Westkapelle commemorates 82 years since Operation Infatuate landings

Westkapelle held a ceremony to honor Allied soldiers who fell during the liberation of the region on November 1, 1944. The event, marking 82 years since the landings, included wreath-laying by veterans' organizations, ambassadors, local government officials, and children near the Liberty Bridge.

The military operation, known as Operation Infatuate, aimed to secure the Western Scheldt to make the port of Antwerp accessible to Allied forces. This required the liberation of Zeeland, including Walcheren and Zeeuws-Vlaanderen. While the landings on Walcheren began in the early morning of November 1, intense fighting continued in Vlissingen, where the city was liberated on November 3.

Family members of fallen soldiers, such as Tony Winslede and Malcolm Earl, attended the memorial to honor their fathers. Witnesses described the landings at Walcheren as some of the toughest faced by troops, even by those who had previously participated in the Normandy landings.