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History |
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Wars & Campaigns |
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►Boer
War
►First
World War
►►Western
Front
►►►Trench
Warfare: 1914-1916
►►►Allied
Offensive: 1916
►►►Allied
Offensives: 1917
►►►German
Offensive: 1918
►►►Advance
to Victory: 1918
►►Siberia
►Second
World War
►►War
Against Japan
►►North
Africa
►►Italian
Campaign
►►►Sicily
►►►Southern
Italy
►►►The
Sangro and Moro
►►►Battles
of the FSSF
►►►Cassino
►►►Liri
Valley
►►►Advance
to Florence
►►►Gothic
Line
►►►Winter
Lines
►►North-West
Europe
►►►Normandy
►►►Southern
France
►►►Channel
Ports
►►►Scheldt
►►►Nijmegen
Salient
►►►Rhineland
►►►Final
Phase
►Korean
War
►Cold
War
►Gulf
War |
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Operations |
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Battle Honours |
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Boer War
First World War
Western Front
Trench Warfare: 1914-1916
Allied Offensive: 1916
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►Somme, 1916 |
1
Jul-18 Nov 16 |
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►Albert |
.1-13
Jul 16 |
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►Bazentin |
.14-17
Jul 16 |
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►Pozieres |
.23
Jul-3 Sep 16 |
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►Guillemont |
.3-6
Sep 16 |
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►Ginchy |
.9
Sep 16 |
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►Flers-Courcelette |
15-22
Sep 16 |
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►Thiepval |
26-29
Sep 16 |
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►Le Transloy |
.
1-18 Oct 16 |
Allied
Offensives: 1917
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►Arras 1917 |
8
Apr-4 May 17 |
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►Vimy, 1917 |
.9-14
Apr 17 |
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►Arleux |
28-29 Apr 17 |
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►Scarpe, 1917 |
.3-4
May17 |
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►Hill 70 |
.15-25
Aug 17 |
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►Messines, 1917 |
.7-14
Jun 17 |
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►Ypres, 1917 |
..31
Jul-10 Nov 17 |
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►Pilckem |
31
Jul-2 Aug 17 |
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►Langemarck, 1917 |
.16-18
Aug 17 |
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►Menin Road |
.20-25
Sep 17 |
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►Polygon Wood |
26
Sep-3 Oct 17 |
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►Broodseinde |
.4
Oct 17 |
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►Poelcapelle |
.9
Oct 17 |
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►Passchendaele |
.12
Oct 17 |
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►Cambrai, 1917 |
20
Nov-3 Dec 17 |
German Offensive: 1918
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►Somme, 1918 |
.21
Mar-5 Apr 18 |
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►St. Quentin |
.21-23
Mar 18 |
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►Bapaume, 1918 |
.24-25
Mar 18 |
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►Rosieres |
.26-27
Mar 18 |
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►Avre |
.4
Apr 18 |
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►Lys |
.9-29
Apr 18 |
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►Estaires |
.9-11
Apr 18 |
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►Messines, 1918 |
.10-11
Apr 18 |
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►Bailleul |
.13-15
Apr 18 |
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►Kemmel |
.17-19
Apr 18 |
Advance to Victory: 1918
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►Arras, 1918 |
.26
Aug-3 Sep 18 |
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►Scarpe, 1918 |
26-30 Aug 18. |
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►Drocourt-Queant |
.2-3
Sep 18 |
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►Hindenburg Line |
.12
Sep-9 Oct 18 |
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►Canal du Nord |
.27
Sep-2 Oct 18 |
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►St. Quentin Canal |
.29
Sep-2 Oct 18 |
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►Epehy |
3-5
Oct 18 |
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►Cambrai, 1918 |
.8-9
Oct 18 |
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►Valenciennes |
.1-2
Nov 18 |
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►Sambre |
.4
Nov 18 |
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►Pursuit to Mons |
.28 Sep-11Nov |
Second World War
War Against Japan
South-East Asia
Italian Campaign
Battle of Sicily
Southern
Italy
The Sangro and Moro
Battles of the FSSF
|
►Anzio |
22
Jan-22 May 44 |
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►Rome |
.22
May-4 Jun 44 |
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►Advance
|
.22
May-22 Jun 44 |
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to the Tiber |
. |
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►Monte Arrestino |
25
May 44 |
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►Rocca Massima |
27
May 44 |
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►Colle Ferro |
2
Jun 44 |
Cassino
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►Cassino II |
11-18
May 44 |
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►Gustav Line |
11-18
May 44 |
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►Sant' Angelo in
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13
May 44 |
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Teodice |
. |
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►Pignataro |
