History

Wars & Campaigns

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

Operations 

GAUNTLET Aug 1941

(Spitsbergen)

HUSKY Jul 1943

 (Sicily)

COTTAGE Aug 1943

 (Kiska)

TIMBERWOLF Oct 1943

(Italy)

OVERLORD Jun 1944

(Normandy)

MARKET-GARDEN Sep 44

(Arnhem)

BERLIN Nov 1944

(Nijmegen)

VERITABLE Feb 1945

(Rhineland)

Battle Honours

Boer War

►Paardeberg

18 Feb 00

First World War
Western Front
Trench Warfare: 1914-1916

Ypres, 1915

22 Apr-25 May 15

Gravenstafel

22-23 Apr 15

St. Julien

24 Apr-4 May 15

Frezenberg

8-13 May 15

Bellewaarde

24-25 May 15

Festubert, 1915

15-25 May 15

Mount Sorrel

2-13 Jun 16

Allied Offensive: 1916

►Somme, 1916

1 Jul-18 Nov 16

►Albert

.1-13 Jul 16

►Bazentin

.14-17 Jul 16

►Pozieres

.23 Jul-3 Sep 16

►Guillemont

.3-6 Sep 16

►Ginchy

.9 Sep 16

Flers-Courcelette

15-22 Sep 16

Thiepval

26-29 Sep 16

►Le Transloy

. 1-18 Oct 16

Ancre Heights

1 Oct-11 Nov 16

Ancre, 1916

13-18 Nov 16

Allied Offensives: 1917

►Arras 1917

8 Apr-4 May 17

Vimy, 1917

.9-14 Apr 17

Arleux

28-29 Apr 17

►Scarpe, 1917

.3-4 May17

►Hill 70

.15-25 Aug 17

►Messines, 1917

.7-14 Jun 17

►Ypres, 1917

..31 Jul-10 Nov 17

►Pilckem

31 Jul-2 Aug 17

►Langemarck, 1917

.16-18 Aug 17

►Menin Road

.20-25 Sep 17

►Polygon Wood

26 Sep-3 Oct 17

►Broodseinde

.4 Oct 17

►Poelcapelle

.9 Oct 17

►Passchendaele

.12 Oct 17

►Cambrai, 1917

20 Nov-3 Dec 17

German Offensive: 1918

►Somme, 1918

.21 Mar-5 Apr 18

►St. Quentin

.21-23 Mar 18

►Bapaume, 1918

.24-25 Mar 18

►Rosieres

.26-27 Mar 18

►Avre

.4 Apr 18

►Lys

.9-29 Apr 18

►Estaires

.9-11 Apr 18

►Messines, 1918

.10-11 Apr 18

►Bailleul

.13-15 Apr 18

►Kemmel

.17-19 Apr 18

Advance to Victory: 1918

Amiens

8-11 Aug 18

►Arras, 1918

.26 Aug-3 Sep 18

►Scarpe, 1918

26-30 Aug 18.

►Drocourt-Queant

.2-3 Sep 18

►Hindenburg Line

.12 Sep-9 Oct 18

►Canal du Nord

.27 Sep-2 Oct 18

►St. Quentin Canal .29 Sep-2 Oct 18
►Epehy

3-5 Oct 18

►Cambrai, 1918

.8-9 Oct 18

►Valenciennes

.1-2 Nov 18

►Sambre

.4 Nov 18

►Pursuit to Mons .28 Sep-11Nov

Second World War

War Against Japan

South-East Asia

Hong Kong

 8-25 Dec 41

Italian Campaign

Battle of Sicily

Landing in Sicily 

   9-12 Jul 43

Grammichele 

15 Jul 43

Piazza Armerina

16-17 Jul 43

Valguarnera

17-19 Jul 43

Assoro 

  20-22 Jul 43

Leonforte

 21-22 Jul 43

Agira

24-28 Jul 43

Adrano 

29 Jul-7 Aug 43

Catenanuova

29-30 Jul 43

Regalbuto

29 Jul-3 Aug 43

Centuripe

  31 Jul-3 Aug 43

Troina Valley

 2-6 Aug 43

Pursuit to Messina

 2-17 Aug 43

 Southern Italy

Landing at Reggio

 3 Sep 43

Potenza 19-20 Sep 43
Motta Montecorvino 1-3 Oct 43
Termoli 3-6 Oct 43
Monte San Marco 6-7 Oct 43
Gambatesa 7-8 Oct 43
Campobasso 11-14 Oct 43
Baranello 17-18 Oct 43
Colle d'Anchise 22-24 Oct 43
Torella 24-27 Oct 43

