The forgotten battle; The story about the fight for the Scheldt
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 17 มี.ค. 2020
- Documentary directed by Margot Schotel Omroep Zeeland (2019) about the battle of the Scheldt. An large and important battle in the autumn of 1944, wich was crucial for the liberation of the Netherlands and Europe
After D-Day (6 June 1944), the Allied Forces quickly conquered the north of France and Belgium. Already on 4 September they took Antwerp, a strategically vital harbor. However, the river Scheldt, the harbor’s supply route, was still in German hands. Montgomery was ordered by Eisenhower to secure both sides of the Scheldt, the larger part of which is located in the Netherlands, but Montogomery decided otherwise and started Operation Market Garden. He left the conquest of the Scheldt to the Canadians and the Polish Armies who then had to fight a much stronger enemy that was ordered by Hitler himself to keep its position at all costs. Even though Market Garden eventually failed, it received an almost mythological status in the narrative about the World War II, while the successful battle for the Scheldt was never really acknowledged by history.
With the cooperation of Tobias van Gent, Ingrid Baraitre, Carla Rus, Johan van Doorn ea.
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My dad fought in the Battle of the Scheldt. He was unusual because he was still fluent in his mother tongue, Flemish. His parents immigrated to Canada in the late 1800's and settled in Manitoba. Dad was with the Queen's Own Highland Camerons and fought in this battle. In 1994 he and a group of Canadian veterans were guests of the Belgian government, Bob Cools the mayor of Antwerp invited them to help celebrate the anniversary of the liberation of Antwerp. What a thrill for my parents.
ace
My father was nine when the Polish army established a rear echelon camp just behind the garden of his home during the Battle of the Scheldt. His father was deported to Germany and he was “adopted” by a Polish major who hadn’t seen his own children for years. My father is now 86, and he still tells stories about receiving his first orange and eating it like an apple. He gained 4 kg in six months while he and his mother and brother were being fed by the Polish. Just a small story about ordinary people during an extraordinary war.
Yeah Poland.....Canadian here1
Two of my uncles were officers in the Royal Canadian supply corp, The first unit to close the Falaise Gap, and then went north. They were there in Holland. One uncle missed death by inches. They did not talk about the war but Uncle Justin brought home two beautifully fainted pairs of wooden shoes for my older sisters. Thank you for this video. People don't know how horrendous this battle was because we live in the shadow of Hollywood. Thank you for recognizing the snub. Canadians got snubbed in Italy also when American troops, disregarding orders, marched into Rome. And thank all the Dutch for their loyal friendship, recognition and the tulips sent yearly to Ottawa.
I've read quite a bit about WWII, books written by reputable authors, historians. Always written by Americans or Brits who reference Canadiens or Aussies but don't focus on their feats. Now I realize how important they were to the Allies successes, True Warriors in every sense. This is a vast fascinating subject and shows me I've just scratched the surface. I'm very impressed. Be proud.
My Dad fought in the Battle of the Shelte near the Bresden Pocket near Maldegem in Belgium and later fought west towards Amsterdam. He was a lieutenant of a Canadian mortar platoon. He described the fighting there as the worst of the war and he had been at Cain and Falaise. Participating in the liberation parade in Amsterdam was the "greatest thrill of my life" he said. New Brunswick Rangers (10th Independent Machine gun Company) attached to the 5th Canadian division. Thanks for the video and not forgetting the Canadians, love the Dutch. They remember.
We in Holland will never forget the sacrifice of the Canadians and your father for our freedom. I was born and raised in Amsterdam and heard the stories of my late grandparents.
My Grandfather fought at the Battle of the Scheldt (4th Armoured). He was killed in early October 1944 and is buried at Adegem Canadian War Cemetery. I made the trip over in 2011 to visit his grave. Such an emotional experience. It was an overcast gloomy day but as we arrived a sunbeam poke through the clouds on to the cemetery. I brought some of the dirt from his grave to bring back & sprinkle on my Grandmother's grave. I am glad that your father made it home and the Battle of the Scheldt is not forgotten by us. Non nobis sed patriae.
@@LaneganFan Loved to hear about you bringing back the dirt from your grandfather's grave, wonderful story. I wrote a paper about my dad's experiences in WW2 that included around that region (about 30 pages). I could send it to you if interested.
@@Sparlingo Yes, I am very much interested. Thank you
@@Sparlingo I'm Tamilian. I'm interested too to read an inspiring event. Can you please share me the paper?
Thanks in Advance.
My dad took part in this operation, he was with the Queens Own Rifles. He was killed in a farming accident when I was 14. I miss him dearly to this day. I tried but of course he would not say much to a kid. Love the Dutch we have many of them for neighbors, they brought their customs, heritage and kind hearts to this country and helped build. A proud Canadian here that loves what we seem to be losing.
Your dad is a hero. We Dutch owe him a debt of gratitude for liberating our country.
My grandpa was also with Queens own rifles
Wow, this was really moving. Thank you for remembering the Canadian soldiers, my dad included. What a shame that the Dutch citizens suffered so much, and unnecessarily.
My uncle, the eldest child and only son, was killed in the battle for the Scheldt. He landed on D Day, was wounded in July, returned to duty in September and was killed in mid October. He is buried at Adegem, and we had the honour to visit his grave recently. About 1100 Canadian volunteers, like my uncle, are buried there.
I was born in Zeeland. Five years after this battle. Bless those veterans. Especially the Canadians and the Poles.
Especially the Canadian s and Pols? You value their live more?
And why not the British?
@@thevillaaston7811 I was being sarcastic 🙄
@@thevillaaston7811 U watched the Video ........................... ? U know what dutch general Prins Benhard said " after market garden the Netherlands could not afford another britisch victory ....." --> 32:16 There were other cities like The Hague , nijmegen and Eindhoven Bombed to pieces. BTW Montgommery was total IDIOT..................also look at how he used certain troops after failing in Arnhem....... read about How he blamed certainn troops like the Polish troop
@@haraldversteegden2562
I watched the video - its rubbish
'Prins Benhard said " after market garden the Netherlands could not afford another britisch victory .'
Don't give me that rubbish. The ex SS man Prince Bernhard actually stated:
"My country can never again afford the luxury of another Montgomery success."
