#Monument
Freedom Monument in Veurne
Veurne is a town in western Belgium, near the French border. It was liberated on 8 September 1944 by the 12th Manitoba Dragoons, an armoured unit of the Canadian Army.
The speed with which the 12th Manitoba Dragoons reached the Belgian border was tremendous, however it took a heavy toll on the troops.
During the liberation at the end of the Second World War, a squadron of the 12th Manitoba Dragoons, under the command of the 4th Canadian Armoured Division, was sent from Saint-Omer, France, to Bruges in Belgium. This route took them via the Belgian city of Veurne.
Because all the bridges over the Canal de l'Aa (north of Saint-Omer) had been blown up by German forces, the squadron sought out a bridge that had just been built by the 1st Polish Armoured Division, slightly south of Saint-Omer. From there, without much resistance from the enemy, they crossed the Belgian border via Hondschote, Leyseele, Wulveringem, and towards Veurne.
Veurne itself was liberated on 8 September 1944. The monument located here commemorates the event and the efforts of the 12th Manitoba Dragoons.