The Sangro and Moro

The Sangro

19 Nov-3 Dec 43

Castel di Sangro

.23-24 Nov 43

The Moro

5-7 Dec 43

San Leonardo

8-9 Dec 43

The Gully

..10-19 Dec 43

Casa Berardi

 ..14-15 Dec 43

Ortona

20-28 Dec 43

San Nicola-San

.31 Dec 43

Tommaso

.
Point 59/ 29 Dec 43-

Torre Mucchia

4 Jan 44

Battles of the FSSF
Monte Camino

.5 Nov-9 Dec 43

Monte la Difensa-

2-8 Dec 43

 Monte la Remetanea

.
Hill 720

25 Dec 43

Monte Majo

3-8 Jan 44.

Radicosa

4 Jan 44

Monte Vischiataro

8 Jan 44

Anzio

22 Jan-22 May 44

Rome

.22 May-4 Jun 44

Advance

.22 May-22 Jun 44

to the Tiber

.
►Monte Arrestino

25 May 44

►Rocca Massima

27 May 44

►Colle Ferro

2 Jun 44

Cassino
►Cassino II

11-18 May 44

►Gustav Line

11-18 May 44

►Sant' Angelo in

13 May 44

Teodice

.
►Pignataro

14-15 May 44

Liri Valley
Liri Valley

18-30 May 44

►Hitler Line

18-24 May 44

►Aquino

18-24 May 44

►Melfa Crossing

24-25 May 44

►Ceprano

26-27 May 44

►Torrice Crossroads

30 May 44

Advance to Florence
Advance

17 Jul-10 Aug 44

to Florence

.
Trasimene Line

20-30 Jun 44

Sanfatucchio

20-21 Jun 44

Arezzo

4-17 Jul 44

Cerrone

25 - 31 Aug 44

Gothic Line
►Gothic Line

25 Aug-22 Sep 44

►Monteciccardo

27-28 Aug 44

►Montecchio

30-31 Aug 44

►Point 204 (Pozzo Alto)

31 Aug 44

►Monte Luro

1 Sep 44

►Borgo Santa Maria

1 Sep 44

►Tomba di Pesaro

1-2 Sep 44

►Coriano

3-15 Sep 44

Winter Lines
►Rimini Line

14-21 Sep 44

►San Martino-

14-18 Sep 44

San Lorenzo

.
►San Fortunato

18-20 Sep 44

►Casale

23-25 Sep 44

►Sant' Angelo

11-15 Sep 44

 in Salute

.
►Bulgaria Village

13-14 Sep 44

►Cesena

15-20 Sep 44

►Pisciatello

16-19 Sep 44

►Savio Bridgehead

20-23 Sep 44

►Monte La Pieve

13-19 Oct 44

►Monte Spaduro

19-24 Oct 44

►Monte San Bartolo

11-14 Nov 44

►Lamone Crossing

2-13 Dec 44

►Capture of Ravenna

3-4 Dec 44

►Naviglio Canal

12-15 Dec 44

►Fosso Vecchio

16-18 Dec 44

►Fosso Munio

19-21 Dec 44

►Conventello-

2-6 Jan 45

Comacchio

.
►Granarolo

3-5 Jan 44

Northwest Europe
Dieppe

19 Aug 42

Battle of Normandy
Normandy Landing

6 Jun 44

Authie

7 Jun 44

Putot-en-Bessin

8 Jun 44

Bretteville

8-9 Jun 44

       -l'Orgueilleuse .
Le Mesnil-Patry

11 Jun 44

Carpiquet

4-5 Jul 44

Caen

4-18 Jul 44

The Orne (Buron)

8-9 Jul 44

Bourguébus Ridge

18-23 Jul 44

Faubourg-de-

18-19 Jul 44

       Vaucelles .
St. André-sur-Orne

19-23 Jul 44

Maltôt

22-23 Jul 44

Verrières Ridge-Tilly--

25 Jul 44

         la-Campagne .
Falaise

7-22 Aug 44

►Falaise Road

7-9 Aug 44

►Quesnay Road

10-11 Aug 44

Clair Tizon

11-13 Aug 44

►The Laison

14-17 Aug 44

►Chambois

18-22 Aug 44

►St. Lambert-sur-

19-22 Aug 44

       Dives

.

