Although it is common to see flag-waving and bouquet-throwing civilians greeting Allied troops, this is not always representative of experiences across Europe. It is important to note that in many places in Europe, some of which were flattened by preliminary bombing operations or artillery shelling, displayed neither euphoria nor gratitude to Allied troops. Additionally, the liberations of Europe came unevenly in rural and urban regions, an important dynamic many fail to appreciate.

One example to illustrate this is the battle for the Schelde in the southern Netherlands between October and November 1944. As a way to open the port of Antwerp, First Canadian Army was given the task to clear the islands of the Dutch province of Zeeland, which protrude into the North Sea and overlook the route into the port. Given the resource and personnel shortages of First Canadian Army, Lt.-Gen. Guy Simmonds and British Admiral Bertram Ramsay proposed to bomb the dykes of Walcheren island, which was well below sea level, and flood the island. Beginning on 3 October 1944, over 10,000 tons of ordnance were dropped on the island (and elsewhere) to flood optimal German defensive positions prior to executing amphibious attacks. By 28 October 1944, thousands of hectares of the province were flooded with saltwater. For the sake brevity, I will say that the Allied action killed about 10 percent of Westkapelle on the first day of the operation and we know that villages elsewhere experienced similar casualties.

In the end, many towns and villages in Zeeland have a very different understanding and memory of the Second World War. "Liberation" in autumn 1944 made houses uninhabitable, flooded arable land with saltwater, and ensured that the war would be synonymous with inundation. The Bevrijdingsdag (Liberation Day) celebrated in May in the northern provinces is inapplicable to this province.

In places where Allies were greeted joyously by Dutch civilians, some of the gatherings were spontaneous and others were permitted by SHAEF Civil Affairs units or hitherto "illegal" resistance groups like the Ordedienst, which, depending on the region in the Netherlands, acted as translators and guides for some Canadian units. The photos you mention above typically belie the anger and frustration many civilians sought to express to local authorities and Allied troops. In at least one case, elements of 2 Canadian Corp needed to protect members of the NSB/Nazi sympathizers from Dutch civilians, and ensure they were turned over to the correct authorities for interrogation. Civilians sought first and foremost justice rather than jubilation. In general, and I must emphasize the generality of this statement, the euphoria of civilians depicted in the media is often taken from towns or regions which were not devastated by "mopping up" operations or large-scale aerial bombardment.

For more on Belgium, see Peter Schrijvers' Liberators: Allies and Belgian Society (Cambridge University Press, 2009). For the above example, see one of my articles. I hope this helps.