The ex SS man Prince Bernhard was not trusted by British or US intelligence services, and only his royal connections kept him of jail in the 1970s, over the Lockheed Scandal.
'There were other cities like The Hague , nijmegen and Eindhoven Bombed to pieces.'
As were London, Liverpool, Glasgow, Birmingham, Coventry, Plymouth, Hull, Portsmouth, Exeter, and so on.
'BTW Montgommery was total IDIOT..................also look at how he used certain troops after failing in Arnhem....... read about How he blamed certainn troops like the Polish troop'
Montgomery won in North Africa, Sicily, Normandy, the Scheldt, the Northern half of Bulge, and the Rhine. How many campaigns did you win? Montgomery blamed the Poloish troops about Arnhem? Definately not. Don't guess, go and read what was actually written by Montgomery,
Overall: 1/10 for effort
By the way, my father and uncle took part in the liberation of the Scheldt, so you can stick your criticisms of Britain where the sun does not shine.
🇨🇦 my mom built aircraft engines in edmonton Alberta Canada during ww2. Her brother fought in the liberation of holland and Germany. Wounded twice, he survived the war. But came home with TB . After recuperating he lived only into his early 50's .( my mom always blamed his early death on the physical and mental hardships he suffered durring the war.) Rotal Canadian Engineers, sapper Elmer Brown., you were and still are my HERO! RIP 🙏
The Scheldt & Dieppe are instant conversation killers in Canada.
I have a picture of my grandfather driving a universal carrier on a raised road with floodplains on either side. It was some time after that, he was chewed up by a machine gun yet survived.
The Duch are held in high esteem here, I think the always will be.
Yes Badger, I can agree with your view of these 2 battle honours, especially because I live near Windsor Ontario, home base of The Essex Scottish . August 19 is a black day around here. This is a little off topic, but some current info about Dieppe. This raid was not only to test the German defenses, but to snatch an enigma machine by naval commandos under Ian Fleming. Also much gratitude to your grandfather for his service. Lest we Forget.
Why are the Dutch held in high esteem in Canada ?
@@vettemuziekjes: It was the Canadian army that liberated most of the Netherlands. The royal family lived in Canada during the war. When princess Sophie was born, the Dutch flag flew over the peace tower in Ottawa. It was the only time any flag other than Canada's has ever been hoisted above the tower. The Dutch send us thousands of tulip bulbs every year as a thank you for helping.
The Canadian army launched operation Mana late in the war to stop the starvation of the Dutch, many were dying every day.
Dutch children are given a soldiers grave to tend & they learn about who they were. Every Christmas eve there's a candel placed on each of the graves. I watched that & got a lump in my throat... Terrific people.
🇳🇱 & 🇨🇦 best friend's.
It was during those dark time's
@@vettemuziekjes The Dutch were the very best type of immigrant to come to Canada. They brought an ethic of hard and intelligent work and they have made Canada a better place. Some immigrant groups come to Canada accompanied by a crime wave but the Dutch only brought their resourcefulness.
@@abrahamdozer6273 B.S. Save your racism for the appropriate forum. This isn't it.
This documentary is pure GOLD! Top-notch stuff material. Big thanks for uploading it. Greetings from Poland. ;) :)
My uncle fought with the Canadian Army to help liberate Holland. I am so proud he did it.
You should be proud.
We’re thankful he and his comrades did!
you should be
proud
Bless your uncle, my parents were liberated by Canadian soldiers. I am forever grateful. We Dutch love Canadians.
you have reason to be proud, he's literally one of the men who saved the world.
My father fought with the 1st Battalion of the Glasgow Highlanders at the battle of the Sloedam on the infamous causeway. They were a specialist battalion trained for mountain warfare so the irony of fighting in Holland was not lost on them. They relieved the Canadians on the causeway on 2nd November 1944 and many young Scots died beside their Canadian comrades. Incredible bravery.
Bless your dad.
@@surfraptor Scotland the Brave
My Great uncle, Howard Burns, Server in B Coy, the Lake Superior Regiment, 4th Canadian Armoured Division. When He was about to come home, Dutch friends wrote him a farewell letter on Parchment paper. I inherited the letter as he never married. He died in 2003, aged 87.
Wonderful, simply wonderful. I watched the movie just a few weeks ago and thought it was wonderful as well. To have this to fill in the gaps of my knowledge has made my day. To the Canadians who fought and died in Holland may your everlasting slumber be peaceful and your family that’s left calm.
Thank you for your thoughtful appreciation of our young Canadian soldiers. I am very proud of what they accomplished. The Canadian army was all volunteer, so nobody forced those soldiers to fight there. They chose to go on their own.
I did not know that. You'd think they would have mentioned it. Thank you
They were all volunteers during that battle, some Canadian conscripts arrived in 1945 after conscription was enacted.
@@Sparlingo Actually, conscription was enacted in June 1940 as the National Resources Mobilization Act. The Act allowed for conscription in Canada (for home defence), but did not allow conscripts to be deployed overseas. Due to the high losses in the infantry in the fighting in Europe in the summer and fall of 1944, the Canadian Army had a severe shortage of trained infantrymen, although there were more than enough volunteers in other branches of the military to make up for the shortfall. You are correct that a small number of soldiers (referred to as Zombies by the regular military) were deployed in 1945.
There is more to the Walcheren-Causeway then anybody realizes and the Battle for the Scheldt Estuary actually lasted until the end of war in 1945.
I have heard about the "Causeway" battle from my uncle since I was a child. He fought in the 3rd (successful) attempt to take it. Out of his depleted company only 36 men got back alive and unwounded, he was one of them. The guy had incredible luck, he landed in Normandy and was involved in the battle for Carpiquet airfield, and later the Scheldt estuary.
Canadians are quite used to being ignored, belittled and made fun of by the British and Americans, even when we save their asses...but we don't like it.
Nice to see some appreciation from the citizens of the country we died liberating. Sorry about the civilian casualties.
My Dad was a Royal Navy telegraphist attached to the Royal Marine Commandos. He fought alongside Canadians on Juno beach on D Day and on the Walcheren landings. I'm glad to say he always appreciated the fighting qualities of the Canadians.
you'd be wrong Americans don't bad mouth the Canadians i've chosen to go on Vacation 28 yrs in Ontario/Quebec.
