Community Pays Respect, Gives Thanks on Nov. 11
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. . . Hall Full Here Remembrance Day The hall was full in Provost on Sunday morning, November 11 as the community paid respect and gave thanks to the men and women who fought in Canada’s wars and conflicts. After O Canada was sung in the Provost Recreation and Culture Centre, Rev. Gerrit Kamphuis gave a prayer followed by the United Church Choir singing “We Are One.” Penny Hawken gave a reading “More to Life Than Death” on behalf of the Provost Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion and then Glenn Slater gave a scripture reading from Psalm 24. Kamphuis then spent a few minutes with young children gathered near the front of the hall explaining about healing. The Last Post was played followed by two minutes of silence and then the reading of names of those from the district who gave their lives in World War I and II. The names of those local men who died in World War I, 1914 - 1918: H. Adams, M. Anderson, W. Beatson, L. Bethune, S. Burge, J. Cagney, A. Creighton, C. Curtis, D. Edgar, C. Haughen, W. Irwin, M. R. Keffler, J. Leitheiser, K. Massey, P. B. Portway, W. Purdy, S. Smith, H. Stubbs, R. Tinsley, J. W. Watson, F. A. Weavers, F. Williams, E. Whittle and C. Wren. Comrade Lerseth read the names of others who died fighting for Canada, 1939 - 1945: Beverley Agar, August Bernard, Wilbert Bevan, Dale Butler, Alvin Broemeling, Ora Hall, Carl Kjos, Paul Larson, Conrad Martens, Rogers Pick, Jacob Rehman, Kenneth Rud, Gordon Shand, Curtis Smith, C. Wyatt Swanson and Fred Wittmack. In his address, Kamphuis said that “It is necessary that we all have a job of remembering to do today.” His parents were born and raised in Europe, near the central Dutch towns of Putten and Nijkerk. Just two months before they got married, on October 2, 1944, a terrible war tragedy struck the area. It was Sunday, a Sunday which would forever be remembered as “Black Sunday”. Kamphuis then told his Remembrance Day story: “Even before Putten's war atrocities struck, the town and its surrounding rural area (on the 'wrong' side of the river Rhine), had been on edge for two weeks as hopes were raised for an imminent liberation. Allied forces were so near in their battle against the German Wehrmacht units a short distance to the south. Instead of freedom the iron grip by the oppressor weighed heavier then ever, dashing hope for a quick release. The people of Putten—largely orthodox Reformed— had little sympathy for Nazidom. A Dutch resistance group operated in the area, but lacked access to trucks, cars and motorcycles. But by September 1944 the British increasingly armed this group through weapon container droppings, |
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| making resistance groups in effect an army behind enemy lines. If Putten's resistance group was to obtain transportation, it pretty well had to steal it from the Germans. Plans were made to set up an ambush near a bridge in the area's highway. Strong lights mounted on a truck were to blind the driver of an oncoming vehicle, causing him to stop. Within five minutes of positioning themselves, an approaching car was caught in the lights. The resistance fighters quickly discovered they had engaged a battle-hardened enemy-officers of the Herman Goring Division (Waffen SS) who opened fire at once. In the ensuing exchange people on both sides were wounded. Apparently the resistance group lost control of the situation and panicked when the Germans began to shoot. In the confusion, two Germans managed to escape. The Dutch lost one of theirs, the Germans also lost one soldier, another was taken hostage. Within hours, the Germans— stationed at nearby Harderwik responded by sending troops to search the area between Putten and neighbouring Nijkerk for their missing officer. Soon the search was expanded to Putten itself since the ambushed truck had been seen heading that way. The Wehrmacht sealed off the town, blocking all access roads. All neighbouring farmers had been herded together in a field. Later, women and children were ordered from the farms and marched there as well. In this frightening situation Putten's first civilian casualty—a young woman who tried to escape was murdered in cold blood. In their fanatical way, the Herman Goring troops killed eight unarmed civilians during that round-up. Earlier that morning, realizing something was terribly wrong, men who went to the centuries old Reformed church were advised to go home and hide. My father and his other brothers with the exception of the eldest was among those who hid. It turned out that all others who had attended church that morning were not allowed to leave. By mid-morning, the German commander ordered the local police chief to name 10 hostages. To his credit, the Dutchman refused but a town clerk complied only to learn that the Germans now wanted 30 names. Lined up against a wall, able to see the remains of an executed man on the ground and with guns trained on them, the captives were forced to wait for hours. Meanwhile, the entire population had been ordered from their homes: the men were sent to a lot next to a school, the women and