Dives Crossing

17-20 Aug 44

Forêt de la Londe

27-29 Aug 44

The Seine, 1944

25-28 Aug 44

Southern France
Southern France

15-28 Aug 44

Channel Ports
Dunkirk, 1944

8-15 Sep 44

Le Havre

1-12 Sep 44

Moerbrugge

8-10 Sep 44

Moerkerke

13-14 Sep 44

Boulogne, 1944

17-22 Sep 44

Calais, 1944

25 Sep-1 Oct 44

Wyneghem

21-22 Sep 44

Antwerp-Turnhout

   24-29 Sep 44

Canal

.

The Scheldt

The Scheldt

1 Oct-8 Nov 44

Leopold Canal

6-16 Oct-44

►Woensdrecht

1-27 Oct 44

Savojaards Platt

9-10 Oct 44

Breskens Pocket

11 Oct -3 Nov 44

►The Lower Maas

20 Oct -7 Nov 44

►South Beveland

 24-31 Oct 44

Walcheren

31 Oct -4 Nov 44

Causeway

.

Nijmegen Salient
Ardennes

Dec 44-Jan 45

Kapelsche Veer

31 Dec 44-

.

21Jan 45

The Roer

16-31 Jan 45

Rhineland
The Rhineland

8 Feb-10 Mar 45

►The Reichswald

8-13 Feb 45

►Waal Flats

8-15 Feb 45

►Moyland Wood

14-21 Feb 45

►Goch-Calcar Road

19-21 Feb 45

►The Hochwald

26 Feb-

.

4 Mar 45

►Veen

6-10 Mar 45

►Xanten

8-9 Mar 45

Final Phase
The Rhine

23 Mar-1 Apr 45

►Emmerich-Hoch

28 Mar-1 Apr 45

Elten

.
►Twente Canal

2-4 Apr 45

Zutphen

6-8 Apr 45

Deventer

8-11 Apr 45

Arnhem, 1945

12-14 Apr 45

Apeldoorn

11-17 Apr 45

Groningen

13-16 Apr 45

Friesoythe

14 Apr 45

►Ijselmeer

15-18 Apr 45

Küsten Canal

17-24 Apr 45

Wagenborgen

21-23 Apr 45

Delfzijl Pocket

23 Apr-2 May 45

Leer

28-29 Apr 45

Bad Zwischenahn

23 Apr-4 May 45

Oldenburg

27 Apr-5 May 45

Korean War
Kapyong

21-25 Apr 51

Domestic Missions

FLQ Crisis

International Missions

ICCS            Vietnam 1973

MFO                 Sinai 1986-

Peacekeeping

UNMOGIP

India 1948-1979

UNTSO

 Israel 1948-    ....

UNEF

Egypt 1956-1967

UNOGIL

Lebanon 1958    ....

ONUC

 Congo 1960-1964

UNYOM

Yemen 1963-1964

UNTEA

W. N. Guinea 1963-1964

UNIFCYP

 Cyprus 1964-    ....

DOMREP

D. Republic 1965-1966

UNIPOM

Kashmir 1965-1966

UNEFME

Egypt 1973-1979

UNDOF

Golan 1974-    ....

UNIFIL

 Lebanon 1978    ....

UNGOMAP

Afghanistan 1988-90

UNIIMOG

Iran-Iraq 1988-1991

UNTAG

Namibia 1989-1990

ONUCA

C. America 1989-1992

UNIKOM

Kuwait 1991    ....

MINURSO

W. Sahara 1991    ....

ONUSAL

El Salvador 1991    ....

UNAMIC

Cambodia 1991-1992

UNAVEM II

Angola 1991-1997

UNPROFOR

Yugosla. 1992-1995

UNTAC

Cambodia 1992-1993

UNOSOM

Somalia 1992-1993

ONUMOZ

Mozambiq. 1993-1994

UNOMUR

 Rwanda 1993    ....

UNAMIR

Rwanda 1993-1996

UNMIH

Haiti 1993-1996

UNMIBH

Bosnia/Herz.1993-1996

UNMOP

Prevlaka 1996-2001

UNSMIH

Haiti 1996-1997

MINUGUA

Guatemala 1994-1997

UNTMIH

Haiti 1997    ....

