The RCAF's life-saving airdrops: As the Second World War neared its end, Allied forces collaborated to provide humanitarian relief to starving areas of the still-occupied Netherlands.
While the Canadian Army had liberated much of the Netherlands by April 1945, the western part of the country was still occupied by heavily armed enemy forces. Behind those lines, an especially difficult winter had led to mass starvation.
Determined to help the 3.5 million Dutch citizens in the occupied territory, the Allied forces devised an ingenious strategy: they would use bombers to drop food behind the German lines. The Royal Canadian Air Force's Bomber Command dubbed it “Operation Manna”.
There was only one catch: German cooperation was required for the mission to be carried out safely. Yet while truce negotiations were underway, by the time the first drop was scheduled, there was no final agreement in place.
Despite that uncertainty, the first planes set off for the Netherlands on April 29, flying even lower than usual to avoid damaging their loads of food–which were dropped without parachutes. That put them dangerously close to manned anti-aircraft guns on the ground... but the Germans held their fire.
While the German's surrender of May 7, 1945, Operation Manna was carried out until May 8. Over the course of 9 days of operation, Canadian, British, Australian, New Zealand, Polish and American crews made more than 5,000 flights, delivering more than 11,000 tons of food. Although the “Hunger Winter” claimed many Dutch lives, Operation Manna saved many more and provided much-needed hope that the long war would soon be over.
10 oz. Pure Silver Selectively Gold-Plated Coin
Liberation of the Netherlands: Operation Manna