The Little Coat

A 10-year-old Dutch girl was a welcome beacon of hope and a good-luck charm for Canadian soldiers fighting the Nazis in the Netherlands in 1944. Tank commander Bob Elliott and his troop surprised Sussie Cretier with a Christmas gift of a coat they asked a seamstress to make from a wool Canadian Army blanket. Decades later, Bob and Sue reconnected and fell in love and brought their special coat to Canada.

In the midst of the Second World War, while firing at German soldiers on the other side of the Maas River in the Netherlands, Canadian soldier Bob Elliott and his tank crew found laughter and hope in a, energetic 10-year-old Dutch girl named Sussie Cretier. Sussie's family had escaped from the Nazis to the safety of the Allied troops. She sang songs and lifted the spirits of the Canadian soldiers during a painful time in all of their lives. On Christmas Day 1944, the Canadians honoured their adopted little soldier with a special Army-style coat they asked a local seamstress to make from a Canadian Army blanket. Sussie held on to that coat for decades, describing it as the most special gift she had ever received. Almost 40 years later, Bob Elliott returned to the Netherlands. Bob and Sussie's relationship blossomed and she followed her favourite soldier to his home in Canada, bringing with her the precious coat. The Little Coat by Alan J. Buick was awarded Honourable Mention in the 2010 Hollywood Book Festival.

Alan Buick is a carpenter, musician and songwriter who came to Canada from his New Zealand birthplace more than 40 years ago. He lives in Regina, Saskatchewan, with his wife Carol.