MIPONUH

 Haiti 1997    ....

MINURCA

C.Afr.Rep. 1998-1999

INTERFET

E. Timor 1999-2000

UNAMSIL

Sie. Leone 1999-2005

UNTAET

E. Timor 1999-2000

Exercises

 

Nijmegen Salient

The Nijmegen Salient was a large area of land controlled by the Allies in the Second World War during the North-West Europe campaign. The area was defended by the First Canadian Army from Nov 1944 to early Feb 1945, after which the Rhineland campaign began.

The salient had been created in Sep 1944 during Operation MARKET-GARDEN. While British XXX Corps was unable to meet their objective of linking up with British paratroopers in Arnhem, the US 82d Airborne Division had nonetheless managed to capture an intact bridge at Nijmegen over the Waal River. British XXX Corps had passed through, and at the start of Nov were defending the area; after the Battle of the Scheldt, the First Canadian Army took over part of the line in this area.

General G.G. Simonds, in command of II Canadian Corps, issued a directive shortly before the Canadians moved into the Salient:

The Nijmegen bridgehead is the most important bit of ground along the front of 21 Army Group. Here we hold the only bridge across the main course of the Rhine. If the Germans accept a decision west of the Rhine, the eastern face of the Nijmegen bridgehead between the Meuse and the Rhine forms a base through which an attack can be launched against the northern flank of the German battle line. If the Germans withdraw to the east bank of the Rhine, the Nijmegen bridgehead forms a base from which an assault across the Neder Rijn turns the main course of the Rhine itself.
Military bridging of the lower course of the Rhine is a doubtful possibility under winter conditions. Therefore, the Nijmegen bridge is of the greatest importance to us and must be protected against all forms of attack.1

Units of the Army alternated between the front line and reserve positions, and many infantry and armoured regiments had to "absorb" large numbers of reinforcements. Patrols into enemy territory were also a part of the routine in the Nijmegen Salient.

The front line came to settle by this time on the Maas River; with a strong water obstacle seperating the Allies from the Germans, concentration could turn to planning future operations. Two possible alternatives existed for 21st Army Group (consisting of the First Canadian Army and Second British Army). A forward thrust over the Neder Rijn (the river upon which Nijmegen sat, and which was in fact a tributary of the Rhine River), or a right hand turn and offensive into the Rhineland. Deliberate German flooding on 2 December prevented any further advance across the Neder Rijn. A bridgehead north of the Waal, however, permitted for the attack into the Rhineland - that area that still lay west of the Rhine. A major Allied offensive was planned for early in January; however, on the very day the order was given - December 16 - a massive German counteroffensive broke loose in the Ardennes Forest in Belgium, to the south. As British forces were moved to the south, the First Canadian Army had to prepare for further German attacks.
 

Had the Ardennes offensive gone well for the Germans, attacks into the Canadian Army front had been planned, involving tanks and veteran paratroop divisions. First Canadian Army therefore bided its time in December 1944 and January 1945, launching only one major operation - at Kapelsche Veer, during this period. The Army front during the winter stalemate was approximately 135 miles in length, with I British Corps manning the line from the North Sea to Maren, above s'Hertogenbosch. II Canadian Corps held the right flank between the Nijmegen island. Canadian divisions manned the line with two brigades in defensive positions and a third in reserve, resting and training. In three months, the "watch on the Maas" suffered 683 Canadian casualties, averaging over 225 a month.

An aggressive program of patrolling caused conflict in the 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division, and newly arrived Major General Christopher Vokes relieved the popular Lieutenant Colonel Dave Stewart of command of the Argyll and Sutherland Highlanders when he protested the necessity for patrols.

Aside from the action at Kapelsche Veer in late January, patrols both large and small were the order of the day for the Canadians in the Salient, often crossing the Maas at night by boat. One large patrol by The Lake Superior Regiment (Motor) took place in company strength on 17 January 1945. The village of Hoenza-Driel was the target, northeast of s'Hertogenbosch. Operation SCHULTZ was heavily supported by artillery, tanks, mortars and machine guns and managed to take three prisoners at the cost of only four casualties. As it turned out, the prisoners provided little useful information.2

First Canadian Army dispositions in the Nijmegen Salient were as follows:

