A Vankleek Hill resident recently had the opportunity to honour a soldier from Lost River (Harrington) Québec who died serving in the Canadian Army during World War Two.
On May 1, during observances commemorating the liberation of The Netherlands from the Nazis, a remembrance ceremony was held in the Canadian War Cemetery in Holten, about 45 minutes from Stroe in The Netherlands. Gilbert Young of Vankleek Hill, a member of the Ottawa-based RCMP Pipes, Drums, and Dancers of the National Capital Region, was part of that ceremony. The ceremony was in remembrance of Paul Brunelle of Lost River Québec.
Paul Brunelle was born on September 30, 1925 and was the son of Ernest and Jeannette Brunelle (née Thérien). His brothers were John (Jean), and Georges—who also served in the army. He also had a sister Jeannine (Chisholm).
Paul enlisted in the army on October 7, 1943 in Kingston, and trained near Vernon, British Columbia. On December 25 1944, he arrived in England as a member of the Algonquin Regiment and on February 24, 1945 he was on active duty in northwestern Europe.
Paul Brunelle was killed in action on Wednesday April 18, 1945, age 19 near the Küstenkanal in northwestern Germany. He was temporarily buried in Friesoythe, Germany and then on March 9, 1946 reinterred in Holten, The Netherlands, where 1,393 Canadians are buried. He was the uncle of Gilbert Young’s late wife Evelyn, and great uncle of his daughter Trudy Young.
The ceremony in Holten was part of a tour the Ottawa-based RCMP Pipes, Drums, and Dancers of the National Capital Region took to commemorate the 75th anniversary of the liberation. They were joined by members of counterpart bands in Halifax and Regina. Canada played a significant role in the liberation in 1945. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the tour had been postponed in 2020. The 2023 tour lasted from April 27 to May 8.
“It was a fabulous trip for me as an educator. It was like a living history field trip,” said Young, who is also a retired teacher and principal.
On May 5, 1945, Canadian General Charles Foulkes accepted the surrender of the German forces in the Netherlands at Wageninen. More than 7,600 Canadians lost their lives in the effort.
According to Young, the group began its tour at a small cemetery and monument in Mook, The Netherlands before continuing to Ypres, Belgium. There, they had the privilege to play at the Menin Gate Last Post Ceremony. This ceremony is performed each evening at 8:00 p.m., 365 days of the year to honour the 54,389 British and Commonwealth soldiers (including 6,940 Canadians) who died in the area around Ypres in the First World War and who have no known grave. Young had the honour of playing the lament at the ceremony.
The group then visited the Vimy Ridge Memorial and Hill 70 First World War sites in France returning before returning to the Dutch military base where they were staying.
May 4 is Remembrance Day in the Netherlands. The country pauses for two minutes of silence at 8p.m. The band had the honour of participating in a Remembrance Day ceremony in the Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery with more than 500 people in attendance.
On May 5, in Wageningen, Netherlands, the band was especially honoured to lead the Liberation Day parade together with the City of Apeldoorn Pipes and Drums. More than 100,000 people attended. Liberation Day in the Netherlands is considered a public holiday every five years.
“The reception by the Dutch people was unfailingly enthusiastic and welcoming, especially in the small towns where the sacrifices of Canadian liberators were marked by memorials and gravesites,” Young said.
“The speeches and conversations by local mayors and dignitaries always highlighted the contribution of Canadians in restoring freedom to the Netherlands in 1945, and really emphasized how they value and recognize that sacrifice of our veterans,” he commented.
The children lining the parade routes in large numbers showed how the Dutch ensure their children also understand that others paid a high price for that freedom. As an example, the information centre at Holten Cemetery receives over 700 school children on field trips every week during the school year. School children of the area are part of the volunteer group that maintains the cemetery.
Paul Brunelle and the RCMP Pipes, Drums, and Dancers tour. Submitted photos
