Who liberated Enschede, Holland ? Coldstream Guards

Discussion in 'The Brigade of Guards' started by patrick1974, Sep 10, 2008.

  1. Verrieres

    Verrieres no longer a member

  2. 51highland

    51highland Very Senior Member

    It appears to me that a lot of Dutch people are under the impression that they were liberated by Canadians. They did in fact supply a lot of the transport, and given that 51st HD for example, were fighting under command of The Canadians it is understandable. There were several Can-loan officers serving with them at the time also.
    When I first went to Holland, several people in the Brabant area assumed they had been liberated by Canadians.
     
  3. patrick1974

    patrick1974 We will remember them.

    This is my old thread and i haven't been here for a long time but i want to thank all of you from the bottom of my heart for helping me researching the liberation of my hometown thank you all.I :salut: you
     
  4. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Welcome back Patrick,
    hope you found it all interesting - Verrieres links might well explain your uncle's memories from that time.
     
  5. patrick1974

    patrick1974 We will remember them.

    Thank you very much Diane:)
     
  6. Owen

    Owen -- --- -.. MOD

    No worries , that's what we're here for.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 26, 2019
  7. canuck

    canuck Closed Account

    Just goes to show the kind of recognition you can earn from an effective PR campaign and many paternity cases.
    After slogging through most of Holland you can't blame the Canadians for taking credit for an extra town or two.



    can_map.jpg
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Aug 26, 2019
    ecalpald likes this.
  8. patrick1974

    patrick1974 We will remember them.

    I got a few photos of a friend of mine.It shows guards armoured divisional men on their tanks and there are markings on that tank so perhaps anyone can identify the exact unit by the numers on the tanks??Also i he has send me a photo of what i belive a canadian in Enschede judging by it's headgear.I hope that someone can help me with identifying.
     

    Attached Files:

  9. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Patrick, my final offering I think, but the most relevant.

    From The Coldstream Guards, Howard & Sparrow

    April 1, 1994
    Behind a screen of the Reconnaissance Troop's, 2 Sqn. now took the lead. Before them, fifteen miles away, there lay the Twente canal. At its eastern end lay ENSCHEDE, on the west HENGERLO, both towns known to be heavily defended; but there was one bridge across the canal between them, and the COLDSTREAM determined to seize this intact. There were still many Germans south of the canal, but they showed little stomach for fight: Maj. Priestley's squadron took a hundred prisoners in a matter of minutes, and by 11 o'clock had reached the bridge.

    Four 500-lb. bombs were laid for demolition, 88-mmm. guns were dug in beyond, but the bridge was still intact. Lt. Jardine, leading the squadron, did not hesitate; he charged. Three tanks were across the bridge before the Germans knew what had happened. Then the bridge blew up; and the leading tanks of the second troop were hit by German gunners; and Maj. Priestly, with one troop commander beyond the canal and another, Lt. Boscawen, severely wounded, pulled back his squadron to a wood 300 yards short of the bank. The gamble had just failed; now the battalions had to go round the end of the canal through ENSCHEDE, on the right.

    1 Coy. and 1 Sqn. went cautiously to reconnoitre the outskirts of ENSCHEDE, and there they met a single battered Sherman - the only survivor of Lt. Jardine's gallant trio. Commanded by L/Sgt Lyon, it had worked along the far bank of the canal, killing a large number of Germans and miraculously escaping their bazooka fire. The other two tanks had been destroyed, but Lt. Jardine managed to bring his crew - two of who could not swim - back across the canal to safety. L/Sgt Lyon had met a disquieting number of Germans in ENSCHEDE; Lt.-Col. Hill planned to tackle them by an attack in bounds, launched by 1, 2, and 4 Coys. with 1 Sqn in support. But opposition was less stiff than expected: it resolved itself into a number of of die-hard snipers spread thinly through the town; and before the afternoon ENSCHEDE was in COLDSTREAM hands.

