Click on the program leaflet above here to see the other side

click on the above photo, to see the kids that walked along P.M.Esson for the whole parade! one of them, the boy Lou Geens, would later become the founder and drum major of a pipe band in the Hague ! You can see him on the left, walking next to the girl.
He is also in the final photograph, admiring P.M.Esson.

 

First row of Pipe Majors: (Pipes only showing) Edmund Esson - Canadian Seaforths, Bob Stocker - Essex Scottish, P.M. Corphyrstine - H.L.I. of C., George Pate - Irish Regt. of C., Archie Dewar - 48th. Highrs. of C., Torchy Peden - Black Watch of C., Neil Sutherland - Calgary Highlanders.

 

click above here for an enlargement

 

Here it is still dry . . .

 

The rain has started ! P.M.'s Neil Sutherland of the Calhi's and Torchy Peden of the Be-Double-U's on the left of the front row, P.M. Corphyrstine of the H.L.I. of Canada on the left end of the second row, since P.M. Noble of the Canadian Argylls took his place in the front row between P.M.'s George Pate of the Irish Regiment of Canada and  Bob Stocker of the Esscots.

 

see all the people up on the roofs even in the pouring rain

 

at least the rain stopped !

there the trucks are, now two photo's taken from the canvas hood of another one

 

just see in the back, how little trees of the "Scheveningse Bos" were left by the jerries !

 

 

 

Phew . . .the end is in sight, on a part of the deforestated Scheveningse Bosjes. P.M. Noble of the A.& S. Highlanders of Canada has taken the place of P.M. Corphyrstine of the H.L.I. of Canada, who moved to the left end of second row.

 

in the background here, you can see the K.L.M. building, on the other side of the canal, all quite near the miniature town "Madurodam". The young boy (who later became drum major "Ome Loe" Geens of the "Haagse Hooglanders") has also held out till the end and looks in awe at Leading Pipe Major Ed Esson picking his nose. . .

 

And, last but not least, a translation from the text of how a Dutch reporter did broadcast the event:

Bagpipes

Ladies and gentlemen, with the reporting crew we are witnessing one of the biggest events of the war, that is to say, from after the capitulation: a big "victory-parade" by the First Canadian Army in The Hague on the Laan van Meerdervoort. It really is an exceptionally big event we are going to attend. Here at this moment we are standing in The Hague at the end of the Laan van Meerdervoort on the De Savornin Lohmanplein, where the parade will be reviewed by His Royal Highness Prince Bernhard.

The reporting truck we are using at the moment belongs to the Rotterdam Underground, who built this  reporting truck during wartime and really made a splendid job of that. I will now name the different high-ranking officers of the first Canadian army who will attend the parade. In the first place they are the Commander in Chief of the first Canadian army, General Crerar, and next the flag officer for Holland, Sir Gerald Dickens. Furthermore a number of high ranking officers of the first Canadian army.

I just told you that the parade will be inspected by His Royal Highness, who will, with the other officers, take place on a stand on the other side from where we are with our truck.

The Savornin Lohman-plein, where we are standing at this moment, is a big square at the end of the Laan van Meerdervoort, around which at this moment the British military police is keeping huge crowds at a distance. Here right of us, that is about at the end of the Laan van Meerdervoort, at the De Savornin Lohman-plein it is really crammed with people and even on the roofs of the houses in the neighbourhood, despite the really least favourable weather, a great number of  people have taken place to be able and watch this main event here from close by.

I believe there the car of Prince Bernhard is coming. Yes, you can hear, ladies and gentlemen, how the people here are cheering. Prince Bernhard is at this moment driving closely past our truck. It is a blue car with the well known white star. The cars of the British and Canadian officers are driving behind it. At the moment they are driving around the square. I suppose in a while they will drive back to come up in front from the other side and then get out in front of the stand. Ladies and gentlemen, at this moment the head of the parade is within sight. It is bagpipes, I don’t know if you can hear it ...

( reporter Karel Nort via Radio Herrijzend Nederland, 11 mei 1945)

N.B.: Click on the maple leaf below here, if you want to see a short clip of the First Canadian Army Parade at The Hague, 1945.