young children were herded into the church. German troops then searched the empty homes but could not locate the abducted officer. In the church, machine guns had been mounted on the balcony and trained on the hapless crowd below. This situation lasted until evening when a German officer for the first time publicly announced what was on his mind: the safe return of his missing colleague. Then, the women were allowed to go home but had to report back the following morning. They were ordered to bring food along for the men who were locked up in the school for the night. The men also heard what bothered the Germans so much, and were warned that hostages would be shot if the officer man would not be returned. While the German command debated what to do next, news of what was happening in the town trickled back to the hiding place of the resistance group. After a heart wrenching debate, they made a deal with their prisoner— lieutenant Eggert —to remain silent if set free about what and whom he had seen. He apparently kept his word. Unfortunately, his release — remained unknown to the Germans at Putten. Fullriede, the commanding Wehrmacht officer, finally resolved that since Germany needed manpower, the men, all those between 18 and 50 were to be sent to labor camps, and the town was to be burned (which when later done was sloppily carried out, yet 94 homes were set ablaze, although surrounding farms were not affected). Reverend G.B. Holland who also had been locked up in the church was given the dubious task to inform Putten’s men about their destination. The pastor used the opportunity to encourage the men by pointing to God’s merciful ways which also in adversities offer comfort and strength. After his prayer he requested all to sing the stanzas three and four of Psalm 84: How blest are those whose strength Thou art. Who on Thy ways have set their heart and From strength to strength God's people go. And He to them His face will show . . . A survivor later remarked that while they sang, the realization of the severity of the situation began to dawn on them. It was a very moving scene with many trying to hold back tears. My dad's eldest brother was among them. That morning, the subsequent solemn march through town, with loved ones looking on in bewilderment was no less emotional: the faces, the uncertain walk, the emotions, it was forever engraved in the minds of young and old who said farewell without really being able to express it the way they would have wanted to; 661 men were herded to the town's railway station from where they were taken to the concentration camp at Amersfoort. No words ever can describe adequately the situation Putten faced as the days, weeks and months went by and the liberation day drew nearer. Of the 661 men taken away to Germany, a few managed to jump from the train; 58 were released shortly after arriving in the Amersfoort camp. Before long, 590 of them were sent to camps in Germany where the overwhelming majority, 541, died from illnesses and starvation during the next eight months. By June 1945, when thousands of other prisoners straggled back into the country to rejoin overjoyed loved ones, Putten's churchgoers dreaded to hear the church announcements of long lists of casualties among their men: the fathers, sons, brothers (including my father's brother), uncles and nephews who last were seen alive eight months before. Putten's women stoically carried their deep sorrow and grief and were grateful for the public sympathies expressed every Remembrance Day. The drama of Putten was deeply enshrined in the consciousness of those who were left behind. Many families lost more than one loved one. The town's survivors—the women and the fatherless—faced a lonely future. Putten remembers, then, now and for a long time to come. So to this Remembrance Day, 57 years later, the town of Putten will always remember and sing the town's best known Psalm, Psalm 84. Putten will always remember its men who died at the hands of their Nazi oppressors, all 541 who perished and went missing without a trace, the victims of that Black Sunday's tragedy.” (Elsewhere in this paper is Kamphuis’ father’s story about living through those dark days). Wreaths were then laid on behalf of, or in remembrance of: the Provost Branch of the Royal Canadian Legion, Auxiliary to the Legion, Air Cadets of the Royal Canadian Air Force, Government of Canada, bereaved mothers, Province of Alberta, Treasury Branch of Alberta, Town of Provost, M.D. No. 52, Provost Health Care Centre, Provost Chamber of Commerce, Lions Club, Kinsmen Club, Canadian Imperial Bank of Commerce, Border Credit Union, Ministerial Association, the Associated Gospel Church, St. Mary's C.W.L., St. Thomas Aquinas School, the United Church Women’s Auxiliary, Central Lutheran Church Ladies, Provost Masonic Lodge, Sparks, Brownies, Guides and Pathfinders, Scouts, Cubs, Beavers, in memory of comrade Mac Imeson and in memory of Carl Martin Reveille was sounded by bugler Rich Holmes and God Save the Queen was sung. A prayer hymn God! As With Silent Hearts was sung. Pianist was Irene McCormick. RCMP and Cadets also took part in the ceremony.
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