14-15 May 44 |
Liri Valley
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►Hitler Line |
18-24 May 44 |
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►Melfa Crossing |
24-25 May 44 |
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►Torrice Crossroads |
30
May 44 |
Advance to Florence
Gothic Line
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►Gothic Line |
25 Aug-22 Sep 44 |
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►Monteciccardo |
27-28 Aug 44 |
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►Point 204 (Pozzo Alto) |
31 Aug 44 |
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►Borgo Santa Maria |
1 Sep 44 |
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►Tomba di Pesaro |
1-2 Sep 44 |
Winter Lines
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►Rimini Line |
14-21 Sep 44 |
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►San Martino- |
14-18 Sep 44 |
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San Lorenzo |
. |
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►San Fortunato |
18-20 Sep 44 |
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►Sant' Angelo |
11-15 Sep 44 |
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in Salute |
. |
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►Bulgaria Village |
13-14 Sep 44 |
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►Pisciatello |
16-19 Sep 44 |
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►Savio Bridgehead |
20-23
Sep 44 |
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►Monte La Pieve |
13-19
Oct 44 |
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►Monte Spaduro |
19-24 Oct 44 |
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►Monte San Bartolo |
11-14
Nov 44 |
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►Lamone Crossing |
2-13
Dec 44 |
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►Capture of Ravenna |
3-4
Dec 44 |
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►Naviglio Canal |
12-15 Dec 44 |
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►Fosso Vecchio |
16-18 Dec 44 |
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►Fosso Munio |
19-21 Dec 44 |
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►Conventello- |
2-6 Jan 45 |
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Comacchio |
. |
Northwest Europe
Battle of Normandy
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►Quesnay Road |
10-11 Aug 44 |
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►St. Lambert-sur- |
19-22 Aug 44 |
Southern France
Channel Ports
The Scheldt
Nijmegen Salient
Rhineland
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►The
Reichswald |
8-13 Feb 45 |
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►Waal
Flats |
8-15 Feb 45 |
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►Moyland
Wood |
14-21 Feb 45 |
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►Goch-Calcar
Road |
19-21 Feb 45 |
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►The
Hochwald |
26
Feb- |
| . |
4
Mar 45 |
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►Veen |
6-10 Mar 45 |
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►Xanten |
8-9
Mar 45 |
Final Phase
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►The
Rhine |
23
Mar-1 Apr 45 |
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►Emmerich-Hoch
|
28
Mar-1 Apr 45 |
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Elten |
. |
Korean War
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Domestic Missions |
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►FLQ
Crisis |
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International
Missions |
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►ICCS
Vietnam 1973
►MFO
Sinai 1986- |
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Peacekeeping |
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►UNTEA |
W. N. Guinea 1963-1964 |
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►ONUCA |
C. America
1989-1992 |
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►UNTAC |
Cambodia
1992-1993 |
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►UNMOP |
Prevlaka
1996-2001 |
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|
Exercises |
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Oldenburg
|
Oldenburg was a
Battle Honour granted to Canadian units participating in actions on
German soil in the last days of the Final Phase of the North-West
Europe campaign in the Second World War.
Overall Situation
Groningen had been one of the last acts of the liberation of The
Netherlands. At the same time as the First Canadian Army prepared to
move east into Germany again, 325,000 Germans were surrendering to
the south, in the Ruhr Pocket, while the Red Army to the east was
flinging itself across the Oder - the last barrier between the
Soviets and Berlin.
21st Army Group now turned both its Armies onto enemy soil with the
goal of capturing key ports in northern Germany and liberating
Denmark. While British 2nd Army moved on Bremen and Hamburg, First
Canadian Army would move alongside to protect its flank.
Battles
The Battle Honour for Oldenburg was granted for many individual unit
actions. |
|
Gruppenbühren
 The
5th Canadian Brigade made the move into Germany on 19 Apr 1945,
concentrating 40 kilometres southwest of Bremen. The entire Division
would move in bounds, protecting the right flank of 4th Canadian
(Armoured) Division, itself advancing on the flank of the British XXX
Corps moving on Bremen. The 5th Brigade moved on 22 April, with The
Calgary Highlanders in the lead. "C" and "D" Companies led the advance
mounted on tanks of the Fort Garry Horse. Only three casualties were
suffered in the days' advance when a carrier driven by Private Leonard
W. Pepper was ambushed. Captain Bill Lyster was severely wounded, almost
losing his arm and being evacuated to England.