@@bigwoody4704 Horse pucky! Even that azzwipe Trump badmouthed Canada & Canadians. Last I checked he was as American as any draft dodger gets.
Thanks for letting me know as my grandfather was there but i could get very little from him when i was young but did learn a little more as an adult when i joined the Canadian Coast guard
Great piece! This has been lost to those us us who study WW2 history. Sadly, we only hear about Normandy and Italy theaters.The sacrifice of thise invokved must never be forgotton. Freedom is not Free. It will always require vigilance and sacrifice.
Well done. Thank you.
My heart breaks for the man whose brother and sister were killed during the bombing. To be a child and see such horror. May he gain peace sometime in his life or here after.
Young Canadian boys in the thousands were killed liberating the Netherlands. Please do not bismirk their sacrifices because there were civilian casualties. There is trajedy and there should be no talk of blame. This was an important battle. As was the bombing of Caen, months earlier. Sacrifices had to be made and it was sad, but necessary, to make the hard choices. Look to the following years when the Queen came back from Canada, where her and her family had been protected by our country....when the allies did much to help the peoples to rebuild and recover.
The Canadians were not sent to fight overseas they were volunteers unlike most armies and that resonated with the Dutch.
My late father in law was there,never spoke about it much, did say when he was a medic and
he had fellow soldiers die in his arms,shrapnel was found in him when he was an old man,he was a Royal Canadian Legion member his whole life, laid to rest in his Legion apparel,...... Arnold you did your duty .
Thank you for this story. Very much appreciated.
Thank you so much for filling this gap in recorded history.
The quote from General Patton's diary shows just HOW petty he was. ...... Patton was a BRILLIANT cavalry general, and cultivated an image he was compelled to live up to. ...... After the Americans were crushed at the Battle of Kasserine Pass, the commander was replaced by Patton, who worked wonders with the morale and military proficiency of his soldiers, and was uncompromising in the standard of soldiering he expected. ...... Patton did well in Sicily too, though marred by his treatment of shell-shocked soldiers. ...... What Patton failed to realise in Europe was that the further the US Army advanced, the more difficult it became to supply them. ...... Even if Patton had been given all supplies available, it would be a far longer journey for supply vehicles to take, than that on the Left flank. ...... Americans as a whole seem unable to grasp this simple fact, sadly.
If MARKET GARDEN had included US Army troops on the southern advance, they maybe Americans would not have been so touchy. ...... As it is, the US Army supplied two airborne divisions, both of which fought well, though some criticise General Gavin.
If only military decisions can be made on military necessity, not nationalistic flag waving!
With respect these were voters and the children and grand children of voters.. TO get them to sit still for conscription plus buy war bonds, put up with women gong to work and other indignities required a significant fraction of HIollywood output as blatant nationalistic propaganda. (Think Casablanca). if you get nationalism running that hard and hot you will not be able to escape its negative consequences. Prima Donnas will play any card in their hand, use any advantage in their access of vanity to "put one over' on one's hated rival..
There was zero ways that Allied commanders would naturally get along. When they did say Eissenhower and Tedder of 2nd TAF. it was gold, i'd fully agree. But that relationship needed a lot of tending.
You're barking nonsense,Monty was ass,the old woman only won in the Desert with overwhelming advantages in men/materiel/Air Supremecy and ULTRA,then barely and poorly, Also Auchinleck won 1st Alamien. In Sicily Alexander gave the propped up Monty the paved inside highway 124 that was in the American operating sector. The only time Patton and Monty were on the same stretch of land in Sicily Bernard got a lesson in rapid modern mobile warfare taking both Palermo and Messina. Patton and Lucian Truscott twice flanked Field Marshall Kesselring Army with amphibious landings to the east and driving his troops out. Perhaps you should pull your very dense head out of Bernard's backside and ask for help in the History section
Well done! Many thanks for the subtitles.
I think it’s great that also the German perspective is included in this documentary by the interview with the veteran German soldier. More WW2 documentaries should do so, since most of those German soldiers were just ordinary lads who were forced to fight for the mad man Adolf Hitler.
Right, right - they were just ordinary lads who had no national pride, didn't drink the Kool-Aid, they probably hated Hitler, they got "forced to fight", etc. Hitler was leader of a 1st World European country but somehow was a "mad man" who did evil things for no discernible reason...Right - keep telling yourself that.
My grandfather was a commando throughout the war, Lofoten, Puma (where he contracted Malaria) Dieppe and Walcheren. He was an instructor at Achnacarry up to and during D-Day. He lost a lot of friends during Normandy. He never talked to me about the war. I only got pieces from other family members and from his service effects / documentation which I inherited from my late father. He was at Flushing and the story goes at some point he was behind enemy lines. A Dutch family hid him from the Germans until his unit moved in. Watching this makes me understand more why he didn't want to talk. My sincere thanks goes to the Dutch family who saved my grandfather. They had lost much and still risked more for him on that day.
Montgomery was subordinate to Eisenhower. ...... Eisenhower had no experience of leading troops in a modern mechanised war, but was a diplomat / politician, able to bring different people together. ...... Montgomery had seen the slaughter in WW1 - he was wounded so badly, he was thought to have no chance of surviving - and did his best to conserve the lives of his men. ...... So he was cautious, yet when needed, he could seize an idea, such as Arnhem.
Let us not forget that the plan for Normandy was Montgomery's, and it planned to hold down German armour on the left flank, leaving the Americans a far easier break out from Normandy. ...... It took longer than planned, but war plans rarely survive the first day.
Montgomery was very conscious that Britain was 100 percent mobilised for war, and there was nothing left, plus the whole of Europe was suffering, so ending the war early made absolute sense. ...... Throwing away his normal caution, Montgomery saw the moment to strike, as the Germans were too weak even to hold Antwerp. ...... Had Montgomery had control of his own destiny, MARKET GARDEN would most likely have taken place sooner. ...... Sadly, Eisenhower was not a man to make decisions quickly, either as a general, or as a politician protecting America's input into the war, where egos were a little rampant.
Yes, mistakes were made. ...... That is war. ...... The main thing is who made the fewer mistakes, and won? ...... Every part of the Allies played a part, and as a result we have had no tyranny for 70 years. ...... Sadly, tyranny is growing daily under a global threat, and is throwing away the freedom that so much blood and treasure paid for.