  • First Canadian Army Headquarters - located in Tilburg.
  • British I Corps - on the left, manning a line from the North Sea to Maren, above s'Hertogenbosch.
    • British 52nd (Lowland) Division - Walcheren Island.
    • 18th Canadian Armoured Car Regiment (12th Manitoba Dragoons) - the reconnaissance unit of II Canadian Corps patrolled the area from Schouwen Island to Moerdijk.
    • 1st Polish Armoured Division - holding the south bank of the Maas.
    • 4th Canadian (Armoured) Division - holding the south bank of the Maas.
  • II Canadian Corps
    • Originally, the Nijmegen Island was held with the British 50th (Northumbrian) Division and the US 101st Airborne Division. At the end of Nov 1944 they were relieved by the British 49th (West Riding) Division and the 51st (Highland) Division.
    • To their right, the 3rd Canadian Division and 2nd Canadian Division held the Reichswald front.

Dispositions

One staff officer at 1st Canadian Army headquarters referred to the Ardennes offensive as a "moment of high comedy" in his memoirs:

When Rundstedt attacked, there was between Army HQ and the Germans across the Maas just one platoon of infantry and a troop of three armoured cars. We then learned that on the other side of the river, three German parachute divisions were concentrating, poised to attack toward Antwerp. They would be unlikely to move unless there was a breakthrough in the Ardennes, and all Allied efforts were devoted to stopping that. HQ First Canadian Army and administrative units in the area would have to defend themselves. We duly issued extra ammunition and grenades and reminded our clerks how to fire a rifle. All were told of the alarm signal - a Bofors AA gun firing bursts of four rounds across Tilburg.

About ten o'clock one night just such a series of bursts was fired. Our mess emptied...The stories of that night were legion. I arrived at the office to find my young clerk shaking and near to tears. He had been posted as sentry...and had shot an officer who had failed to halt when challenged. Fortunately he had just winged him...(I)t was a false alarm.

Later we found out what had happened. Two Dutch civilians chose that night to rob the Ordnance Field Park. Armed to the teeth with machine guns taken out of stores, the Park had never been so alert or so well guarded. When a sentry saw two figures crawling under the wire at the boundary, he opened up with his Bren...(T)he next post believed themselves to be under attack and fired back. Others eagerly joined in. Soon a full-scale firefight had developed.

Apart from the two Dutchmen, I don't believe that anyone was hurt, but there was a marked decrease in pilfering after that.

Thirteen years later when I was stationed at Soest in Germany...we were seated across the table from a husky German of an age to have taken part in the war. When I asked him, he said he had been in the Wehrmacht and that his service had been on the Eastern Front. (Very few would say that they had fought against the western allies.) He pointed to my parachute wings and said that he too had been a para. I asked which division. He answered the 6th.

'In the winter of 1944 under von Stumm?"

"Ja."

He agreed that they were on the north side of the Maas during the Battle of the Bulge, prepared to advance via Tilburg toward Antwerp as soon as Rundstedt reached Liege. I told him that all we had between him and First Canadian Army Headquarters in Tilburg was a platoon of infantry and an armoured car troop.

He couldn't believe it and asked if that was really true. I said it was.

He slapped his palm against his forehead. "Gott verdammt!"3

Battle Honours

  • The Ardennes - awarded to the 1st Canadian Parachute Battalion for actions during the Ardennes Offensive.
  • Kapelsche Veer
  • The Roer - awarded to the 1st Canadian Armoured Carrier Regiment for actions involving British troops.

Privates Oscar Meadows and Lloyd Holmes of "B" Company, The Black Watch (Royal Highland Regiment) of Canada, outside their dugout, Groesbeek, Netherlands, 3 Feb 1945.

Specialized winter clothing was rarely issued to Canadian soldiers in the Second World War, though it did see fairly widespread issue to units in the Nijmegen Salient. DND Photo.

Notes

  1. War Diary, General Officer Commander-in-Chief, First Canadian Army, Nov 1944 - quoted in Battle Royal: A History of The Royal Regiment of Canada 1868-1962.

  2. Stacey, C.P. Official History of the Canadian Army in the Second World War. The Victory Campaign: The Operations in North-West Europe, 1944-1945 (Ottawa: The Queens Printer, 1960) p.455

  3. Williams, Jeffery, Far From Home: A Memoir of a 20th Century Soldier (University of Calgary Press, Calgary, AB, 2003) ISBN 1-55238-129-3 p.252


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