The 5th Brigade once again led the division's advance on 26 April. The
Brigade was ordered to attack towards Oldenburg, with the Black Watch
and Le Regiment de Maisonneuve leading and The Calgary Highlanders in
reserve. While the Germans had shown no inclination to stand and fight
in recent days, the garrison at Gruppenbühren - the town sitting astride
the brigade's objective - was a different story.
Although Captain Sandy Pearson would describe this battle as "sort of a
useless endeavour as we knew the end was near", the action nonetheless
produced three awards for gallantry.
The Calgary Highlanders' War Diary painted the battle in very stark
terms: after crossing the Brigade Start Point at 0800 on 26 Apr 1945,
they reached a concentration area at 0900, and were told that the
earliest possible commitment for the unit would be 1100 hours. Several
changes of plan followed, and at 1345 hours Tactical Headquarters moved
to a new location.
"A" Company was detailed to put an attack in with a main road junction
as their objective. Heavy enemy shelling and mortaring delayed the
attack, as did the fact that Le Regiment de Maisonneuve had not been
able to achieve their objective. The Maisonneuves were consequently
using a large portion of the available artillery ammunition being fired
in support of the Brigade.
"A" Company finally launched their attack at 1800 hrs, over open ground,
with Major "Knobby" Clarke leading his company personally onto their
objective. As described below, he did not stop there. "B" Company
crossed the same open ground subsequently, and "D" and "C" moved north
to the main road. "D" Company stopped 500 yards short of their objective
in order to concentrate more artillery fire on it.
By 2350 hrs all companies were settled in for the night, and a patrol
was sent to check on a forest opposite their position, but the scouts
returned at 0200 and reported the woods clear of enemy soldiers, and
that there were fires burning.
The Calgary Highlanders lost 6 men killed and several more wounded
during the attack on Gruppenbühren. Lance Corporal Floyd Rourke was
decorated with the DCM for taking over his platoon when the senior
leaders were killed.
Kirchhatten
The 6th Canadian Infantry Brigade, ordered to capture Kirchhatten
athwart the Wildehausen-Oldenburg road, met spirited resistance from six
companies of a non-commissioned officers' school near Hanover. Battle
Group Lier was nominally attached to Infanterie Division 490 which is
described as a "weak formation composed of miscellaneous elements
including marines."1 A combined attack by the 6th Brigade
supported by an armoured squadron ("C" Squadron of the Fort Garry Horse)
and two machinegun companies of the Toronto Scottish captured the town,
and resisted counter-attacks in strength on the afternoon of 23 Apr and
again on the 24th.
Kirchkimmen and
Falkenburg
The 4th Canadian Infantry Brigade concentrated its efforts on
Kirchkimmand and Falkenburg, on the road to Oldenburg and Delmenhorst.
The Royal Regiment of Canada was heavily engaged on the left, and the
Essex Scottish Regiment provided assistance. The Royal Hamilton Light
Infantry took Nuttel and on 25 Apr the brigade resumed a general advance
under heavy fire, with support from artillery and Fort Garry Horse
tanks.
Typhoons also lent assistance,
attacking positions shown on captured maps or located by prisoners.
The latter were, in the Royals' words, "a motley collection of
engineers, marines, paratroopers, etc." There were continual signs
of enemy deterioration; one prisoner proved to be a technical
officer of the Luftwaffe with two days' experience in the infantry.
By the late afternoon of the 25th both the Royals and the RHLI had
secured objectives astride the Oldenburg-Delmenhorst highway. That
evening, thanks to the YMCA, the RHLI saw a movie in Falkenburg.2
Battle Honours
The following Canadian units were awarded the Battle Honour "Oldenburg"
for participation in these actions:
2nd Canadian Armoured Brigade
2nd Canadian Division
4th Canadian Infantry Brigade
-
The Royal Regiment of Canada
-
The Royal Hamilton Light Infantry
-
The Essex Scottish Regiment
5th Canadian Infantry Brigade
6th Canadian Infantry Brigade
Notes
- Stacey, C.P. Official History of the Canadian Army in the
Second World War, Volume II: The Victory Campaign. p.601
- Ibid, p.602
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