Strange is it not that the world was outraged at the medical tyranny of the NAZIs in concentration camps, and enacted the Nuremburg Laws which have now been thrown out the window due to a tiny and exaggerated threat.
I feel uneasy listening to these women criticising Montgomery ("reeked of testosterone") many years later.
Armchair generals, with feminism thrown in as well. Of course, they would have done a much better job.......
Monty didn't seize anything he was a propped up fraud that Churchill stuck with rather than remove. Might explain why he was voted out of office right after the war
Thank you for posting this excellent documentary. I enjoy hearing the perspective from all involved so one can get a 360 degree sense of the battle. I have visited many of the battlegrounds of the Canadians during the operations in Holland and can tell you the Dutch respect and learn about our war dead more than our own country does.
Sadly, this is true. I'm a Canadian and, to my shame, I have to admit that not only didn't I know of the "forgotten battle", but I didn't even know how to pronounce the name Scheldt. I'm afraid that's how poorly the war is remembered in Canada --- I didn't even know how to say the name Scheldt because it's never mentioned here.
Thank you to the people of The Netherlands (whose memory of those terrible days are far better than ours) for remembering the fallen Canadians.
That's okay many Monty fanbois ignore his complicity in both Dieppe then the Scheldt that he not only ignored then suggested the Canadians could take it - after he failed of course
My father's older brother, Hermann Jung was awarded the Dutch Bronze Cross for what he did whilst serving with 4 Commando in the attack on Walcheren. We only found out a few years ago! He never mentioned it! Ordinary people can do exceptional things.
My dad fought too...Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve/Combined Operations...found himself in trench warfare against Dutch SS
You're looking at it from a point of view of the liberation of Europe. That was never the objective. The main objective was the defeat of Germany and thereby liberating Europe. The Netherlands suffered terribly but was ultimately freed by the blood and efforts of allied servicemen.
An important distinction.
The North of the Netherlands was still under German occupation until the war ended. 20,000 Dutch civilians died of starvation during the winter of 1944/45. No-one there celebrated the end of the war. They had all lost too much.
This was perhaps the finest Canadian victory outside of Juno Beach totally ignored by a Canadian history curriculum for many years. Part of the reason is that the arse Montgomery who was first to write his memoirs after the war. His supporters still linger on with the delusion that Montgomery assigning the Canadians to taking meaningless Channel Ports rather than racing ahead to take the unmanned or poorly garrisoned Scheldt forts that would have saved thousands of casualties and brought WW2 closer to it's conclusion. The Channel Ports like Dunkirk or Boulogne could have been placed under siege.
The Allies are decried for loosing their humanity by using flame throwing tanks, but Germans invented flame throwers and employed them first during WWI, so the Germans are very disingenuous for complaining about them.
Greetings from Canada. Many thanks for posting this excellent documentary. I understand the battles much better now, and I have learned about the Dutch civilian casualties which I knew nothing about before.
Walcheren barrack in Glasgow are named after this battle in tribute to the Glasgow Highlanders.
I have been to Nijmegen and Eindhoven at the four days march in 1995, but never knew about Scheldt. To me, Market Garden had the best intentions but too hastily planned.
My great uncle is in that cemetery. Mortar round took him instantly on Oct 8th 1944
My grandfather is there aswell
we wont forget
Bless your great uncle
💝 he fought for freedom.
Zeer mooie docu !
Mijn moeder is als dochter van een Belgische loods in Vlissingen geboren en is zich altijd als een 'Zeelandse' gevoeld !
Ik bezocht Walcheren met mijn moeder in 1947/48 denk ik en zag de doorbraak van de dijk in Westkapelle.
Toen ze hoorde (las) dat er voor haar met 20 Bfrank (hi) een boom kon gepland worden in Walcheren deed zij dat spontaan !
Nogmaals dank voor de mooie docu van Germain, op 14 dec 2020 87 lente's (of winters hi !)
"zeeuwse"
The canucks also got to Denmark before the Russians so the danes have a lot to be thankful of Canadains and their bravery.
I am quite saddened by these tales. My heart breaks for the noble soldiers and the hapless civilians. All because of the carizma of a madman !
R.I.P to the Canadian soldiers who fought and died for their today, so oppressed people can have a tomorrow. 1939-1945 🇨🇦
Thank you Canadians for saving us!!
Einsenhower was probably the best man for the position of SHAEF Commander when you look at his background-- before World War 2, he worked as the subordinate of a diverse cast of generals with personalities that ranged all over the board, the most notable one being General Douglas MacArthur whom is rather infamous for his incredible stubbornness and outbursts of vitriolic anger and on top of it all a charismatic prima donna.
They wanted a politician soldier who could work with diverse personalities and get them to work as nominal 'allies'.
Thanks very much for this film. My late father in law who was in the Canadian Artillery said he "never feared the Germans. He was more afraid of the Americans & Monty. The Americans as they just shot at anything & Monty because he was too stupid to point us at the right thing"
Nothing changed then. Americans are still trigger happy. Their soldiers and police cops fire at anyone very easily. Shoot before asking.
@@moow950 I think it was more nuanced than that. I don't think many Canadian soldiers had much respect for Monty for a number of reasons, not the least had to do with the Canadian Army in both wars were used as "Shock Troops". As for the Americans; I suspect that due to poor communication between their Brit masters, and poor communication between the US & Brits, and the large number of US artillery, there were "Friendly Fire" incidents that likely became sore spots with Canadian Troops.
@@puffapuffarice
'I think it was more nuanced than that. I don't think many Canadian soldiers had much respect for Monty for a number of reasons, not the least had to do with the Canadian Army in both wars were used as "Shock Troops"'
When were Canadian Troops used as shock troops? What did Montgomery have to do with decision making in the First World War?
@@thevillaaston7811 In WW2 a few examples: Hong Kong, Dieppe, Ortona, Gustav & Hitler Lines. Often in both wars the English would not make a secret of Canadian or Scottish troops being moved to one sector or another as a tactic to rattle the Germans. Monty's actions were just more of what CDN troops came to understand (rightly or wrongly) as high handed English attitude towards them. A carryover from what was experienced in WW1 in institutional memory. The Allies didn't need another general with an ego, but WW2 CDN soldiers I've known felt they didn't have respect from their English or US "betters" in part due to not having a CDN at the table. Many have said they grew weary of being considered part of the "British" army.
