• 26 Oakville Beaver LIVING EDITOR: ANGELA BLACKBURN Phone: 905-337-5560 Fax: 905-337-5571 e-mail: [email protected] Friday, November 12, 2010 Friday, Living Oakville general was eyewitness to history • OAKVILLE BEAVER By Angela Blackburn OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Scraps. So reads the red-covered scrapbook whose yellowed pages find refuge in the care of Ron Landers of Oakville. Little does anyone know — unless they www.oakvillebeaver.com crack open those yellowed pages — a world of Second World War history awaits, all from a local perspective. “I think there are things in there that many people in Oakville don’t know,” said Landers, who is currently president of the Royal Canadian Legion, General Chris Vokes Branch 486 in Bronte. During the early 1960s, a Major-General who had been at the forefront of fighting in Italy and France, in the Battle of Normandy, the liberation of The Netherlands, the signing of Germany’s sur- render papers in The Netherlands and the contro- versial Battle of Falaise, was stationed in Oakville. For three years, he was the GOC (General Officer Commanding) of the Canadian Military’s Central Command, headquartered at Oakville’s Ortona Barracks. As one flips open the pages of this particular Landers’ family album, one is greeted by a glossy, 8x10, black-and-white photo of Major- General George Kitching. SURRENDER SIGNED: As appeared in the Daily Journal-Record, Friday, May 7, 1965 — Major-General George Kitching, general officer com- The corners are affixed with gold photo cor- manding Central Command, Oakville is seen in this group picture of the surrender of the 25th German Army 20 years ago today. Seated, left, holding ner edges and in the bottom left-hand side, the the surrender terms is Col.-Gen. Johannes Blaskowitz, commanding the German forces and an aide. On the right, Lieut.-Gen. Charles Foulkes, then 41, words, “Corporal Tom Landers, thank you for commander of the 1st Canadian Corps sits with hands folded. To his right is Major-General George Kitching of Oakville, then a brigadier on the 1st all your help these past three years.” Canadian Corps staff. The lieutenant wearing the black beret is an unnamed interpreter. On his left, is Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands smoking a Tom Landers was Ron’s dad. He was a military cigarette. The surrender was signed at Wageningen, about 10 miles from Bremen. man who is now deceased. Tom was the general’s batboy — a term used meeting the Shah widely in the military to denote an assistant. “He (General George Kitching) was a participant and eyewitness of Iran on a visit to of some of the most significant events of this century, and as such, “Not baseball,” joked Ron. Toronto. This was And so the red-covered scrapbook entitled all in years follow- will remain a key figure in the history of the Canadian army.” Scraps, begins. It contains a contradictory ing the war. assortment of old newspaper clippings — clip- Yet there is also General George Kitching’s obituary in The Army Doctrine and Training Bulletin pings from Oakville’s newspapers of the time. a clipping of a story There is a photo of Kitching’s wife Audrey about the 20th More than a year later, Blaskowitz killed one of the last surviving Canadian divisional with a group of women making carnations for anniversary of VE himself while awaiting trial as a war criminal. commanders from the Second World War, an Oakville-Trafalgar Memorial Hospital’s Day — complete Also shown in the photo is Prince Bernard of passed away at his home in Saanich, British Women’s Auxiliary campaign, after Kitching, with a photo of The Netherlands. Columbia on 15 June 1999.” Audrey and their children, Katherine and Kitching who was It was in June 1999, that Kitching fell ill It continues that Kitching fell ill while a George, arrived in Oakville. at the signing of while visiting Prince Bernard and later died, as guest of Prince Bernhard of The Netherlands... There is a photo of Kitching reviewing Germany’s surren- Gen. George Kitching recorded in his obituary in the military publica- “General Kitching served with the Canadian cadets at Appleby College — Landers notes der papers in Holland. tion The Army Doctrine and Training Bulletin. army for 26 years — his wartime service includ- Oakville used to have a high profile military The photo shows Kitching in the presence of Kitching was the GOC for the Canadian ed operations in Sicily, Italy (twice), Normandy presence and many local families (the Fords, Germany’s Col.-General Johannes Blaskowitz, Military’s Central Command — which he over- and The Netherlands, where he was instrumen- Bogues and others) whose children moved into who on May 5, 1945 surrendered his 120,000- saw from 1962 to 1965 from Oakville’s Ortona tal in securing the surrender of German forces...” policing careers were of military backgrounds. man 25th German Army to the 1st Canadian Barracks — what has been more recently Through military training in Britain and a There are many Defence Department photos Corps at the Hotel de Aereld at Wageningen in known as the former Oaklands Regional Centre stint with the Gloucestershire Regiment that — of Kitching curling at Camp Borden, review- The Netherlands. just off Kerr Street. took him to Singapore, Malay and India, he ing troops, accompanying the Lieutenant- Then a brigadier, Kitching was aide to the Kitching was among a number of generals resigned and moved to Canada in 1938 where Governor of Ontario in full official dress, wel- 1st Canadian Corps’ commander Lt.-General who had settled in Oakville. he joined the Royal Canadian Regiment in 1939 coming guards home from Cyprus — even Charles Foulkes. Born in China in 1910, Kitching’s later obit- and headed oversees with the first contingent. uary reads, “Major General George Kitching, See War page 27.