Oakville Vet Thanked By Queen Beatrix

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Oakville vet thanked by Queen Beatrix

Krissie Rutherford, Special to the Beaver

May 14, 2005 .

May 14, 2005

Bombardier Jim Gibb of the Royal Canadian Artillery has experienced a

lot of unforgettable moments in Holland.

At age 24, he fought to liberate The Netherlands from five years of

German occupation. That was April, 1945.

Sixty years later, Gibb, now 84, had another experience he'll never

forget - a royal experience.

One of 1,500 Canadian veterans to return to The Netherlands for a

10-day VE day remembrance, Gibb was at a memorial ceremony at Holland's

Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery when the unthinkable happened.

"I saw the Queen coming in the distance, so I got my camera out and

took her picture," he said. "By the time I looked up, she had stopped

right in front of me."

The Queen of The Netherlands, Queen Beatrix, stood before Gibb and

extended her hand to express her gratitude.

"I was completely taken by surprise," he said.

Before he knew it, he was talking to and shaking hands with the Queen.

"She asked me how I was enjoying my stay in Holland," he said.

He also told her this wasn't his first visit -- he'd fought in the

battle at the end of the war, and had returned four times for memorial

services.

"I told her this would probably be the last visit for most veterans,

because we're in our 80s," he said. "Her response was so quick. She said,

'Oh, that's what everyone said ten years ago. We expect to see you back

in 2010 for the next one.'"

Margaret, his wife, was standing beside him -- in awe. "I was rather

stunned," she said. "She was a very gracious lady, and she was really

appreciative, like all the people there, of what the troops had done."

The trip made a lot of memories for the veteran, and it brought back

even more.

It was especially emotional for Gibb to see the cemeteries, like the

Groesbeek Canadian War Cemetery, where 2,338 gravestones lie.

"It's emotional to see the markers of the young men that were 17, 18,

19," he said. "A good number of them were killed in the last week of

war. If they'd survived another week, it was all over."

Luckily, Gibb managed to survive five years and two months of war.

He enlisted with the army at age 19, and came home at age 25.

A member of the first division, he spent three years in England before

being sent to Italy with more than 70,000 other Canadian troops. After

two years in Italy, his division was ordered to join the rest of the

Canadian forces for the last push through Holland. That was February,

1945.

They fought through several towns until they arrived in Voorthuizen.

"In Voorthuizen, we fired our last round," he said. "Then the war was

over."

He'll never forget the happiness and gratitude of the Dutch people when

they were liberated. Even now, Gibb feels that same appreciation.

"In those parades in Holland, the Dutch people are so emotional,

they're crying, clapping, singing. It's the same emotion we felt when we were

going through those towns at the close of the war," he said.

"They were so excited to have their liberators come in and free them

from the tyranny of the Germans."

He has participated in Remembrance Day parades in Canada, but he says

the reception in Holland is unrivaled.

"There's just absolutely no comparison. Canada never had to go through

what those people went through, especially in the last years of war,"

he said. "In Holland, the appreciation for Canadians is so widespread

you don't even need to be a veteran. Just say you're Canadian and they'll

roll out the red carpets. It's amazing."

As part of the 'Thank-You Canada program,' the Canadian veterans were

given a commemorative medal, which Gibb will add to three he has

received from previous Holland ceremonies.

After the war, Gibb spent 10 years with the reserve army as a second

class Warrant Officer. A Montreal native, he moved to Oakville in 1957,

and worked for 14 years as the director of public relations for Mack

Truck.

The 84-year-old says his recent visit to Holland was likely his last.

"2010, that's a long way away," he said. "We'll see."

One thing is for sure -- he won't forget this trip.

"A lot of the Dutch people told me they'd never met their Queen, so I

told them I wasn't going to wash my hand," he said, laughing.