Background Info
After having been invaded years earlier in WWI, Germany attempted a second invasion of neutral Belgium, and were successful. On May 10th, 1940, German troops powerfully killed two birds with one stone. They defeated the Allies in Belgium after eighteen days of gruesome fighting, which was followed by King Leopold II of Belgium surrendering the Belgian Army. This caused enormous resentment towards his actions from the Belgians across the country. However, there was no way around it; it was clear to them they were inferior to the forceful German army, even though they lost more casualties than Belgium did. The total amount of casualties in this Campaign is unknown, however we do know that 10, 232 German soldiers and 6,090 Belgian soldiers were killed. |
Overview
Four years after the Germans captured the country, the battle of the Scheldt in Belgium was very necessary for the overall WWII victory of the Allies. After much pain and gruesome hardship, it enabled the Allies to eventually reach Germany through Belgium to defeat Hitler’s German forces. Like many others, this conflict involved strategic plans in which sacrifice and bravery would be tested once again. The engagement was under the command of General Henry Duncan, and the task of liberating the Scheldt was entrusted to the First Canadian Army by Field Marshall Montgomery, led by Lieutenant-General Simonds. The victorious clash took place near the long Scheldt river that extends from Northern France to Western Belgium, and across the South Western part of the Netherlands. It was fought in October 1944 between the Allied forces from Canada, the United Kingdom, Poland, and the German forces who were occupying territory in northern Belgium, as well as the southwestern portion of the Netherlands at the time.
Canada's Role
Once the battle of Normandy was won on August 25, 1944, the Second Canadian Army was welcomed to Dieppe, and the Corps left a number of units to guard the heavily defended ports and pushed toward Belgium, alongside the First and Third Canadian Armies. They needed to advance through Belgium to get to Berlin in Germany to defeat Hitler’s forces, however the Germans captured the city of Antwerp and the waterway leading to Antwerp, the Scheldt Estuary, was lined with German forces. This prevented the Allied supply ships the ability to land their vital supplies in Antwerp, the largest port in western Europe, because the distance between the Allied front and the port was huge, and meant that supply routes became stretched. The Allied commanders were extremely worried that their advance might be either slowed or halted completely because of this inconvenience, and now desperately needed ports. The 1st Canadian Army was given the task to clear the Germans out of the designated area, and free the western part of Europe from four years of Nazi occupation. Unfortunately, the Germans didn’t make it easy for them. They refused to surrender and fortified the Channel ports heavily, and swore to keep them in their grasp at all costs. The Canadians had to endure agonizing conditions in freezing water and heavy mud as the Germans purposely flooded the whole area in mid-winter by destroying the dykes holding back the North Sea. It was an experience none would want to live through again. The Allies’ victory is hugely admired as they fought through unbearable conditions, suffered heavy casualties, and faced highly trained and extremely driven German troops who were deeply entrenched in the area they swore to keep.
Conclusion
General Simmonds received a note of congratulations from Field Marshal Montgomery stating his admiration for “the way you have carried out the very difficult task given to you.” Six thousand Canadian soldiers of twelve thousand Ally casualties were killed, wounded or missing in battle. However, despite the congratulations, the attention on Canada’s part only lasted for a short time. Surprisingly not a single Canadian Army officer was invited to the ceremony coordinated on 28 November 1944 to welcome the first Allied ship entering into Port Antwerp, three weeks after the battle had ended. From then on, the Canadian’s major sacrifice had gone unnoticed. Interestingly, to this day, the battle of the Scheldt isn't nearly as well known as it should be. The reason for this will forever remain a mystery.
