The battle for Woensdrecht 1944 - Then & now.

[Peter U]

The Canadian list.
The numbers between brackets are the KIA figures.



2nd Canadian Corps

- Fort Garry Horse (10th Can Arm Rgt) (6)
- 12th Manitoba Dragoons (18th Arm Car Rgt)
- 2th Mobile Laundry & Bath unit - Royal Canadian Ordenance Corps (10)
- 7th Medium Rgt Royal Can Art
- 19th Army Field rgt Royal Can Art

5th Anti-Aircraft Brigade Royal Marines
- 1st Heavy Anti Aircraft Rgt RM
- 3th Heavy AA Rgt RM
- 4th Light AA Rgt RM

74th AA Brigade Royal Artillery
- 115th Heavy AA Rgt RA
- 60th Heavy AA Rgt RA

4th Army Group RA
- 68th medium Rgt RA
- 79th Medium Rgt RA

5th Army Group RA
- 84th Medium Rgt RA
- 121th Medium Rgt RA

59th Army Group RA (1)
- 61th Medium Rgt RA
- 110th Medium Rgt RA
- 116th Medium Rgt RA



2nd Canadian Infantry Division

- 4th Field Rgt Royal Can Art (5)
- 5th Field Rgt Royal Can Art (4)
- 6th Field Rgt Royal Can Art (5)
- 2nd Anti-Tank Rgt Royal Can Art (9)
- 3th Light AA Rgt Royal Can Art (1)
- 14th Canadian Hussars (8th Recon Rgt) (15)
- 11th Field Ambulance Royal Can Army Medical Corps (3)
- 2nd Field Rgt Royal Can Engineers (2)
- Toronto Scottish (Machine Gun) (4)

4th Infantry Brigade
- Essex Scottish Rgt (34)
- Royal Hamilton Light Infantry (42)
- Royal Regiment of Canada (23)

5th Infantry Brigade
- Black Watch of Canada (Royal Highland Rgt) (82)
- Calagry Highlanders (64)
- Regiment de Maisonneuve (7)

6th Infantry Brigade
- Fusiliers Mont-Royal (34)
- Queen's Own Cameron Highlanders of Canada (14)
- South Saskatchewan Regiment (26)



4th Canadian Armoured Division
- 15th Field Rgt Royal Can Art
- 23th Field Rgt (Self Propelled) Royal Can Art
- 5th Anti-Tank Rgt Royal Can Art
- 8th Light AA Rgt Royal Can Art
- 9th Field squadron Royal Can Engineers
- South Alberta Regiment (29th Recon Rgt) (2)

4th Armoured Brigade
- Lake Superior Rgt (Motor)
- Governor Genral's Foot Guards (21th Canadian Arm Rgt) (2)
- Canadian Grenadier Guards (22th Can Arm Rgt)
- British Columbia Regiment (28th Can Arm Rgt)

10th Infantry Brigade
- Algonquin Regiment
- Argyll and Suntherland Highlanders of Canada
- Lincoln and Welland Regiment

March Batallion of the Belgian Royalist Movement, section Antwerp (Belgian resistance) (4)



Royal Airforce
2nd Tactical Airforce
- 127th Squadron (1)
- 197th Squadron (1)
- 257th Squadron (1)

 

[Schulterklappen]

Kudos

You really have done some excellent work in putting all of this information together!

 

[Hambone]

Exceptional thread, great research Peter! I always find these fascinating. History comes "alive" like this.

 

[Peter U]

Thanks Schulterklappen ,

The research isn't that difficult, some excellent books have been written about the battle for Woensdrecht; it is from these books that I get my information.


When the weather is good and I have some free time, I'll cycle to the cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom and take some pictures of your uncle's grave.




Cheers,
Peter

 

[Schulterklappen]

Bergen op Zoom

Thanks Schulterklappen ,

The research isn't that difficult, some excellent books have been written about the battle for Woensdrecht; it is from these books that I get my information.


When the weather is good and I have some free time, I'll cycle to the cemetery in Bergen Op Zoom and take some pictures of your uncle's grave.


Cheers,
Peter

That would be a wonderful a deeply appreciated gesture! Uncle Joe's service number is H.8017.

Thank you again,
Glen

 

[Schulterklappen]

Essex Scottish Cap Badge

This cap badge was among my Uncle's effects.

 

[Schulterklappen]

Grave

203 COOKE, JOSEPH, J Private H/8017 Essex Scottish Regiment, R.C.I.C. 16/10/1944 20 2. E. 2.

This is a reference to his burial site from:

http://www.cwgc.org/search/cemetery_reports.aspx?cemetery=2061700&mode=1

The "2. E. 2.", at the end, is a grave reference number.

 

[Peter U]

Hello,

Today the weather was excellent and I went to the Canadian warcemetery in Bergen Op Zoom.
This are some pictures of it and of the grave of Joseph Cooke.


Regards,
Peter

 

[Schulterklappen]

Thank you!

Hello,

Today the weather was excellent and I went to the Canadian warcemetery in Bergen Op Zoom.
This are some pictures of it and of the grave of Joseph Cooke.


Regards,
Peter

Thank you so very much for this wonderful deed! I am so very glad that they keep the cemetery in such immaculate condition. I will try to forward this to my Canadian relatives.

 

[Hambone]

Well done Peter!

 

[Jeronimo]

Amazing

Truly amazing to find these photos while living in the USA!!
I lived in Hoogerheide "De Acacia" for 7 years ('95 - '02), which is just off of "Nederheide" street.
So I passed this place daily. Yes, I knew the story behind it, but it's amazing to find this in a forum!
Also interesting to see the AGFA-plant and the Nuclear power plant in the background of the "pasture photo". This is part of the Antwerp Port industrial area (Belgium).
And in that area, there was the monthly militaria show.... But that's a different story.
However, I want to thank you for posting this piece of Woensdrecht history, good job!!!

Jerry

 

[Peter U]

Thanks for the compliment Jeronimo!

Cheers,
Peter

Btw the factory you see in the background isn't the AGFA factory but the big chemical plant of BASF and the nuclear power plant. ;-)

 

[Jeronimo]

correction

Yes Peter,
I stand corrected. It was BASF, not AGFA!
"Ach, dat is toch allemaal hetzelfde?!"
A large German company would have been better

Jerry

 

[Peter U]

Another addition to my battle of Woensdrecht collection, the Soldbuch of Rudolf Kosa.
During the battle of Woensdrecht he was a gunner in IV/Fallschirm Ersatz und Ausbildungs Regiment Hermann Göring.
After the battle he was transferred to 3.Fallschirm Panzer Füselier Batl 2HG, part of the Fall Pz Gr Rgt 2HG; on February 24 he was hit in the lung by shrapnel and although the first aid station declared that he could be transported he died the same day of his wound.

 

[Peter U]

His Wundzettel