@@puffapuffarice "Scottish troops"?
As with any war, hindsight is wonderful. Some people die, more people are saved. Yes, its unintentional but second guessing why something didn't go as planned happens all the time. You make the best judgements and decisions at the time. My mother was from Roermond, and I am a military veteran.
Monty claims his failures are victories. He fought mightier with the pen than the sword.
My brother-in-law Lieutenant Douglas Humphreys was a deep sea diver and helped to raise the sunken ships allowing allied ships to bring help to the Dutch people and the troops who needed it badly.
Met consideratie voor alle betrokkenen
kort en bondig uitgelegd.
Good gedaan.
A fun fact that is often ignored is that up to half the Canadian Army were British troops.....
More like Colonial Troops, but not English troops. Sad that they were "used" and not given credit for their accomplishments.
When I was young I had coffee everyday with a bunch of veterans of the Scheldt. They thought at the time that it was the Germans who flooded the land because it made it much easier to defend. The germans were on dry ground and the canadians were in the cold mud and water, they were very mad that their own generals had caused their misery and the loss of so many of their friends.
Sorry to inform you, but the Germans did do that already in March 1944. Islands north of the Easter-Scheldt were hardest stricken and were engulfed for the most part for 8 months prior to liberation.
Yeah, that one I dont get. You dont make your going any more difficult than necessary. That idea wasnt very well thought out.
@@billd.iniowa2263 We will explain that in some of our episodes of a project about this subject regarding the Walcheren Causeway with actual film footage. This is not of Walcheren or North and South-Beveland though.
Germans flooded it. You can look it up.
Read about ww2 all my life, my uncle fought in Europe, and son married a Dane, I had read about Battle of the Scheldt, every minute of the video is facinating, so much clearer than anything i have read or watched about what happened, very grateful, many thanks!!
My dad was in 1st convoy up the Scheldt. He said there was still fighting on the Islands.
LEST WE FORGET!
And the Poles were forgotten as well.
My dad, who was a corpsman in the war, once told me that 1 Canadian or Australian soldier was worth 4 English soldiers. Damn, they must have been something. This is a great video. A wonderful contribution to history.
He should have joined the Nazis, they made comparative judgements about peoples from different countries.
@@carlnikolov So you think the english are bad soldiers? What about the Paratroopers in Arnhem who held off 2 SS Panzer divisions for 9 days?
Disgusting comment
@@carlnikolov You seriously think you are tougher than the English? LOL have you never heard of the Battle of Agincourt or Waterloo? The English have been fighting battles longer than you have even existed. You can't compare yourselves to a war hardened nation that has fought in every corner of the globe for a THOUSAND years.
@@Bullet-Tooth-Tony- Touche, valid point I stand corrected, you win.
Brilliant documentary, thanks!
My grandfather was wounded in Normandy, recovered in England, and rejoined his unit just in time for the Battle of the Scheldt. Not the luckiest timing, but he survived the war. I’ve toured some of those battlefields, including Walcheren and Middelburg. Nasty terrain to fight through, especially if flooded. This documentary, and the new film coming to Netflix in October, are long overdue. There will always be a certain amount of second guessing, and revisionist interpretation from amateurs and academics (who should know better, but don’t). Not sure how a psychiatrist became an “expert” on military strategy, but there you go. Someone did a nice job on that restored Jeep. If this film gets people talking again about those battles, that’s a good thing. They are not “forgotten” in Canada.
Great comment, thank you.
I think the psychiatrist commented more on the dynamics of the generals than the strategy they employed. You’ll notice how she refers to writings and the interactions with each other rather than how they fought battles. With that I’d consider her an expert on her area.
Lest we forget never
The idea of the Battle of Arnheim was an excellent concept to shorten the war similar to the "Blitzkrieg Konzept" of 1940. The challenge was that it was one bridge too far.
10 miles from the bridge to be precise, drop zones were way too far from the objectives
@@Bullet-Tooth-Tony- This was only one of the many challenges. Complex plans did fail very often in war as there are many things that can go wrong. If you have an enemy that does not always act acc. to your assumptions....
I’ve always believed the concept of it being a bridge to far, however a recent on line historian pointed out the real failure wasn’t Arnhem which at the end of the day was captured.
It was in reality the American failure to capture Nijmegen bridge and the delay caused by this, otherwise it would have worked as planned.
@@senseofthecommonman Tik the Historian?
TIK is a slappie and a Monty fanboi another of the crowns clowns who ignore Monty and his complicity in this debacle
Thankyou for posting this video, one of my mother 's brother fought in this battle area, with RCEME. Well done Uncle Robert Dow. From you nephew ,and proud Canuck.
This is a great example of the costs of war and why they should end war altogether
Whether it was miscalculation or not, the soldiers who fought for freedom deserved to be recognized
"It was not a bridge too far; but a week too late." Exactly. The ground forces that were supposed to relieve the paratroopers at Arnhem couldn't stick to the required timetable. The planners failed to appreciate the difficulties of attempting to force a one tank wide armoured advance along a single defended highway. The timetable for the advance was simply unrealistic.
Very good documentary.
But ultimately it was the airborne operations that stoppe the allies at Arnhem.
actually I must admit I cut it off after 12 minutes after this revealed itself to be just another dishonest attempt to rewrite history in my view. Again, it seems, everything was Montgomerys fault. It's fashionable, isn't it? But simply not true. If it's true that Montgomery ignored the importance of Antwerp as they say, why didn't Bradley do the job instead? After all, overall command over the ground forces had shifted to Eisenhower - so why is Montgomery to blame for pushing towards Arnhem while the 3rd Army's push southeast towards Lorraine without securing their supply lines goes completely unchecked? After all, conquerring Antwerp was part of the NARROW FRONT strategy. It was the broad front strategy that sent a large chunk of the allied force into areas of lesser strategic importance without really bothering about the sustainability of the advance - which resulted in Patton litteraly running out of gas in the middle of nowhere. And this at a time when the german front had collapsed and still hadn't recovered fully. Montgomery was right to push over ther rhine and into germany as quick as possible as long as there was no real resistance to counter it and the shortest and most secure line was along the coast. What tops it all is that suggestion that Montgomery just pushed for this out of personal or national pride is a blatant lie that has been debunked time and time again.
