At the going down of the sun
and in the morning,
we will remember them
George E. Spittael and his wife Ria in conversation with
veterans of the Winnipeg Rifles. George Spittael thoroughly researched
the course of the war manoeuvres in our region and published the results of
his work in two well known books: "Duel on the Schipdonk Canal" and
"Libera me".
With his work "Soldiers' graves throughout the world (1939-1945)" he promoted the idea of peace and protested against the cruelty and senselessness of war. He received for this work several distinctions from foreign countries and on 4 March 1994 the governor-general of Canada gave him the prestigious "Meritorious Service Medal in recognition of service to Canada".
The visits from Canada and the USA were of course very numerous in 1994. On Thursday, 9 June a large group of Canadian veterans came to visit the graves of their comrades in arms in the Adegem Military Cemetery. They were accompanied by Mr. George E. Spittael from Eeklo. He had been their guide on the Normandy beaches, places that many of those present had got to know in extremely perilous circumstances.
Lieutenant-colonel Norm Donogh, intelligence officer during the 1944 landings speaks to his former comrades in arms. They belong to the Royal Winnipeg Rifles Regiment. This regiment was very familiar with Moerhuize and the north of Maldegem because they fought very hard in October 1944 to take the Leopold Canal, something they succeeded in only after the loss of 67 men. These are all buried at Adegem. Fifty years after the facts they came to remember the death of their comrades in a subdued mood. In the background we recognize Mr. Molgat, the Canadian senator on the side of Mr. Spittael and Mr Boudewijn De Schepper, alderman.
After a sporting event with the College of Deinze, a group of young Canadians came to visit the Canadian Cemetery in March 1994. They brought a somber homage to their compatriots buried here and put little flags of Nova Scotia on the graves of the infantry men of the Highland Infantry of Canada. The group was accompanied by Michael Barrie, son of war veteran Douglas Barrie who had belonged to the Highland Light Infantry of Canada and who had taken part in the landing at Hoofdplaat near Biervliet. His wounds stopped him from taking part in further combat.
The Adegemmer Jacky Pauwels has accompanied several groups of Canadian veterans to the cemetery in Adegem. On Sunday morning 12 June 1994 he was with a large group of veterans from all over Canada who, after visiting the Normandy beaches, came to the cemetery in his native village. We recognize him on the right of the picture; in the background burgomaster Rotsart de Hertaing and Mr. Wille, Mr. Goethals and Mr. De Schepper.
