For all the joy and relief, the end of the Second World War had come at a high cost…

Nearly 100,000 Canadians were wounded or killed between 1939 and 1945.The memory of D-Day — June 6, 1944 — still loomed in the minds of many as the start of a gruelling battle through Northwest Europe. It also marked the beginning of a hard-fought year in which Canadian forces helped win decisive victories in Italy and the Netherlands.

In recognition of all that had been paid for victory in Europe to finally be won, many Canadians chose to observe V-E Day with religious services, prayers or private mourning for loved ones lost during the war.

For Canadians still serving overseas, there was still work to be done. The war in the Pacific wasn't over yet, and there was much to do in a newly liberated Europe…

Honouring the legacy of the Royal Canadian Air Force

The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) was a vital contributor to the Allied war effort leading up to V-E Day in May 1945. RCAF bombers disabled strategic Axis targets. Fighter squadrons supported infantry advances in Germany and the Netherlands, escorted heavy bombers and engaged Luftwaffe interceptors. Transports carried personnel and freight — including Allied soldiers across the Rhine in March 1945.

After V-E Day, the mission of the RCAF bomber squadrons changed from attacking targets to repatriating freed prisoners of war. It would have been a welcome switch, as those same bomber squadrons had spent years destroying munitions factories and other means of making war — highly dangerous work that accounted for nearly two-thirds of all RCAF casualties during the war.

While V-E Day brought an end to the conflict in Europe, there was still the Pacific war to be settled.

Eight squadrons from the RCAF's No. 6 Group were assigned to Tiger Force to engage with the Japanese. Yet victory over Japan was declared a few months after the war's end in Europe, and most Canadians in the Pacific, including RCAF personnel, were no longer required.

Over the next year, the RCAF was gradually demobilized, with the final wave returning home in 1946. Their service throughout the war made a crucial difference to the victory, creating a lasting legacy of courage and dedication.

Setting the stage for the liberation of the Netherlands, the Rhineland Campaign began on February 8, 1945, to defeat Axis powers in western Germany.

Together, Canadian and British troops pierced the Siegfried Line and pushed into the Reichswald and Hochwald forests. By March 11, more than 5,300 Canadian lives had been lost, but the last major line of German defence had been breached. The Canadian Army was set to cross the Rhine and start the monumental task of securing the liberation of the Netherlands.

Following Germany's unconditional surrender on May 7, Canadian troops continued to move through the Netherlands, liberating any remaining pockets of enemy resistance. Wherever they went, they were welcomed with joy and relief by Dutch civilians lining the streets to greet them.

The Dutch people have never forgotten the hardships of the occupation or the acts of kindness that preceded and followed the arrival of the Canadian Army. Today, Dutch and Canadian sacrifices are remembered side-by-side, and the two countries continue to maintain a highly valued friendship.

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.

The Royal Canadian Navy's vital role in keeping North Atlantic shipping channels open

The air and ground troops that secured Victory in Europe couldn't have done it without the ongoing efforts of the Royal Canadian Navy (RCN) to secure passage for people, arms and provisions across the perilous and U-boat infested waters of the North Atlantic.

The Battle of the Atlantic was the longest continuous battle of the Second World War. It began in September 1939, and didn't end until V-E Day in 1945. The RCN was engaged from the very beginning—and in the final two years commanded all air and surface escorts in the northwest Atlantic. Its most significant contribution was as an escort force, ensuring safe passage for more than 25,000 merchant ships and 165 million tons of vital supplies—all without its own battleships or submarines.

Beyond the frigid North Atlantic, RCN ships sailed the Mediterranean Sea—supporting the Allied North African, Sicilian and Italian campaigns as well as operations in Greece—and escorted convoys on the Murmansk Run, one of the most dangerous wartime operations due to the extreme Arctic conditions. Off the coast of Europe, the RCN participated in D-Day, continued to support the army's seaward flank as it pushed into Northwest Europe, and joined in international efforts to clear the waters of mines after V-E Day.

In the war's Pacific theatre, the RCN contributed to the invasion of Okinawa in May 1945 and served as an anti-aircraft guard until July 1945.

By the end of the war, the RCN was one of the world's largest navies, despite the loss of 24 warships. The Navy had 434 commissioned vessels, including 224 Canadian-built frigates, minesweepers and corvettes—and had contributed to the sinking of 29 enemy submarines.