@@JosipRadnik1 Even Monty admitted later that it was a mistake to not immediately capture the Scheldt after the fall of Antwerp.
@@Sparlingo I am not argueing that the sheldt wasn't an important target - but why is a push northwest over or at least as close as possible towards the rhine an unneccessary diversion while the push for Metz and Cologne to supposedly march around the Ruhr valley from the south isn't? At least, the positions gained during market garden - if not successful to conquer a passage over the rhine in time - still helped to put pressures towards the german troops defending the east of Holland and thus benefitted the operations to clear the Scheldt. Same can not be said about Pattons army which sat many miles away in the wrong direction on empty fuel canisters waiting for some one else to fix the problem. That was actually exactly THE point in the whole broad front / narrow front dispute - with the broad front strategy, the allies split their armies into two groups that both on themselves eventually proved to be too weak to reach their objectives before the germans could regroup. If you have just enough resources to go for ONE direction - which one would you choose? the one that's closest along the coast line, mostly still in reach of air bases in england and in reach of harbours like. for example, ANTWERP which, if captured, - could be repaired and used to shorten supply lines and thus keep the momentum moving - or would you chose the other route - down southwest towards Lorraine, through elaborate french and german fortifications, like METZ, which stood there as effective and prooven roadblocks for centuries - all through mountaineus terrains with narrow valleys and dense forrests and through an elaborate defense line with nothing but shattered railway lines and narrow country roads to supply them - which one would you choose?
@@JosipRadnik1 At the start of Normandy forces were 20 to 30 miles away from ports and supplies. As they got deep into Europe they became 100's of miles away, the railway connections were in complete disarray and trucks were in short supply. For the US army especially logistics were impossible. The first order of business should have been getting a deep water port in the heart of Europe, and that meant Antwerp. The Germans sure knew the paramount importance of the Scheldt. In late August 1944 clearing the Scheldt could have been an easy task, the British were right there. Instead they were diverted to MG and the Germans consolidated.
When the first allied ship came in to Antwerp Monty had a ceremony with reporters etc. No Canadians were invited.
Excellent documentary. Too bad the sacrifice and importance of the victory are still not widely recognized. Montgomery THOUGHT he was a "great general," but ais British Air Chief Marshal Tedder once said, "he was not."
everyone seems to forget the Belgian part, after all the port of Antwerp was the main objective for obvious reasons
I’ve stopped after the first 11 minutes. I’ll watch it all again later....and make notes, when I’m less exasperated.
This video so far is a total distortion of events, and ....so far...appears to be an exercise in “Monty bashing”. The fact is that Montgomery engineered the strategy that led to the virtual annihilation of the Germany army in Normandy. He was the Army Commander of ALL the allied forces in Normandy , below Eisenhower who had his own MASSIVE headquarters. Before the 6th June , it was agreed when Eisenhower would take over as Land Force commander, with Montgomery leading the British/Canadian forces , and Bradley , not Patton, leading the US/French ground forces. This occurred AFTER the annihilation of the Germans in Normandy.
Once over the Seine, the forces led by Montgomery were in Brussels, and Antwerp, within a week....I will have to check dates precisely....but it was fast.
All these events took place under the Strategic Command of Eisenhower....what was he , and his repeat massive HQ doing ?
We are talking here about Holland, not the battle of France. No one is perfect, not even Montgomery. Finish watching the video and perhaps you will know about what you are criticizing.
@@fergusmallon1337 The Battle of France occurred in 1940, don’t take my word for it, but that of Winston Churchill. The Battle of Normandy occurred in 1944. As stated in my post, my criticism relates to the first 11 minutes. Will watching the rest of the video , change my criticism of the first 11 minutes ? The answer is no, but perhaps if you can explain , I might take up your suggestion, if I can get beyond the first 11 minutes !!
Edit. I’ve watched the full video. I’ve also come across “The advance from the Seine to Antwerp, 25th August to 30 September 1944” ….and when I get the time , I’ll read it. I have however read enough of it to conclude that it is a far more balanced account of the conduct of Eisenhower and Montgomery, compared to some views of the views expressed in this documentary. I haven’t changed my views…..but I will point out that in 1940 it took the Germans just 4 days to vanquish Holland, although some troops in Zealand resisted a further 3 days. What measures did Holland take to defend themselves, and in particular to prevent access to the North Sea via the Scheldt estuary of German forces ? No one can wave a magic wand and change the events of 1940, or 1944, but I will repeat it was Eisenhower and his massive HQ staff ….stretching back to Washington….who held the reigns of power, and control of the supply situation , but I note the producers of the documentary have the nerve to drag up comments by Bradley, probably made after the Ardennes offensive exposed his own inadequacies.
@@californiadreamin8423 In short, if it wasn't for the "colonials" the Brits had nothing. Easy for Monty (or any brit) to send others to fight their battles, and typical of their mindset, didn't even give the Canadians their due. No matter how "good" Monty might have been, he gets no respect for sending others to slaughter that he wouldn't send in his own English citizens. Research also, Irish, Indian and other colonials that were used by England.
@@scottw195 In short you don’t know your history.
@@scottw195
'Easy for Monty (or any brit) to send others to fight their battles' Your words.
When did that happen?
Beautiful documentary.
good to hear this account from the Dutch perspective.
34:10 this one really hurts
Very interesting documentary. I know a lot about Arnhem - but this has never really been discussed in any documentary I've watched. I don't even think it was covered much in The World at War. You would have thought it would have been obvious that you would need to open up the Scheldt to ensure Antwerp was operational. Someone, somewhere took their eye off the ball. Glad to have seen this documentary. RIP to all who gave their lives.
And today we give our freedom away for a drink
War is hell
You forget Monty had to take over command of the American 3rd army at the request of Ike to stem the battle of the bulge and he did. The Canadians requested to clear the shelt islands. Pity it is just a hit on Monty.
Monty didn't take over he in fact wanted to fall back. Then after GIs drive the Wehrmacht back Monty almost got relieved suggesting he had a hand in it - he apologized to IKE for lying in writing
My father was there with the 48th Highlanders at Apeldoorn.
Bless your dad.
And Hitler understood how important Antwerp was for the Battle of the Bulge was to retake Antwerp split the Allies and stop the supplies...