A Canadian war hero
Lance Corporal William 'Bill' Davis, a WWII Canadian veteran hero, served in the army, and was a survivor of the Battle of the Scheldt (September-November 1944). He experienced horrible conditions and unbearable weather as he fought through the bitter fall and winter in Holland for freedom from the enemy. He was part of the 2nd Canadian Infantry Division, and was assigned to clear the Beveland Peninsula and the Island of Walcheren of German forces, and then later to seal off the bottom of the peninsula by taking the town of Woensdrecht. These were far from easy tasks, and required William’s utmost strength and courage. Heavy machine gunfire came down on them only 50 feet in, and his company commander, Popham, was shot in the head. William managed to save his life when he discovered he survived, and rushed him to the ambulance jeeps after wrapping his head in haste. This hero received Service medals for his sacrifices made in battle, as well as a Victory medal, Defence C.V.S.; 1939-45 Star, Queen's medal, and Dutch liberation medal. In an interview with The Memory Project, William commented that he was proud for his country and regiment [the Black Watch - R.H.R] he fought with. He will be remembered.
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Cited Works
"The Battle of the Scheldt." Armchair General Magazine We Put YOU in Command. Danny Bouchard, n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2014. <http://www.armchairgeneral.com/battle-of-the-scheldt.htm/3>.
"The Liberation of Belgium." Canadian Battlefields Foundation RSS. N.p., 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. <http://www.cbf-fccb.ca/learn/about-canadas-role-in-wwii/northwest-europe/september-november-1944-the-liberation-of-belgium/>.
"The Scheldt." Veterans Affairs Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war/scheldt>.
"UK Based: Battlefield Tours & Journeys of Remembrance Specifically for Canadians." Canadian Battlefield & Remembrance Tours: WW2: Dieppe, Scheldt, Battle of Rhine, Bomber Command. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. <http://www.battlefield-tours.ca/html/canada-ww2.html>.
"Www.canadiansoldiers.com." Www.canadiansoldiers.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. <http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/campaigns/northwesteurope/scheldt.htm>.
VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lozTqY0fJg
HEADER PHOTO: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Alligator_amphibious_vehicles_passing_Terrepin_amphibious_vehicles_%28to_the_left%29_during_the_Battle_of_the_Scheldt_-_October_13,_1944.jpg
Photos
http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib/39/media-39599/standard.jpg
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/Canada/CA/Victory/maps/Victory-8.jpg
http://www.canadaatwar.ca/photos/scheldt/beveland_2.jpg
http://www.privateletters.net/images/featured/scheldt/scheldt1.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Acrossthescheldt.jpg/300px-Acrossthescheldt.jpg
http://ww2db.com/images/battle_scheldt8.jpg
http://www.thememoryproject.com/stories/70:william-bill-davis/
"The Liberation of Belgium." Canadian Battlefields Foundation RSS. N.p., 2012. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. <http://www.cbf-fccb.ca/learn/about-canadas-role-in-wwii/northwest-europe/september-november-1944-the-liberation-of-belgium/>.
"The Scheldt." Veterans Affairs Canada. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. <http://www.veterans.gc.ca/eng/remembrance/history/second-world-war/scheldt>.
"UK Based: Battlefield Tours & Journeys of Remembrance Specifically for Canadians." Canadian Battlefield & Remembrance Tours: WW2: Dieppe, Scheldt, Battle of Rhine, Bomber Command. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. <http://www.battlefield-tours.ca/html/canada-ww2.html>.
"Www.canadiansoldiers.com." Www.canadiansoldiers.com. N.p., n.d. Web. 17 Nov. 2014. <http://www.canadiansoldiers.com/history/campaigns/northwesteurope/scheldt.htm>.
VIDEO
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7lozTqY0fJg
HEADER PHOTO: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3c/Alligator_amphibious_vehicles_passing_Terrepin_amphibious_vehicles_%28to_the_left%29_during_the_Battle_of_the_Scheldt_-_October_13,_1944.jpg
Photos
http://media.iwm.org.uk/iwm/mediaLib/39/media-39599/standard.jpg
http://www.ibiblio.org/hyperwar/UN/Canada/CA/Victory/maps/Victory-8.jpg
http://www.canadaatwar.ca/photos/scheldt/beveland_2.jpg
http://www.privateletters.net/images/featured/scheldt/scheldt1.png
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6b/Acrossthescheldt.jpg/300px-Acrossthescheldt.jpg
http://ww2db.com/images/battle_scheldt8.jpg
http://www.thememoryproject.com/stories/70:william-bill-davis/