Dunkirk, 1944

Bourbourgville

The Black Watch seized a bridge site south Bourbourgville, attacking through heavy rain and high winds, as well as flooded ditches, a result of deliberate attempts by the Germans to inundate the battlefield by blowing the canal banks as a defensive measure. The Germans held the town itself securely, behind a canal completely ringing the built-up area, which could be covered by fire from the market-square, with a centrally located church also covering likely avenues of approach. Artillery was used to good effect also as the Canadians approached the town. Le Régiment de Maisonneuve managed to secure boats from local civilians, and also erected a hasty foot bridge built from planks. Under heavy pressure, the German defenders were forced to withdraw to the north end of the town, where they held onto the railway station with the help of a pair of 20mm anti-aircraft guns. The Maisonneuves silenced the guns while the Calgary Highlanders attempted to approach the town from the west, finally driven to ground in the open and told to wait until morning.¹

Fighting lasted into the night but the town was considered clear on the night of 7-8 September, and the brigade was ordered to "contain the garrison" inside the port - estimated at 10,000 German troops - with a perimeter of outposts in Mardick, Loon Plage, Spycker, Bergues and Bray Dunnes.²

Loon Plage

At first light on 8 September, the Calgary Highlanders again moved towards Dunkirk, passing through Les Planches, the first objective, but stopped once again by heavy enemy artillery fire at their second objective, a road junction. On ground difficult to dig in, a company was sent to try and take Loon Plage from the west flank, but here too was stopped by a farmhouse 500 yards from the village. When the Maisonneuves were ordered forward to assist, it took five hours for the lead company to come within a mile of the Highlanders, a point their War Diarist grumblingly committed to posterity.

The Maisonneuves, like the Calgaries, were trying to invest the Dunkirk perimeter against formidable odds. The enemy had ample supplies of artillery shells, enough, as it turned out, to defend Dunkirk until the war was over, good observation of all daylight movement, and an intimate knowledge of the terrain. The infantry battalions, without any armour or air support, and without a clear mission were pressing forward without taking time for reconnaissance and without making full use of intelligence from the French resistance forces in the area.³

Coppenaxfort

The Black Watch, too, tried to move forward without adequate support, attacking on the right flank of the brigade with a troop of armoured cars from the divisional reconnaissance regiment. Their axis of advance led them up a straight, elevated road on the bank of a canal, devoid of trees, hedges or cover. The infantry had to advance single file; the lead armoured car, 100 yards behind the first troops, was knocked out early by an anti-tank gun firing at long range. Machine gun and mortar fire came down next. The Canadian infantry could not dig-in, and supporting fire from the 5th Field Regiment was hampered by ammunition shortages and prior commitment to the other two infantry battalions of the brigade. The Black Watch was forced to pull back and regroup. The next morning, a single platoon with an armoured car in support rushed forward to find the Germans had pulled out in the night.

These gains meant little to 5 Brigade for they now found themselves occupying positions the Germans had carefully surveyed as artillery targets. Throughout the following week the brigade used fighting patrols to harass the enemy, and battalion attacks to compress the perimeter.⁴

During this period following the initial attacks on the Dunkirk defences, German shellfire remained intense, despite civilian assistance in locating German positions.

6th Brigade

East of Dunkirk, the 6th Brigade occupied Furnes, Nieuport and La Panne, having received assistance at Nieuport from the Belgian White Brigade (the national resistance movement) in locating enemy positions and minefields. The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada occupied German coastal positions west of La Panne and on 12 September the 6th Brigade was ordered to clear Bray Dunnes and Bray Dunnes Plage. Two days of attacks by the Camerons proved unsuccessful until Typhoon aircraft and the South Sasktachewan Regiment came in to assist, and the task was finally complete on the 15th. Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal took Ghyvelde after several attempts.

4th Brigade

The 4th Brigade had an easier time in this period, originally placed in reserve. On 9 September, they occupied Ostend. Though the town contained a sizeable port, the Germans chose not to defend it despite numerous sturdy fortifications there. The port, partially demolished, was reopened on September 28th. East of Nieuport the Essex Scottish Regiment laid siege to another formidable looking coastal installation and laid down mortar, anti-tank and anti-aircraft fire of such volume that the enemy surrendered on September 12th without the need for an assault. As they collected 316 prisoners for the loss of two killed and three wounded, the Royals and the RHLI moved to Bruges, from which the enemy also fled before the 12th Manitoba Dragoons arrived to liberate it.

The brigade turned its attention back to Dunkirk, and the RHLI put in an attack at Bergues on the 15th which bogged down in flooded terrain. The enemy withdrew and the 8th Reconnaissance Regiment occupied the town on the 16th, by which time the entire 2nd Division was in the process of leaving the Dunkirk perimeter for Antwerp.⁵

Battle Honours

The following Canadian units were awarded the Battle Honour "Dunkirk, 1944" for participation in these actions:

2nd Canadian Division

• The Toronto Scottish Regiment (MG)

4th Canadian Infantry Brigade

• The Royal Regiment of Canada

5th Canadian Infantry Brigade

• The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada

• Le Régiment de Maisonneuve

• The Calgary Highlanders

6th Canadian Infantry Brigade

• Les Fusiliers Mont-Royal

• The Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada

• The South Saskatchewan Regiment

Notes

1. Copp, Terry The Brigade (Fortress Publications, Inc., Stoney Creek, ON, 1992) pp.120-121
2. Stacey, C.P. Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War Volume II: The Victory Campaign (Queen's Printer, 1960) p.327
3. Copp, Ibid, p.123
4. Ibid, pp.123-124
5. Stacey, Ibid

References

• McKay, A. Donald Gaudeamus Igitur (Bunker to Bunker Books, Calgary, AB, 2005)

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