Superb documentary. I especially appreciate the great lengths to give credit to the small volunteer regiments of the Canadian Militia.
Interesting ways of freedom
The pretty lady with the yellow choker has, I think, the best understanding of Eisenhower’s difficult situation..
Not cutting off Zeeland made it possible for the German 15. Armee to conduct a brilliant retreat from northern France and "drop off" divisions to defend Zeeland. One of the biggest mistakes you could make in the last year of the war was to give the Germans time to organize a defense, as battles like Zeeland, Metz and the Hurtegen Forest demonstrated. Even undermanned and poor quality German put up a good defense in these and other battles.. Whether it was hormones or not, Montgomery made a hug mistake not cutting off the German retreat.
It could not be done. The pace of advance was too swift to get the forces in place to be able catch the German 15th Army.
Wrong Horrocks said they could have taken it but monty held them back just like the desert.
Press f to pay respect
There is a story told in Barry Broadfoot's book, Six War Years about a frontal attack ordered by a young inexperienced Officer. According to the anecdote, after the attack a sargent put a bullet in the officers' head. The rest of the survivors all followed. There was no investigation but it was clear that higher officers knew.
I always wondered about that tale. I wonder if it was during the battle that this happened.
The invasion of Normandy was not the defeat of Germany . The Wermacht bleed to death on the eastern front with 3 out 5 German troops losing thier lives. In a counter- factual scenario, with no invasion of Russia, the Normady invaison would of been a wholey different affair.
And the Eastern Front could have turned out very differently if the British hadn't landed on Scilly.
As soon as Hitler heard about Scilly, he pulled all the Tiger tanks out of the Battle of Kursk to send them to southern Europe to fight the one enemy he feared: The British.
And the threat of 'the British' saw the coast of Europe manned and fortified from the north of Norway to the border with Spain...if all those troops, guns and resources had gone East, Russia would have lost.
It's difficult to say who was Hitler's best general. Model, Guderian or Montgomery.
LOL
Truth and if you don't mind I'll use that line.Monty gets allied soldiers killed in his operation that he didn't even show up for. That ended up getting more Dutch Civilians killed in the Honger Winter - it is truly appalling,reprisals for helping the ALLIES out
Montgomery was according to many not a nice man, senior British military personnel often went to Eisenhower to try and get him sacked, The biggest supporter of the Canadians was Admiral Sir Bertram Ramsay, he was responsible for the Allied Naval Expeditionary Force for the invasion. His family had the Baronetage of Nova Scotia and therefore had strong associations with Canada. He tried to bypass Monty to get reinforcements to the Canadian troops.
Montgomery was the finest general in WW2. His record states so.
John burns WRONG clean his cack out of your eyes then maybe you can see to help him out of the channel where all the finest generals are driven
My father's first cousin was awarded the Order of the Bronze Lion for services during the liberation of the Netherlands.
Heel erg bedankt voor deze documentaire. A real eye opener. A real shame this was never shown before nor taught at school. Shame.
As someone British, I try to understand Holland's different responses to the Allied effort put into the liberation of the Dutch people. ...... War is like making omelettes - eggs get broken - and the tools of the trade in WW2 were crude in comparison of those today.
Holland was a crushed country, incapable of defending itself, or if liberating itself ( I honour those Dutch that fought on after 1940, even escaping across the North Sea ). ...... Some resisted. ...... Some collaborated. ...... Some fought for Germany. ...... Most just suffered. ...... So many Dutch people showed great courage helping escaped POWs, or paratroopers after Arnhem, risking their lives to do so. ...... And I am touched by how the children of Arnhem place flowers on the graves of the fallen paratroopers, and how the late Mrs Rieken did so for 75 years for Trooper William Edmund.
What I cannot understand - while trying to respect how hard an experience it must have been for them - is the bitterness SOME Dutch people feel against Britain - EVEN after 75 years - when Britain bled herself dry to survive long enough to be the unsinkable aircraft carrier to spearhead of the liberation of Europe. ...... Two ladies in this documentary speak for them.
I know that many Dutch were left starving. ...... I also know that the RAF did drop food to relieve starvation, and that the Germans allowed the RAF to fly over Holland unmolested , to their credit. ...... I know that war devastates the ground it travels over. ...... I am fortunate to have never experienced war, though I was briefly a part-time infantryman.
Life is a Paradox, is it not? ...... Human Beings have a wide range of feelings and emotions, which I suppose we can say makes life interesting! ...... I write to extend my understanding, my awareness.
Thanks for your honest observation. Don’t worry about the duality of the emotions. It’s more a thing of gratitude and recognition for the ordinary soldiers. I live near Arnhem and those brave paras have always intrigued me. That battle has become synonymous with fighting the good fight on a higher level, if you know what I mean. Even though we now know it was a week late and a ego-thing for Monty and Ike. But I guess winning a war requires something more, a sort of ruthlessness in a top general that borders a pathology. (You pick one😉) It is also honest to recognize this. It becomes clear when failures need to be addressed. Monty blamed the Poles for Arnhem, abandoned the Canucks at the Scheldt. Wellington (different topic 😉) couldn’t bring himself to acknowledging anyone else for his latest victory to. People died because of that. No hard feelings towards the British at all though.
Stay safe and “green on”,
From Holland with love.
@@johanvink8482 Thanks, Johan, I do my best! ...... The treatment of the Poles at Arnhem was not only Montgomery, and it was an absolute disgrace. ...... They were also not invited to the Victory Parades, in case it upset the Russians. ...... As far as the Scheldt is concerned, it was an error not to capture the access roads on the north side, but throwing in more troops, apart from the Canadians, would be counter-productive, as they would get in each other's way.
I found the comments of the two Dutch feminist "armchair generals" hard to take. Of course, they are expert military leaders and would have done a much better job.....................
@@joshua6244 Exactly
@@joshua6244 Yes, it's a pity those two women weren't there to command the field, although maybe they might have found that, in war, things don't always work out the way you want. Ridiculous women.
The Battle of the Scheldt took place in what the Dutch higher-ups considered a backwater. None of the larger cities were affected so it might as well not have taken place at all.
