Highlanders of Canada
On behalf of the officers, non-commissioned members, and soldiers of the 48th Highlanders of Canada, I write to express our most sincere gratitude for the extraordinary contribution of $30,000 in support of our Regiment’s participation in the 80th Anniversary of the Liberation of the Netherlands. Thanks to the society’s generosity, we were ultimately able to put 45 members of the Regiment on parade, including our Pipes and Drums, to participate in this historic moment and to commemorate the fallen Highlanders of the Second World War.
Some notable events included marching in the parades in Apeldoorn, the city the 48th Highlanders liberated during the war, and the national parade in Wageningen. I have never seen such large crowds of joyful people waving Canadian flags, lining the streets with people of all ages in celebration of their freedom and the role that Canadian soldiers played in the Liberation eighty years ago. More than 175,000 Canadian soldiers fought to liberate the Netherlands, with 7,600 paying the ultimate sacrifice. It was truly an honour to salute 23 of Canada’s remaining Second World War veterans who were able to make the trip.
Our Pipes and Drums played at these parades, often alongside our friends in the 48th Highlanders of Holland, a pipe band that wears our uniform as a “living monument” to the Regiment, and the Halton Regional Police Pipes and Drums. They looked and sounded extraordinary. I must particularly commend Drum Major Sean McKenzie-Mardelli for his quick thinking and professionalism, especially at an impromptu parade at the Het Loo Palace. Our pipers and drummers performed at several other major events, including the United Pipers for Peace, a tattoo that featured an incredible mass band of more than 400 pipers and drummers. Pipe Major Alexander Brown made several impromptu performances, both solemn and celebratory. From playing the lament graveside, to happy birthday for Captain Pim van der Toorn, we were never lacking in the perfect pipe music for the occasion. I was also pleased to promote Piper Macpherson to Corporal Macpherson in the town of Wilp; quite possibly, he is the first Highlander to be promoted in the Netherlands in the past eighty years.
For many of our young soldiers, this was a once-in-a-lifetime experience. They stood on ground where Highlanders before them had fought and sacrificed. They met families whose lives were forever changed by Canada’s sacrifice. They represented not only our Regiment’s past, but its living future—and they did so in large part because of your commitment to honouring our shared history. Your support is a shining example of the enduring relationship between the St. Andrew’s Society and the soldiers of the 48th Highlanders. Your contribution strengthened our bonds with our allies, enriched the experience of our soldiers, and helped Canada pay fitting tribute to one of the most consequential moments in our military history.
Please accept our heartfelt thanks. We are proud to count you as longstanding friends and supporters of the Regiment. You have made a lasting difference.
With warmest regards and deepest appreciation,
Lieutenant-Colonel Tyler Wentzell, CD
Commanding Officer
48th Highlanders of Canada
