Three months ago, some of your Honour's Forces of the 17th Canadian Field Regiment had a short and I must congratulate your Honour for fine people they were, so much so that we would like to ask you a favour and are pretty sure your Honour will grant it.  We all miss the boys very much and would like to see them back once more among us on leave.  We really did love them and consider them as our own children.

We are grateful Belgian to our valiant liberators, mean it by every word we express and want to show some more gratitude to them.

We can secure accomodation and take the boys at our entire charge, so it will not give trouble in regards as to setting up kitchens and so on.  We shall try to make them at home in the best possible way.  We hope your Honour being the good father of a big family will agree to our proposal, and give his consent for which we thank him very much beforehand.

All the people wish to have their soldiers back and even in case those men did not care for coming, your Honour can just as soon send other men in their places and to be sure they will be well looked after.

The name of all people of Wervik I must add to this message.

 
Long live our dear liberators and friends.
 
Canada forever            Wervik July 13 1945.
Brouckaert — Vermeulen Gheluwestraat 66 bis
   Wervik, Belgie"