The southern part of the country was liberated almost a year before the rest north of the large rivers and despite there having been considerable resistance to the Germans in those provinces, some sphincter with a stick up his keister still told the queen that he was not aware of any resistance among the people in Brabant and Limburg. These two provinces had been integral parts of the Netherlands for less than 80 years and were predominantly Catholic.with other words, they were unimportant. The same held true for Zeeuws Flanders which, by rights, should belong to Belgium.
A prime strategic problem for SHAEF in September 1944 was opening up the approaches to Antwerp and keeping it from German counter-attack - the logistics problem to supply *all* allied armies. It was:
*1)* Take Noord Brabant, the land to the north and northeast of Antwerp, or;
*2)* Take the Schedlt.
Eisenhower had a *Northern Thrust* strategy at that time. Taking Noord Babant fell in line with the desires for both SHEAF and Eisenhower.
Noord Brabant had to be taken before the Scheldt, as it was *essential.* It was taken with limited forces, with forces also sent to take the Schedlt. Market Garden had to go ahead regardless of any threat or Northern Thrust strategy, actually being a *success.* To use Antwerp and control the approaches, the Scheldt, everything up to the south banks of the lower Rhine at Nijmegen needed to be under allied control. The low-lying lands, boggy ground between Arnhem and Nijmegen with land strewn with rivers and canals, is perfect geography as a barrier against a German counter-attack towards Antwerp. Without control of Noord Brabant German forces would have been in artillery range of Antwerp, and with a build up of forces and supply directly back to nearby Germany in perfect position for a counter-attack.
Market Garden was the offensive SHEAF wanted to secure Antwerp, a prime port for logistics for *all* allied armies. It made sense as the Germans were in disarray, so should be easy enough to gain. Monty added Arnhem to form a bridgehead over the Rhine to fall in line with Eisenhower's priority, the Northern Thrust strategy at the time. It made complete sense in establishing a bridgehead over the Rhine as an extra to the operation. You needed Arnhem for an easier jump into Germany. *Everything up to Nijmegen was needed if you wanted to do anything at all* - that is, protect Antwerp and have a staging point to move into Germany. Gaining Noord Brabant, was vital, and was successfully seized. Fighting in the low lying mud and waterways of the Schedlt, which will take time, while the Germans are a few miles away and still holding Noord Brabant made no sense at all.
SHEAF got what they wanted from a strategic point of view.
Get your head wound looked at,the Dutch and Canadians are right here.Not you and Monty
@@bigwoody4704
Rambo, a quiz.
Name the times the two troops of XXX Corps tanks crossed Nijmegen bridge to seize it foe the US 82nd?
10 points for each tank troop.
It's shameful that _many_ of these truths have never before been conveyed to me in the English language, and I'm a seventy-seven years old and perfectly literate.Welshman.
Hollywood zag er dus geen brood in. Zoals de slag bij Overloon, Bernard Montgomery werd goed zwartgemaakt door de Amerikaanse pers. De Duitsers jammer genoeg waren bekwame militairen en teveel jonge jongens aan beiden kanten moesten het ondergelden. Alles wat bij het Britse Gemene Best thuis hoorden deden gewoon niet mee volgens Hollywood.
Eisenhower was strengthened by the failure of Montgomery's plan ( as amended by others ) to capture the bridge at Arnhem.
And look what Eisenhower's command achieved for the allies. ...... The Germans wanted to attack in the West, and looked carefully for the weakest troops. ...... They found it in the American-held Ardennes. ...... The Americans put troops in the Ardennes who were either battle weary, or untested in battle. ...... As the Germans had demonstrated the possibilities of the Ardennes for armour in 1940, one would have thought the Americans would consider it as a possible axis of advance, particularly as the Ardennes is superb from the defender's point of view. ...... Roads are few, narrow, and with many bends and bridges, often in narrow valleys. ...... A few well-sited guns, one to each suitable bend or bridge, each protected by infantry, can delay an attack for hours, as the attackers options are limited. ...... One or two tanks knocked out in the right place on a single track road are difficult to remove. ...... Yet the Americans were caught with their pants down, sadly. ...... The US Army HEARD ARMOUR, but believed it was for the defence of the Rhine, not believing the Germans capable of a counteroffensive. ...... The price of complacency is paid in blood.
After the initial panic swept through the US Army, right to the top, there was an heroic last man, last bullet US Army defence, which eventually won the day. ...... And it is true that General Patton was the general capable of moving fast from the south, saving the day for the US Army. ...... It should also be remembered that Montgomery quickly sealed off the Germans from Antwerp, and that US Army divisions were placed under his command. ...... It is usually forgotten that the British incurred casualties as a result of the Ardennes.
US Army casualties were huge. ...... But the attack in the Ardennes gained the Germans nothing, and they lost a good number of troops, tanks, and war materiel, and decimated their Luftwaffe fighter aircraft, which greatly helped the Western Allies and Russia in the final advance into Germany.
Interesting that General Simpson, commander of the US army said of the time he was under Montgomery during the Ardennes issue "never been better Commanded"!
@@nickjung7394 I had not heard that, Nick. ...... Interesting! ...... I think the US generals - not Patton, of course - were well aware of their very limited experience of war, and Montgomery's confidence from experience irritated them.
@@zen4men Monty was experienced in sending colonials to there slaughter to win battles, win or lose. Why didn't he used English troops? Typical of England, you don't use your own when you can use others. Been doing that for hundreds of years. "Colonials" don't seem to get the idea every time the brits need to fight a war, THEY suffer.
@@scottw195 You make a very general comment, not providing specific background evidence to your assertion.
@@scottw195
'Monty was experienced in sending colonials to there slaughter to win battles, win or lose'.
Your words.
When did that happen?
'Typical of England, you don't use your own when you can use others.' Your words.
When did that happen?
461,000 (2006)
Ta-li = rope
Europe's second-largest port.
Page 42
1 petrochemical traffic
2 container shipping
5.5 km = 3.5 mi
Ku-chai & Churchill. Lastime. 4th College.
3:20 that will be necessary once more
The Dutch people who died in Walcheren said in those days that you could not complain about your 'liberators' but in the the end , the politicians in the US and England did not care about the civilian population in Europe , their goal was the victory . How many French civilians died in Normandy ? Europe was occupied again by NATO and later the EU .
Listen Europe had dragged in the USA,what they were left with was much better than the designs Stalin had for Europe. If you are such a hard ass why don't you try getting in between Russia-Ukraine or Israel and that bunch?