    While the Guardsmen once more received the plaudits of a liberated people, Maj. Darell consummated the attack by driving three miles farther north with 1 Sqn to cut the main road from BREMEN to ROTTERDAM. Brig. Johnson sent the 'Celtic' Group through ENSCHEDE to consolidate, but it was held up by S.P. guns on the aerodrome which Maj. Darell had avoided, and could not reach the squadron before nightfall. Maj. Darell spent a lonely, precarious, but highly successful night: besides a number of prisoners, he captured six lorries and a pantechnicon carrying not only 500 wireless sets but the stores and equipment for a large officers' mess.
     
  10. Rob Dickers

    Rob Dickers 10th MEDIUM REGT RA

    Re Canadians
    At this time (early April) the Canadian Divs were to the West and S.West of Enschede and engaged in taking the town of Zutphen and the surrounding areas, with a little help from the British Med Arty.
    Cheers
    Rob
     
  11. Daddys Girl

    Daddys Girl Junior Member

    I have photos of my father in Enshede, he was with the Canadian Kangaroo's, an armed carrier corps formed in Holland.
     
  12. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD


    Hello and welcome to the forum.
    Would you be able to post them on the forum, would love to see them.

    Regards
     
    Last edited: Aug 26, 2019
  13. johnevans

    johnevans Junior Member

    I found this while trying to trace my father's movements during WWII. He was originally attached to the Canadian 19th anti-aircraft regiment which I believe got disbanded and re-grouped into other units just prior to going into Europe. I haven't yet tracked down exactly what units he ended up in. I do have a photo of him standing next to his truck. On the photo he had written Eibergen, Holland 1945. In the background is a sign saying "R Battery 74 Orderly Room". Anyone know what units were there?
    Other photos include "Amersford" and finally "Wilhemshraaen, Germany"

    Thanks
     
  14. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    Eibergen is a small place in area called Achterhoek east of Holland, Amersford I think stands for Amersfoort near Utrecht, and Wilhemshraaen, would be Wilhelmshaven in Germany. So he was still with a Royal Artillery unit, a number of them ended up in these area's
     
  15. johnevans

    johnevans Junior Member

    Thanks Philip,
    Would you know of any sources of information to find out exactly what Battalion or Regiments were in that area?
     
  16. Philip Reinders

    Philip Reinders Very Senior Member

    you could check my site on the RCA Anti aircraft units :) if you want I can place the photo on my site.
     
  17. Roel

    Roel Junior Member

    Just looking at Assault Division History of 3rd Division by Norman Scarfe.
    Page 233.

    Ahead , the Guards were through Kaaksbergen and Enschede, a spacious Dutch town at one end of the Twenthe Canal. The bridge was blown behind the first few tanks of the Guards, and so 8 Brigade was sent forward to clear Enschede on the 2nd. A few shots were audible , but otherwise it was a repetition of the Groenlo welcome.
    The Guards galloped on....


    PS I've edited the thread title .

    Kaaksbergen would be "Haaksbergen"
     
  18. dmissdefy

    dmissdefy Junior Member

    This is an old post but thought I'd reply anyway. I have a little dutch clog with Enschede written on it and my dad said it was given to my grandfather as one of the gifts he got for being part of the liberation of that town. He was with the North Nova Scotia Highlanders from Canada.
     
  19. Bob Hindry

    Bob Hindry New Member

    Hi I'm Nephew of Thomas Twite Coldstream Guards 2665087. he was at Enschede and was part of the attack on the bridge which resulted in Boscowen getting blown up and badly burnt 1st April 1944. He is still alive (96) and will be n Valkenswaard 13th to 18th September 2019.
     
    dbf and 17thDYRCH like this.
  20. dbf

    dbf Moderatrix MOD

    Thanks for posting that , hope you can share some more on the forum about his experiences.

    I've added your uncle's info to the nominal roll
    Coldstream Guards: unofficial Nominal Roll by Army Number order
     

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